Levon Helm readies the release of new album, Electric Dirt on June 30th. If you’re not familiar with Helms Grammy award winning Dirt Farmer, please check out these videos.

Arriving on June 30th, “Electric Dirt starts off with a rousing rendition of The Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed” moving on to a beautiful stripped down version of Happy Traum’s “Golden Bird.” “Growing Trade”, written by Levon Helm & Larry Campbell tells a deeply heartfelt story of a farmer’s struggle to preserve his livelihood and the rousing horns on “Kingfish” written by Randy Newman, brings the swagger of New Orleans to the forefront

Automatic buy here.

Automatic buy here.

:thmbsp::thmbsp:

Levon Helm's All Stars album is one of my faves. Thanks for the tip!

I love Dirt Farmer- and his old stuff with The Band of course. The title of his new release has me thinking of Muddy Waters going heavy electric, with Electric Mud. Wonder if Levon will do something as unusual.
I love his acting too. He was so cool in "The Shooter".

Thanks for the tip, should be a must-have.

I think its amazing Levon is offering the most creative solo stuff to date with Dirt Farmer and this new one.

On a side note: I hope they finally realease the boxset 'From Bacon Fat to Judgement Day'.... Im curious to hear the quality of that stuff in comparision to whats available from the tape trading/bootleg days. Im sure you know, thats the 8 CD's plus 1 DVD Levon and Hawks retrospective that spans pre Ronnie Hawkins days to The Basement Tapes.

I also hope to see some new posthumous releases of Rick Danko and Richard Manuel (RIP brothers)

Thanks for the update, toze.
I liked Dirt Farmer, and got a kick out of the fact the CD had an Oliver tractor gauge on it.

Looking forward to it.

Sorry, but I listened to Dirt Farmer once and thought it sucked. Loved him in "The Band" so it's not that I wasn't a fan. Did it have to grow on you, or did you like it right off?

Sorry, but I listened to Dirt Farmer once and thought it sucked. Loved him in "The Band" so it's not that I wasn't a fan. Did it have to grow on you, or did you like it right off?

If you get into roots Americanna, you dig it. If your tastes run more mainstream than I dunno. As for myself there is no way I would see myself liking what I do now 25 years ago. So yeah, some stuff has grown on me.

That's just right proper.

Dirt Farmer.....is the kind of CD that kinda grew on me.
Got better and better with repeated play.

Steve

Dirt Farmer.....is the kind of CD that kinda grew on me.
Got better and better with repeated play.

Steve

Same here ... It's like putting on a new pair of boots at first seem a bit uncomfortable and then you start to never want to take them off.

Reminds me a bit of Johnny Cash's last album American IV: The Man Comes Around ... Takes a bit to get into.

Sorry, but I listened to Dirt Farmer once and thought it sucked. Loved him in "The Band" so it's not that I wasn't a fan. Did it have to grow on you, or did you like it right off?

Didn't have to grow on me. My wife and I loved it from first listen.

Funny, I’m reading Levon’s autobiography, This Wheel’s on Fire, right now. It’s a great read. After all those years being bitter about the breakup of the Robertson-era Band, it’s nice to see Levon continuing to make music that does his old group proud.

FWIW, I recently picked up the two post-Robbie Band albums, Jericho and High on the Hog, and was surprised at how good they are. Levon has made a point in interviews that those two records have a lot to offer, and I can see where he’s coming from. I’m very glad I have them in the collection.

I dug it out last night and gave it another listen. Actually the music is good. It's his vocals on some songs. I know that he had throat cancer, but his struggles to hit the higher notes is what bothered me most, like fingernails on a chalkboard. To me, if he would have stayed within his vocal limitations, I would have enjoyed it more.

I dug it out last night and gave it another listen. Actually the music is good. It's his vocals on some songs. I know that he had throat cancer, but his struggles to hit the higher notes is what bothered me most, like fingernails on a chalkboard. To me, if he would have stayed within his vocal limitations, I would have enjoyed it more.

I see your point, but I am always joking with friends you don't have to have a good voice to be a great singer. I think of Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs and Lou Reed, both of which, to my untrained ears, can't sing, but I dig them anyway. And as far as "roots" music goes, the vision of some old fart on his front porch with an acoustic guitar, wailing out his guts with his story of woe, kinda warms the heart.
Not everyone is an American Idol winner but they still have appeal.
It's cool anyway, there is tons of stuff from great singers I don't care for, but for fear of ruffling any feathers I usually keep my mouth shut.

Oh, BTW, did I ever tell you Mariah Carey sucks? :D

I just saw a large group of 12 year old girls with torches heading toward your house!:yikes:

Oh, BTW, did I ever tell you Mariah Carey sucks? :D

Won't write it off yet. Will give some more listens.
Oh, BTW, did I ever tell you Mariah Carey sucks? :D
True dat.