The Band's Last Waltz - Is this not one of the best music documentaries, EVER?

[mozo-pg]

[QUOTE=meimjustalawnmower;41741]Here's one of my favorite parts...



That is the song I was specifically referring to when I had chills up and down my spine. What an amazing vocalist and band.

[mozo-pg]

I'll check out the Woodstock clip too.

[GuitarGeek]

I read somewhere that Martin and Robbie consumed monstrous amounts of cocaine and wasted much too much time editing the film. Still, I have revisited The Last Waltz more than any of the other films mentioned. There's something magical about the performances.

Marty apparently admitted years later that he did have a cocaine problem at the time. I'm not sure what constitutes "much too much time". According to Wikipedia, he was already committed to working on another couple films during the time the concert happened, so he couldn't even get around to working on the footage until after he was done with those two pictures. That's probably why it took a couple years for the movie to get finished.

[meimjustalawnmower]

That is the song I was specifically referring to when I had chills up and down my spine. What an amazing vocalist and band.

The song is incredibly excrutiating, beautiful and heartbreaking. Probably the most real of all love songs ever written and performed.

[Oreb]

I love The Band but IMO this is a bloated "all-star" mess that really fails to grasp the thing that made them special, the impossible-to-replicate sense of ramshackle precision.

As for the best music doc ever, my vote goes to the Chet Baker suicide note Let's Get Lost.

[Jerjo]

When I play a live Band album, I usually go to Rock of Ages before the Last Waltz but damn, there are some seminal performances on LW. I love that version of "Down South in New Orleans" for example.

[meimjustalawnmower]

As for the best music doc ever, my vote goes to the Chet Baker suicide note Let's Get Lost.

Or this...

[Oreb]

[davis]

I prefer This Is Spinal Tap myself.

too many people told me how great This Is Spinal Tap was before I saw it; I thought it was okay. Saw The Last Waltz sometime in the early 80's. Don't remember much about it, but the main reason I watched it was to see Dylan. One of my favorite music docs is The Howlin' Wolf Story.

[NeonKnight]

Love The Last Waltz, and my favorite song is this one:

[progeezer]

I've never been a huge fan of much country or even "country-tinged" music and vocals, but Rick Danko (sorry, Levon) was imo by far the best singer in The Band, and along with Gram Parsons has always made me wonder if I'm missing more.

I'm not talking about the seminal geniuses like Hank Sr. etc. There's no question there imo that Hank & several others of the genre are as valid to the American music historical landscape as Gershwin, Porter, Ellington & Bird.

[ronmac]

I'm not talking about the seminal geniuses like Hank Sr. etc. There's no question there imo that Hank & several others of the genre are as valid to the American music historical landscape as Gershwin, Porter, Ellington & Bird.

I'd add Jimmie Rogers to that list.

[progeezer]

I'd add Jimmie Rogers to that list.

He would have been the 3rd one I named if I didn't take the "several others" route. Woody G would have been the 2nd.

[ronmac]

He would have been the 3rd one I named if I didn't take the "several others" route. Woody G would have been the 2nd.

Well, yeah, but I was referring to country artists.

[davis]

I've seen The Search For Robert Johnson but not Can't You Hear The Wind Howl?, and I'm wondering if the latter is a re-release & name change of the former.

[ronmac]

I've seen The Search For Robert Johnson but not Can't You Hear The Wind Howl?, and I'm wondering if the latter is a re-release & name change of the former.

Oh! That reminds me of another. "Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey." Great documentary. And the book and CDs are fantastic.

[Dave (in MA)]

Rick Danko (sorry, Levon) was imo by far the best singer in The Band

In interviews, Helm and Danko both considered Manuel to be The Band's lead singer.

[mozo-pg]

In interviews, Helm and Danko both considered Manuel to be The Band's lead singer.

Richard's death was a true tragedy. Maybe too good for this world.

[mozo-pg]

Wiki - On Richard's singing:

With Helm serving as nominal leader due to his longevity with the Hawkins group, it was in fact Manuel who sang most of the songs in the group's repertoire. Manuel was easily the most accomplished vocalist from a technical standpoint. It was as Levon and the Hawks, after the departure of Penfound and Bruno, that they introduced themselves to their blues hero, Sonny Boy Williamson. They soon planned a collaboration with Williamson but it never happened due to Williamson's untimely death soon after. In 1965 Helm, Hudson and Robertson helped back American bluesman John P. Hammond on his album So Many Roads. Hammond recommended The Hawks to Bob Dylan, who tapped them to serve as his backing band while he switched to an electric sound.

[progeezer]

In interviews, Helm and Danko both considered Manuel to be The Band's lead singer.

Very close indeed, and Manuel's singing with so emotive and passionate feeling, in retrospect was a barometer of his demons. Even on Big Pink he sounds already troubled.

I just like Danko's songs better, so there' s one case where imo SHOULD have beeen used.

[meimjustalawnmower]

Very close indeed, and Manuel's singing with so emotive and passionate feeling, in retrospect was a barometer of his demons. Even on Big Pink he sounds already troubled.

I just like Danko's songs better, so there' s one case where imo SHOULD have beeen used.

Manuel and Danko share a whole lot more than just musical ability.
I think that the one thing to consider (and this is truly my own opinion) is that none of these guys ever sought out to be rock stars or celebrities. If they were singin' for anything it was most likely for food, rent, liquor, pussy, love, and more likely just for the chance to keep on singin'. It was all as pure as can possibly be.

[ronmac]

It's on Palladia tonight at 10PM EST.