As most modern rock musicians will attest it is nearly impossible to ignore
the influence of The Band. The musicians of this seminal five piece are highly
regarded multi-instrumentalists/vocalists/songwriters, having backed almost
everybody at one time or another, but most notably in their early career as
the backing band for a semi-popular guy you may have heard of…Bob Dylan!
Times Like These is the final solo studio effort from The Band’s
bassist and delicate vocalist, Rick Danko and it lives up to the legend this
man helped to create.
Danko has a litany of killer players on this record, most notably the New York
band The Crowmatix for almost all of the record’s songs. Danko sings,
plays bass and acoustic guitar but it is his delicate warble and snappy songwriting
that truly shine. Not so stylistically different then what you’d here
him do on a Band album, Danko and his proficient players put the precise parts
of these puckishly-penned pieces together for a perfect pastiche.
Opening with the pretty title track, featuring some nice harmonies of Danko
and Marie Spinosa and Prof “Louie” Hurwitz’s angelic piano,
“Times Like These” is pure Danko. Never the strongest vocalist,
his talking-the-lyric on this one is truly sweet and starts the collection off
perfectly. Next up is a reading of the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple,”
nice but nothing new. With “All Our Past Times,” things really begin
to cook. The Crowmatix are in fine form here with a tightness that carefully
backs Danko’s delicate voice every step of the way. It almost feels like
we’re in familiar Band territory with most of the tunes. A near spiritual
take of Paul Jost’s “Book Faded Brown” has Garth Hudson’s
wife Maud providing a perfect vocal counterpoint to Danko.
Next to the title track, a rousing “Change Is Good” is probably
the most accessible tune here. Danko’s vocals were limited, but somehow
the guy knew how to make them align properly with his backing vocalists. Even
when he’s a bit pitchy, it works. I really like the dynamics in “Change,”
especially the guitar work from Joe Walsh. We’re given a nice countrified
passage for the Danko/Dylan “This Wheel’s On Fire” (hey, how
many people can list Dylan as a collaborator!) and The Crowmatix are on fire
(with Garth Hudson) providing an amazing instrumental opening which might be
worth the price of the album alone.
“You Can Go Home” is lush and maybe just a bit too simple, but
Danko’s vocal works effectively around this song of regret and solace.
“Home” holds a little extra sadness given the fact that this album
was a work in progress when Danko died in 1999. The country-flavored “Let
The Four Winds Blow” (with Professor Louie on lead vocals and Levon Helm
on harmonica) lifts the spirits before “People of Conscience” ends
the disc. We are reminded of the importance of Danko’s role in The Band;
how his unique, if sometimes limited vocal range, usually fit the proceedings
perfectly; and how that rag-tag tumble of musicians seemed to resurrect an old
American songbook with stuff wholly unique and inspired. “People”
is one grand tune with the full compliment of most of the previous players on
this one, but it’s really Danko’s warble and his leading of ‘the
band’ behind him on this Tom Pacheco tune that makes this the album’s
tour de force.
Rick Danko truly never knew popularity beyond The Band. Let’s face it
they were a hard act to follow — Robbie Roberson flirted with acting,
solo work and Scorsese soundtracks; Levon Helm acted as well, overcame some
health problems and recently put out a critically acclaimed CD; and every musician
in the world loves Garth Hudson. Band piano player/vocalist Richard Manuel died
in 1986. He was never able to rise out of his addictions. Which leaves Rick
Danko. Times Like These is a welcomed, though late addition,
a testament to the spirit and voice of The Band’s enigmatic bassist.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
