As a film, The Last Waltz was a triumph -- one of the first (and still one of the few) rock concert documentaries that was directed by a filmmaker who understood both the look and the sound of rock & roll, and executed with enough technical craft to capture all the nooks and crannies of a great live show. But as an album, the Last Waltz soundtrack had to compete with the Band's earlier live album, Rock of Ages, with which it bears a certain superficial resemblance -- both found the group trying to create something grander than the standard-issue live double, and both featured the group beefed up by additional musicians. While Rock of Ages found the Band swinging along with the help of a horn section arranged by Allen Toussaint, The Last Waltz boasts a horn section (using Toussaint's earlier arrangements on a few cuts) and more than a baker's dozen guest stars, ranging from old cohorts Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan to contemporaries Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Van Morrison. The Band are in fine if not exceptional form here; on most cuts, they don't sound quite as fiery as they did on Rock of Ages, though their performances are never less than expert, and the high points are dazzling, especially an impassioned version of "It Makes No Difference" and blazing readings of "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Levon Helm has made no secret that he felt breaking up the Band was a bad idea, and here it sounds if he was determined to prove how much they still had to offer). Ultimately, it's the Band's "special guests" who really make this set stand out -- Muddy Waters' ferocious version of "Mannish Boy" would have been a wonder from a man half his age, Van Morrison sounds positively joyous on "Caravan," Neil Young and Joni Mitchell do well for their Canadian brethren, and Bob Dylan's closing set finds him in admirably loose and rollicking form. (One question remains -- what exactly is Neil Diamond doing here?) And while the closing studio-recorded "Last Waltz Suite" sounds like padding, the contributions from Emmylou Harris and the Staple Singers are beautiful indeed. It could be argued that you're better off watching The Last Waltz on video than listening to it on CD, but either way it's a show well worth checking out. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
The Last Waltz (2003 Remaster)
09/23/2003 | Rhino / Wea
All Music Guide Review
Track Listing
Similar Albums
Credits
- Richard Manuel
- Organ, Dobro, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Drums
- Elliot Mazer
- Engineer
- Van Morrison
- Vocals, Vocals (Background)
- Muddy Waters
- Vocals
- Wayne Neuendorf
- Engineer
- Larry Packer
- Violin (Electric)
- Larry Samuels
- Executive Producer
- Dennis St. John
- Drums
- Mavis Staples
- Vocals
- Stuart Taylor
- Engineer
- Ray Thompson
- Engineer
- Allen Toussaint
- Horn Arrangements
- Jeremy Zatkin
- Mixing Engineer
- Bradley Hartman
- Engineer
- Terrance Davis
- Audio Restoration
- Jerry Hay
- Trumpet, Flugelhorn
- Joe Perkins
- Piano
- Bill Spears
- Equipment Manager
- Tim Kramer
- Engineer
- David Fricke
- Liner Notes
- Ed Anderson
- Engineer, Mixing Engineer
- Ed Thrasher
- Art Direction
- Neal Preston
- Photography
- Patrick Milligan
- Project Coordinator
- Andy Bloch
- Engineer
- Howard Rosenberg
- Photography
- Annie Leibovitz
- Photography
- Dan Gellert
- Mixing Engineer
- Paul Sandweiss
- Engineer
- Wray Smallwood
- Engineer
- Dennis Mays
- Engineer
- Ken Regan
- Photography
- Bill Graham
- Concert Producer
- Rick Ash
- Assistant Engineer
- Steve Hall
- Mastering
- Rich Cooper
- Trumpet, Flugelhorn
- Patrick McDougal
- Engineer, Editing
- Jerry Stroud
- Engineer
- Rock Brynner
- Road Manager
- Jerry Caskey
- Equipment Manager
- Ava Megna
- Production Liason
- Taylor Phelps
- Road Manager
- Cliff Crumpler
- Equipment Manager
- Robert Full
- Photography
- Tony Bustos
- Mixing Engineer
- Barry Imhoff
- Coordination, Logistics
- Orchestra
- Performer
- Jim Gordon
- Clarinet, Flute, Sax (Tenor)
- Bobby Charles
- Vocals, Vocals (Background)
- Rick Danko
- Bass, Violin, Vocals, Standup Electric Bass
- John Simon
- Piano, Producer, String Arrangements, Musical Director, Horn Arrangements
- Bob Margolin
- Guitar
- Roebuck "Pops" Staples
- Guitar, Vocals
- Greg Allen
- Reissue Art Director, Reissue Design
- Terry Becker
- Engineer
- Joel Bernstein
- Equipment Manager
- Baker Bigsby
- Mixing Engineer
- Neil Brody
- Engineer
- Sandy Castle
- Road Manager
- Eric Clapton
- Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background), Soloist
- Donivan Cowart
- Engineer
- Dave Dysart
- Technical Coordinator
- Rob Fraboni
- Producer
- Henry Glover
- Horn Arrangements
- Levon Helm
- Mandolin, Vocals, Drums
- Garth Hudson
- Organ, Soloist, Horn Arrangements, Pipe Organ, Sax (Soprano), Saxophone, Keyboards, Horn, Accordion, Piano, Synthesizer
- Charlie Keagle
- Clarinet, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor), Sax (Alto), Flute
- Dan Latham
- Assistant Engineer
- Jared Levine
- Project Coordinator
- Emmylou Harris
- Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
- The Band
- Main Performer
- Neil Diamond
- Guitar, Vocals (Background), Vocals
- Dr. John
- Guitar, Conga, Vocals (Background), Vocals, Piano
- Bob Dylan
- Guitar, Vocals
- Ronnie Hawkins
- Vocals, Vocals (Background)
- Joni Mitchell
- Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background), Vocals
- Robbie Robertson
- Guitar, Vocals, Harp Guitar, Remix Producer, Soloist, Remastering, Remixing, Producer, Piano
- Ringo Starr
- Drums
- Ron Wood
- Guitar, Soloist
- Neil Young
- Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background), Vocals, Harmonica
- Tom "Bones" Malone
- Trombone, Horn Arrangements, Trombone (Bass), Euphonium, Flute (Alto)
- Howard Johnson
- Tuba, Sax (Baritone), Horn Arrangements, Flugelhorn, Clarinet (Bass)
- Paul Butterfield
- Harmonica, Vocals (Background), Vocals
















