Levon Helm/NY,USA 1988

Levon Helm’s live performance at the Lone Star Cafe in New York in 1988 was recorded with a high-quality soundboard. After the death of Richard Manuel, the activities of the reunited The Band finally came to a halt in 1988, and Levon performed several solo shows. The gig at the Lone Star Cafe was not just Levon’s solo performance, but also a stage where a luxurious guest appeared. Not only Phoebe Snow and actor Harry Dean Stanton, but even Bob Dylan appeared. What’s amazing about this collaboration is that Dylan sang not his own song, but The Band’s classic “The Weight”! This was the only time he ever sang, and he was the lead vocalist. Because of this, Levon sang the part that Rick Danko sang in The Band, making this a very rare live version. It was nothing but lucky that this precious scene was recorded on a high-quality table-connected sound board, but of course the two songs that Dylan sang on this day were recorded on The Band’s three-disc bootleg “CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE”. However, the pitch was higher and the sound quality was clearly inferior to this one. Also, the release of “CROSSING THE~” is now 20 years ago. There are probably many people who did not know about this miraculous collaboration and scene. So, for the first time in a long time, the table-connected sound board of the 1988 Lone Star Cafe will be released, but first of all, the sound quality has improved dramatically. The original was the “2nd gen.” cassette that appeared in recent years, which is naturally a low generation. However, the problem that both this upper version and “CROSSING THE~” had in common was that the pitch was high. So for this release, the pitch problem was thoroughly adjusted, and combined with the upper sound quality, it was reborn into an extremely easy-to-listen-to state. The entire gig is also recorded, and the lively collaboration with other guests is captured in excellent sound quality. In fact, someone other than Levon is the lead vocalist for “Ragtop,” but the details remain unknown. Phoebe Snow also performs soulful songs in two songs, which is impressive. And above all, the sound quality is so great that you can hear Levon enjoying a relaxed gig with guests, which is completely different from The Band’s stage. “Goin Back to Memphis,” which was also performed during The Band’s time, is a prime example, and his relaxed singing style, which is different from the powerful singing style of the band era, is impressive. And in the second half of the gig, two instrumental songs appear, which are also fun to play with a lively rocking groove. In other words, the relaxed and fun stage, which I would call “Levon Helm’s troupe,” is recorded with the best sound quality. Enjoy the sound of a fun night and the surprising appearance of Dylan (he even sings Chuck Berry’s “Nadine”!) with accurate pitch. A superb soundboard document of a phantom day buried in the history of The Band! Lone Star Cafe, New York City, NY, USA 29th May 1988 SBD (79:59) 1. Intro 2. Kansas City (with Harry Dean Stanton) 3. Willie & the Hand Jive (with Harry Dean Stanton) 4. The Weight (with Bob Dylan) ★ 5. Nadine (with Bob Dylan) ★ 6. Going Back To Memphis 7. Blues Instrumental 8. Rockin’ Pneumonia (with Phoebe Snow) 9. My One Desire (with Phoebe Snow) 10. Instrumental 11. Ragtop 12. Why Are People Like That? 13. Instrumental SOUNDBOARD RECORDING