I'm a 90's baby, and growing up, I loved these people with a burning passion, I still do. This is one of my all time favorite songs,and still is. For all the people who had their heads in their ass and clicked the dislike button; you be trippin.
I can't keep time just playing drums, much less drumming and singing a passionate rendition of the song in a way that you feel the soul of it! Rock on!
This song--and this particular performance live--is truly one of the majestic pieces of music of the last fifty years. That is not hyperbole; The Band is venerated as one of the most influential groups in rock/Americana history and rightly so. What music, what a vocal, what a testament to a bygone epoch in history. This is my favorite version of the song because of the horns accompanying, but foremost it's really all about Levon Helm--a true hero of the age. May light perpetual shine upon him, and Richard, and Rickie.
I remember watching "The Last Waltz" many moons ago when it first came out and being blown away by the virtuosity of this "Band"....God Bless you Levon and your immense talent...heaven welcomes you!
Levon Helm and Rick Danko really did most of the heavy lifting that night. This and "It Makes no Difference" are absolute, pull-the-house-down showstoppers.
Met and interviewed Levon at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, I was honored to sit next to him. He smelled like he'd been pickled in Bourbon, but what a tale and story he told!
One of the very very best Mr Helm has given me a lot of musical joy, his singing, his drumming and songs have lightened my life and so many others - peace to Levon and his family.
His playing was an involving mixture of rhythm and emotion - someone once said he was the only drummer who can make you cry - while his singing remained a wonder of ribald bewilderment, old-time religion and shotgun shack-rattling joy.
A rock critic also once said that playing drums and singing lead on a song ,is like flying two jets simultaneously! Levon did it with his eyes closed ,it was so easy for him! He's actually doing 5 different things altogether ! Singing ,playing ,left foot bass, right foot drum ,keeping time and rhythm on all of it !Quite remarkable and awesome . At the Last Waltz ,Robbie is on record as saying Levon's playing and singing is note perfect all concert ! All 5 some hours in entirety! Incomparable.
Vintage "The Band". Holy Moses, Levon, drumming and lead singing, what else? So grateful for you and all the Band. Music touches the soul and you touched ours. God bless you forevah.
Used to pass thru his lil spot in the road hometown on the delta in Arkansas & always smiled that this lil town celebrated him w/ a birthplace sign.The one American in an American roots band.Brother you shall be missed, so happy for your barn jams & latest releases RIP
some people may not like this song. fair enough but one thing remains, like a capebretoner playing the fiddle, a newfoundlander singing a newfie tune, Levon sings this song with conviction like it's part of his culture and you just can't fake that.
There will never be another Band. There will never be another Levon Helm. The greatest I've ever heard. Hears to ya Levon, I'll miss ya every time I burn a fire in the backyard.
It's Levon's singing that makes this my favorite cut of this song. Sounds more "southern" than on other cuts, hard to explain, but I can tell ya, I never listen to this only once when I play it.
Levon was born to sing this song. The angels have learned a few new ones by now. Never met him, but America has lost a true under-rated legend. God love you Levon.
There a great line in "Patton", where Patton says: "The Cartheginians we're brave, and proud, but they were no match for the Romans." I'm always reminded of that when I hear those lines in the song.
Jeeze these videos are gonna get like thousands of views tonight. People all across america are re listening to these great tunes again tonight and tomorrow. RIP Levon you were amazing.
Levon was beyond compare. The band was beyond compare. I was fortunate to see The Band many time between 1974 and 1990. When I saw them at the Saddlerack in SJ (7/23/83). They opened with 'Rag Mama Rag'... I was so happy to hear it that I didn't know if I should smile or cry. Levon will be missed but he'll be making awesome music in heaven with Richard and Rick!
i think band's last waltz is one of most valuble rock album in rock history...and it was defintley monumental music event. i am an asian..however...there is something which we can share about emotion and feeling whenever we listen to this song..for example mother's supper smell and feeling about watching reddishand holy sky...warm country image...
If,and I mean if ,there is a finer ,greater ,performance by any other band or group of the Rock era ,singing one of their own songs ,live on stage ,than The Band s version of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down at the Last Waltz , please ,please ,let me know of it ! I believe this is the best performance of a song captured on film of the era ,by anyone ! It is personified perfection in my estimation ! I still get chills when Levon hits the heights with 'If The Money's No Good ' .Thank the Good Lord it's there forever to enjoy .
Levon was so talented in music and acting.. When he tells Loretta he isn't ever going to see her again, at the train station in coal miners daughter, it always made me cry as a little girl because I love my daddy so much, And of course he has the best line in the right stuff.."Is that a man" , "yeah..you're damn right it is!"
I love this rendition of this classic song. I've been a hard core fan of the band for over 20 years.The emotional impact of this is staggering.A perfect performance
Music from Big Pink was the album of the decade (1960's) and The Band was what everyone listened to. I am glad to see it posted here, brings back the memories.
You getting all butt-hurt doesn't change the FACT that they were indeed, traitors to the United States. I will say it out loud, I do all the time. Fuck those traitors. Fuck them right in their stupid, traitorous asses. If you don't like the United States, I'll help you pack.
That's great you were in the service. So was I, I was a Navy Corpsman combat medic with the Marines. so what? If anything, you should KNOW that taking up arms against the United States is in fact, treason. So again, fuck off, you treason-loving dumbass. And GTFO if you don't like America.
Yes, we refer to ourselves to other people as medics. Because most people have no clue what a corpsman is. And you were in the military? You should KNOW that taking up arms against the United States is goddamn TREASON. That was my whole point I started until you tried to derail by making it about you. It's about the treasonous people who did in fact, take up arms against the United States. Traitors, every single one.
Remember seeing this in the theatre in the '70s. It was a repertory theatre with a 12 midnight show. Everyone there was stoned and looked like a hippie and it was a lot of fun. Of course, this was not the last Waltz for The Band, they got together (sort of) years later. The 60s and 70s era was an incredible era for music. Sometimes it seems like a place I could go to, but time marches on and we can never go back to those great times.
+Roadghost88 I hear that over and over, but there has to have been something from back then which is here now, something we are overlooking which, if we found it, we could make music today just as good as it was then. I'm 34 and wasn't around to share in those good times. I figured the 1940s and '50s were booked solid as far as birthdays go, and the only space available was in 1981, so I had to go with that.
Sounds like how I saw it. Beers in my LV doctors bag & my brother using a one hit 😂 my roommate from school had a juke box in their basement. Filled with the Band tunes. Her brothers were older than us.
It breaks my heart how many loved individuals and performers are gone now. If it was not for CZcams we may have had a much more difficult time sharing our wonderful memories and treasured inspirationals with our younger friends and relations... Watching these dear friends leave us also makes me consider my own mortality... GOD BLESS US ALL... every one.
This song and Caravan were the 2 best performances of the Last Waltz. They say the resignation of Nixon was the end of the 60's politically. The Last Waltz was perhaps the culmination of the 60's musically. I saw the Band 3 months before at the Greek theater. I feel lucky to have lived through it all. It will be along time before popular music reaches these heights again.
I share one thing only with Levon, that is both of us are/were Arkansans. And, my voice sounds like a donkey braying, but Levon will forever live in our minds and memories. Levon had a gift rarely found among vocalists. No doubt in my mind, Levon's spirit still lives among us. And, that is truly a blessing.
HERE ARE THE LYRICS..... Virgil Caine is the name, and I served on the Danville train, Til Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again. In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive. By May the tenth, Richmond had fell, it's a time I remember, oh so well, [Chorus] The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the bells were ringing, The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the people were singin'. they went Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na Back with my wife in Tennessee, when one day she called to me, Said "Virgil, quick, come and see, there goes Robert E. Lee!" Now I don't mind choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good. Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest, But they should never have taken the very best. [Chorus] The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the bells were ringing, The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the people were singin'. they went Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na Like my father before me, I will work the land, Like my brother above me, who took a rebel stand. He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee laid him in his grave, And I swear by the mud below my feet, You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat. [Chorus] The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the bells were ringing, The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the people were singin', they went Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na [Chorus] The night they drove old Dixie down, the bells were ringing, The night they drove old Dixie down, and the people were singin', they went Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na Songwriters: ROBERTSON, ROBBIE
I know Robertson wrote this, and The Band played it, and a ton of different artists covered it, probably most notably Joan Baez back in the late 60's. But this song belongs to Levon. Keep in mind The Band had to come back and do retakes on a lot of the music from the concert for a variety of reasons, but Levon didn't participate in the reshoot. What we're seeing is the real thing from him. Don't really know which songs were reshot, or whose parts, but I do know Levon's are from the original concert.
EclecticHillbilly He picked a great time to really nail it then. It's certainly better than the original recording. Even the audience sensed it, as they began applauding before they were done. Brought chills up my back.
a greater loss to music than elvis ,lennon or anyone else come to think of it.cry and then rejoice in the legacy that is Levons music and be thankfull as hell that you shared in this mans lifes work. things will never be the same without LEVON HELM.R.I.P
VoyageurCountry Mr. Tulip was right. Robertson's mic was unplugged. He's a good guitarist, and a great songwriter, but has a horrible voice. Levon's book 'Wheels of Fire' confirms the rumor about the dead microphone.
This might be the most clutch performance in music history by Levon Helm. Think about the context: it's the last show ever by your band (or so he thought at the time), Scorsese is directing and you've got one shot at it; you're playing the drums and singing at the same time, which must be incredibly difficult but you don't miss a beat or a note; drugs are everywhere; and he just dominates it. I get chills watching this too.
I guess the other band members went back and reshot several of the songs for the movie, but Levon refused to come back for the reshot. For all I know this is the only 'live' song in the whole movie.
No song - before or since - has ever, or will ever have the same energy to it as this song... the sound and passion in Levon's voice just makes you picture the scene in the South in 1865...
Not many ways I can imagine a better sunset to a life well lived than this. Hope you got out of this world everything you wanted Levon. God bless and thank you for everything.
Louis and Frank and Janice and Elvis and Michael and so many other one-of-a-kind singers are waiting to embrace you...and we will join you one day in your embracing arms and sit and sway to your special music for eternity.
Last Waltz, probably the greatest DVD ever made. Thank you Scorcese for making such an amazing film that captivates one of the greatest bands ever, THE BAND!
I'm a HUGE fan, and am genuinely upset to hear of Levon's passing. I cry as I listen and type this...He was a musical hero to me from the time I was born in 1989. As an infant, most would watch Bugs Bunny, but I watched The Last Waltz instead. I'm so sad :( RIP Levon!
![The Band -- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down [REVIEW]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3eyzHsI7B9M/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Band -- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down [REVIEW]](/img/tr.png)
could Levon POSSIBLY put MORE of himself into this? DAMN I MISS THIS MAN and his handsome, dark voice.....he is gone but thousands of us remember him.
handsome dark voice! well put
Thousands of us???.....More like tens of millions.
Levon sings this song better than anyone else in the world.
pauldanielbatty I think Joan Baez did a pretty good job of it.
@@That1GUYJJ Joan sang it beautifully, like a classic folk song. Levon sings it as if its autobiographical. The soul of the south is in his voice.
this is levons song not need to be covered
Levon was much better at singing this song than joan could ever was...
One of the best.
I'm a 90's baby, and growing up, I loved these people with a burning passion, I still do. This is one of my all time favorite songs,and still is. For all the people who had their heads in their ass and clicked the dislike button; you be trippin.
I can't keep time just playing drums, much less drumming and singing a passionate rendition of the song in a way that you feel the soul of it!
Rock on!
This song--and this particular performance live--is truly one of the majestic pieces of music of the last fifty years. That is not hyperbole; The Band is venerated as one of the most influential groups in rock/Americana history and rightly so. What music, what a vocal, what a testament to a bygone epoch in history. This is my favorite version of the song because of the horns accompanying, but foremost it's really all about Levon Helm--a true hero of the age. May light perpetual shine upon him, and Richard, and Rickie.
Shawn bm right on Mane--the BAND got no effct from APRA etc--the record cos hated their gutts0--
I concur
I remember watching "The Last Waltz" many moons ago when it first came out and being blown away by the virtuosity of this "Band"....God Bless you Levon and your immense talent...heaven welcomes you!
Levon Helm and Rick Danko really did most of the heavy lifting that night. This and "It Makes no Difference" are absolute, pull-the-house-down showstoppers.
Why can't anyone make music like this anymore?
Sad that we had to lose these amazing artists too early
Met and interviewed Levon at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, I was honored to sit next to him. He smelled like he'd been pickled in Bourbon, but what a tale and story he told!
Levon is just ALIVE in this performance. Man I miss him.
May the legend of The Band and sweet and soulful voice of Levon Helm live on forever !
Best version of this song they ever did. Love the Rick shots at the end. All too soon gone.
One of the very very best Mr Helm has given me a lot of musical joy, his singing, his drumming and songs have lightened my life and so many others - peace to Levon and his family.
His playing was an involving mixture of rhythm and emotion - someone once said he was the only drummer who can make you cry - while his singing remained a wonder of ribald bewilderment, old-time religion and shotgun shack-rattling joy.
A rock critic also once said that playing drums and singing lead on a song ,is like flying two jets simultaneously! Levon did it with his eyes closed ,it was so easy for him! He's actually doing 5 different things altogether ! Singing ,playing ,left foot bass, right foot drum ,keeping time and rhythm on all of it !Quite remarkable and awesome . At the Last Waltz ,Robbie is on record as saying Levon's playing and singing is note perfect all concert ! All 5 some hours in entirety! Incomparable.
God bless Levon Helm and his family. You were one of a kind, man.
Vintage "The Band". Holy Moses, Levon, drumming and lead singing, what else? So grateful for you and all the Band. Music touches the soul and you touched ours. God bless you forevah.
What an amazing performance by Levon Helm. Thank you for the music Levon!
m not an American but I feel one when I listen to this......
that's a great comment, anuj
I feel the same way about the master Ravi Shankar. And I'm Irish. Music knows no borders.
Thank you Levon Helm for truly great music. The world is not quit aqs good a place without you and your music in it. RIP
Used to pass thru his lil spot in the road hometown on the delta in Arkansas & always smiled that this lil town celebrated him w/ a birthplace sign.The one American in an American roots band.Brother you shall be missed, so happy for your barn jams & latest releases RIP
Levin Helm,a most under rated drummer,great wrists.RIP.
some people may not like this song. fair enough but one thing remains, like a capebretoner playing the fiddle, a newfoundlander singing a newfie tune, Levon sings this song with conviction like it's part of his culture and you just can't fake that.
It's hard to believe your leaving us Mr. Levon, but we will never forget you, the best singer of the 20th century
There will never be another Band. There will never be another Levon Helm. The greatest I've ever heard. Hears to ya Levon, I'll miss ya every time I burn a fire in the backyard.
Greatest song ever recorded live.
It's Levon's singing that makes this my favorite cut of this song. Sounds more "southern" than on other cuts, hard to explain, but I can tell ya, I never listen to this only once when I play it.
Levon was born to sing this song. The angels have learned a few new ones by now. Never met him, but America has lost a true under-rated legend. God love you Levon.
What an odd combo a couple of good old southern boys. with a couple of Canadians!
One of the best songs of all time such passion!
"He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee laid him in his grave" Jesus Christ that line is phenomenal.
There a great line in "Patton", where Patton says:
"The Cartheginians we're brave, and proud, but they were no match for the Romans."
I'm always reminded of that when I hear those lines in the song.
A melhor música do The Band
That line sent chills up my spine when I heard it some 40 years ago and as it still does today.
It's good, but I'm partial to "all the people were singin' "
@@phildunn3195 this song makes me wish I wasnt a Yankee lol
Arguably the best vocal performance ever. God damn was Levon on that night....
Always get a little choked up. Especially when I sing along. So much emotion in it
Jeeze these videos are gonna get like thousands of views tonight. People all across america are re listening to these great tunes again tonight and tomorrow. RIP Levon you were amazing.
Levon was beyond compare. The band was beyond compare. I was fortunate to see The Band many time between 1974 and 1990. When I saw them at the Saddlerack in SJ (7/23/83). They opened with 'Rag Mama Rag'... I was so happy to hear it that I didn't know if I should smile or cry.
Levon will be missed but he'll be making awesome music in heaven with Richard and Rick!
i think band's last waltz is one of most valuble rock album in rock history...and it was defintley monumental music event. i am an asian..however...there is something which we can share about emotion and feeling whenever we listen to this song..for example mother's supper smell and feeling about watching reddishand holy sky...warm country image...
there´s nothing wrong with being asian. we´re all human, buddy!
To Levon Helm and The Band...thanks very much.
Levon, you were WONDERFUL. Everyone who loves music "from the heart" will miss you dearly. RIP
If,and I mean if ,there is a finer ,greater ,performance by any other band or group of the Rock era ,singing one of their own songs ,live on stage ,than The Band s version of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down at the Last Waltz , please ,please ,let me know of it ! I believe this is the best performance of a song captured on film of the era ,by anyone ! It is personified perfection in my estimation ! I still get chills when Levon hits the heights with 'If The Money's No Good ' .Thank the Good Lord it's there forever to enjoy .
Never tire of listening to this "classic"!
how could anything possibly be better than this
I'am singing nahnahnah... Thanks a million, Levon Helm. And thanks to Bill Graham for putting this terrific event together. RIP Bill.
Every day it seems like we are left with less talent. God save us all. Thank the lord for recordings!
Levon was so talented in music and acting.. When he tells Loretta he isn't ever going to see her again, at the train station in coal miners daughter, it always made me cry as a little girl because I love my daddy so much, And of course he has the best line in the right stuff.."Is that a man" , "yeah..you're damn right it is!"
I love this rendition of this classic song. I've been a hard core fan of the band for over 20 years.The emotional impact of this is staggering.A perfect performance
Music from Big Pink was the album of the decade (1960's) and The Band was what everyone listened to. I am glad to see it posted here, brings back the memories.
R.I.P. Levon.
One of the great voices of my youth....thank you.
To my dear southern ancestors, proud and brave!
Traitors. Every last one.
Doesn't change the fact that they were, by definition, traitors to the United States. So go fuck yourself, you wanna-be tough guy.
You getting all butt-hurt doesn't change the FACT that they were indeed, traitors to the United States. I will say it out loud, I do all the time. Fuck those traitors. Fuck them right in their stupid, traitorous asses. If you don't like the United States, I'll help you pack.
That's great you were in the service. So was I, I was a Navy Corpsman combat medic with the Marines. so what? If anything, you should KNOW that taking up arms against the United States is in fact, treason. So again, fuck off, you treason-loving dumbass. And GTFO if you don't like America.
Yes, we refer to ourselves to other people as medics. Because most people have no clue what a corpsman is. And you were in the military? You should KNOW that taking up arms against the United States is goddamn TREASON. That was my whole point I started until you tried to derail by making it about you.
It's about the treasonous people who did in fact, take up arms against the United States. Traitors, every single one.
Levon knocked this out of the park.
I shed a tear hearing Levon sing this song , an might proud of it !
R.I.P. to a real musician's musician. One of a dying breed. Heaven's song will be sweeter with you there
Remember seeing this in the theatre in the '70s. It was a repertory theatre with a 12 midnight show. Everyone there was stoned and looked like a hippie and it was a lot of fun. Of course, this was not the last Waltz for The Band, they got together (sort of) years later. The 60s and 70s era was an incredible era for music. Sometimes it seems like a place I could go to, but time marches on and we can never go back to those great times.
+Roadghost88 I hear that over and over, but there has to have been something from back then which is here now, something we are overlooking which, if we found it, we could make music today just as good as it was then. I'm 34 and wasn't around to share in those good times. I figured the 1940s and '50s were booked solid as far as birthdays go, and the only space available was in 1981, so I had to go with that.
+Vrinda Kanchan There's was some great music in your 90s era. If you didn't get into it you missed out.
Roadghost88 No, I heard a lot of it, and I didn't miss out on anything. That music didn't have the longevity.
Sounds like how I saw it. Beers in my LV doctors bag & my brother using a one hit 😂 my roommate from school had a juke box in their basement. Filled with the Band tunes. Her brothers were older than us.
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man.
So true my fellow traveller.
It breaks my heart how many loved individuals and performers are gone now. If it was not for CZcams we may have had a much more difficult time sharing our wonderful memories and treasured inspirationals with our younger friends and relations... Watching these dear friends leave us also makes me consider my own mortality... GOD BLESS US ALL... every one.
Thanks for giving us a lifetime of wonderful music and memories. We love you and always will.
Levon man. Brilliant.
goosebumps from head to toe every single time. go those levon feels
RIP Levon, thanks for the memories and the songs. WE LOVE YOU!
Levan, you were the best. A true musician. Your legacy will live on forever.
Future generations will never have talent like this in music. Very sad to say the least but you must appreciate the past and these guys were the best.
one of my fav songs/performances of all time. LEVON!
Whether speaking or singing, Levon Helm had one of the most expressive, evocative voices the American South ever produced!
RIP Levon. One of the greatest voices in the history of Rock music has forever been silenced.
Love his voice!!!!!!!
levon is incredible
saddened to hear of his passing,a true artist,a true talent,man i love that song . R.I.P.levon.
This song and Caravan were the 2 best performances of the Last Waltz. They say the resignation of Nixon was the end of the 60's politically. The Last Waltz was perhaps the culmination of the 60's musically. I saw the Band 3 months before at the Greek theater. I feel lucky to have lived through it all. It will be along time before popular music reaches these heights again.
2:35 - hair on my arm stands up every time I hear this.....
Mine too. Levon nails it. Love this song and this particular version. Just fantastic.
Bow down to this CZcams. Seriously. On your knees.
Done! I always feel that this is a hymn, a psalm -- it's that majestic and profound. Nope, you can not do better than this. Ever.
We miss you everyday, Levon! No one like you, Sir. RIP.
I share one thing only with Levon, that is both of us are/were Arkansans. And, my voice sounds like a donkey braying, but Levon will forever live in our minds and memories. Levon had a gift rarely found among vocalists. No doubt in my mind, Levon's spirit still lives among us. And, that is truly a blessing.
fucking majestic song
HERE ARE THE LYRICS.....
Virgil Caine is the name, and I served on the Danville train,
Til Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive.
By May the tenth, Richmond had fell, it's a time I remember, oh so well,
[Chorus]
The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the bells were ringing,
The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the people were singin'. they went
Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Back with my wife in Tennessee, when one day she called to me,
Said "Virgil, quick, come and see, there goes Robert E. Lee!"
Now I don't mind choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good.
Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest,
But they should never have taken the very best.
[Chorus]
The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the bells were ringing,
The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the people were singin'. they went
Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Like my father before me, I will work the land,
Like my brother above me, who took a rebel stand.
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee laid him in his grave,
And I swear by the mud below my feet,
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat.
[Chorus]
The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the bells were ringing,
The night they drove old Dixie down, and all the people were singin', they went
Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
[Chorus]
The night they drove old Dixie down, the bells were ringing,
The night they drove old Dixie down, and the people were singin', they went
Na, la, na, la, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Songwriters: ROBERTSON, ROBBIE
This is the definition of true American music.
OMG yah just gotta love Levon........multiple instruments, vocals......just a pure artist.
I know Robertson wrote this, and The Band played it, and a ton of different artists covered it, probably most notably Joan Baez back in the late 60's. But this song belongs to Levon. Keep in mind The Band had to come back and do retakes on a lot of the music from the concert for a variety of reasons, but Levon didn't participate in the reshoot. What we're seeing is the real thing from him. Don't really know which songs were reshot, or whose parts, but I do know Levon's are from the original concert.
I do know that I heard Levon in an interview say that he felt this was the best performance of this song that they ever did.
EclecticHillbilly He picked a great time to really nail it then. It's certainly better than the original recording. Even the audience sensed it, as they began applauding before they were done. Brought chills up my back.
I want to be Levon Helm when I grow up.
a greater loss to music than elvis ,lennon or anyone else come to think of it.cry and then rejoice in the legacy that is Levons music and be thankfull as hell that you shared in this mans lifes work.
things will never be the same without LEVON HELM.R.I.P
So long Levon thanks for the music and memories. RIP......Noone knows the shape he was in until it was to late..............
Just remember that Robertson's mic wasn't plugged in, love his acting though
next you will say that his fingers weren't attached either
VoyageurCountry Mr. Tulip was right. Robertson's mic was unplugged. He's a good guitarist, and a great songwriter, but has a horrible voice. Levon's book 'Wheels of Fire' confirms the rumor about the dead microphone.
acting... he was just still trying to keep up with helm.
You can very distinctly hear him, maybe it's just over Danko's mic. He was certainly singing just as hard as he looks like he is, if that's the case.
Probably because he bought the film and screwed over the rest of the band.
This might be the most clutch performance in music history by Levon Helm. Think about the context: it's the last show ever by your band (or so he thought at the time), Scorsese is directing and you've got one shot at it; you're playing the drums and singing at the same time, which must be incredibly difficult but you don't miss a beat or a note; drugs are everywhere; and he just dominates it. I get chills watching this too.
I guess the other band members went back and reshot several of the songs for the movie, but Levon refused to come back for the reshot. For all I know this is the only 'live' song in the whole movie.
Levon you had the soul, the spirit and the voice.
We never know what we've got until it's gone.
No song - before or since - has ever, or will ever have the same energy to it as this song... the sound and passion in Levon's voice just makes you picture the scene in the South in 1865...
Is this the greatest movie ever made?
RIP Levon
THANK YOU LEVON FOR ALL OF THE MUSIC THAT YOU BROUGHT US OVER THE YEARS.
Not many ways I can imagine a better sunset to a life well lived than this. Hope you got out of this world everything you wanted Levon. God bless and thank you for everything.
They upped the tempo on this version compared to Rock of Ages only weeks before - so great.
My favorite cut of the tune is this version.
I think it was a few years, but this one kicks it...
soberbyker I agree . every hair on my body stands up . and tears start to flow.
GutWrenchCrossFit yep. It's a southern tune and Levon really lets the southern flavor in his voice through for this version.
ROCK OF AGES was New Years '71. This was Thanksgiving '76.
The Band,any questions?
R.I.P. Levon. God bless you and thanks for the music.
A unique voice...a real voice...a singer's voice and man can he play an instrument as well. RIP
It is SO hard to sing while playing drums. Try singing while running. Same thing.
Levon made his Last Waltz. RIP my friend. You brought us so much joy.
Louis and Frank and Janice and Elvis and Michael and so many other one-of-a-kind singers are waiting to embrace you...and we will join you one day in your embracing arms and sit and sway to your special music for eternity.
Losing Levon hurt bad.....I feel like I did when George died....something good and special has left us. RIP Levon....thanks for it all!!
No one sing's this song like Levon Helm a great voice GOD BLESS YOU LEVON AND THANK YOU R.I.P. WITH ROBBIE AND ALL OF THE BANDXXXX
RIP Levon & the good old days~ ...But they'll be jammin' in heaven tonight!..
The true test of a great song is does it stand up to the test of time. This is one of those great songs!
Levon was the soul of the Band . . . perfect blend of melody, grit and passion.
Last Waltz, probably the greatest DVD ever made. Thank you Scorcese for making such an amazing film that captivates one of the greatest bands ever, THE BAND!
"Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best"
- RIP Levon, you changed music forever
Rest In Peace Levon. Thanks for the great music.
I'm a HUGE fan, and am genuinely upset to hear of Levon's passing. I cry as I listen and type this...He was a musical hero to me from the time I was born in 1989. As an infant, most would watch Bugs Bunny, but I watched The Last Waltz instead. I'm so sad :( RIP Levon!