Waltzing Toward Immortality

The idea of getting multiple superstars together for a farewell performance or a tribute performance has become far too commonplace. There is little to no spontaneity left. Most of what passes for spontaneous moments was decided in boardroom meetings. Producers and executives decide what should happen.

Of course, it wasn't always that way. There was a time when it was special to have a superstar gathering. Such an occasion was The Last Waltz. This is the farewell concert from the band known simply as The Band. They reached the end of an amazing run and decided to call it quits. The final show was slated for Thanksgiving night in 1976. The location was set at the legendary Winterland in San Francisco.

The Band consisted of Rick Danko on bass, violin and vocals; Levon Helms on drums, mandolin and vocals; Garth Hudson on organ. accordion, saxophones and synthesizers; Richard Manuel on piano, keyboards, drums and vocals; and Robbie Robertson on guitar, piano and vocals. They would also bring in a few special guests to help close out the run as a band.

This concert was originally released as a three record set. That excluded an extraordinary amount of music that took place that evening. There was also a movie release that showcased many of the finer moments of the concert. The movie was directed by no less than Martin Scorsese. There is a DVD out now that includes a lot of extra footage. Fans of The Band will likely need to purchase the DVD as well as this stunning four disc CD that provides over four hours of music.

There are a lot of great musical moments included in this box. The musical guests provide many special moments but I have also found that some of the best moments from this show were when The Band were performing on their own without the superstar guests. One of the finest tracks on the whole set is the rendition of It Makes No Difference. This is a poignant and sad song displaying intense emotion from the late Rick Danko. This is mournful blues that attains a stunning beauty.

Another great highlight from the first disc is a romp on Who Do You Love? featuring their former boss Ronnie Hawkins. They formerly served as his backing band before striking out on their own. Dr. John also provides a great moment with Such a Night. There is a rocking version of The Weight that was previously unreleased. There was a version of this song performed with the Staple Singers that was included on the original release. The version with the Staples was part of a studio/soundstage Last Waltz Suite added on to the original.

The previously unreleased Muddy Waters cameo of Caldonia is better than the Mannish Boy that did make the original cut. One of the best tracks on the whole set is the version of Mystery Train with Paul Butterfield. Butterfield was a great blues belter and really rocked out on this number.

Some disc two highlights include some nice guest turns. I really love the version of Four Strong Winds with Neil Young. This was previously unreleased. The Further on Up the Road jam with Eric Clapton is a great rocker. Clapton and Robertson do some nice guitar dueling here. There are three songs with Joni Mitchell including two that were previously unreleased. Shadows and Light is really pretty on this set. Van Morrison and Neil Diamond also make appearances here. The previously unreleased Rag Mama Rag is wonderful although no guests appear for this song.

One of the highlights of the show was the mini set reuniting The Band with Bob Dylan. Dylan employed The Band for his legendary mid 60s tour when he went electric. He also wrote several songs for them. They do a nice five song set. Only one of the songs Hazel was previously unreleased. There was a lot of chemistry that existed between Dylan and The Band. Robertson seemed to intuitively respond to Dylan's vocal cues. The version of I Shall Be Released is epic. This is a Dylan song that became a Band staple. The Dylan set really highlights the third disc of the box. I Shall Be Released features many of the guests for the night coming back out on stage to sing the grand finale.

There is also a version of Don't Do It that was not on the original set. This was the final encore of the show. This was a Marvin Gaye song that they had made their own. It is very well executed here. There are a couple instrumental jams that are also included on disc three. These jams include different musical guests and allow the musicians to just play and have a good time.

The four disc features the aforementioned Last Waltz Suite. This suite includes a version of Evangeline featuring Emmylou Harris. They also include some of the concert rehearsals. I like the inclusion of King Harvest (Surely Has Come) which sadly was not played during the show. They also throw in some "studio ideas".

The Last Waltz was a legendary concert and a brilliant collaborative effort that brought many of giants of rock together. There was an extraordinary level of musical history on that stage that night. Many of these performers are still with us and producing music. The influence of all these individuals is staggering.

This is one that I highly recommend for any rock music historian or connoisseur. There are some stunning performances. There is also a lot of stellar playing and whimsical moments. (I don't know if Joni Mitchell was trying to be serious when she wrote it but Furry Sings the Blues is sheer whimsy to me.)

The sound quality is very high especially given the era in which it was recorded. The box set features a 75 page booklet which provides some behind the scenes info on the show itself as well as biographical notes on the members of The Band and the history of this group. There is also a lot of great photos from the show. There were other guests that jammed without singing. Ron Woods, Stephen Stills and Ringo Starr were among those guests that sat in for the jams. The photographs are a real treat for a true fan.

This was a historic night for rock music. This was probably one of the five or ten greatest shows in rock history. This four disc box includes close to five hours of music. There are a few weak moments included with the extra material but overall, this is simply a spectacular set. The show was well conceived and well executed. So is this brilliant set.