Robbie Roberston's Last Waltz DVD audio commentry, I was watching it last night and... Options

[Charlemagne]

I was pretty suprised at how distant he was from the rest of members of The Band. I always read that Robbie was sort of a snob and somewhat cold greedy but at the same time I never quite bought Levon's whining because after "Cahoots" Robbie essentially had to deal with a band of junkies and lay-abouts (apart from Garth). Still, this audio commentary thing pissed me off. All Robertson does throughout it is talk about "then Marty and I, blah, blah, blah"..."this camera angle was influenced by Hitchcock". All the while of course on film are the guys he basically spent a good portion of his life making music history with. Robertson rarely mentions what the actual band was doing on stage or his thoughts about Rick and Richard. Still, I am sure he grieves for his lost band-members and admires their contributions but you couldn't tell from his comments on the DVD.

[JohnnyBlack]

From everything I've seen and heard he's a dick.

[stoneylarsen]

Neil Young wasn't the only one bombed on coke that night - Robbie and Rick are positively WIRED (look at them behind Neil during "Helpless"), and Richard is very tanked (word is that at his worst he was drinking at the least 2, at the most 8, bottles of Grand Marnier a day, and chasing it with coke). Just look at how spooked Joni Mitchell is during "Coyote", plus of course what conclusion can we draw by Stephen Stills showing up, also obviously ready to party.

My GM at the shop I work at was at The Last Waltz, and a buddy of his was working security, so he got to spend some time backstage. His words to me were "you wouldn't believe how much coke there was backstage".

A couple of other things he told me:

-I asked him "d'ya like that hat Dylan's wearing?" to which he replied "there was puke on that hat by the end of the night..."

-He told me he and several other people had to physically carry Dylan out that night and that Robbie was "wired for sound".

Martin S. and Robbie were coke buddies for sure. While they were doing post-production work on the film, they even lived in the same house together. They had the curtains drawn and used heavy black coverings for the windows so they could work - basically, as Robbie says in the book, it got to a point where they couldn't tell if it was day or night. The book on The Band not written by Levon (I can't remember the title) goes into this extensively.

I also find it interesting how Robbie's look went from hot shot rock and roller (up to about 1967) to country preacher (1968-70) to college professor (1970-73) to Hollywood movie producer (1974-77). The footage of The Band included on the DVD in A Musical History really shows this evolution well. It's amusing if slightly disturbing, if nothing else as well to see the very sad and gradual deterioration of the two guys I feel were the most talented members of the group: Richard Manuel and Rick Danko.

Robbie looks great now, but maybe by using this form of isolationism from the rest of the group is what has helped him survive. It is sad though to think that so many people think of The Band as this pure, down home rootsy kind of group whereas they were rolling in rock and roll debauchery just as much as anyone else of their time, and perhaps even more. Of course when one knows that Danko and Manuel had been on the road since they were teens, it makes a bit more sense.

Fucking tragic.

[Anna]

^
Stoneylarson-- thanks for posting that; it was really entertaining and infromative.

I've been watching the last Walz a lot lately, too.

[Charlemagne]

Neil Young wasn't the only one bombed on coke that night - Robbie and Rick are positively WIRED (look at them behind Neil during "Helpless"), and Richard is very tanked (word is that at his worst he was drinking at the least 2, at the most 8, bottles of Grand Marnier a day, and chasing it with coke). Just look at how spooked Joni Mitchell is during "Coyote", plus of course what conclusion can we draw by Stephen Stills showing up, also obviously ready to party.

My GM at the shop I work at was at The Last Waltz, and a buddy of his was working security, so he got to spend some time backstage. His words to me were "you wouldn't believe how much coke there was backstage".

A couple of other things he told me:

-I asked him "d'ya like that hat Dylan's wearing?" to which he replied "there was puke on that hat by the end of the night..."

-He told me he and several other people had to physically carry Dylan out that night and that Robbie was "wired for sound".

Martin S. and Robbie were coke buddies for sure. While they were doing post-production work on the film, they even lived in the same house together. They had the curtains drawn and used heavy black coverings for the windows so they could work - basically, as Robbie says in the book, it got to a point where they couldn't tell if it was day or night. The book on The Band not written by Levon (I can't remember the title) goes into this extensively.

I also find it interesting how Robbie's look went from hot shot rock and roller (up to about 1967) to country preacher (1968-70) to college professor (1970-73) to Hollywood movie producer (1974-77). The footage of The Band included on the DVD in A Musical History really shows this evolution well. It's amusing if slightly disturbing, if nothing else as well to see the very sad and gradual deterioration of the two guys I feel were the most talented members of the group: Richard Manuel and Rick Danko.

Robbie looks great now, but maybe by using this form of isolationism from the rest of the group is what has helped him survive. It is sad though to think that so many people think of The Band as this pure, down home rootsy kind of group whereas they were rolling in rock and roll debauchery just as much as anyone else of their time, and perhaps even more. Of course when one knows that Danko and Manuel had been on the road since they were teens, it makes a bit more sense.

Fucking tragic.

You make good points. Richard really couldn't handle sucess all that well. I think in the early days of The Band he more or less kept it together because they were working so much. After the Rock of Ages show in January of 1972, The Band basically shut down for almost two years (apart from Moondog Matinee, the Watkins Glen and Roosevelt Stadium shows of 1973). During this down time, Richard descended into complete junkie/booze-hound hell. He lived in a house with Mason Hoffenberg (who wrote the screenplay for "Candy"). They both drank all day and night and one writer who visited them noted there was dogshit on the floor and Richard was eating a can on pineapples which he said was the only food he had in days. Richard was basically toast up to the Last Waltz although he did have his moments. Interestingly enough, he sobered up for awhile after the Last Waltz, although, by the time he killed himself in 1986 he was drinking and drugging again (which may have been one of the reasons he killed himself). Rick was a close second behind Richard when it came to drug use. When I met him in 1994 he was really one of the most down to earth/nicest "famous person" I have ever met. I was concerned for him though. He had a lot of tragedy in his life. In 1969 he was in a serious car accident and I think came close to breaking his back. Some have speculated that it was the pain of this experience that caused him to get into heroin. Also, in the late 80's his son died (I think his son died in college after drinking binge....but I am not certain). It is just so sad that this mega-talented guy was essentially playing dive bars at the end of his life. Also, he became morbidly obese by the end of his life. Robbie on the otherhand has had plastic surgery like everyone in Hollywood and Robbie is the quinessential Hollywood "player". Now, he has model girlfriend who is about 25. Just so strange that he was even in the same band with Rick, Richard, Garth and Levon. The rest of them were so salt-of-the-earth and Robbie is kind of plastic.

[Charlemagne]

Stoneylarsen...that book you refer to is called "Across the Great Divide: The Band and America. It is a very good book but in some ways it goes a little soft on the real serious drug issues that The Band delt with. If one is really interested in the history of The Band I recommend they go on the website devoted to them:

http://theband.hiof.no/

This website has pretty much every interview and article written about them (a tremendous article). Also, a lot of people who knew them post on the site (lots of inside stories).

[Charlemagne]

Robbie with his "college professor" look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0z0ajcDgns

[Charlemagne]

Robbie's Hollywood movie producer look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUL_zILXi0Q

[Charlemagne]

Robbie as the country preacher (or I think more his rabbi look):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3wL6FcMJw8

[Charlemagne]

Finally, Robbie as the "hot-shot rock and roller":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO0gSJGJ7Fs

[mardon]

Kind of depends on how you look at it, but I think there was something charming about Rick Danko's solo shows in the '90s. He was playing places like Nightstage, Bottom Line, Stephen Talkhouse in Miami ... not exactly skid row, making some good music for appreciative crowds. I love hearing him play acoustic guitar on the songs you're used to him playing bass ... he's pretty good.

I know what you're saying, though ... it was low-key, like when he polls the crowd during the second show to find out how many people were there at the first set (to decide if he should do It Makes No Difference yet again).

It is just so sad that this mega-talented guy was essentially playing dive bars at the end of his life.

[Charlemagne]

Kind of depends on how you look at it, but I think there was something charming about Rick Danko's solo shows in the '90s. He was playing places like Nightstage, Bottom Line, Stephen Talkhouse in Miami ... not exactly skid row, making some good music for appreciative crowds. I love hearing him play acoustic guitar on the songs you're used to him playing bass ... he's pretty good.

I know what you're saying, though ... it was low-key, like when he polls the crowd during the second show to find out how many people were there at the first set (to decide if he should do It Makes No Difference yet again).

Well, "dive-bars" was a bit of hyperbole but it is not too far off the mark. Still, he did actually have some noted success in the 90's. That folky think he did with Erik Anderson (sp) and the guy from Norway was well received by the critics and that act was really popular in Norway as well. Also, the reformed Band played some respectable shows in the early 90's. Danko would play sort of a mix of places. I saw him at a high school auditorium in the East Village. I actually liked the low key nature of his shows because you could hang out with the guy and he was never in a rush to leave.

[Charlemagne]

The last photo of Rick Danko taken (pictured alongside a fan):

http://theband.hiof.no/band_pictures/rd_cb_dec_99_ev.html

[LocalWiseMan]

I don't think this was a great movie/concert by any means, but it had some nice moments. Van Morrison doing Wilson Pickett kicks during "Caravan" reminds you how fascinating the guy was before he stopped singing through his mouth.

The greatest moment of the concert almost never got filmed. The inclusion of Muddy Waters onstage was a concession to Levon Helm, who was incensed that their blues buddies were being underrepresented in favor of show-biz hacks like Neil "Drama Queen" Diamond and Bob "Nice Hat" Dylan. Scorcese planned on using the lengthy "Mannish Boy" number so his camera operators could reload.

When the song started, though, Scorcese came to his senses and realized how badly he had fucked up. He ran around screaming like Il Duce on coke for someone to get his camera rolling.

Luckily, cinematographer Lazslo Kovacs had long since had enough of Marty's shrieking, and had turned his headset off. Not realizing that Scorcese had ordered the cameras to stop rolling, Kovacs was filming the blues legend bringing down the house. This is why the camera angle is held on Muddy for nearly the entire song: only one camera was actually working.

Levon Helm argues that the best moment was either missed or edited out: as he left the stage, the triumphant Muddy gave Helm a big kiss on the head.

[Charlemagne]

I don't think this was a great movie/concert by any means, but it had some nice moments. Van Morrison doing Wilson Pickett kicks during "Caravan" reminds you how fascinating the guy was before he stopped singing through his mouth.

The greatest moment of the concert almost never got filmed. The inclusion of Muddy Waters onstage was a concession to Levon Helm, who was incensed that their blues buddies were being underrepresented in favor of show-biz hacks like Neil "Drama Queen" Diamond and Bob "Nice Hat" Dylan. Scorcese planned on using the lengthy "Mannish Boy" number so his camera operators could reload.

When the song started, though, Scorcese came to his senses and realized how badly he had fucked up. He ran around screaming like Il Duce on coke for someone to get his camera rolling.

Luckily, cinematographer Lazslo Kovacs had long since had enough of Marty's shrieking, and had turned his headset off. Not realizing that Scorcese had ordered the cameras to stop rolling, Kovacs was filming the blues legend bringing down the house. This is why the camera angle is held on Muddy for nearly the entire song: only one camera was actually working.

Levon Helm argues that the best moment was either missed or edited out: as he left the stage, the triumphant Muddy gave Helm a big kiss on the head.

Yeah, I think that Kovacs' situation is mentioned in commentary of the DVD. Also, all but one of the stage lights went dead for the Paul Butterfield segment. I think the "star-studded" aspect of the Last Waltz is the worst part of it. I would have much preferred just a strait-ahead Band concert with an appearence by Dylan at the end (like the Rock of Ages show). Speaking of such things, it is a damn shame that no one filmed the Dylan/Band Tour of 1974.

[stoneylarsen]

Charlemagne - thank you so much for your acknowledgement of my points about Robbie's look illustrated with footage. You chose exactly the footage I was talking about too!

The Wembley footage is so funny - Rick looks like a kid having a blast whereas I think Robbie is thinking about his stock portfolio.

I also should say that I think Levon Helm is an incredible drummer - his behind the beat is playing is exceptional. Richard, though, wrote some beautiful songs - "In A Station" in particular - and Rick Danko's voice can make me cry. Robbie is indeed a sick guitar player, especially when he was playing with Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, and in the pre-Band Levon & The Hawks. I think he also does good work throughout The Last Waltz. I'm a little on the fence about Garth, but I like his overall presence.

Interestingly enough, he sobered up for awhile after the Last Waltz, although, by the time he killed himself in 1986 he was drinking and drugging again (which may have been one of the reasons he killed himself).

Sometimes I wonder if Richard came to the sobering conclusion that they were playing Winter Park, Florida exactly ten years after they had done a national tour playing major cities. I dunno, but Richard also wasn't terribly sober when he hung himself - he'd been boozing on Grand Marnier and doing coke - not unlike Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who had been taking his usual prescription barbituates and chased them the night he died with a fifth of Scotch. Whereas Curtis had Iggy Pop's The Idiot and Werner Herzog's Strozek to help his mood go down the shitter, not to mention a tour coming up that he did not want to do, I wonder if Richard took a look and realized where he had landed and it made him very unhappy.

Rick was a close second behind Richard when it came to drug use. When I met him in 1994 he was really one of the most down to earth/nicest "famous person" I have ever met. I was concerned for him though. He had a lot of tragedy in his life. In 1969 he was in a serious car accident and I think came close to breaking his back. Some have speculated that it was the pain of this experience that caused him to get into heroin.

I had never thought of this - this is a lot like the reasons that Charlie Parker got hooked on smack - a painkiller for injuries sustained in a car accident.

Also, in the late 80's his son died (I think his son died in college after drinking binge....but I am not certain).

I didn't know this either.

It is just so sad that this mega-talented guy was essentially playing dive bars at the end of his life. Also, he became morbidly obese by the end of his life. Robbie on the otherhand has had plastic surgery like everyone in Hollywood and Robbie is the quinessential Hollywood "player". Now, he has model girlfriend who is about 25. Just so strange that he was even in the same band with Rick, Richard, Garth and Levon. The rest of them were so salt-of-the-earth and Robbie is kind of plastic.

Rick's story is a lot like Gene Clark's, and I know Richard, Gene and Rick all toured together at one point (along with Blondie Chaplin, who at least now has bounced back from his dark times as he gets to play with The Rolling Stones).

Gene also hated touring in any form, and also liked his booze and drugs too. I don't think Rick hated it, because I always have heard he enjoyed playing live. But I have to agree that he never seemed to get the "break" he should have...but that story in rock and roll is endless as there are so many other folks like that, Gene Clark among them, as well as Blondie Chaplin, Bruce Foxton, Steve Diggle, etc and so forth.

[stoneylarsen]

Sorry - this should have read like this:

Interestingly enough, he sobered up for awhile after the Last Waltz, although, by the time he killed himself in 1986 he was drinking and drugging again (which may have been one of the reasons he killed himself).

Sometimes I wonder if Richard came to the sobering conclusion that they were playing Winter Park, Florida exactly ten years after they had done a national tour playing major cities. I dunno, but Richard also wasn't terribly sober when he hung himself - he'd been boozing on Grand Marnier and doing coke - not unlike Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who had been taking his usual prescription barbituates and chased them the night he died with a fifth of Scotch. Whereas Curtis had Iggy Pop's The Idiot and Werner Herzog's Strozek to help his mood go down the shitter, not to mention a tour coming up that he did not want to do, I wonder if Richard took a look and realized where he had landed and it made him very unhappy.

[EricDoberman]

My GM at the shop I work at was at The Last Waltz, and a buddy of his was working security, so he got to spend some time backstage. His words to me were "you wouldn't believe how much coke there was backstage".

My uncle was at Watkins Glen and had an amazingly similar experience. What intrigued me was how horrified members of the Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead were by The Band's far more rapid and extreme drug and booze consuption than their own.

[Charlemagne]

The Wembley footage is so funny - Rick looks like a kid having a blast whereas I think Robbie is thinking about his stock portfolio.

Stoneylarsen...this one made me laugh. Yes, Rick had a certain "golly gee wiz" innocence about the way he carried himself (even when he was certainly not innocent of anything). I loved the weird body movements he would make while playing the bass (I'm thinking in particular of his jerky arm movements during the soundstage segment of "The Weight" with The Staple Singers). I just think those interview segments with Rick and Richard are the best part of the Last Waltz. They are so stoned and goofy. Rick reminds me of Dee Dee Ramone in that sense. Great stuff.

[James Fucking Mason]

Who the fuck chooses to drink Grand Marnier straight?!

I mean, these guys know whiskey exists, right?

Ugh, just thinking of drinking that sugary syrup gives me a case of the rumbles.

[EricDoberman]

Who the fuck chooses to drink Grand Marnier straight?!

Bonney from TTs.

[Charlemagne]

Stoneylarsen....

Garth is perhaps the most enigmatic characters in all of popular music. I really think his whole wave of sound was a key element in making The Band really unique. Back in the day, he played a Lowery organ alons wih a bank of other keyboard stuff. I love his solo on "Stagefright" (the song not the album). I am not a huge fan of his long keyboard tinkering on "The Genetic Method" but the guy was brilliant when creating stuff for most of their tunes. In later years he ditched the Lowery in favor of a synth type keyboard which was a shame and his sound never was as good. Still, he is a master musician and his sax playing is pretty amazing too.

[Charlemagne]

Who the fuck chooses to drink Grand Marnier straight?!

I mean, these guys know whiskey exists, right?

Ugh, just thinking of drinking that sugary syrup gives me a case of the rumbles.

I also never quite understood why John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Pete Townshend were such a fans of Remy Martin. I mean a few sips of it is ok I suppose but this is what they chose to get loaded on.

[EricDoberman]

I also never quite understood why John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Pete Townshend were such a fans of Remy Martin. I mean a few sips of it is ok I suppose but this is what they chose to get loaded on.

Formerly poor kids drinking "classy" beverages, which I guess Remy was/is considered in the UK as opposed to gin. Not unlike the popularity of Heineken and cognac among rap kids in present day America.

[James Fucking Mason]

I also never quite understood why John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Pete Townshend were such a fans of Remy Martin. I mean a few sips of it is ok I suppose but this is what they chose to get loaded on.

Well, cognac in it's own right is fine stuff... But there are many shades of cognac.

Remy Martin is called Champagne cognac because of where, not how, it's made.

Their products range from piss in a bottle (v.s.o.p. grade - very special old pale) on up to their signature product, Louis XIII, which happens to be one of the most expensive liquors in the world at around $2,000. Each crystal bottle is handmade, and empty bottles sell for hundreds...

So, I suppose which Remy they were drinking would make a difference...

I'll stick to Bushmills.