THE BAND
The Last Waltz (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale


The original three LP box set of The Band's final concert on Thanksgiving Day, 1978, was a monumental release, both in terms of its physical scope (three LP sets were much rarer than 4 CD sets are today) and in terms of its musical range. With the help of master promoter Bill Graham, The Band filled the stage of San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom with one of the most impressive lineups in rock history. From their old boss, Ronnie Hawkins, to their most famous boss, Bob Dylan, through some of the legends that inspired them, including Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins and Bobby Charles, and on to the cream of their contemporaries, including Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond and Van Morrison, the featured performers onstage for a single four hour show could have filled the bill for a full weekend festival. There was more, though, with additional guests on the bill for all-star jams, including Ron Wood, Stephen Stills, and even a Beatle in the person of Ringo Starr.

As if that weren't enough, when they assembled the documentary film version of the concert, they added Emmylou Harris and Mavis & Pops Staples to the bill. Altogether, it was one phenomenal event, and the resulting recordings stand as one of the great events in the history of live recording.

Now it's even better. Although the 3 LP version, later released as a 2 CD set, contained a wealth of great music, it was only about half of what happened on the stage. Now, under the watchful eye of Robbie Robertson, the rest of the material recorded that night has been restored in a 4 CD release that provides 24 tracks that were left off the original. This isn't filler. We're talking about additional performances from Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, excellent rehearsal recordings by Van Morrison and Dr. John, a pair of those all-star jams, including the first release of Stills' appearance, and nine new performances by The Band themselves, including classics from the group's songbook like "Rag Mama Rag," "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show," "The Weight" and "The Genetic Method/Chest Fever." Some of this material has been available on bootlegs, but the official release, complete with archival photography and Robertson's personal insights, is a landmark event.

Track Lists:

Disc One: Theme From The Last Waltz (w/orchestra) * Up On Cripple Creek * The Shape I'm In * It Makes No Difference * Who Do You Love? (Ronnie Hawkins) * Life Is A Carnival * Such A Night (Dr. John) * The Weight * Down South In New Orleans (Bobby Charles, Dr. John) * This Wheel's On Fire * Mystery Train (Paul Butterfield) * Caldonia (Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, Butterfield) * Mannish Boy (Waters, Perkins, Butterfield) * Stagefright

Disc Two: Rag Mama Rag * All Our Past Times (Eric Clapton) * Futher On Up The Road (Clapton) * Ophelia * Helpless (Neil Young, Joni Mitchell) * Four Strong Winds (Young) * Coyote (Mitchell) * Shadows And Light (Mitchell, Dr. John) * Furry Sings The Blues (Mitchell, Young) * Acadian Driftwood (Mitchell & Young, backing vocals) * Dry Your Eyes (Neil Diamond) * The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show * Tural Lura Lural (Van Morrison) * Caravan (Van Morrison)

Disc Three: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down * The Genetic Method/Chest Fever * Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Bob Dylan) * Hazel (Dylan) * I Don't Believe You (Dylan) * Forever Young (Dylan) * Baby Let Me Follow You Down - reprise (Dylan) * I Shall Be Released (Dylan, Ron Wood, Ringo Starr, Butterfield, Charles, Clapton, Diamond, Hawkins, Dr. John, Mitchell, Morrison, Young) * Jam #1 (Young, Wood, Clapton, Butterfield, Dr. John, Ringo) * Jam #2 (same as #1 plus Stephen Stills & Carl Radle) * Don't Do It * Greensleeves

Disc Four: The Well * Evangaline (Emmylou Harris) * Out Of The Blue * The Weight (Mavis & Pops Staples) * The Last Waltz Refrain * Theme From The Last Waltz * King Harvest (Has Surely Come)(rehearsal) * Tura Lura Lural (Morrison rehearsal) * Caravan (Morrison rehearsal) * Such A Night (Dr. John rehearsal) * Rag Mama Rag (rehearsal) * Mad Waltz (sketch track for The Well) * The Last Waltz Refrain (instrumental) * The Last Waltz Theme (sketch)

© 2002 - Shaun Dale