Review of The Last Waltz (1978) by Eric M — 03 Mar 2008

The greatest rock documentary of all time? Not quite. There are some great performances in this, but there are plenty of bum notes as well. Much of the problem has to do with The Band members themselves, who were not in the best of shape at the time, which shows in their performances which are not up to their usual high standard.

Years of touring seem to have taken a toll on them, and everyone seems burnt-out and exhausted. When Richard Manuel sings "You don't know the shape I'm in", we don't believe it because we can see the shape he's in.

His tired eyes, ashen complexion, and prematurely graying hair say everything we need to know about the struggles with drug and alcohol abuse that eventually led him to take his own life. The saddest of all is the damage that has been done to his once-haunting baritone voice.

He sounds as if getting each word out is a cumbersome effort. (Compare his performances here with his vocals on "Music from Big Pink" and the self-titled "brown album", and tell me which ones you'd rather listen to.

) Also disappointing is the much-ballyhooed reunion with Bob Dylan, who looks bored with the proceedings and is obviously going through the motions. More fun are the amazing performances by the guest acts, especially Muddy Waters, whose awe-inspiring version of "Mannish Boy" almost didn't make the cut! (One of the cinematographers saved it by leaving his camera on at the last minute).

The Band also kicks loose during a reunion with former leader Ronnie Hawkins on a jubilant, playful version of "Who Do You Love?" and for a brief moment, the sad undercurrent of the evening fades away and is replaced by something approaching pure joy.

Overall, this is a document of a merely good performance by a band that was capable of greatness. As a proper introduction to The Band though, I would start with the albums and go from there.