The Band’s farewell show as a full group was documented in 1978’s landmark documentary, The Last Waltz. I attempt to rank the ten best performances from the star-studded show.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I (finally) watched, ‘The Last Waltz,” for the first time ever just about two weeks ago.
It was a long time coming, but I’m glad I waited. The circumstances were great.
My father didn’t really follow the popular music scene in its heyday (around the late 60’s through the 1970’s) and as a result, I usually wind up telling him things about artists of his day, often wishing he had been at some shows. He did, however, keep tabs on The Band. That’s why I was so shocked when he told me he had never seen the movie. Sure enough, we watched. And as we watched, we reached the point where Joni Mitchell walks onstage to an enormous cheer, one that made my him say, “Wow.” A cool moment.
If you’re a Rock fan or music fan in general, I encourage you to see it. Even if you don’t really know much about The Band, there’s a lot to love about it. If you do watch it, hopefully you’ll walk away feeling you learned something. At the very least, you’ll have relived a pivotal moment in pop culture history.
Keep in mind that songs not included in the film are not in the running for the list.
Let’s get to it.
Honorable mention:
Don’t Do It: The opening song to the film was in fact the last song of the night. At around 2:15 in the morning, exhausted from the four-hour show, the group came back onstage and delivered an electric rendition of what was originally a Marvin Gaye tune titled Baby Don’t You Do It. As the saying goes, they went out with a bang.
10. Ophelia
You could put a lot of the songs at the No. 10 spot. The eighth song of the night, “Ophelia,” delivers. This fairly straightforward rocker is highlighted by another strong showing of Levon Helm’s vocals and the horn section, arguably the most important component of the song. In the film sequence of the tune, director Martin Scorsese is wise to capture some pretty stunning shots of Helm in his element.
A standard from The Band’s catalog, “Up on Cripple Creek” opens the show with energy and passion. The vocal harmonies are a little all over the place (in a good way) and Helm’s drums, along with Rick Danko’s bass, are tight. Around the 4:23 mark on the official release, the final yodel begins, and its energy is truly infectious. To many, the best part of the song comes at the 4:50 mark, when Helm yells, “Yea, yea, I sure wish I could yodel.” Go ahead, play the song straight through. It’s hard not to feel the excitement from the Winterland Ballroom crowd of what was to come that night.
“As you might have heard, we got a couple of friends joining in with us tonight.” Guitarist Robbie Robertson said this right before he introduced Ronnie Hawkins onstage to play “Who Do You Love”. From the first riff off of his Fender Stratocaster, you know this song is going to be a burner. It kicks up with an up-tempo shuffle that’s aided from a steady bass line and some magic from Garth Hudson, (one of) the groups sonic masterminds.
The real star of this song, though, is the ‘Hawk’ himself. He sounds insane when he screams. Literally, insane. But, his aggressive and tough voice are the perfect mix with the distorted guitar.
At the time, “Coyote” was basically a brand-new song. It is the first track on Joni Mitchell’s 1976 album, Hejira (fun fact; Jaco Pastorius played bass on 'Coyote' and other tracks on the record). In The Last Waltz, the song oozes an ominous, almost mysterious tone. Mitchell’s lyrics effortlessly flow over the quick chord changes anchored by Danko’s punchy bass and some jangly guitar. Listening to the song by itself is fine, but you’re better off watching the actual clip. It seems as if the Winterland crowd is silenced, in awe of Mitchell’s voice and captivating presence.
The blues had to be well-represented at the show. Enter, Muddy Waters. Mannish Boy is about as simple as it gets musically, which paves the way for Waters’ storytelling as the star of the song. Robbie Robertson scatters some licks throughout the performance, and the keys are in full effect, with a synth organ clearly ringing through. Something interesting to note is that in the film, there’s really only one long shot of this performance. This is because director Martin Scorsese had said to his crew not to film it. Thankfully, one of the crew members didn’t have their headsets in, filming what we now see 42 years later.
One of the most electric performances of the night, Van Morrison, in his bedazzled jacket, is a true sight to behold. Aside from delivering his iconic voice in fine form, he also gels perfectly with The Band, who essentially become his backing band. It’s clear that Morrison was in control on the stage, too. His flamboyant image and command of the stage shows that he was not only in control of the song, but the audience, too. Towards the end of the song, he literally kicks the air and goes across the stage, eventually leaving the camera eye. Robertson then chimes in, “Van the Man!”
The Band did indeed play their classic, “The Weight” during the show. However, this version didn’t make the film cut. Scorsese had the group perform the song on a soundstage, and the result is something of true beauty. Levon Helm’s vocals in the first verse are exquisite. Even with his greatness, the highlight of this rendition is the addition of the Staples Singers. First, it’s Mavis Staples who sings the songs second verse, and then it’s Pops. There’s something so pure about Pops’ Staples’ verse.
When he asks, “Well, Luke my friend. What about young Anna Lee?” it feels as if he’s the elder mentor, preaching to us. There’s a reason many fans considered this the definitive version of the tune.
Rick Danko is front and center for “It Makes No Difference,” and rightfully so. His poignant vocal performance is remarkable. He’s aided from a full-bodied range of vocal harmonies from the rest of the group, too. Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson team up for some mind-blowing interplay on the guitar and saxophone. Hudson’s solos are particularly moving, adding to the overall emotional pull of the song. Turn this one up and listen to those vocals (and sax), you won’t be disappointed.
According to Robbie Robertson, no-one was feeling better than Neil Young right before 'Helpless.' This was a reference to the cocaine Young had just snorted backstage, as he walked out with a rock of it in his nose. Thanks to digital editing, we don't see it on the polished version. In any case, Young delivers. His wispy, soaring voice is accompanied by loose harmonica and free-flowing chords.
If there's one scene I beg you to watch, it's this song. Joni Mitchell provides backing vocals, and they are simply angelic. So angelic, that many in the audience (and the stage) didn't know where the voice was coming from. This is because she was backstage singing along. Crazy. Bravo to Scorsese for that decision. At the 4:36 mark, Mitchell belts a soaring note that sends shivers down the spine.
Horns, piano, Levon. That's how this one starts, and it is classic, good old-fashioned rock. Helm's southern-worn voice is truly at a peak here, and the horns add the element that take the song to the top of these rankings. The chorus offers a beautifully done chant from everyone on the stage, too. It's certainly not the most flashy song or performance of the night, but it is emotionally captivating. Helm's voice sounds as if he is yearning for something that probably will never come. It's a rollercoaster of a song, and a hell of a story. Helm would never perform the song again after 'The Last Waltz.'
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