This one hurts. We keep losing the greats from the classic rock era. Robbie was unique in his musical approach. Coming to America during the psychedelic and protest 60's( As the New York Times put it so well) -" he offered a rustic vision of his adopted country that helped inspire the genre that came to be known as Americana."
"The songs that Mr. Robertson, a Canadian, wrote for the Band used enigmatic lyrics to evoke a hard and colorful America of yore, an especially amazing feat coming from someone not born in the United States. With uncommon conviction, they conjured a wild place, often centered in the South, peopled by rough-hewed characters, from the defeated Confederate soldier in "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" to the tough union worker of "King Harvest Has Surely Come" to the shady creatures in "Life is a Carnival".
Not only was the music he made with The Band sublime, but working as Dylan's "back-up" band in the late 60's to early 70's helped to kick start Dylan into his resurgence after a 2 year layoff. Robbie also worked with Scorsese on movie soundtracks. Of course, the brilliant "The Last Waltz" is I think the best music documentary. "Its not like it used to be" - But Robbie's music lives on.
"The songs that Mr. Robertson, a Canadian, wrote for the Band used enigmatic lyrics to evoke a hard and colorful America of yore, an especially amazing feat coming from someone not born in the United States. With uncommon conviction, they conjured a wild place, often centered in the South, peopled by rough-hewed characters, from the defeated Confederate soldier in "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" to the tough union worker of "King Harvest Has Surely Come" to the shady creatures in "Life is a Carnival".
Not only was the music he made with The Band sublime, but working as Dylan's "back-up" band in the late 60's to early 70's helped to kick start Dylan into his resurgence after a 2 year layoff. Robbie also worked with Scorsese on movie soundtracks. Of course, the brilliant "The Last Waltz" is I think the best music documentary. "Its not like it used to be" - But Robbie's music lives on.