Certainly on topic, as Mr. Ron Wood was part of the celebration of "the beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning", as Robbie Robertson put it.

Can you believe it's been 30 years since that historic show?

For the few of you who haven't seen this, it is required viewing. The 5.1 surround mix and cleaned-up video are magnificent.

I won't even attempt to review this work of artistry. It is now part of rock n roll legend, and the DVD puts you right there.

top notch!!!!!!!!

all dvds should b that clean , even Neil Diamond good on their , but my fav their Big Bobs 4ever young

I DO have just one comment about the performances: each time I watch Rick Danko's (RIP) soulful rendering of "It Makes No Difference", it nearly brings tears to my eyes.

I still prefer Rock of Ages (expanded cd), and Before The Flood (elpee) for live Band....not to mention the '60s stuff w/Bob...From what I can tell, Ron W's Band relationship is the '77 Rick Danko album and the '76 Clapton "No Reason To Cry" sessions. Waltz does have some kickass performances tho, especially Muddy & Ronnie Hawkins...

and Van Morrison working some very special magic...

Its all great, but the song that I love on it more than any other is the version of "Mystery Train" with Paul Butterfield.

I've just recently gotten into the Band (thanks, kienan), but I have a friend who went to the Last Waltz (lucky mofo). What's their best song ? I really like "Chest Fever".

'It makes no difference' (as mentioned above by bassplayer) is a beautiful song

Check out 'Acadian Driftwood' too.

they were a terrific band

The reformed 1980's version of The Band (without Robbie) also do a fantastic cover of Springsteen's "Atlantic City", with Levon on lead vocal

Beelyboy Wrote:
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> and Van Morrison working some very special
> magic...

...and in need of a "bro" (Seinfeld) when he's dancing around.

The Last Waltz was wonderfully lampooned by SCTV as "The Last Polka" with the Schmenge Brothers.

Good thing, too. The Last Waltz takes itself sooooooo seriously.

There is something annoying about the whole self-mythologizing tone of that movie. When it was released, Stanley Kaufmann who reviewed it in The New Republic wondered why the members of The Band spoke of their lives in such a way like they were really old men! (Please, no mention of "the road" and all that blah blah blah)

And it really wasn't "the last waltz" for The Band. Before the films release, the Band reunited on-stage and played a few songs during the encore at a Rick Danko solo show at the Roxy.

Once the film came out, that was it. No more Band performances for Robbie. Would ruin the legend created by the film. For someone who tries to come off as a regular guy, Robbie Robertson turns out to be a real Greta Garbo.

Actually there is another rock concert movie that covers the same range of American music styles, rock, country, blues, gospel, etc., only they were all done by just one guy. And it's a lot more fun.

Elvis--That's The Way It Is.

Hey loog droog. I recall SCTV lampooning Gimme Shelter, too. It was Gimme Jackie with Martin Short doing his Jackie Rogers Jr. character.

I've seen the Last Waltz on tv a few times, although I haven't watched the whole show from beginning to end. I've seen it fairly cheap on DVD so I think I might pick it up.

loog droog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Beelyboy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > and Van Morrison working some very special
> > magic...
>
> ...and in need of a "bro" (Seinfeld) when he's
> dancing around.
>
> The Last Waltz was wonderfully lampooned by SCTV
> as "The Last Polka" with the Schmenge Brothers.
>
> Good thing, too. The Last Waltz takes itself
> sooooooo seriously.
>
> There is something annoying about the whole
> self-mythologizing tone of that movie. When it
> was released, Stanley Kaufmann who reviewed it in
> The New Republic wondered why the members of The
> Band spoke of their lives in such a way like they
> were really old men! (Please, no mention of "the
> road" and all that blah blah blah)
>
> And it really wasn't "the last waltz" for The
> Band. Before the films release, the Band reunited
> on-stage and played a few songs during the encore
> at a Rick Danko solo show at the Roxy.
>
> Once the film came out, that was it. No more Band
> performances for Robbie. Would ruin the legend
> created by the film. For someone who tries to come
> off as a regular guy, Robbie Robertson turns out
> to be a real Greta Garbo.
>
> Actually there is another rock concert movie that
> covers the same range of American music styles,
> rock, country, blues, gospel, etc., only they were
> all done by just one guy. And it's a lot more
> fun.
>
> Elvis--That's The Way It Is.

Indeed -- it could be argued that rock musicians take themselves too seriously, and this was brilliantly spoofed by Rob Reiner in "This Is Spinal Tap".

The flip side is the ridiculous seriousness that fans of the genre attach to it. That is a subject unto itself.

DGA35 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey loog droog. I recall SCTV lampooning Gimme
> Shelter, too. It was Gimme Jackie with Martin
> Short doing his Jackie Rogers Jr. character.
>

Yes! The freeze-frame of the cross-eyed Jackie Rogers that mirrors the last shot of Mick in Gimme Shelter was hilarious.

Loog, I haven't seen the sketch since the early 80's so I don't remember much about it. One part I do remember is when Jackie is yelling "Who's fighting and what for?" which was identical to the Altamont scene. I laughed at that!

Excellent music dvd, great storyline,excellent sound.
The only performance I skip is Neil Daimond (not my kind of music )
Also worth mentioning is Joni Mitchell, great performance.

i like the satires; big tap fan...
and shmenges too lol...

i think some of the 'drama' stuff is typical of the reverence and grace of Scorese's film-making...and the audio!!! is excellente...

alla that aside; it's one of the very few, actually unique films of it's general genre,
because it's really a celebration variety show that shows such a healthy potpourri gathering of some really great performing songwriters and musicians...

justfiably an 'event' and a moving one...
to deny Van Morrison's performance power, or his erratic self-absorbed intensity...that is part of his grace...little boxer like gracious master of the moment that he is...
he was a knockout live, physically intense and liberating, for years...

much years later seeing him circa 'no guru no method no teacher'
he was intense as hell just standing there singing...

"them" was very cool irish r & b; kinda like the Who covering James Brown on their first album or something...but distincly it's own thing...two good albums...
complete with dylan cover...
his "bang" label solo stuff was revelatory; distincly original...almost to astral weeks and beyond...
...and even yielded the big indelible pop hit for him
his first several solo albums were revelatory and brilliant...
the Band & Street Choir album personnel for those albums...tupelo honey, etc...
and especially that "It's Too Late Too Stop" double live thing from Santa Monica Civic circa early 70's i theenk...
is some of the best playing on any live album ever; tight and smooth and bluesy and brilliant...morrison writes his own horn charts...
his new album and tour are getting good reviews...he was just here in nashville...he's a living legend, a rarity, like our very boys here...
in his way...a survivor...always coming out with new material...some sound samey; but he creates his own ambiances and gives of himself on these latest albums...beautifully...

ok; obviously i dig van the manster.., point is, thanks to "last waltz' (with all great satires of it's church like self-reverence acknlowledged and enjoyed) IS:
a rare film document with many of these truly greats filmed and performing beautfiully; and there's not very much else stuff out there commercially available of concert footage on a lot of these artists...
i guess the 'bangla desh' footage of dylan mebbe...

no wonder ronnie, ringo, clapton, dylan, emmylou and so very many others made the scene that night...it's a history lesson in a way too...the various influences...from new york street songwriter neil diamond and all points south, west, northwest, southeast, mid west...canada...everybody came to dance...

i'm more likely to watch that new ac/dc history dvd if i want to see something live that is gonna defintely pin me to the wall no doubt about it...
no hippie dippie flippy bippie; bon scott and such a dirty little band...

but i'd encourage anybody to see the "last waltz"; i revisit it every several years...when i can just listen to alla this old sheeit with some fresshness...
and it's really quite a beautiful thing...

neil young was great

So much good - my favourites are Van Morrison (Carnival) and Bob Dylan (Forever Young, Baby Let Me Follow You Down).

an outstanding dvd, one of the best.

at one point, you hear a snippet of rick danko's 'sip the wine', which (to my ears) is beautiful but reminiscent of 'through the lonely nights' ... anybody else think there is a similarity?

drew

no, but I love that song. Could never find it until I discovered the magic of file sharing and then downloaded it

I also was at this show & have enough great photos to make a book....I took a great shot of Ronnie talking to Clapton on stage...Patti Boyd was in SF recently & I had a chance to meet her...I showed her this photo & we discussed how cool that special night was.....The Last Waltz may be one of the greatest gigs in rock history....Peter in SF

I am torn about that movie. It certainly is really good. Have seen it many times but I fail to see this mythical intangible beauty about it. Actually Scorsese IMO shows some ineptitude from time to time. Not as a film maker. He has got to be one of the alltime greatest. But just as a presenter of rock'n roll. All the "interviews" re. the "road" and the "B;lues" are just hoaky and over bearing. I have the Box Set and there is so much music that did not make it into the film. This proves to me that it must have been an incredible gig. And what is great is that the Band did indeed play and play for 5,6,7 hours. The best set IMO is Dylan. he does a cut called "She acts like we have never met" that rules.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

ChelseaDrugstore Wrote:
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>The best set IMO is Dylan. he
> does a cut called "She acts like we have never
> met" that rules.


its called "I Dont Believe you" and it certainly does!

I always saw this film as saying goodbye to the hippy sixties myth,and not goodbye to the Band, the Pistols and Madonna were metaphorically waiting in the alley outside the show.

That movie stands out for me as my intro to R&R.I was around 9 or 10 and my friends father put us in the car and said you need to see this movie.He was right it opened my eyes to a new type of music...away from the bubblegum I was listening to at the time.He also bought his daughter Some Girls and that was my intro to the Stones.So even though he was always trying to molest me he brought something good into my life.