VIRGIL CAIN IS THE NAME, AND I SERVED ON THE DANVILLE TRAIN…

It was with genuine sadness that I read today of the passing of Levon Helm at age 71.  Apparently he’d been fighting a continuing battle with cancer longer than most people realized.  For those of you who are not rock & roll or roots music fans, Helm was the drummer and  sometimes lead singer of The Band, who, in this aging ex-hippie’s opinion, was the greatest rock band to ever hail from these shores.  (Ironically, this band that exuded Americana had only one member from the States, and that was Helm.  The rest were Canadians.) 

The Band had a long and storied career, both as the backup band for Bob Dylan (hence the name – everyone just knew them as “the band”), and as a star act in its own right.  I consider theirs to be some of the most interesting, powerful, intense, and influential music to come out of the late sixties and early seventies.  If I were to be dropped on a deserted island tomorrow, and was allowed to take only ten albums, The Band’s first two – “Music from Big Pink” and “The Band” – would be among them.  And if there’s a better vocal performance in all of rock history than Helm’s version of the Robbie Robertson song, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” I haven’t heard it.  If you like rock documentaries, many, including myself, consider Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz to be the best ever filmed.  Through the eyes of one of our generation’s finest film makers, this movie memorializes The Band’s truly amazing final concert.  The show was epic - a virtual who’s who of musical luminaries joining the band on stage – Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison – the list goes on and on.  But the film’s unmistakable highlight is Levon Helm singing “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”  With the camera fixed on Helm’s face, you feel his pain, you feel every nuance of this wonderful song, to the point that you’d swear this was Virgil Cain himself, and he had to have been there in Dixie that dreadful night. 

[Here's a YouTube posting of that remarkable performance, excerpted from The Last Waltz:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQYj2ltJKe8&feature=share.]

It was several years back that I was first saddened to hear that Helm had contracted throat cancer, but then I was subsequently gladdened to learn that he’d apparently beaten it.  In fact, he returned to performing with renewed enthusiasm.  Levon Helm was back, and once again, a musical force to be reckoned with.  Over the past five or six years since then, he’s performed live, both in the barn at his home in Woodstock, and on the road.  During that time he also released three exceptional albums - “Dirt Farmer,” “Electric Dirt,” and “Ramble at the Ryman” - all of which won richly-deserved Grammy awards.  Helm’s voice was different, a price he’d paid to the throat cancer, but it still had the same amazing, world-weary quality.  And the music was different – less rock, more old-time country.  But the songs - the songs are amazing - pure Levon Helm, at his best. 

Although I did have the privilege of seeing him perform several times while with the Band (including at Woodstock), I didn’t see him live in recent years, performing his own music, with his own band.  I’d seen ads for him and his band playing at local venues, but for one reason or another, I failed to make time to go.  I will forever regret that.   

Rest in peace, Levon.  Thank you for all the amazing musical memories.  “It was a time I remember oh so well.”

I’M A GOIN' FISHIN'

Some of you will recall the saga of Brad and Angie, the love-sick snapping turtles who we relocated last month.  (They’d been living in the pond, aka the Sea of Cortés, which is my subtle way of reminding you, Pedro – this month’s check is due.)  While we were commiserating on how much we will miss our cute little couple, we were reminded of the fact that other animals, who had previously served as sources of energy for turtle love, would now thrive in the less hostile environment.  Frankly, I was skeptical.  Nevertheless, today’s Sea of Cortés trout fishing expedition produced larger than usual results.  Below is a photo of my friend, Darrin, holding the brown trout I landed.  I’m quickly becoming a believer!  (Happy April Fools’ Day!)

BLIND FAITH?

Well it’s that time of year again, when baseball prognosticators will be ranting and raving about this season’s possibilities and pitfalls.  And you can expect the obligatory wave of negativity coming from the Philly haters, but also from the Philly press.  Woe is us; Howard and Utley are among the missing; the bullpen has holes in it; the fill-in guys look like a tossed cheese steak on Broad Street.  (Nix looks like he’s never seen a breaking ball, and if you squint just right, Wiggington could be Wes Helms’s long-lost little brother.) 

Ok, so the Phillies have a few problems.  But everyone seems to be forgetting that they also have three of the very best pitchers in baseball at the top of their rotation, and one of the game’s premiere closers.  But perhaps most importantly, they’re coming off a season in which they won 102 games, and finished 13 games ahead of their closest competition in the NL East.  And that was the Braves, who have their own injury problems to deal with this year.  The Nationals (21.5 games back) tightened up their pitching, which will be formidable if it stays healthy.  But that would be a first.  (They’ve already announced that their closer will start the season on the DL.)  But come on?  They’re still the Nats.  From what I read in the Washington Post, they’re more concerned with how to keep Phillie fans from buying up all the tickets to Phillies-Nats games than they are with any realistic thought of winning the division.  (Sorry Don.)   And how ‘bout dem Florida Marlins (30 games back)?  Oh wait, it’s the Miami Marlins now, that should make a difference.  But if the name change isn’t enough, they have a new stadium, complete with fish tank.  Still not sold?  How about Ozzie Guillen as the ringmaster, I mean manager?  Step right up, folks, if the circus hasn’t just pulled into Miami, then what’s with the circus peanut smell and calliope music?  All this is going to definitely put asses in the brand new seats, but is it really going to make up 30 games in the standings?  I know, they also have Jose Reyes.  But then we already know how the Mets made out with Jose at the top of their lineup.  (I’ll give the Mets fans this – they always stayed reasonably in tune while singing “Jose, Jose.”  So the Marlins fans will have their work cut out for them if they don’t want voted off.)  Which reminds me, I forgot all about the Mets chances this year (25 games back in 2011).  That’s probably enough about the Mets. 

Seriously, it will be a closer race, but the Phillies are still the team to beat.  I see both the Marlins and Nats closing the gap and making it interesting.  I think Atlanta will fall on tough times because of age and injury.  As for the Mets, well, their 50^th anniversary falls this year.  Happy Anniversary, Mets!   

My bold predictions (keeping in mind my state of perpetual bewilderment): 

1. Phillies
2. Marlins
3. Nationals
4. Braves
5. Mets

In other races, I look for the Cards to move up one and win the Central, with the Diamondbacks repeating in the West.  (I know you Giant fans out there are optimistic, but the Giants’ offense makes the Phillies’ bats look like Murderers’ Row.)

I don’t bother with that other league.  When they drop the designated hitter gimmick, we’ll talk.

Comments welcome!