"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…
As a film, The Last Waltz was a triumph – one of the first (and still one of the few) rock concert documentaries that was directed by a filmmaker who understood both the look and the sound of rock & roll, and executed with enough technical craft to capture all the nooks and crannies of a great live show…
The Last Waltz was a concert by the Canadian rock group, The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The Last Waltz was advertised as the end of The Band's illustrious touring career, and the concert saw The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood and Neil Young.
As a film, The Last Waltz was a triumph - one of the first (and still one of the few) rock concert documentaries that was directed by a filmmaker who understood both the look and the sound of rock & roll, and executed with enough technical craft to capture all the nooks and crannies of a great live show. But as an album, The Last Waltz soundtrack had to compete with the Band's earlier live album, Rock of Ages, with which it bears a certain superficial resemblance - both found the group trying to create something grander than the standard-issue live double, and both featured the group beefed up by additional musicians. While Rock of Ages found the Band swinging along with the help of a horn section arranged by Allen Toussaint, The Last Waltz boasts a horn section (using Toussaint's earlier arrangements on a few cuts) and more than a baker's dozen guest stars, ranging from old cohorts Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan to contemporaries Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Van Morrison…
2008 UK issue, 54-track, 4-CD album set - 'The Last Waltz' is the definitive version of this popular 1978 concert recording. Bringing in diverse sources [rehearsals, performances from the film and concert], and a cast list that is Star-studded to say the least: Bob Dylan [who performs the hugely in-demand 'Hazel'], Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Paul Butterfield, Dr. John, Ronnie Hawkins, Emmylou Harris, The Staples, Ringo Starr and many more make this release an event not to be missed!
It started as a concert. It became a celebration. Join an unparalleled lineup of rock superstars asthey celebrate The Band's historic 1976 farewell performance. Directed by Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas), The Last Waltz is not only "the most beautiful rock film evermade" (New York Times) it's "one of the most important cultural events of the last two decades" (Rolling Stone)! Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Van Morrison–these artists and many more grace the stage in The Band's farewell concert at the Winterland ballroom. More than a performance, The Last Waltz documents an important microcosm to evaluate the world of rock'n roll and many of its biggest stars in the 1970s. The concert rocks. The performers are inspired, appearing at the peak of their powers. And the Blu-ray release goes far beyond earlier DVD versions to reveal that The Last Waltz is indeed filmed gorgeously, with sound that is both rich and refined.