Robbie Robertson: Robbie Robertson 1987 (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023)

Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson OC (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023). Robbie Robertson, a talented

guitarist, songwriter, and singer, who led the Canadian-American ensemble known as the Band to recognition in the rock music scene of the 1970s, died at the age of 80 on Wednesday. He was well known for working with Bob Dylan and Martin Scorsese.The gifted guitarist was born on July 5, 1943. As confirmed in a statement from his management, Robertson was suffering from a long illness and died because of it.
                        

Jaime Royal “Robbie” Robertson OC was a well-known musician from Canada. His work as the Band’s lead guitarist and songwriter, as well as his solo music projects, were his most notable

accomplishments.The Band’s contributions by Robertson were crucial in establishing the Americana music genre. Both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame inducted him as a member of the Band in recognition of his achievements. In addition, he received recognition for his individual accomplishments as well as those of the Band by being inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
                      

THE BAND

                  
He is ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists. As a songwriter,

Robertson is credited with writing "The Weight", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and "Up on Cripple Creek" with the Band, and had solo hits with "Broken Arrow" and "Somewhere Down the Crazy River", and many others. He was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters.
                 

As a film soundtrack producer and composer, Robertson is known for his collaborations with director

Martin Scorsese, which began with the rockumentary film The Last Waltz (1978), and continued through a number of dramatic films, including Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Casino (1995), The Departed (2006), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Irishman (2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). He worked on many other soundtracks for film and television.

ROBBIE ROBERTSON - ROBBIE ROBERTSON 1987

                       

Robbie Robertson is the solo debut album by Canadian rock musician Robbie Robertson, released in 1987. First off, everyone seems to want this album to sound like something its not. People hear this is Robertson’s debut album and they think “this will sound like The Band” or “like an album from Dylan

or the early 1970’s singer songwriters.” If one gives it a fair shot they will see it for what it is: an album with plenty of great songs, made by the most distinctive producer of the 1980’s. The first half of the album shows off a wide variety of range in Robertson: from the ethereal “Fallen Angel” where Robertson hits some insane high notes; the sudden shift changes in “Showdown at Big Sky”; “Broken Arrow” is a folk song of deep introspection, and the way Robertson delivers it moves the soul; “Sweet Fire of Love” cuts loose in a rocking way that is bombastic and detailed. These songs alone convey a mix of multiple Native American styles and showcases Robertson as a diverse vocalist.
                           

BOB DYLAN & ROBBIE ROBERTSON

The second half of the album fares well too, with “Hell’s Half Acre” being another bruising rocker; “Somewhere down this Crazy River” harking back to the storytelling ways of 1950’s jazz and lounge vocalists and evoking a moody atmosphere; and “Sonny got Caught in the Moonlight” being a gripping

tale told in a folk rock style much like “Broken Arrow”. The only tracks that suffer from dated 1980’s qualities are “American Roulette” and “Testimony”, but the former is still a decent rock tune. While it is obvious that Daniel Lanios’ production takes over any album he produces (So by Peter Gabriel, Joshua Tree by U2, This is the Ice Age by Martha and the Muffins, Forth World by Jon Hassall), and that this album guests many stars and friends of the time era (U2, BoDeans), the songs themselves are Robbie’s. Also, he came before ANY of them, so I can’t fault the guy for absorbing new sounds. Personally, I feel if this sounded like The Last Waltz part 2, it would be a lame retread. But it’s not, it is a genius debut solo album by one of the best songwriters of all time.
             

VAN MORRISON - BOB DYLAN - ROBBIE ROBERTSON

Robbie Robertson – Robbie Robertson
Label: Geffen Records – 9 24160-2
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

TRACKS

                  

01.Fallen Angel   5:54
Backing Vocals, Keyboards – Peter Gabriel
Bass – Tinker Barfield
Drum Programming – Martin Page
Keyboards – Garth Hudson
Percussion – Manu Katché
02.Showdown At Big Sky   4:48
Backing Vocals – Bill Dillon, BoDeans, Daniel Lanois
Bass – Larry Klein
03.Broken Arrow   5:23
Backing Vocals – Daniel Lanois
Bass – Abraham Laboriel
Drum Programming, Keyboards – Peter Gabriel
Drums – Terry Bozzio
04.Sweet Fire Of Love   5:17
Backing Vocals – Daniel Lanois
Featuring – U2
05.American Roulette   4:57
Backing Vocals – BoDeans, Maria McKee
Bass – Hans Christian, Tinker Barfield
Chapman Stick [Bass (Stick)] – Tony Levin
Drums – Terry Bozzio
Keyboards – Garth Hudson
06.Somewhere Down The Crazy River   4:57
Backing Vocals – Sammy BoDean
Bass – Tony Levin
Guitar, Omnichord – Daniel Lanois
07.Hell's Half Acre   4:21
Chapman Stick [Bass (Stick)] – Tony Levin
Percussion – Manu Katché
08.Sonny Got Caught In The Moonlight   3:52
Backing Vocals – Rick Danko
Bass – Tony Levin
Drum Programming – Cary Butler
Guitar – Daniel Lanois
Percussion – Manu Katché
09.Testimony   4:50
Backing Vocals – Ivan Neville
Bass – Daniel Lanois
Featuring – U2

LINE - UP

                    

Robbie Robertson – vocals, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards
Bill Dillon – guitars on tracks 1, 2, and 5–9; backing vocal on track 2
Tony Levin – Chapman Stick on tracks 5 & 7; bass on tracks 6 & 8
Manu Katché – drums on tracks 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8; percussion on tracks 1, 7, and 8
Daniel Lanois – percussion on tracks 2, 3, 4, and 8; backing vocal on tracks 2, 3, and 4; Omnichord on track 6; guitar on tracks 5 and 8

ADDITIONAL PERSONEL

Eluriel "Tinker" Barfield – bass on tracks 1 and 5
Garth Hudson – keyboards on tracks 1 and 5
Peter Gabriel – keyboards on tracks 1 and 3; vocals on track 1; drum program on track 3; vocal cameo on track 9
Larry Klein – bass on track 2
Abraham Laboriel – bass on track 3
Terry Bozzio – drums on tracks 3 and 5
Bono – vocals, bass on track 4; backing vocal and guitar on track 9
The Edge – guitar on tracks 4 and 9
Adam Clayton – bass on tracks 4 and 9
Larry Mullen, Jr. – drums on tracks 4 and 9
Hans Christian – bass guitar on track 5
Gil Evans Horn Section – horns on track 9
BoDeans, Sam Llanas, Kurt Neumann, Maria McKee  Sammy BoDean, Sam Llanas, Cary Butler, Rick Danko, Ivan Neville (Backing vocals)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 104 MB
Flac  Size: 451 MB

Robbie Robertson on Urban Aspirines HERE