The uncut version of "It Makes No Difference" from The Last Waltz.
Listen to more The Band at Wolfgang's Vault.
I'm an emotional person by nature; I'll cry at the drop of a hat or sentimental TV commercial. It's one of the reasons I'm so drawn to music. In a song, it's possible to express things that you could never say in plain language to someone's face without fear of rejection or embarrassment.
That being said, I've rarely really, truly lost it during a musical performance. I'm usually too wrapped up in trying to commit everything to memory to allow myself full immersion in the moment.
That is, until the night I heard "It Makes No Difference" performed live by the Levon Helm Band.
This sadly incomplete video is from their appearance at the Horseshoe Casino's Bluesville venue on April 24 of this year. When this song came up in the setlist, I was surprised by the emotion that swept over me; I was unable to restrain myself from crying openly. (To the nice lady sitting next to me: I'm sorry if I freaked you out.) Besides the fact that this was a very special show - Levon was playing for his hometown crowd, and literally sang his heart out that night - and that Amy Helm and Teresa Williams absolutely nailed this song, I never thought I would ever get to hear "It Makes No Difference" performed by any member of The Band live. (I was lucky enough to meet Teresa afterwards and I told her my reaction to their performance. Her eyes grew very large, and she took hold of my arm and with all sincerity said, "If I'd been in the audience, I would have lost it too." I was lucky enough to meet Levon and several of the other musicians as well, but I'll save that story for later.)
This is hands-down my favorite Band song; I identify with it a little more deeply than I care to analyze or admit. The Band weren't known for their love songs, so it was a bit of a departure for them. Maybe that's part of the reason why this one is so special. They really pulled out all the stops, from Garth's last-call saxophone to Robbie's stinging, sewing-needle guitar solo, and the beautiful cry in Levon's harmony vocals - much like the ones I heard him sing live that night. All that, and then there are those poignant, poetic lyrics.
But what makes it and sells it is Rick's singing. His was an unusual tenor - sometimes plaintive, as during "Unfaithful Servant"; sometimes goofy, as during his famous "Crazy Chester" verse from "The Weight." He captured the feeling of schizophrenic terror in "Stage Fright" and the haunted, uncertain mood of "Caledonia Mission." But as great as these and other performances of his are, this song sums up for me everything he was about. With lyrics this transparently emotional, you've got to sing it like you mean it, or it will fall flat. Rick sang this one like he'd lived it. His sobbing, desperate vocal teeters dangerously on the edge; he sounds as if any moment he will come unhinged before our very eyes.
"It Makes No Difference" drags you to the brink of the abyss and forces you to look at rock-bottom. It's not a pleasant sight - or sound., for that matter. It captures perfectly that feeling of waking up bleary-eyed in the bleak a. m., having to remember all over again that he or she is gone, and feeling the sour swell of pain and knowing rise anew in your chest. It's unabashed, it's unafraid. In sum, it's everything that a truly great song should be.
Rick has been gone for 11 years now. To paraphrase Sir Elton, I would have liked to have known him, but I was just a kid. Yet I feel like I've gotten a glimpse of him through the musical legacy he left behind. His was a voice of many colors, and I believe that each shade reveals a different facet of his character. In other words, when Rick Danko sings, no matter what he's singing about, I believe him. That is the highest praise I could ever bestow upon any musician.
I also feel I've gained an understanding of Rick through Carol Caffin's fine blog, Sip The Wine. She was Rick's friend and publicist for many years, and on her blog she generously shares stories, anecdotes, and observations about Rick. If you want to know more about the man, there is no better source.
See also Jan Hoiberg's Band site, which features Carol's biography of Rick and several of her BandBites articles - essential reading all.
Since you've been gone, it's a losing battle
Stampeding cattle, they rattle the walls . . .
Couldn't have put it any better myself. Ad courtesy of Jan Hoiberg's Band site.
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