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Tune in tomorrow, July 7th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.

Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: HearLefsetzLive

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: LefsetzLive

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band – Official Trailer

The first half of this film is utterly astounding.

Watching Ronnie Hawkins boogie on stage is worth the time alone. From back in the era when records were just the starting point, just the blueprint for a live performance. Those days are returning in the non-Spotify Top 50 world, but I’m not sure we’ll see the days of the Band again, timing is everything, and back then the world was both smaller and larger. As in we were not all connected and you could function under the radar, honing your chops, and then emerge seemingly fully-formed on the landscape, with no one knowing the dues you’d paid, and be known by everybody.

It’s not that the second half is not good, but we know most of that story.

We thought we knew the beginning, but we did not, in this movie it is fleshed out.

Robbie Robertson needed it. Worked and practiced harder than anybody he knew. And despite being legendary as a songwriter today, he was the hottest picker in Toronto. Today we have rap battles, back then they were axe battles.

So, Robbie single-mindedly pursues his dream and travels to Arkansas to audition for the aforementioned Hawkins and then goes on the road where Levon Helm teaches him the ropes, where he gets paid in…I don’t think you can say the “p” word anymore, but Hawkins does, says there will be little cash, but tons of the p-word.

And they’re paying dues in the trenches ad infinitum. They’re in their own little R&B world, but then word starts to spread. That’s the ugly little truth that no one acknowledges, you can hype yourself to high heaven and probably not gain any traction, but if you’re truly great they search you out, they want to know you, most of the heavies in the scene are students of the game.

So, John Hammond brings Robbie to a session and he meets Bob Dylan and the rest is history, only…

The history we know is from “Don’t Look Back.” And today many people say that Bob was not booed. Robbie contradicts this, but Dylan cares not a whit, he’s doing what he wants, the audience be damned.

Time has faded away, but the only other person I know who did this was Neil Young. He was the king of the soft rock set with “Harvest,” then he went on the road and played raucous rock and roll, brand new, unrecorded numbers, and the arena crowds were dumbstruck. Funny how he’s the one with the career today. And Dylan too. When most of their peers have faded away.

Not that you do not have to seize opportunities. Hawkins is going into the studio yet has no material, so Robbie writes two numbers, which get recorded. Robbie knew what he wanted, he worked hard to get it. And this whole movie proves the power of songs, they are what last, a great band is nothing without them.

So, the Band, then named “Levon and the Hawks,” goes out with Dylan and Levon doesn’t like the scene and quits but when it’s all over the remaining four move to Woodstock and rent Big Pink and Dylan comes by and they record the Basement Tapes. That was a big deal back then. Dylan had disappeared. And suddenly, others are recording his songs, like Peter, Paul & Mary with “Too Much of Nothing,” and the Byrds with “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” Never underestimate the power of a manager. You can’t make it big without one. Albert Grossman also represented Peter, Paul & Mary. And eventually Dylan reappeared with “John Wesley Harding” and “Nashville Skyline,” but in the interim the newly-christened Band was woodshedding, creating “Music From Big Pink.”

Levon came back, but the key to success was they had time to create, they weren’t working every night on the road. John Simon reflects that they were on salary, but when it started and who paid is left unsaid. Did Grossman pay while he was searching for a record deal, or was it after the Capitol contract was signed?

But when no one is paying attention, when you’ve got the desire, when there are no outside influences, that’s when you can stretch out, test the limits, create and be your best self.

That’s hard to do in this internet era.

And, once again, you’ve got to be able to afford it. Meaning if music is something you do on the side, if you’ve got a day job to pay the bills, good luck making it.

And then the scene devolves into drugs and there’s a war between Levon and Robbie and…

Maybe you were alive back then, maybe you weren’t. But one thing is for sure, the Band were singular, there was not another act like them, they created their own niche, they did not need feature performers, they just had to do their thing, and the audience embraced it. Not at first, without a hit single no one penetrated the public that fast back then, but it would build, to the point everybody knew you, and when the second album was released…

That was the peak.

But too much success leads to excess. How do you deal with the attention, how do you deal with the stage fright, what happens when you have a lot more money than sense?

Alcohol and drugs.

Robbie says that’s what killed the band, drove a wedge between him and the others. Do they have a contrary opinion? Well, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko are dead, and Levon Helm’s opinion has become public fact, he fought cancer, his voice was impaired, he held concerts in his barn, he was not hanging with the Hollywood elite…was Robbie guilty or innocent?

Brandi Carlile writes the songs, but she shares ownership with her bandmates, she doesn’t want disharmony over royalties to break up the act.

Then again, when you’ve got five people in the band and a record deal from the sixties, how much money were you making? Plenty in the sixties, a pittance today. These rock stars had to work to be rich, and most of them were ignorant as to cash, and when they finally woke up, got off the road and got clean, they were broke, oftentimes with royalty streams sold or stolen from them.

“Once Were Brothers” is definitely Robbie Robertson’s story. He becomes more likable as the film proceeds, but we may never know the true history here. But he deserves credit for including Levon’s take.

As for the talking heads?

Most of them are superfluous. I don’t care what Bruce Springsteen has to say about the Band, or Peter Gabriel either. I guess Eric Clapton had it right, he wanted to join the band, he asked to jam…but was told the Band did not, jam that is. You can get close, but you can never get in, you can never join.

And you cannot inherit this success, you’ve got to earn it.

And once you peak, you usually can never create at that level again. Would Robbie’s solo albums be better if the Band was involved, if he didn’t sing? Probably. Would they have shaped the material to equal the quality of the initial trio of Band albums? Doubtful. As it was, I don’t know a single person who can quote anything from “Islands,” never mind even come up with any of the tracks.

So what we’ve learned here is rock and roll fame burns very bright for a very short period of time. You spend a lot of time outside the spotlight getting ready, then you’re subjected to the starmaking machinery, which then spits you out in favor of something else. So, you record new music no one listens to, lose your record deal and go on the endless road, playing usually to a dwindling crowd of aged acolytes, who remember when.

But when back in the sixties and seventies was not like other eras. Money was important, but it was not everything. Self-expression and self-realization were the keys. And you looked to gurus to guide you. And the biggest gurus were musicians.

Does this movie work if you were not there, if you were not a fan?

Maybe, assuming you’re a student of the game. But especially in this hip-hop era it seems like ancient history. Then again, Bob Dylan was inspired by Woody Guthrie and Eric Clapton and the rest of his contemporaries in the U.K. were inspired by the Delta bluesmen.

Levon waxes rhapsodic about Memphis radio.

At that time, hits were regional. What they played in Memphis was even different from what they played in Nashville, never mind New York. The sound was fresh, ground was being gained by people who only wanted to play, they had no interest in becoming a brand, they were hooked on the music and the lifestyle, they had no interest in showing up in a suit at the crack of dawn to stroke those in the boardroom. No one ever did a story on how much money the Band made, that was not relevant.

So today there’s a documentary about everybody. But this one is a cut above. Because it had a budget, maybe because Marty Scorsese was the executive producer. Then again many executive producers have no input on the content. But they had the cash to come up with footage, also this was an era where there were photographs, and some moving pictures, even in color, of the Band. So you can see the story, it comes alive.

So, what we’ve got is less nostalgia than inspiration. You get a window into what once was. And you’re forced to ask yourself who you want to be. A friend of Robbie’s wanted to own a bowling alley. You can’t do everything in life, you’re lucky if you can do one thing. What do you want to dedicate your time to? I read in the paper today that no one wants to work. Nothing could be further from the truth. There’s a sliver of people who live to work, whose creations thrill us, make our lives worth living, whether it be Steve Jobs pushing the limits of technology or the Band making records.

But it is a lot of work. And you never know when, or if, you’re going to get the rewards. But some make it. Some become legends. Not everybody has the chops or the desire, but if you do…we can recognize it, like Van Morrison kicking at “The Last Waltz.”

Robbie says it was not supposed to be the end.

Then again, he says they needed a break, primarily from the drugs.

That’s not the way the media spun it back then, the story was it was over.

But one thing is for sure, they never did it again. It was five people at a certain moment in time who could not do it without each other. Lightning struck. It illuminated the world. We paid attention. And the burn is implanted in our brains, we will never forget. “Once Were Brothers” will remind you. And if you’ve still got some juice in the tank, it will inspire you.

P.S. It’s “free” on Hulu. Subscribe.

1

No one is an accidental success.

You’ve got to want it, you’ve got to pursue it like you’re running out of time.

Did you watch “Hamilton” on Disney+?

“Hamilton” is the biggest musical event of the past five years, far eclipsing Ariana Grande or Kanye or anybody on the hit parade. Because it wasn’t built by the hit parade, it wasn’t forced down anybody’s throat, its spread was the essence of the internet, pull, not push, people wanted it.

And now they’ve got it.

Very few people have actually seen “Hamilton” on stage, compared with the number of people in America. But those who have testified. And those who haven’t…listened to the Original Broadway Cast album.

We know about the success of the musical, what is not emphasized is the success of the soundtrack.

Maybe you needed children in the house. Word of mouth is more important than ever, but in the pre-internet era the spread was limited to the confines of your high school, today there are no boundaries, kids have more friends than ever, they consume more information than ever, adults rail against screen time but it has already transformed the younger generations in ways adults not only could not foresee but still don’t understand. There’s a network. Which is always on. And when something is deemed important, all youngsters know it.

You might be overwhelmed by apps, by comments, by Reddit, by YouTube and its influencers, but these young digital natives live on their devices and not only know the ropes of how to use them, but what is being said.

Which brings us to the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Without the internet, there is no spontaneous combustion. And if you look, it was the youngsters out in the streets. MTV killed homophobia and racism amongst its viewers. Not completely, but there’s no gay marriage without MTV. And the younger you are, the less racist you are. It’s the old people who are most racist, and they’re fading away and their beliefs will not radiate.

In “Hamilton” you have a story of white people portrayed by people of color. There might have been some head-scratching at first, but that’s long gone. Then again, it’s interesting that people of color can tell the white man’s story, but white people can’t tell the stories of people of color. I get it, it’s kind of like racist jokes, you can tell them if you’re a member of the tribe, you can use the “n” word if you’re an African-American, but you don’t want anybody else employing these expressions. Then again, we must move towards harmony as opposed to exclusiveness, but that’s a debate for another day.

So, if you have someone in the house who is still in school, you know “Hamilton” by heart, you’ve heard it over and over and over again. And unlike today’s hit parade, the music was not here and then gone, it sustains. In today’s world it’s harder to break through, but it’s just as hard to stay on top. First and foremost, much of what makes it just isn’t that good, secondly, there are always people vying for pole position. But slow and steady wins the race. Even slower than terrestrial radio. And in America today, oftentimes the news media does not reflect the hearts and minds of citizens. We used to live in a top-down culture, now it’s bottom-up.

So, Apple should have paid beaucoup bucks for “Hamilton.” Then again, at first the filming of the stage play was to be released theatrically. But Disney pivoted in the Covid-19 era and put it up on their television pay service. And now everybody can see it. Over and over and over again.

My point about Apple is “Hamilton” would have driven subscriptions. And it will do so for Disney. Even more, it will continue subscriptions. If you’re young, you’re not one and done, you need to be able to see “Hamilton” on demand, whenever. And old people too.

So there was tons of hype in advance of yesterday’s launch, but I’ve yet to read the article about adoption, how many people watched, but those will come. And the numbers will be stratospheric, but unlike the Super Bowl, there will be repeatability.

So, if you have not watched “Hamilton,” if you are not planning to watch “Hamilton” this weekend, you are in the minority. And you want to watch it because it’s so damn good, but also because you want to be part of the discussion, that’s what makes you feel human, when you can converse with others about something. That’s what we’re all looking for in this lockdown era.

Just one note… If you’re new to the musical, watch it with the subtitles on. You’ll glean so much more.

And unlike with Quibi, “Hamilton” is a very big bite, two hours and forty minutes, but you’ll make it through, because you’ll enjoy it and want to know how it turns out, marveling that you did not learn all this in school.

2

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore
And a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot
In the Caribbean by providence impoverished
In squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

Why is it the nobodies from nowhere break into the entertainment scene?

Because they want it. And there are no pre-requirements.

You need to put in a decade of schooling to become an MD. There are hurdles to almost every profession in America today. And the disadvantaged have problems even getting to the starting line, now more than ever the disadvantaged are just that, they to go substandard schools and are not made aware of scholarship opportunities, meanwhile their parents are denigrated as are their schools themselves. That’s America, if you’re not successful it’s your fault. But those people looking down on you were beneficiaries of elite educations, or they inherited their wealth, or they made money in business and they don’t want you taking any of it.

But in entertainment…all doors are open. Which is why it’s so hard to make it, everybody wants to play. And despite all the talk of controlling labels, the story of the last decade is democracy, individuals concocting hits all by themselves in their own little burgs.

Just as important is the influence of said work. It’s confounding how whites are racist while they listen to hip-hop and adopt the lifestyle. But that’s just how powerful entertainment and its stars are.

3

Desire and hard work. It doesn’t matter what socioeconomic stratum you’re from, you’re not going to become an elite influencer if you’re not willing to sacrifice everything to make it. And I mean EVERYTHING!

If you want a normal life, get a job, hopefully it will pay the bills.

But if you want to have influence, stop saving for a house, don’t get married, don’t have children, don’t buy an expensive car, just WORK!

But you’ve got to establish a goal.

Alexander Hamilton wanted influence, power, he wanted to leave a dent in the universe. Don’t equate this with getting rich. Sure, money can gain you a modicum of power, but nowhere near as much power as that of entertainers, those in the arts. Life is empty without the arts, despite all the put-down of art history majors. It’s the ethereal creations of the artists that we’re drawn to, that we want to spend time with, that we want to talk about, just like “Hamilton” itself. So keep your eye on the prize, but know what the prize is.

4

Don’t undersell yourself. Hamilton wants to fight, he wants to be on the frontlines, he doesn’t want to be in the background. This is no different from an NBA star wanting the ball as the clock ticks down. Hamilton believes in himself, he doesn’t shy away from a challenge, he embraces it. And he’s always looking for more responsibility.

But the problem with this is you make mistakes. And those are anathema in today’s culture. Don’t let this dissuade you, if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not taking enough risks.

5

Talk less, smile more

Aaron Burr wants to be a friend to everybody, not go on the record for fear of alienating someone. This is the philosophy of too many entertainers today. They stand for nothing. They want to touch everybody, but as a result they barely go beyond skin-deep. You don’t make a fan by being bland, you make fans by having edges, by believing the message is more important than the fallout.

And speaking of Burr, actions have consequences. Don’t be a hothead, try to work it out. What I mean is you might get caught up in the moment and regret it. You can never erase your brain. It’s one thing to get into an argument, it’s another to snuff out someone’s life. There are lines you do not want to cross. But shy of this limit, which rarely comes into play, do not sacrifice your truth to be a member of the group, because the group does not need you, it’s only a matter of time before you’re ejected.

6

Men are ruled by the little head.

They want to go downtown and hang with the ladies.

They do things they regret.

In other words, the world revolves around sex. And it’s no different today, when the world’s richest man throws his wife overboard in pursuit of a good friend’s spouse.

7

Loyalty is everything. I do not mean you should stay loyal to someone who committed a crime, what I’m saying is associate with those with character. Marry someone who will take their vows seriously, who won’t abandon you when you least expect it, throwing your life into chaos. There are very few people you can trust, you realize this as you get older. And oftentimes the ones you can trust most have obvious flaws, but the truth is those you think are your buddies have deeper issues that they’re hiding, which will ultimately surface, to your detriment.

8

Own your mistakes. The truth will set you free.

That’s the essence of the Reynolds Pamphlet. Your enemies have no ammunition if you own your faux pas. And today, especially, what happened yesterday is forgotten tomorrow.

9

You may be paranoid, but that does not mean people aren’t out to get you.

Jefferson, Madison, Burr…

10

“Hamilton” is the story of the abused. Americans who could not cotton to British rule. This is what is happening today. It’s not only the Vichy Republicans, but the Vichy Democrats too, who want slow, marginal change, just like the Grammy organization. They say they’re going to do something, and then do nothing as the time passes.

You try to work it out, but sometimes you become overloaded and rebel.

And people don’t like it when you rebel. Wasn’t that the essence of Trump’s speech at Mt. Rushmore last night? We’re going to restore law and order, keep the peace, a peace that is not working for most people.

11

Many more lessons will pop out as you watch “Hamilton.” But the musical is not heavy-handed, the story is paramount, the aphorisms baked in. Immigrants do get the job done. Yesterday and today.

But the most impressive thing about “Hamilton” is that Lin-Manuel Miranda created it.

But it did not come out of thin air. Miranda was a fan of musicals, and of rap, from way back. “In the Heights” did not get as good reviews. He was working in darkness, with very little attention. When the spotlight shines, it’s harder to maintain that level and quality of production.

But Lin-Manuel Miranda needed this. He needed to leave his mark, to tell his story. And he did not write a verse without a chorus, the quality sustains throughout, which is even more difficult because most of the action takes place in the first act. The second act is more cerebral. The aftermath. But the big wheel keeps on turning, life goes on, every moment counts, the big game only lasts one day, what are you gonna do, what are you gonna think about after that?

“Hamilton” is subversive, even though it’s hiding in plain sight. When something is so good, and so truthful, it cannot be denied. And if you want to change people’s behaviors, it’s best to do this through art. Because when you grab people by their hearts and minds they’ll follow you anywhere.

So, can you feel the success of “Hamilton” on television?

Maybe not. But if Lin-Manuel asked you to come together in concerted action, you’d probably follow his lead.

This is today’s world. No one has complete mindshare. Trump is even sacrificing some of his, by going off the rails, by denying the effects of Covid-19. You can sacrifice belief, your heroes can betray you, it’s not easy to let go, but at some point you do. Just like you stopped buying the albums of classic rock heroes after they released two or three duds in a row.

“Hamilton” will cement the footprint of Disney+. It’s a masterstroke. To air it on TV for everybody over the holiday, instead of trying to hoover up money in the theatre and then drip it out on the flat screen as the buzz evaporates. This is a gift. This is the story of July 4th, 2020.

At first it’s kind of stilted. Watching the filming of a play.

But since it’s the original actors, the ones who sang on the soundtrack, it’s very fulfilling, like seeing Freddie Mercury instead of Adam Lambert.

Are you still going to want to see it live?

Interesting question. I’ve been lucky to be up close and personal three times. Just a few rows back in August 2015, dead center in October of 2016.

And I also saw it in Los Angeles, but I was thrown off by the cast, the originals and their voices were burned into my brain.

It’s been five years already. And the “Hamilton” flame still burns. People will still go see the stage play, but I think the TV show will hurt attendance a bit. But it won’t be long before it will be a staple of high schools and summer camps, even summer stock. You see, “Hamilton” and its legend will not die. We were waiting for the Beatles to return, little did we know they would come back as a rap-based musical.

There were no duds on Beatle albums.

Just like there are no duds in “Hamilton.”

Alexander Hamilton achieved his goal. He made a difference, and he will be remembered.

Same deal with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

If you plan to fly in this rarefied atmosphere know that success will come later rather than sooner, you’ve got to hoover up knowledge, you’ve got to make mistakes, you’ve got to find your way.

And it will take all your time.

And you still might not succeed.

But it isn’t about promotion, who you know is important, but not definitive, it’s about the WORK!

Is the work most important to you?

Then you’ve got a chance.

Put your head down. We are not watching. But we want to!

Cellar Sessions: Kasey Anderson – The Dangerous Ones August 8th, 2018 City Winery New York

This is what is wrong with the mainstream music business. A song like this cannot get signed, cannot be promoted, it does not fall within the strictures, the boundaries of the “hit” music business, and therefore it is ignored.

It is not 2012 anymore. There is no “Gangnam Style” virality, not even one manipulated by the record labels in concert with the promotional machine. There are too many messages, too many people looking for attention who don’t deserve it. So, you can hide in plain sight. If you make it, that does not mean they will come. It can be great, and go unnoticed.

Like “The Dangerous Ones.”

I didn’t find out through the media, I got hipped in e-mail. That’s the underground economy, we don’t trust the purveyors, tied in with the PR people shoving stuff down our throat that does not really deserve attention.

And when I clicked I expected to unclick in a matter of moments.

But I did not.

Because of the honesty, because of the humanity, because of the reality.

I’ve got no problem with electronic music, no problem with machines, but the fact they are squeezing out human life bugs me. That only one kind of music an exist and be amplified.

I had no idea who this guy Kasey Anderson was, but upon starting my research it became clear, he was not making a living playing music, not one of any stature. Either he had a day job or lived at subsistence level. And the funny thing is despite all the technological development, you cannot live on minimum wage, you need to live with your parents, and if you complain about income they tell you to get a job when you already have one, even though you can’t make the ends meet.

And I love that you can make music on your computer, but that does not mean you should be unable to make it on traditional instruments, this is not like film photography, with little use today, both machine and acoustic music should be able to exist side by side.

But they don’t.

The above video was recorded in 2018. It hasn’t changed, hasn’t been remixed, it’s the same as it ever was. But it’s only now getting attention because Kasey Anderson’s song “The Dangerous Ones” has been used in a new campaign film by Eleven Films. It’s got 1.1 million views already, better than synching your music to an advertising campaign, this clip has MEANING!

https://twitter.com/Eleven_Films/status/1278733040903008256?s=20

So why does this song work?

Because of the chorus!

We’ve thrown over melody for beats. Why can’t both coexist? Melody goes back to the beginning of time, but now it’s a second-class citizen?

Furthermore, who said lyrics have to be about lifestyle, why can’t they have meaning?

Now I’m not saying that Kasey Anderson will suddenly be on the front page. Nothing spreads that far. The system isn’t built for this. It only promotes that with a marketing team, outlets don’t want to hang it out there alone.

As for Mr. Anderson himself, he spent two years in jail for wire fraud, there goes that money issue again.

Being a songwriter is an honest profession, if you’re as talented as Kasey Anderson.

It’s not only our government that’s screwed up.

“The Dangerous Ones” touches your soul…and isn’t that what great art is all about?