The Band and Jim Harrison

My fandom for The Band is rivaled by few other bands, and if you read the blog closely, Jim Harrison appears more than most authors in my reviews and comparisons. The ability to thread together strands of various elements into a workable fabric has always fascinated me. Both The Band and Jim Harrison have unique ways of weaving together durable cloth, that for some reason always reminds me of the color brown. Roots are after all usually brown and there is nothing more rooted than the music of The Band and the books of Jim Harrison

If you study The Band, on the surface they appear to be a prototypical American rock band of the 1960's. They had a few hits for the radio, and their records sold well. Peel back a few layers....get down to the roots....both literally in the music, and figuratively in the make of the members, and you will get more than you bargained for. From their deeply profound lyrics to songs like "Acadian Driftwood" to their musical flexes on "Rag Mamma Rag" you are going to get layers and layers. This, it has been said by many, comes from the innate musical abilities and creativity of each member of The Band. I could go on for more, but I'm losing your attention so I'll advise you to just sit and listen deeply to their first self titled record. Take apart each lyric and tune. You can thank me later. 

I have written before of Jim Harrison's ability to, with a flick of the wrist, take the reader from horny to hungry, and lost in nostalgia to the banks of a great trout stream. Gritty and tough, he is surprisingly thought provoking and gentle. There is air in his writing, and room for the reader to engage with the story with ease. Just like The Band, Harrison finds a groove and leaves room for mellowing and fermentation. Reading Harrison gives you space to move around in your mind, and develop the character for yourself with limited interference from the author, which I absolutely love. 

For some reason, as I mentioned above, the color brown always comes to mind when I think of The Band and Jim Harrison. Maybe it is the deeply organic and naturalness of both. Nether force objectives on their consumers, and are easy to pick up wherever you are, in whatever space you are in. Where others try to hammer home, neither of these two are out to prove any sharp points. I would start with "Legends Of The Fall" for Jim Harrison, and recommend "The Band" by The Band.