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The Last Waltz.....


whitefang

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Surfing around my TV last night, and checking out that "guide" on my cable service, I noticed the OTHER PBS station they carry was showing "The Last Waltz", but....

 

THEY listed what they were showing was the 1936 film with Elizabeth Haffenden. So, I tuned in to see what THAT was all about, and it turned out they WERE showing the 1978 Scorcese film about The Band's last big '76 concert!

 

LUCKY BREAK! :D

 

Seems they've put out a 40th anniversary version that's been revamped sound-wise and color-wise, and If I could have spared the cash, one was available for a certain level of donation( it's "pledge week" at that particular station).

 

Since I've always liked The Band, I of course, LOVE this flick, and since my old VHS of it is pretty well "worse for wear", I should consider getting this restored DVD. And although I enjoyed watching it again last night, it WAS with some sadness when it hits home that all but TWO of them are gone now.

 

What always struck me about this filmed concert was not only the fantastic line-up of names that showed up to perform with them onstage, but also how, since I realized EVERY tune was meticulously mapped out and exhaustingly rehearsed, that once they got onstage, they made it LOOK like it was all so spontaneous!

 

The show also featured some clips of a taped interview with Robbie Robertson, talking about both the making of the film, and a bit about the Band's history. GOOD SHOW! And something ELSE to be thankful for yesterday! ;)

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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I had an album with Dylan and Robbie that I loved to play. They had a lot of history together. Robbie was quite the writer and wrote some great songs too. I will try and catch the Last Waltz when it comes out again on PBS...I still crack up when thinking about Dylan singing The Clothes Line Saga... :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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Not sure what that is. All he sang in the film was "Forever Young" and a revved-up version of "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" and joined the rest of the crowd onstage for "I Shall Be Released".

 

"Clothes Line Saga"? HMmmm....sounds like one of them goofy FaceBook games. ;)

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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I really enjoy watching "The Last Waltz" I'll probably buy the 40th anniversary edition just to hear more about the challenges of shooting this concert.

 

Soundwise, songwise when it comes to the Band in a live setting, "At the Academy of Music" is a better example.

 

As for Dylan, and the Band, I think "Before the Flood" is a great live recording that shows the best of both artists, separately and together.

 

 

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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It's on the Basement Tapes album Dylan did with the Band...I would post a YouTube of it but they are all covers. No one can do it justice but Bob... :cool:

 

Oh, OK.

 

I never DID get around to getting and hearing that LP. So I didn't realize you were "sidestepping" the thread. ;)

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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@ Fang, Sorry, I thought the thread was about Robbie Robertson and The Band and that the album comment would fit right in with Robbies Dylan history...wasn't trying to "sidestep the thread."

 

@ Bottom End, How about Planet Waves? I think the Basement Tapes, Bob Dylan and the Band, is the best of him and Robbie, as there are a ton of songs on a double album... :cool:

 

ps. The Last Waltz is on again on PBS in my area. The 9th of December at 9pm pacific time...

Take care, Larryz
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OK, here I go again....

I think the lucky break woulda been to see that 1930s film (I'll haveta look it up) but what I have to say is that Rob Robertson's goot new memoir hitting the shelves (he already did one autobio before).

 

UNFORTUNATELY, judging by the excerpt that showed up in a recent issue of Rolling Stone, his memory seems to've gone quite selective & even contrary to what he's written previously + known factologically (yeah, that's what I said! :bang: FACTOLOGICALLY ! )

 

Kinda sad, since there's only him & closed-mouthed Garth left.

 

------------------------------

BTW & FWIW, "Clothes Line Saga" was , as Mr Larry Z done said, was a tune from what's termed the Basement Tapes, when Bob & them boys were tryna react to the changes in pop music circa 1968/9.

Specifically it was a sorta mockery of "Ode to Billie Joe".

As LZ said, there's no equivalent to Bob's highly arch performance but here's a couple flavors.

This is one cover...

[video:youtube]

& here's the official Bob D site where y' can read the lyrix.

http://bobdylan.com/songs/clothes-line-saga/

d=halfnote
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@ Bottom End, How about Planet Waves? I think the Basement Tapes, Bob Dylan and the Band, is the best of him and Robbie, as there are a ton of songs on a double album... :cool:

 

I was limiting my comments to the live albums. I love the Band (even more than I love Dylan), and along with "Waiting For Columbus", the "Last Waltz" was introduced to me while I was in grade school, so I learned what good music, and how to identify it, early in life. I shudder to think that I might have been limited to whatever was popular with my peers while growing up. The Band is easily one of my desert island picks.

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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Yeah, Larry, I do believe something to that effect was mentioned in there somewhere.

 

And d---they did plug Robertson's new book during the "pledge" breaks.

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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Surfing around my TV last night, and checking out that "guide" on my cable service, I noticed the OTHER PBS station they carry was showing "The Last Waltz"

 

Saw it the night before last, quite a show. I never saw that show during it's initial run. Great stuff......

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  • 2 weeks later...
Just finished watching The Last Waltz tonight again on PBS. It was a great 2 1/2 hour show! I think Eric Clapton did a fantastic job. His guitar strap came off just after starting his song. He turned his back to the audience while putting it back on and Robbie covered the lead until he was able to get back in the saddle again...and then he smoked it! :thu:
Take care, Larryz
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Between sets, I could tell that a lot of The Band interviews were pea soup verbally thick with a whole lot of smoking going on LOL! Hell, even Dylan was smiling and Neil Young had a [clip] on his shoulder! :puff:
Take care, Larryz
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