Rise

Format

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  81227392522 x CD  £20.00
  X

  Double CD

Label

Rhino

The Band

Last Waltz

during the late '60s and most of the '70s the band were arguably the premier american rock group combining a host of influences to create a distinctive fullbodied sound for a primarily canadian ensemble their lyrics were pure americana with themes ranging from the civil war to small town fairs they were set in heartland cornfields and southern battlefields and the band's repertoire came to personify the american people eloquent and lyrical their songs stood apart from the other popular genres of the time musically they were equally inventive incoporating accordions organs mandolins and fiddles it was all driven by the group's individualised vocals with harmonies that purposely didn't blend the last waltz is the recorded document of their 1976 farewell performance the event was filmed as a documentary by martin scorsese capturing the allstar concert and thanksgiving dinner for posterity sort of a rock version of 'this is your life' the last waltz brought together performers from all phases of the group's career giving them a chance to pay tribute and join the band one last time there's no doubt that the songs are the centrepiece all the group's wellworn hits are reprised but there are some notable standouts famed canadian rocker ronnie hawkins whom the band backed in their early days as the hawks reprises 'who do you love' after their tenure with hawkins the group went on to accompany bob dylan on some of his earliest electric sessions dylan returns the favour by performing a strong folkblues medley beginning and ending with a fiery rocking version of 'baby let me follow you down' muddy waters gives a lesson in the blues on 'mannish boy' with the late great paul butterfield on harmonica eric clapton offers his own polished version of the blues with a blistering 'further on up the road' emmylou harris a highlight in any setting duets on the gentle waltz 'evangeline' dr john's accurate and rousing 'such a night' brings a bit of mardi gras to the proceedings joni mitchell provides another pleasant change of pace introducing her jazzinflected sound with 'coyote' and joining in on soulful soaring harmonies with neil young on his classic 'helpless' even neil diamond joins in on the fun on a song he cowrote with robbie robertson although not the last track on the disc the dylanled allstar rendition of the banddylan classic 'i shall be released' is the emotional finale of one of the most important records in contemporary music