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The 1978 concert movie “The Last Waltz” was unusual for a couple of reasons. One, it was directed by Martin Scorsese and two, it was a farewell show for an enormously popular group that had all it’s original members living, no real drop in popularity, and no band members with outstanding warrants (no research done here). It was a very unusual way for a rock and roll band to call it quits.
The Band did so with a truly impressive list of guests for their farewell concert. I would not argue with anyone who said there was more talent at the Last Waltz than at any rock concert before or since. The musicians who took the stage that night were all world class.
As might be expected from such talents, the songs played that night were all something special, written by some of the best writers (Young, Mitchell, Rebennack, Dylan) around.
One of the best known talents, especially at the time, was Van Morrison. I used to wonder about why they didn’t do “4 % Pantomime“, the song he’d cut with the Band a few years earlier, but after looking at the rest of the set list for “The Last Waltz”, it seems obvious; good song though “4% Pantomime” may have been, it was not up to the standards of the rest of the night. Thus the performance of “Caravan”, one of Van’s better songs and one that lent itself to the spirit of the night.
The most distinctive song and vocal at an unusually distinctive concert, had to be “It Makes no Difference”. There were an incredible amount of great vocalists gathered that night, some from his own band, but Rick Danko outshone them all on this one. One of Robbie’s best songs, and one of his most personal, Danko made it entirely believable with an unforgettable vocal. Followed by Robbie’s best live solo ever recorded and Garth Hudson reminding everyone why he is the grand/godfather of all Canadian rock music on sax as they closed it out, “It Makes No Difference” was a highlight in a show full of them.
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Ron Swanson’s Updatable Top 25
Seeking classic pop song lyrical couplets – Post your faves, by Ron Swanson
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