best mp3 download site

August 13, 2005 4:45 PM

Which is best MP3 download site and what is name of this song ...? (more inside)

It has been a while since I downloaded mp3 songs and its industry... What is currently the best MP3 site? I want mp3 files that I can save, copy to serveral brands of MP3 players, no expirations, cheap... etc.. etc..

Also.. what is the name of this song..? I think it is somekind of country song.. somewhat old... it goes something like this...".... take a load off Anny//Panny//Jenny " or something like that... I think it mentions "Nazrath.." i am not sure... it is a slow song.. featured in serveral commercials... I think it is currently playing in the background of wireless phone co. commercial.." I think it is Cingular or Verizon...

posted by curiousleo to Media & Arts (18 answers total)

The song is "The Weight." It's been recorded by a bunch of different artists. My favorite version is Aretha Franklin's.
posted by amarynth at 4:48 PM on August 13, 2005

One of the all-time great songs. Can't argue with Aretha, but I've got to go with the guys who created it, The Band.


Here's a site with the lyrics, which start:

I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
"Hey, Mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said.

(Robbie Robertson said he was referring to Nazareth, PA, but it obviously has further resonances.)
posted by languagehat at 4:54 PM on August 13, 2005

"The Weight" was written by Robbie Robertson and recorded by The Band -- I'd suggest listening to that one first.
posted by Rumple at 4:56 PM on August 13, 2005

Response by poster: Amarynth.. thanks.. I think that is the song...
Who is the guy sings this on those commercials.. ?
And I just read the lyrics online.. what is this song mean?

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-Weight-lyrics-Aretha-Franklin/64D4C256B2DA5FF948256C46002BE582

And still need the MP3 Site.. Apple's site was recommended.. but is it really the best? or is there cheaper and better site? or even almost free...?
posted by curiousleo at 4:57 PM on August 13, 2005

Response by poster: I just heard a sampler from Amazon...by The Band... Great song... Are these guys the ones that are most popularly played?

and also MP3 sites?

Thanks a bunch for all these quick answers... I love AMF...
posted by curiousleo at 5:05 PM on August 13, 2005

emusic.com is the best legal mp3 site in my opinion. But they don't have any music by The Band as they don't deal with the major Major Labels.
posted by dobbs at 5:57 PM on August 13, 2005

About.com says it's the original version by The Band in the commercial.
posted by Gary at 5:58 PM on August 13, 2005

If you're just learning about The Band, you're unlucky to have missed them all your life, but lucky to be catching up. Yeah, it's their version in that commercial, and yeah, if you hear the song somewhere else it's probably them too... they have a distinctive sound that is hard to miss. Get a copy of Music From Big Pink, which has Weight on it. Also get The Basement Tapes. Good luck!
posted by Hildago at 6:29 PM on August 13, 2005

Legality aside, allofmp3.com is pretty good.
posted by hootch at 6:46 PM on August 13, 2005

I like audiolunchbox.com for indie stuff. DRM free, but not too many big lables. Allofmp3.com probably has the best selection, but it's not legal in the US. (It's a Russian site, they don't pay licenses from what I understand). The iTunes Music Store has plenty of famous music, but it's all DRMed. eMusic has some odd things you can't find elsewhere.
posted by parallax7d at 9:01 PM on August 13, 2005

I love both The Band and Aretha Franklin, but my favorite version is the one that The Band sang with the Staple Singers, available on the The Last Waltz soundtrack and the Across the Great Divide box set.

I've yet to see a paid music-download site that can compete with a decent used-CD store.
posted by box at 9:16 PM on August 13, 2005

Response by poster: what is DRMed??
posted by curiousleo at 9:20 PM on August 13, 2005

If you end up liking The Band, or if you like Janis Joplin or the Grateful Dead, you should check out Festival Express.
posted by danb at 10:00 PM on August 13, 2005

Digital Rights Management-ed. DRM is [a method of protecting the unauthorised distribution of intellectual property/an illegitimate block on the legitimate uses of your purchased music]*. Essentially the file is encoded and requires a key to play. The key is only available to certain devices or programs. Thus music bought from Apple will only play in iTunes or on an iPod whilst that using Microsoft's DRM only plays in WMP or on players that licence MS's DRM software (Apple doesn't licence its code). It can also limit the number of times the music can be copied to a portable device or burnt to a CD (though, if you burn to a CD once, you can then convert to DRM-free formats, rendering DRM somewhat pointless).

* delete as applicable
posted by Auz at 2:54 AM on August 14, 2005

curiousleo, here's a little more about the background of the song.
posted by amarynth at 9:08 AM on August 14, 2005

Response by poster: what is the best mp3 site without DRM then? anyone?
posted by curiousleo at 11:47 AM on August 14, 2005

Download Soulseek.
posted by TurkishGolds at 6:09 PM on August 14, 2005

what is the best mp3 site without DRM then? anyone?

AllofMP3. I use it, my friends use it. If you're not comfortable giving your CC# to Russians, you can use a Visa gift card (available at most malls for $1.50 + the amount you put on it). Note that this is only if you're really paranoid, none of us have had any problems with AllofMP3.

By the way, I got the "The Band" version from AllofMP3. It's a great track.
posted by exhilaration at 1:56 PM on August 16, 2005