The Weight

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Author Message davehouck Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 10545 Registered: 5-2002 Posted on Saturday, February 04, 2012 - 4:52 pm:    Here's one a lot of us have played hundreds of times; but his is a really nice version. Gillian Welch & Old Crow Medicine Show hydrargyrum Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 1117 Registered: 3-2004 Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012 - 6:08 am:    I checked this out the other day, and have been thinking about it ever since. Our band does a version of the song, and it's always a favorite. Watching these folks play it is a true joy. It's fun to see someone take such obvious joy in what they are doing, and doing well. Thanks for sharing Dave. dnburgess Senior Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 667 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012 - 1:26 pm:    Yes that is a nice version - but I found it oddly unsatisfying - so I checked out the Band versions from The Last Waltz and Woodstock. It became clear what I was missing in the GW version. 1. Tempo - it drags a bit for me at the slower tempo. 2. Bass - Rick Danko's bass line bubbles and provides counterpoint. 3. Keyboards - the Band's piano line in the chorus is also a key counterpoint 4. Vocals - TLW has Mavis Staples in absolutely sublime form - the Band members themselves have a more "ragged" vocal style which I prefer in folk style music. 5. Arrangement - the Band have that "loose yet tight" feel. Yes the GW version is nice - but a little too nice for my taste. cozmik_cowboy Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1159 Registered: 10-2006 Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012 - 3:32 pm:    I would posit that it is physically impossible to hear Mavis come in on that and not get goose bumps. Perfection. Peter (Message edited by cozmik_cowboy on February 10, 2012) hydrargyrum Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 1118 Registered: 3-2004 Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012 - 3:56 pm:    I love The Last Waltz with a passion, and have forced it on all my friends. (Message edited by hydrargyrum on February 10, 2012) dnburgess Senior Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 668 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012 - 10:03 pm:    Amen, Peter. edwin Senior Member Username: edwin Post Number: 1130 Registered: 5-2002 Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 3:25 am:    What Peter said. Playing The Last Waltz last Thanksgiving in Boulder and Denver was an amazing experience. Somehow that music has a way of bringing together a community that is just unparalleled. I can't wait for next year! BTW, Pops also brings the goose bumps, too. Mavis has the power, but Pops just has something about him that is so sublime. OK, who's serving breakfast? dadabass2001 Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 1625 Registered: 6-2002 Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 5:27 am:    Will a bacon and fried egg sandwich on whole wheat with a slice of cheddar cheese do? MIke cozmik_cowboy Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1160 Registered: 10-2006 Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 6:08 am:    Post the gigs, Edwin; the son & daughter-in-law you met last summer will be presenting us with grandkid #1 about September, so we may well be in Denver T-giving, & that sounds like fun. And true that on Pops! Oh, yeah - thanks for the link, Dave; I liked the GW & OCMS version as well (though not as much) Peter pace Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 827 Registered: 4-2004 Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 12:38 pm:    Thanks for posting this, Dave. I first saw Welsh/Rawlings 17 years ago, and can vividly recall the chill that ran down my spine when I walked into that bar and heard them for the first time. For me, this is a novelty, we all play "the weight" and have fun doing so, but I prefer listening to Gillian as she chases down her own muse. davehouck Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 10551 Registered: 5-2002 Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 4:55 pm:    If I recall correctly, when Bill TGO was here in Asheville a couple years back, he, Art and I covered The Weight; and, again if I recall correctly, that may have been the best version ever. However there are no known recordings of the session; and my memory isn't entirely reliable. And yes Mike, Gillian is something of a treasure. Hard Times. I can imagine that feeling you described. lbpesq Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 5067 Registered: 7-2004 Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2012 - 8:59 pm:    Moder Dave's memory is absolutely accurate! That was, of course, the finest Weight ever played, with the possible exception of when I played it at my wedding in 2001 with Melvin Seals and JGB. Bill, tgo davehouck Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 10560 Registered: 5-2002 Posted on Monday, February 13, 2012 - 8:32 am:    Bill; thanks for confirming my memory of that historic event!