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#697: The Band – King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

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‘King Harvest (Has Surely Come)’ is probably the best song on The Band’s self-titled album from 1969. Some may argue ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ trumps it. It’s definitely a classic. ‘Whispering Pines’? I hear you, that’s not too bad (it’s definitely not my favourite, but I won’t hold anything against you if it is). Nah, it’s ‘King Harvest’. The final track on The Band, it has all five original members of the group in lock with one another’s groove – totally in sync with one another and playing just the suitable amount of notes and chords when needed.

It’s a tale of a farmer who has had their fair share of misfortune in their time. Their crops won’t grow because of a lack of rain, the barn went up in flames the preceding years, and a horse was driven to madness. It’s nothing that I can relate to. But it’s a fantastic set of descriptive lyrics. And what makes them greater is Richard Manuel’s vocal take when singing them. It’s one out of the many times Manuel sings his heart out on the album, and it’s here that he utilises the higher register in his voice to give off a real pained feeling from the subject matter. Drummer Levon Helm joins in during the chorus, providing a fine contrast with his lower tone.

The whole album is grounded by a theme of America, its history, culture, and agriculture. That all comes to a head on ‘King Harvest’. Even though it doesn’t have a great tone of finality to it, the band’s perfect performance makes it a worthy closer for any album.

My iPod #491: Nick Drake – Harvest Breed

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Before closing his third album on a note emphasising a positive outlook on life, Nick Drake provides us with “Harvest Breed”, a track which – though only lasting a minute and a half and containing four different sentences – describes a person in need of help, is not able to find anyone who can provide it, and enjoys the beautiful earth one last time before supposedly accepting his mortality. A rather eerie song, which would have brought a morbid end to Pink Moon had “From the Morning” not directly followed it.

Despite its foreboding subject matter, “Harvest Breed” is another typically entrancing performance by Drake. Consisting only of his acoustic guitar playing a circular riff which he simultaneously sings along too with his calm, soothing vocal, the song sounds just as vulnerable and empty as the other ten that accompany. Maybe even more so as it is the shortest one on the album. But it is the one that is the most haunting, especially considering Drake’s own depression and his sad death.