What is everybody's favorite performance from The Last Waltz? I'd have to go with "It Makes No Difference." The guitar accompanied with the 3-part harmony vocals are second to none. What say you?
shareIt Makes No DIfference is fantastic...but I will have to go with The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
Caravan
shareMy personal favourites are:
Ophelia
It Makes No Difference
Caravan
The Shape I'm In
Evangeline.
In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women.
Am I the only one that remembers Robbie doing the version of "Out Of the Blue" in the original release of TLW? People tell me it was ommited from the film. I sware I saw him. He was really busted up and singing his heart out. It was filmed on the soundstage. Maybe it came to me in a dream or something. People been tellin' me for years that it wasn' there.
shareI really don't think anything was ever cut out of the Last Waltz. Do you think Robbie would have missed a chance to show him SINGING LEAD? It would have at least ended up on the DVD. I think you saw another performance or video and just folded it into your Last Waltz memories because you are high.
shareAre you insinuating that I break the law? You know, "getting high" is illegal!
By the way, "Boogie Knight" are you a poster in Jan Hoiberg's guesbook over on the Official Band site? If you post there tell them that to the rest of the world they come off as blowhards, know-it-alls and all round ass holes and that the webmaster is a sycophant.
Not where I live...I have the doctor's note to prove it.
I posted very rarely in that guestbook under the same of Silvio years ago, before it shut down. Since it came back, I haven't been over there at all. Band fans are such a bitchy bunch, and all the constant Levon versus Robbie stuff really wears me down. There are some good people over there though and Jan has to be commended for putting together such a wonderful source of information.
I remember you! I, like you, used to post but I've found that if you have anything pro-Robertson to say, you suddenly become someone who's just looking for trouble.. I agree that Hoiberg has put together a invariable goldmine of information but he's so Anti-Robertson that it's simply not a good place to be if you agree that there's two sides to every story. There's absolutely NO humor! I don't know why they don't put a sign on the door of the guestbook saying "BY INVITATION ONLY" It seems such a narrow-minded little place. Reminds me of Woodstock. An independent thought can find no home there.
I still sware that I've seen Robbie doin "Out of the Blue" It musta been a dream. That movie, when I saw it in the theater back in 78, did make me drunk. Robbie sang the lead to "Out of the Blue" on the vinyl, didn't he? He could have done the song and then "fixed" it in the studio along with the rest of the record.... musta been wishful thinkin' on my part. No, I wasn't high when I went in but I WAS high when I came out and there wasn't a drink or smoke in sight! I was just hyp-no-tized and mes-mur-ized! I had discovered the REAL THANG!
Did you hear that Uriel Jones died on Tuesday? The Possum was one fine drummer...
I just hate how the whole FEUD thing has poisoned the legacy of The Band. I have done my own part to perpetuate that but I would like to avoid that or any forum where I feel tempted.
Robbie DID sing "Out of the Blue" on vinyl. I have certainly never seen it, and I own a Robbie Robertson DVD too. I am almost certain that all of the studio songs were recorded after the actual concert. There's no reason why they wouldn't have recorded a version of "Out of the Blue" but I have to say, raging egomaniac that Robbie is (and I say this as a fan), I kind of think it would have made the cut somewhere. Could easily have been a performance from later though.
Or maybe you are were so high on the Last Waltz that you were in special communion with Robbie and he entered your mind to perform this song. Hey, I've been having a torrid affair with Judee Sill for a couple of years and she's been dead since the late seventies, so anything is possible.
It is a very nice song.
Not familiar with The Possum, but I will take your word for it and dedicate one of the several beers I will drink tonight to his memory.
Best song they did on The Last Waltz was "Further on Up the Road" with Eric Clapton. The dueling guitars with Slowhand and Robbie is amazing. When they cut to Levon playing the drums he really looks like he is enjoying himself.
shareJoni Mitchell singing backup on Helpless
Van Morrison on Caravan
Bob Dylan on Forever Young
Further on up the Road, with Clapton. Breathtaking guitar from Robbie and Eric -- Eric's closer was absolutely brilliant!
One question -- why was Neil Diamond included? I don't think his perfomance fit. As Robbie was the producer, I assume he must have been a big fan.
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it makes no difference by a long long shot and of course further on up the road
No Justice Just Us
Word is that Robertson was/is a fan, even wrote a song or two for him
shareRobbie produced an enitre album for Neil, 1976's "Beautiful Noises" which was obviously coming out around the same time as the concert. The song Neil did, "Dry Your Eyes," was the only track on the album co-written by Robertson. But he really wasn't that out of place, he didn't try to take over the show or anything; he just went out there and he did a really great job singing a really great song that had everything thematically to do with the enitre point of the concert. Neil's got soul, he's not some empty pop vessel that Robbie put on stage like a prop to sell his own records. He's no Rick on "Stagefright," but he was riding that same wave on "Dry Your Eyes."
There's only three real monsters, kid- Dracula, Blacula, and Son of Kong
I agree with Ragtime Willy. "Dry Your Eyes" is not my favorite song in the show but it does fit very well with the show..."If you can't recall the singer you can't still recall the tune". And BEAUTIFUL NOISE is really a GOOD album.
shareThanks, you answered my question. Robbie's a fan and he and Neil were in business together at the time.
shareDry Your Eyes and the Night they Drove Old Dixie Down
shareThe Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Levon sounded amazing!
I also really liked Helpless, I really like Neil Young and enjoyed all of them + Joni Mitchell singing together. Doesn't get much better than all those talented people singing together.
Whaaat? No love for Dr. John?
Go back and watch his performance, its amazing. He is a true showman and makes me smile every time I watch him. Same with Joni.
As far as The Band itself, I'll go with The Shape I'm In and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down...maybe Ophelia, too. Levon is so spot on and really in his prime here, he's the only person in the whole concert who doesn't miss a SINGLE note. I really enjoyed seeing his interviews because his speech and demeanor are so soft and gentle compared to the powerful singing voice. And the same goes for Richard Manuel, actually. He seems kinda goofy and playful during the interviews but is so gritty when he sings.
Such a Night is outstanding - as is the good doctor's rapport with the camera and audience. Neil and Joni remain my favorites - however there are so few Muddy Waters videos - I'll have to place him first out of respect for that fine bluesman.
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Joni Mitchell& Dylan.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down is probably the best performance by The Band and Caravan is my favorite guest performance.
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