Ain't in it for My Health

I was a child of the 60s. I grew up on pop music on the radio. I knew the songs, but not much about the artists. Many of the artists of that era have been the subjects of documentary films over the last decade or so, and it is a wonderful way to learn more about the artists from that pre-technology period. The film Ain't in it for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm focuses on Levon Helm, drummer for The Band. It takes place during the release and tour of his last album, with flashbacks to his earlier career. When I saw the film The Last Waltz, I was reminded of The Band's hits, and what a big part of that early rock scene they were. This film shows Helm as a sweet, intense man who loved his craft. He also loved his farm in up-state NY. He insisted that footage of him doing donuts on his tractor be in the film. The touring and the business had taken a toll on him physically, yet he continued to write and perform. This was a nice peek behind the curtain at an artist who loved his family, his farm, his music and his life.