Listeners have hailed a cover of Helpless from Neil Young and Joni Mitchell as an “incredible” version of the song.
Mitchell would provide background vocals to the song, which was led by Young and The Band during the group’s legendary final performance. The Last Waltz featured the performance of Helpless, which has been hailed by members of the public who left their praise in the comments of a YouTube upload of the performance. Some are still stunned by the talent seen in the performance, with many considering it to be the greatest compilation of musicians in live music. One person wrote: “The talent on this stage is mind-boggling. Joni Mitchell’s parts give me goosebumps each time I listen.” Young would lead the performance with The Band, but it’s Mitchell’s background vocals that won people over.
Another person wrote: “Joni’s backing vocal and her silhouette are incredible both.” A third added: “So many excellent performances in The Last Waltz, but always love Neil & Joni, so many fantastic Canadian musicians!!”
Others were full of praise for Young’s vocal performance. One person wrote: “Proof positive Neil Young is out of this world. It is unreal how real his music is.” Another added: “Absolutely astonishing how many legendary artists were a part of this. None better than The Band.”
A third wrote: “Love Neil Young!! One of the great performances of The Last Waltz!!” The Last Waltz has been rightly hailed by members of the public, and a later performance featuring The Band, Young, and Bob Dylan was just as well-received.
An upload of this I Shall Be Released version to YouTube had fans praising Dylan, Young, and The Band for their rendition, with many saying it leaves them in tears. The two veteran songwriters and The Band would all perform together two years before this at a show at Kezar Stadium.
But this rendition of I Shall Be Released from The Last Waltz has been hailed by listeners. One person wrote: “Oh my God, the amount of talent on that stage. Just imagine being at that show!” Another added: “Wow! :iteral chills. Not only a star-studded line-up but a truly iconic gathering of legends, to see the likes of Ronnie Hawks beside Joni Mitchell is like watching Poseidon brush shoulders with Athena herself.
“The end of a great band, but much more than that, the end of an era, or in the words of the great Robbie Robertson the beginning of the end of the beginning of the end. This is not the funeral for an era of music, nor music itself. It’s a celebration of the start of everything great to be strummed, drummed, blown or sung.”
A third wrote: “This is the best version of this song ever. A really heartwarming moment.” It was Mitchell, Young, The Band’s Rick Danko, and Neil Diamond that left one user impressed post of all, with the ensemble dubbed “amazing” by stunned viewers.
You can watch Mitchell, The Band, and Young perform Hopeless below.
