THIS FILM SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD
We watched The Last Waltz the other night, it had been years since I had seen the whole thing. Originally I was enamoured by the film-making and the various guests appearing...but this time I was struck by how incredibly talented these guys were.
Some of the performances here are the greatest captured on film. Joni Mitchell singing back up in the shadows to Neil Young's Helpless. Emmy Lou Harris, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison and Muddy Waters are all spine shivering good. I found myself crying at a couple of places...just some of the musicians who have passed away. Many years ago I worked in a night club, decorating and a side job of mine was to play hostess to the "green room" for performers. The Band, without Robbie Robertson, played one night and I not only had some lovely conversations with Levon Helm, but Rick Danko and I hit if off so well, we stayed up all night shooting the shit till 9 a.m. A week later Richard Manuel passed away, and Rick left us a few years ago too.
Martin Scorcese is one of the remarkable directors, like Howard Hawks, who has tried to make a movie in every genre possible. This is one of best concert movies ever. Do you have a favourite concert movie?
7 comments:
Who are the guest/backup singers in this clip? They are exquisite.
And yes, there is nothing but Scorcese love at my house too.
They are the Staple Singers. Aren't they amazing?
I should have said something about them, sory here's a wikipedia ditty:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Staple_Singers
Of course! That makes sense. They were beautiful in their younger days.
I just checked the wikipedia link and I do own the cd, "Rhythm Country & Blues". It's a great album of duets between R&B and country artists.
It also contains the longest version of that mawkish howler of a song "Patches" sung by George Jones & B.B. King (with added verses I'm sure)
You're hurting people over here ya know?
Nah, the album sounds great and I bet on a warm humid night the sweet stylings of "Patches"...welll actually whats funny is I swear I wouldn't have remembered that song until you mentioned it here.
Other concert movies I love...
Rattle and Hum
Truth or Dare
Gimme Shelter (directed by the Mayles Bros who directed Grey Gardens)
Stop Making Sense
Don't Look Back
Some Kind of Monster
The Year Punk Broke
Block Party
and word has it that Rock TheBells is great.
Does Spinal Tap count?
I saw this for the first time a year ago, and I thought it was amazing.
Zydeco Fish, hi!! yes it really is amazing. You know, it's tough because Iike, these guys are really young. too young to have quit. I guess all the touring got to Robertson...but these men were hitting and coming up on their musical primes.
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