Delve Into Danko

The early 70s had brought much change and turmoil for The Band. They had some of their highest peaks and some of their deepest lows, both professionally and personally. By the time 1973 came around, it was destined to not be any different. This would be the middle of what became known starting 1972 as The Band's "in-between years". They were in the midst of their recording contract obligations with Capitol but completely drained dry of their creativity. The process of collaboration was tense and not as balanced as it was for their first three albums, and it was starting to show in their album productions. Robbie Robertson had mainly seized control of The Band and was making decisions without the group's input which was causing even greater resentment and tension. The most affected was Levon Helm who already started holding a grudge against Robbie and the outside management, and his bitterness showed with his declining passion. The rest of the group felt in a similar a...

December 10, 2022, makes 23 years since Rick Danko silently left this world. In a way, it is ironic that someone who was notorious for being described as a "bull in a china shop" would pass in such a quiet manner, but for such poor health that Rick had been in, it was not a surprise to those who knew him. Regardless, he is still tremendously missed by his family, friends, and generations of fans. Even though it has been over twenty years, the loss of such a beloved person hits as hard as if it were yesterday.  When I first discovered Rick Danko, it was the day after his birthday in 2019. Growing up, I was familiar with The Band with songs such as "The Weight", "Up On Cripple Creek", and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", but I had just assumed they had one lead singer. As much as I liked them, I never delved deep into discovering them beyond those songs for the most part. I did not even know who Levon Helm was. In December 2019, I can remembe...