RIP Robbie Robertson

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I was out running errands in Saskatoon when I heard the news, and meant to post yesterday but it didn’t happen. One of my “top ten” favourites of all times – thank you, and RIP Mr. Robertson.

17 Replies to “RIP Robbie Robertson”

    1. Because he was besties with Robbie. You can tell how he calls him Robbie.

      Isn’t it wonderful how Justin knows absolutely everyone who is important?

      Just how does he do it? He’s so amazing.

  4. He always struck me as a little full of himself, but definitely an undeniable talent. “The night they drove old Dixie down” is a top 20 all time song for me. Especially the version from The Last Waltz. The vocal performance gives me chills every time.

  6. It’s been said before, but The Band’s best work has a timeless quality, as though they tapped into some deep vein of folk music to make the new sound old. The Weight and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down are obvious examples, but also others like Stage Fright. Robbie was at least 60% of the collective songwriting genius that made this music. Levon’s old-timey southern voice helped, but Robbie’s imagery and allusive lyrics were unlike anything else other than perhaps Dylan. Such a unique talent.

  11. The Last Waltz was likely one of the best ‘collaberation’ concerts, ever.

    Along the lines of The Highway Men, or The Traveling Willbury’s

    Another that comes to mind is The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ volume II

    https://youtu.be/7bRJLkNqNXI

    It includes Levon Helm

  12. I remember this one. The CD is around here somewhere. It was also a time when Daniel Lanois was working with a lot of big artists, and he helped make this one great.

  13. It’s impossible to estimate Ronnie Hawkin’s contribution to R’nR. He never got the recognition he deserved but the players all over the world knew him.

    Robbie, as a kid was a big part of The Hawk’s band. He started out playing bass eventually taking over on guitar. All travelling musicians when they played TO sought out the club Hawkin’s was playing. For a musician seeing the Hawks (aka The Band) was a life changing event.

    I remember when the ‘British Invasion’ took place and Herman’s Hermits came to town. Their lead guitar player after hearing the Hawks said he was going down to Front St and threatened to toss his guitar into Lake Ontario.

    Robbie was an innovator right from the beginning. He experimented with everything. Strung his axe with banjo strings, messed with pickups, you name it, he did it. This was in the day before pedals. A tele and a Pro Reverb. Raw sound, It carries well today.

    Robertson went on to be a star, in a number of fields but for me that earliest of work defined him as he honed his chops in the bars of Ontario playing behind Ronnie Hawkins.

  14. Robbie was also a constant collaborator with Martin Scorsese …

    https://people.com/martin-scorsese-remembers-the-band-guitarist-and-musical-collaborator-robbie-robertson-i-loved-him-7629359

    Robertson designed the soundtrack for the classic gangster film Casino … IMHO … the greatest movie soundtrack ever devised. My personal favorite of the film is the single most perfect R&R song ever created … Can’t you Hear Me Knocking … played over a montage of Nicky’s violent criminal beat downs and shootings. Robbie had a great ear, and each song “fits” the scene like it was made for it.

    1. Ronnie and the Hawks played a club in Fort Worth. Robertson said the owner was jacked up on Benzedrine. They later saw his picture on TV. It was Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald.

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