Ok I guess this has probably been covered before but I watched this for the first time today and have to say it was excellent from start to finish, much better than I anticipated. The film was directed by Scorsecee so if Shine A Light is anywhere nearly as good as this I will be happy. You know this is going to be good when the film starts with the theme tune and Rick Danko playing pool before the opening song on the DVD Don't you do it (which was actually the last song on the night). I've liked the Band for a few years but never realised how good they were and respected by all the musicians playing that night. I urge anyone who likes good music to go and buy this it really is worth seeing.

John Nicholls

I agree with you completely about the movie being great from start to finish. That would explain why I have watched it over a hundred times. That and a friend who put it on every time he got drunk and had people over.

Guess I'm nearing a 100 times myself as well.........

Never did understand the fuss until' I got hold of the DVD a couple of years back. Now - like Grateful Dead - I'm just sorry for the time I've wasted not caring about this band - The Band ;-)

PS: What got me buying the DVD in the first place was Keef playing with Levon Helm on that Scotty Moore album ..."All The King's Men"?? Not that I had not heard of them before....but this was just what made me make my move ;-)

One of the greatest concert films ever - and the soundtrack (especially the expanded 4-CD version) is superb.

Highlights - Van Morrison on "Caravan" and Paul Butterfield and Levon Helm's scorching duel on 'Mystery Train'

Here's one of my The Band-favourites, "Christmas Must Be Tonight":

It's a beautiful movie. If L&G puts you in the first row, TLW puts you on stage. The film is probabaly better than the concert which was a very long evening. The film catches the camaraderie of the musicians and I was saddened to learn what Levon thought of the whole affair. There are also a number of guitar overdubs. Be that at it is based sheerly on the number of viewings, it is my favorite movie of all-time.

I will probably see SAL not so much for the band, but for the director, but I am skeptical about it. I don't expect SAL to be the real thing either. After so many years what exactly is he shining a light on at this point? The band has been much illuminated.

I bought a Play Station 3 for my son for the Holidays. With it come 5 free BlueRay movies. One of the choices is the Last Waltz. I told my son he will only be able to pick 4 movies.

I just watched it last night. Its deffently one of the best concert films ever. Clapton blew me away. Just the first few notes he plays are pure blues heaven. So fast and tasteful.

yeh Gazza beat me to the punch; seeing the thread, i immediately thought of that Van Morrison performance,
even amidst all the other true brilliance on the stage that night.

I've owned it for years, its wonderful. I always liked the Band, regret that I never saw them in person. I have a wonderful bootleg of a concert they did in Chicago. I have all their CD's. I was at the movies last week and they had a preview of the the movie, it look out as good as the Last Waltz. If you pay attention to the end of some of Scorsecee's movies you will occasionally see Robbie Robison listed, I guess he and Scorsecee are friends and he works on the music of some of the music. Scorosecee is a big Stones fan....

Check out the movie "Festival Express," recorded in 1970 but released a few years ago. Has a lot of Band, plus Janis, Buddy Guy, and the Dead.

Hey and don't forget some of those coooooooool bonus tracks on
the remastered 2000 Band releases...And the 5CD-1DVD Musical History set...





ROCKMAN

on my radio show vintage vinyl (where i spin a classic album start to finish... i did sticky fingers about a month or so back)... i played the first half of the last waltz last week, and finishing it off thursday night. it has been really enjoyable to sit down and listen to it.

It's o v e r- r a t e d.

My favourite bit is Ronnie Wood !

The GR Wrote:
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> My favourite bit is Ronnie Wood !


Haha, now, I don't hope people will buy this album for Ronnie alone, 'cause there ain't much of Ronnie to look at. He's there alright, but it never became clear to me what his input was. The small stage is too crowded to spot the old grandmaster of twang.

I like the movie though. I love it when a band is visibly enjoying itself when performing.

It's about time Robbie Robertson records another solo CD. He's been mainly silent for the last 9 years, not counting the various The Band reissues, from which he gets the most royalties of the 5, because he's got the writing credits.
Even Garth Hudson released a solo and a live album during the same time.
And Levon Helm has been the most productive of the three, even though he had to recover from illness and medical bills: his album "Dirt Farmer", former Blues Brothers Band lead singer Larry Thurston's "School For Fools" album that he drums on, and the "Howlin Hill Project" that he plays on with Garth are among the best Band-related post-Last Waltz recordings. And then he's organised all those Midnight Ramble shows at his studio in upstate NY.

I second Shott on this one... this is a must see (as well as the Last Waltz). There is some amazing footage... The Flying Burrito Brothers also get some coverage in FE.

Shott Wrote:
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> Check out the movie "Festival Express," recorded
> in 1970 but released a few years ago. Has a lot of
> Band, plus Janis, Buddy Guy, and the Dead.

Was just reading a piece about the forthcoming "Shine A Light" that laid out Scorcese's well-known love for, and use of, Stones tracks in so many films.

You don't think the first shot of "The Last Waltz," the black screen with the words "THIS FILM SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD" could be inspired by the "Let It Bleed" sleeve notes? Right down to the typeface?

"It Makes No Difference" slays me every time. And Mavis Staples leaning forward to whisper "beautiful" after "The Weight?" I get damp in the eye.

Don't laugh, but for me, Neil Diamond sang his arse off. It was this moment when I first thought man, this dude is cool! After that one song he gained a lot of respect for his singing abilities from myself.

Excellent concert film that I used to think was the best of them all!
I'm not sure any more because I haven't seen everything of recent years.
If Shine A Light is nearly as good as Last Waltz, I will be ecstatic.

Rev. Robert W. Wrote:
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> Was just reading a piece about the forthcoming
> "Shine A Light" that laid out Scorcese's
> well-known love for, and use of, Stones tracks in
> so many films.
>
> You don't think the first shot of "The Last
> Waltz," the black screen with the words "THIS FILM
> SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD" could be inspired by the
> "Let It Bleed" sleeve notes? Right down to the
> typeface?

Interesting point
>
> "It Makes No Difference" slays me every time.

Great arrangement of a great song. Theres a bit in the film where Danko is being interviewed by Scorsese and theyre listening to a playback of 'Sip The Wine', which I presume he'd just recorded for his first post-band solo release. A stunning song which deserves to be better known

Glad to report that Levon Helm was doing pretty alright at Hubert Sumlin's 76th birthday gig last month.