The Last Waltz

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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - David Sprague
Back when a farewell was really a farewell, this roots-rock juggernaut threw themselves the ultimate sendoff, packing San Francisco's Winterland Theater with fans and friends for a Thanksgiving Day party that ranks with the greatest rock concerts of all time. When originally released to the public shortly after the show, the 1976 triple vinyl album The Last Waltz consisted of 30 classic performances, including Band concert staples such as "Up on Cripple Creek" and "Stage Fright," as well as several tunes with guests as varied as Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, and Bob Dylan with whom the Band had toured extensively. As nice a package as it was, the original edition only ...
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - David Sprague
Back when a farewell was really a farewell, this roots-rock juggernaut threw themselves the ultimate sendoff, packing San Francisco's Winterland Theater with fans and friends for a Thanksgiving Day party that ranks with the greatest rock concerts of all time. When originally released to the public shortly after the show, the 1976 triple vinyl album The Last Waltz consisted of 30 classic performances, including Band concert staples such as "Up on Cripple Creek" and "Stage Fright," as well as several tunes with guests as varied as Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, and Bob Dylan with whom the Band had toured extensively. As nice a package as it was, the original edition only touched on that evening's happenings, all of which are finally brought together on this dazzling four-CD box. The supplements include the Band's own version of "The Weight" later recorded with the Staples for the Martin Scorsese film The Last Waltz and "Rag Mama Rag." Just as significantly, this expanded edition sheds light on the loose, house-party vibe of that Thanksgiving Eve, with Joni Mitchell scatting through a limber "Furry Sings the Blues" and pairing with Neil Young and the rest of the Band for a gripping "Arcadian Driftwood." Similarly, instrumental jams from late in the set with a big band that included Ron Wood, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr make their first official appearance on record. The package -- which is beautifully housed in a hardcover book boasting 80 pages of art, photos, extensive liner notes from Rolling Stone's David Fricke, and a detailed track listing -- also appends rehearsal material, such as a lovely "Tura Lura Lural," with vocals by Van Morrison, and a smoking version of "King Harvest." It's mighty hard to fault The Last Waltz in its original form, but the annotations and additions provided here re-create that special moment in time with even more vivid strokes. A must for any fan.
All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
"The road was our school. It gave us a sense of survival; it taught us everything we know and out of respect, we don't want to drive it into the ground...or maybe it's just superstition but the road has taken a lot of the great ones. It's a goddam impossible way of life" - Robbie Robertson, from the movie The Last Waltz, quoted in the box set. Perhaps Robertson's greatest gift is how he can spin a myth, making the mundane into majestic fables. Outside of his songs, his greatest achievement in myth-making was The Last Waltz, where he doesn't necessarily overstate the amount of time the Band spent on the road, but he sure tried to make it all seem like something special, both in amount of time they spent on the road and what they've accomplished. And while he was right on the latter -- the Band did change the course of music, leaving behind records that still sound gloriously rich and out of time -- the former is a bit of a stretch since not only were the rest of the Band not exactly ready to stop touring they would later reunite without him, it ignores the basic fact that touring is what working musicians do. They make music, they play for audiences, they keep rolling throughout the years, and many of the artists invited to participate in the Band's farewell concert -- Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Neil Young, the Staple Singers, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan, who legendarily launched a neverending tour in the '80s -- lived the life of a working musician, performing live well past 50. The Band was cut from the same cloth as this, but Robertson realized that the group wasn't doing itself any good by staying on the road -- and the accompanying Martin Scorsese-directed film does suggest that the Band was indulging itself way too much -- and that it was the perfect time to draw the curtain on the Band with a lavish concert that turned their entire career into a burnished myth, nearly as ancient and romantic as photographs from the Civil War. Hence, The Last Waltz, a farewell concert on Thanksgiving 1976 promoted by Bill Graham and turned into a timeless documentary by Scorsese, was released as a triple-album set in 1978 and finally reissued as a four-disc box set by Rhino in 2002, on its near-25th anniversary it's somewhere between 24 and 26, depending if you're counting performance or release, so 25 is a good compromise. Many people call this the greatest rock movie and greatest live performance of all time. They're wrong. It could be argued that the film is among the greatest rock films -- convincingly so, actually -- but the music amplifies not just what was great about the Band, but also their greatest flaws. That is, their effortless virtuosity and wonderful organic sound is a joy to hear, yet it can be undercut by the literary pretensions of Robertson, which gives the songs and sometimes the performances an artificial, academic feel -- something that is accentuated here, since the music is being presented in an artificially romantic setting, where everything was heightened for the cinema; the Band even gives the entire enterprise a theme straight out of The Third Man. This resulted in something equally wonderful and affected, with each track having portions of both in different proportions. On the whole, the sublime outweighs the missteps, particularly since the invited guests are by and large troubadours who enjoy playing: Dr. John hauling out "Such a Night" such a standard practice, it was later parodied on SCTV, Bobby Charles turning in the happiest performance of the evening with "Down South in New Orleans," Muddy Waters roaring through "Mannish Boy," Paul Butterfield playing mean harp, Van Morrison's joyous set, Dylan performing with an authority that suggests that he always thought he owned the Band. Other good moments are here. Clapton croons his Band-supported album track "All Our Past Times" with appropriate melancholy; Neil Young turns out a sweet "Helpless"; Joni Mitchell's "Coyote" is alluringly allusive; even Neil Diamond's "Dry Your Eyes" -- all are engaging. But it doesn't add up to something transcendent, either in its original triple-album set or in this quadruple-disc box. Part of the problem is that the concert is supplemented by a studio set -- entitled "The Last Waltz Suite," expanded to a full disc here -- that feels entirely out of place, even if it was designed to spotlight influences of the Band that weren't covered in the concert. Perhaps that's the reason why it feels so studied and affected, right down to the Staple Singers' celebrated version of "The Weight." This draws attention to one of the problems of the Band shining a spotlight on their influences -- they are treating their influences with a respective distance, not as if something that is still vital to them, making even appearances by ruffians like Hawkins seem like museum pieces. Much of the Band absorbed these influences, so some of the spirit echoes throughout their own performances, but that distance is still evident -- enough so that this music isn't transcendent, when it should be. This is all evident in spades within the box of The Last Waltz, which is an admittedly handsome, loving production. It's not necessarily historically accurate -- the Band performed a full set before the guests show up, but here their songs are interspersed throughout the first three discs, a couple of songs are left off, and even "The Genetic Method/Chest Fever" doesn't have the latter part of the song. Still, this is as good as an historical release as imaginable, since it is expertly detailed, impeccably mastered, perfectly annotated, and filled with great liner notes and much unreleased material. None of the newly released material is revelatory -- the jams are negligible everybody sounds like they just ate a bunch of turkey before they played, the rehearsals confirm that Van the Man really clicked with the Band, the studio ideas fall flat, "Don't Do It" is as great as ever, everything inserted into the proper concert is welcome, even if it varies in quality -- but it's all good, all welcome for those that have bought the myth of the Band and, particularly, The Last Waltz. But the box proves that the myth, in regards to the final concert, is not accurate -- for those listeners who didn't grow up with the music, or those that never thought this particular concert pulled the curtain down on a wonderful era, it's easy to wonder what all the fuss was about. Because the thing is, the people who sound the best here -- Dylan, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Levon Helm himself -- are the ones who didn't treat the road as a goddam impossible way of life, but as what a working musician does. The Last Waltz teeters between these two schools of thought, wanting to celebrate the end while blithely ignoring that musicians make music for a living -- and that's what keeps the music from truly captivating, from being essential, even if this set is perfectly assembled.
Blender - Bill Wyman
Last Waltz is a reminder that 25 years ago, long before alt-country, great artists could find limitless depths in the mystery and joy that is American music.

Last Waltz is a reminder that 25 years ago, long before alt-country, great artists could find limitless depths in the mystery and joy that is American music.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 4/23/2002
  • Label: Rhino
  • UPC: 081227827823
  • Catalog Number: 78278

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Theme from the Last Waltz - The Orchestra (3:52)
  2. 2 Up on Cripple Creek (5:31)
  3. 3 The Shape I'm In (4:10)
  4. 4 It Makes No Difference (6:51)
  5. 5 Who Do You Love? - Ronnie Hawkins (4:51)
  6. 6 Life Is a Carnival (4:25)
  7. 7 Such a Night (4:41)
  8. 8 The Weight (4:50)
  9. 9 Down South in New Orleans (3:11)
  10. 10 This Wheel's on Fire (3:54)
  11. 11 Mystery Train (5:03)
  12. 12 Caldonia - Muddy Waters (6:08)
  13. 13 Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters (6:40)
  14. 14 Stage Fright (4:31)
Disc 2
  1. 1 Rag Mama Rag (4:34)
  2. 2 All Our Past Times - Eric Clapton (5:01)
  3. 3 Further on Up the Road - Eric Clapton (5:30)
  4. 4 Ophelia (3:45)
  5. 5 Helpless - Neil Young (5:53)
  6. 6 Four Strong Winds - Neil Young (4:37)
  7. 7 Coyote - Joni Mitchell (5:28)
  8. 8 Shadows and Light - Joni Mitchell (5:45)
  9. 9 Furry Sings the Blues - Joni Mitchell (5:09)
  10. 10 Acadian Driftwood (7:07)
  11. 11 Dry Your Eyes - Neil Diamond (4:16)
  12. 12 The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show (3:39)
  13. 13 Tura Lura Lural (That's an Irish Lullaby) - Van Morrison (4:10)
  14. 14 Caravan - Van Morrison (6:11)
Disc 3
  1. 1 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (4:35)
  2. 2 The Genetic Method/Chest Fever (2:41)
  3. 3 Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (2:55)
  4. 4 Hazel - Bob Dylan (3:41)
  5. 5 I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) - Bob Dylan (3:29)
  6. 6 Forever Young - Bob Dylan (5:51)
  7. 7 Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (Reprise) - Bob Dylan (2:58)
  8. 8 I Shall Be Released (Finale) (4:49)
  9. 9 Jam No. 1 (5:32)
  10. 10 Jam No. 2 (9:10)
  11. 11 Don't Do It (6:19)
  12. 12 Greensleeves (1:37)
Disc 4
  1. 1 The Well (3:32)
  2. 2 Evangeline (3:10)
  3. 3 Out of the Blue (3:20)
  4. 4 The Weight - The Staples (4:35)
  5. 5 The Last Waltz (Refrain) (1:32)
  6. 6 Theme from the Last Waltz (3:26)
  7. 7 King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (3:52)
  8. 8 Tura Lura Lural (That's an Irish Lullaby) - Van Morrison (3:52)
  9. 9 Caravan - Van Morrison (6:30)
  10. 10 Such a Night (5:24)
  11. 11 Rag Mama Rag (3:52)
  12. 12 Mad Waltz (5:30)
  13. 13 The Last Waltz Refrain (0:50)
  14. 14 The Last Waltz Theme (3:34)
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
The Band Primary Artist
Paul Butterfield Harmonica, Vocals
Emmylou Harris Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
David Bromberg Track Performer
Neil Diamond Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals
Dr. John Piano, Conga, Vocals, Background Vocals
Bob Dylan Guitar, Vocals
Ronnie Hawkins Vocals, Background Vocals
Joni Mitchell Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals
Robbie Robertson Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Harp Guitar
Ringo Starr Drums
Ron Wood Guitar, Electric Guitar
Neil Young Acoustic Guitar, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals, Background Vocals
Tom "Bones" Malone Trombone, Euphonium, Alto Flute, Bass Trombone
Howard Johnson Tuba, Bass Clarinet, Flugelhorn, Baritone Saxophone
Bobby Charles Vocals, Background Vocals
Rick Danko Bass, Violin, Electric Bass, Vocals
John Simon Piano, Musical Direction
Bob Margolin Guitar, Electric Guitar
Jim Gordon Clarinet, Flute, Tenor Saxophone
Roebuck "Pops" Staples Guitar, Vocals
Eric Clapton Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals
Levon Helm Mandolin, Drums, Vocals
Garth Hudson Organ, Synthesizer, Solo Instrumental, Piano, Accordion, Horn, Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Pipe organ
Charlie Keagle Clarinet, Flute, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Richard Manuel Dobro, Piano, Drums, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals
Van Morrison Vocals, Background Vocals
Muddy Waters Vocals
Larry Packer Electric Violin
Carl Radle Bass
Dennis St. John Drums
Mavis Staples Vocals
Jerry Hay Trumpet, Flugelhorn
The Staples Track Performer
The Orchestra Track Performer
Rich Cooper Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Technical Credits
The Band Composer
Bob Dylan Composer
Robbie Robertson Composer, Producer, Liner Notes
Tom "Bones" Malone Horn Arrangements
Howard Johnson Horn Arrangements
John Simon Producer
Terry Becker Engineer
Joel Bernstein Equipment Manager
Bo Diddley Composer
Neil Brody Engineer
Hugh Brown Art Direction
Donivan Cowart Engineer
Rev. Gary Davis Composer
Lamont Dozier Composer
Rob Fraboni Producer
Henry Glover Horn Arrangements
Steve Hall Mastering
Brian Holland Composer
Garth Hudson Arranger, Horn Arrangements
Mel London Composer
Elliot Mazer Engineer
Muddy Waters Composer
Wayne Neuendorf Engineer
Junior Parker Composer
Don Robey Composer
Larry Samuels Executive Producer
Stuart Taylor Engineer
Ray Thompson Engineer
Allen Toussaint Horn Arrangements
Bradley Hartman Engineer
Bill Spears Equipment Manager
Tim Kramer Engineer
Sam Phillips Composer
David Fricke Liner Notes
Joe Medwick Composer
Ed Thrasher Art Direction
Andy Bloch Engineer
Steven Chean Editorial Research
Steve Vance Art Direction
Bob Cato Creative Consultant
Paul Sandweiss Engineer
Wray Smallwood Engineer
Dennis Mays Engineer
Patrick McDougal Engineer
Traditional Composer
Ed Anderson Engineer
Jerry Stroud Engineer
Jerry Caskey Equipment Manager
Ava Megna Production Liason
Cliff Crumpler Equipment Manager
Barry Imhoff Logistics
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 8 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    This Was One Of The Most Memorable Nights in Rock

    You need to...I need to...we all need to forget about the one hypocritical thing about this product...This was the last concert of The Band...and yet The Band kept playing together for years after this...in the early 80's the WHO had a farewell concert and continued to play together as well..unfortunately for all of us, the only band that really broke up and seemed to mean it was the Beatles. SO...overlook the fact that it really isnt the Last Waltz...but under THAT PRETENSE, many great performers came out to sing songs with the Band...most memorable are Eric Clapton with his guitar duel with Robbie Robertson in ''Further On Up the Road, Neil Young who sings ''Helpless'' while actually helpless..he hadnt slept in a couple of days and it shows....Van Morrison,Ronnie Hawkins, Neil Diamond, and the inevitable show stoppers when Bob Dylan finally saunters onstage to whine ''Forever Young'' (the standard for DVD until his duet of the same title with Bruce Springsteen from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opening is released) Most people who buy this, or read this review, will have already seen this on a midnight movie in the 80's or will have seen it on cable >>>but the soul of the last great generation of music before MTV messed it all up is on display at its pinnacle. The musicians played as though it really WAS their last time on stage together (even if it wasn't) The singers sang their songs like never before or since. The unforgettable reverence and soul of Levon Helm doing ''The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down'' with full orchestration, and Rick Danko's ''Life is a Carnival'' , and songs like ''Up On Cripple Creek'' show The Band stood well on it's own two feet....but the added celebrity and talent of Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell and so much more, combined with the character captured by the camera's eye as well as the listeners ear of this treasure of American Music, make this DVD something for everyone to hear....so ...since you have already seen it once...buy it and SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE WHO HASN'T.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    Hidden Gems within

    Even after listening to the earlier CD and watching the movies, this has some great additons and needed add-ons.<BR/>read the wikipedia write-up tp gain insight into some of the liner notes to get the 'full' story

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Farewell but not good-bye... This album will truly last

    The final farewell, for the members of this extraordinary group it was. However, this album is just the beginning of a plethora of music that awaits: The Band, Dylan, Clapton, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Hawkins, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and even Neil Diamond. This set has opened up the door to grand and enjoyable music. This was a great concert, it truly went down in history, and in doing so has opened up a brand new history for a new generation.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A classic

    This album stands the test of time with its fabulous A-list. The movie is a must-see for fans and others alike; hopefully it will be re-released with additional material as well.

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    Posted June 10, 2010

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    Posted May 24, 2010

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    Posted December 20, 2009

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    Posted December 26, 2008

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