The Band - The Weight

[MrAllprimedup]

what talent , you can call yourself The Band when your that good !!!

[1976Zoso]

aaannnnddddd........aaaannnndd­dd!......AAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD! PUT THE LOAD RIGHT ON ME!......one word for this song.....CHILLS!

[miamiron]

Lead singer Levon Helm is still going strong

[assacoon]

amazing is all that needs saying

[thacthac]

did you know they were originally bob dylans band

[maywefunku]

glad they added the organ

[vergedrums]

Yeah, Levon! Lay it on me, man!

Damn, that guy can belt it out while he's drumming! Whoo!

I have fond memories of covering this tune at Dee Stadium in Houghton, Michigan back in the late 80s. Dee Stadium - birthplace of professional hockey. Great to be covering a bellwether Canadian band in a historic place like that!

Thanks to the Band!

[djezek7]

@mlwiess2 - There's a guy from Muscle Shoals, Ala. named John Blumer. Might be the best singing drummer I've ever heard.

[mlwess2]

Drummers that can sing like Levon Helm no longer exist.

[wc4dblues]

When this song came out it gave me goose bumps, all these years later; it still does.

every time I hear this song something happens inside me. This has got to be one of THE greatest songs ever written. It has no classification.

[johngkyneur]

I saw them down the highway from here on surf side at BYRON BAY years ago QLD Australia -Yes what a blast at CROCS DED hotel wow what a blast everyone was right off their face--Including THE BAND-- lots of miss Moses looking for fluff and rough trade --a bit like some places I have been to In Florida and the deep south including KENTUCKY wow what a wonderful world-

[10hab]

all i can say is WOW

[MrClassicrock85]

Truly amazing!

[moosecat]

I just my motorcycle endorsement...finally!!! As I passed the test, this song was playing loud and proud in my mind.  What a great song to have as part of "the soundtrack of my life!"

[drumrrroll]

Sorry they turned out to be junkies??? turned out they healed you sad sack

[westernmountains]

I was 14 in 1970 and these guys amazed me, sorry they turned out to be junkies

[rockape560]

this song should be listen to bay all to know hows it done..simply the best

[macarthur19]

The song should be a requirement for every concert.

[momule55]

This is the real deal just as I remember em. Yeop, I'm that old too.

[danno698299]

Why no focus on Richard Manuel?

[dockie1964]

"Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble" show's are a MUST see for any "Band" fans..

[johnjhuff]

Great songwriting, great musicianship, great everything.

[pdgolf99]

just grinned and said no

the band was fantastic

[MegaGum1]

how beautiful is that first fill Levon plays before the chorus? Right along with his vocal-

"...and i want you ta..."

Genius x

[sromano07]

levon spits fire

[Tunzee02]

I saw this band at Trinity College in Harford Ct about 1969 and it's thebest concert I ever saw. Nothing I've seen since compares.

[rocknrolla81]

@jesucristosupersable thank you jesus. i hope your drooling over my thumbs up.

[jamiee1869]

Great version, why don't we have bands like this anymore?

[usermac1300]

thanks alot

[misconduckt]

What in the hell are the lyrics about in this song? Something vaguely biblical, but it still sounds like he's asking some girl to lose weight cause her ass is getting too big

[anthonythirteen]

@misconduckt It's about redemption - trying to good for others but end up get into more problems. I've heard that some of the names are their friends (Crazy Chester = Bob Dylan?).

[jaiji]

@anthonythirteen crazy chester was a former member of The Hawks (Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks: the Band that would eventually become The Band)

[TheJseiler]

@jaiji actually in levon's book he says crazy chester was just some dude, a friend of ronnie hawkins, who would come through town with like cap guns and dressed like an old western sheriff in an attempt to "keep the peace"

[jaiji]

@TheJseiler Cool! Thanks for that. Makes more sense. Always happy to be corrected if I learn something new in the process. I read my version somewhere, but Levon's going to be the man who know isn't he? At least I got the Hawkins link. (I must get hold of a copy of Levon's book).

[theNifflefoot]

@misconduckt Much needed humor. Thank you.

[sneak108]

oh wow this isnt even the last waltz!!! it seems faster and jazzier. am i wrong? maybe im way off.

[XZYOE]

@sneak108 I think it's Festival Express.

[hoppy37]

best band ever could do it all ...

[mclarkuncg]

this video is what made me buy a telecaster...haha

[pac401]

I like how Robbie makes believe he's singing harmony.

[marinman39]

Wow. Everyone of these guys was a complete music master. It is so hard to play the bass and sing like Danko does here (i know this from 30 years of trying), or sing and play drums like that. And Levon plays great mandolin too, and Richard of course had that great voice and piano and also drummed well. And Garth Hudson' s organ made their sound. Robbie is one of the greats on guitar, period. With that name, they had to live up to it. And did they!

[4JayeP]

great harmonies.

[mgman71]

Festival Express Tour across Canada

[Bigpolak57]

Damn Richard got no face time in that vid.

[73gunfighter]

Had the pleasure of meeting Levon for the first time about '58 when he came to Toronto with The Hawk. Over these many years I've always admired him as a true southern gentleman and an incredible talent. At Massy Hall during Ronnie's birthday celebration, Jerry Lee Lewis tried many times to hire Levon to go on the road with him because of that distinctive "Arkansas Shuffle Beat" He didn't seem to remember knowing or playing with Levon over many years. Rock on Levon, you're one of a kind

[timrhenry]

bass player is Rick Danko

[tomtebass]

What's the name of the bass player?

[YoshiClone112]

probably the best canadian band ever!

[l3lackman2]

holy shit.....I'm glad everyone pointed out the multitasking....that's just amazing

[LocalRailfan]

Hear Levon "Turn that mic off!"

[ksteens]

0:58 - 1:03 : multitasking!!

[curiousnomad]

I'll bet these guys didn't have some guy in a suit a the record company tell them how to write and play their music.

These are some of the real guys- no makeup wearing posers here.

[codyn1]

@curiousnomad Couldn't put it any better.

[dangerbirdzuma]

@curiousnomad neil young med

[dangerbirdzuma]

@curiousnomad yup its a shame that bob seems to overshadow them

[ilovemywah]

here! here!.. love that booming bass line.

[TheAmericanRifleman]

Thank God for youtube.

[nickdoof]

This is awesome!!!

[TheHockerman]

i think this song sounds better live

[jazman378]

I think it's the best of the best...I love it...there good...

[MrBluesforyou]

Levon is The Best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[iorioriorio]

Nice uptempo, upstate new york version!!...oreo likes this!!

[stewart591]

im pretty sure this is from Festival Express???

[TheHockerman]

yea it is

[willomina1990]

the singer/drummer is really gorgeous and sexy!!!!

[swedishzug]

at&t sucks

[samuel498]

like this version,good tempo.thanks for posting,you can hear every instrument/voice very clearly.

[AcrossfromtheAlamo]

Levon is da' man, watch at 1:03 when he is #1 drumming a fill #2 talking to someone off stage #3 adjusting the hihat cymbal and hits the top of the lyric like it just another thing.... LEVON HELM !

RIP RICK, RICHARD.....

[1947Chief]

@ 0:59 I think he says - Ricky's mike is too hot ..

He sounds loud in the mix ...

this is a real gem , thanks for posting

[ooolka652]

The best song The band.I love it!

[albino214]

wonderful band, wonderful song, wornderful times

[freeloader97]

its robbie robertson.

[rocknrolla81]

this song should have been number 1 on rolling stone greatest songs.

[NLoog]

hi a have the same ;)

[cron360]

i am pretty sure thats Eric Clapton on the guitar in this version in know he was on the festival express with the rest of those guys

[MarioMoreno]

eric clapton? it sure looks like robbie for me

[stratomaster765]

how could u honestly say that clapton was on festival express... did u see the movie? whoever told you that clapton was in festival express did not know what the hell they were talking about

[rocknrolla81]

not clapton dude. good one though.

[a555bob666]

rick danko has the worst voice that i love to hear, it just makes me happy as hell everytime he misses a note and grins anyway

[wenahaone]

thanks for putting this up. I love this movie.

[taylor410ce]

yeah!!!!!!!!!!

[acidrain30005]

My favorite version of this song. I think it's Garth's organ fills after the chorus that get me.

[TheJseiler]

@acidrain30005 thats richard doin the organ fills buddy

[WEIR4EVER]

Nice Ethan!