@aniatario- Yup, definitely has a reputation as an asshole. As for "stealing" the rights to the music, well he's the songwriter for most of it and that's where the rights to revenues lies. That said the tracks that the band recorded were very collaborative, so he could have chosen to be more equitable, but chose not to. They worked together for over 20 years and by not sharing Robbie alienated himself from the rest of The Band, especially Levon Helm. So yeah... an asshole.

@rougy- During the editing process for The Last Waltz Scorsese and Robertson lived together and consumed copious quantities of drugs. I guess Scorsese was the typical New York hopped-up cokehead, and Robertson definitely seemed to be more of a mellow stoner.

Side note: Just read on Wikipedia that Elton John's song "Levon" was written as a tribute to Levon Helm, the drummer from The Band. Interesting.

I'm not patronizing by pointing out that this music had it's place and purpose in rock history and just because it doesn't speak to you (and it's not supposed to speak to everyone) doesn't make it any less music then the music you like. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but your coming off as a music snob. There is a lot of music that I don't care for and sounds like crap to me but to each his own.

By saying things like "So, to rebel against clean, clear sounds, one must refuse to learn how to play one's instrument" just shows your ignorance of the genre. People weren't listening to bands like Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's, The Circle Jerks, etc... Because they had a guitarist like Eddie Van Halen or a singer like Elton John...it wasn't about how good you could play your instrument. It was about the sound that you could create and the energy of that sound and the lyrics. The lyrics to one of the songs in this video "New Yorks Alright if you Like Saxophones" are pretty funny. The lyrics to one of the other songs "Let's Have a War" is also some good satire about how war is good for the economy "Jack up the Dow Jones!" and "General Motors get fat like last time!".

I'm not saying that you have to like this or understand this...just explaining why some people do. Your response on the other hand is basically that what I am telling you and what others have told you about the genre and why we like it is all bullshit.

>> ^Stormsinger:
So, to rebel against clean, clear sounds, one must refuse to learn how to play one's instrument, and just scream raggedly into a mike. Got it.
Drop the patronization, please. I'm fully aware of the ridiculous claims made to support the godawful talentless crap they called punk. And it's still nothing but noise. Precisely on the level of the three-year-old throwing a tantrum by screaming and kicking the floor.
I'm not saying there is no value in punk...but the value wasn't actually perceptible until -after- it was gone. Some of the bands now called post-punk are moderately interesting...a few are even very interesting. But that's not a description you'll ever convince me applies to this video.
>> ^Grimm:
And that's why you don't understand...because Rock and Roll isn't all about the "music". It can be, but it's not limited to that. The punk movement came about in part as a rebellion to how sanitized, over-produced, and corporate rock and roll had become in the 70's. You can't rebel against that kind of music by playing that kind of music...in it's extreme form you have to take it to the other end of the spectrum. Raw, three-chords, angry, attitude, expressive, etc... It spoke to a generation who grew up in the 70's to sanitized corporate rock and disco music.
>> ^Stormsinger:
Frankly, I'm really having a hard time making the word "music" stretch to cover that noise.

Thanks . I love that vid

In reply to this comment by Hex:
*promote

Love is good; Love is enough; Love is great and can do ... things...for... people... that's what i get from lyrics... elton just works here, he doesn't write the stuff!

Dead video replaced.

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
*dead again

Look at it from the bright side folks, at least now there's actual tangible irrefutable proof there is no god.

Congratulations on your crown, ye Prince of Debauchery. May your reign last longer than that of Caligula and may your feasts be graced with more male rectal violations than a party at Elton John's house.

so, whos it gonna be? darwin or elton john? because you can only choose one!! either you are with us, or you are with the faggots! i mean liberals.. or terrorists.. either way, you are going to hell and i am not. because i hate you, and that makes god happy.

Dead video replaced.

In reply to this comment by kulpims:
*dead

>> ^dag:
They needed to have some David Bowie playing in the background.


actually I was thinking Elton John's Rocket Man...

"Mars ain't the kind of place to raise a kid, In fact it's cold as hell."

and I prefer the Shatner rendition for the above line reading.

Thank you, Eric!

In reply to this comment by eric3579:
*promote

Upvote for him doing one of my fave Elton songs.

>> ^quantumushroom:
To QM and others who seem to think it is all about biology and procreating...if that is your argument then the same can be said about people who don't want children or can't have children. But I have a feeling that your not for banning them from getting married are you?
The pro-gay-marriage side keeps trying to make this into a civil rights/equality issue. It is not. Blacks fought for the SAME rights that Whites have; gays are fighting for a redefinition of the linchpin of society itself to suit their needs.
With the arrival of civil unions, the acceptance by the free market of gays as a marketing bloc and government as a voting bloc, most of the steam in the argument for gay equality is gone in the best way: it's been achieved! Even Elton John can't figure out what American gays are upset about; he has a British civil union and doesn't care what it's called.
Quantum, what exactly ARE the benefits of marriage?
The institution itself provides legal protections and advantages that live-ins don't have, to the point that in some states live-ins are considered married by "common law".
Marriage promotes order and discourages random sexual encounters which may spread disease or create offspring without parents to care for them.
Marriage provides a measure financial stability and a structured family unit extra-protected by laws in which children are better off.


Heavens no! Not rules and structure! Liberals will have strict rules for my taxes, guns, and health care...but this morality...it must be done away with.

To QM and others who seem to think it is all about biology and procreating...if that is your argument then the same can be said about people who don't want children or can't have children. But I have a feeling that your not for banning them from getting married are you?

The pro-gay-marriage side keeps trying to make this into a civil rights/equality issue. It is not. Blacks fought for the SAME rights that Whites have; gays are fighting for a redefinition of the linchpin of society itself to suit their needs.

With the arrival of civil unions, the acceptance by the free market of gays as a marketing bloc and government as a voting bloc, most of the steam in the argument for gay equality is gone in the best way: it's been achieved! Even Elton John can't figure out what American gays are upset about; he has a British civil union and doesn't care what it's called.

Quantum, what exactly ARE the benefits of marriage?

The institution itself provides legal protections and advantages that live-ins don't have, to the point that in some states live-ins are considered married by "common law".

Marriage promotes order and discourages random sexual encounters which may spread disease or create offspring without parents to care for them.

Marriage provides a measure financial stability and a structured family unit extra-protected by laws in which children are better off.

>> ^kronosposeidon:
How do YOU know they did nothing to stop Prop 8 prior to the election? Just because they didn't make this video before the election doesn't mean they ALL were doing nothing. Maybe some of them donated money and/or their time to Equality For All, the main group opposed to Prop 8. NoOnProp8 web site.
What did you two do? Did you donate anything to the No On Prop 8 campaign? I'll bet not. So easy to criticize while you're doing jackshit, isn't it?
promote



How do I know?

Because I live in California, am on nearly every one of these comedians email list and FB app, and there was not ONE commercial or letter-to-editor, blog or email from any of these people.

I followed prop8 very closely. Listening to the radio, following LA Times daily, etc. Hell, even Elton John didn't lift a finger, while Brad Pitt (not gay) donated $100,000.00.

And yes, I DID give money to the cause as well as protested. Is that "jack shit"?


[edit] ps KP - thanks for the downvote, for assuming that I'm a hypocrite. I didn't downvote you for unfairly attacking me over something you know nothing about. And I still won't, because downvoting a comment that you just disagree with is childish and petty.

>> ^quantumushroom:
Elton John--who is gay--wondered aloud at the vehemence of these militant gays. He pointed out civil unions confer the same rights as marriage and therefore couldn't understand the fuss.


No he didn't.