The Band was a bit before my time and I only came to his music in the last few years. But I was quick to acknowledge what an amazing talent Robbie Robertson was. A true music legend in every sense of the phrase. Yet another Canadian treasure, just like Gordon Lightfoot who also passed not so long ago. So many good songs, none of them sounding the same. The one thing that hit me was the imagery he was able to evoke, especially with a lot of his spoken vocals and instrumentals. It sneaks up and smacks you in the face, and suddenly you are in the song completely.
When I started listening to him, my first thought was “why the hell haven’t I been listening to this guy all my life”! Robbie was a bloke he paid homage to his heritage and broke ground with the cultural influences he brought to his music. I implore you to listen to him!!
To measure his cloth, you only have to look at some of the people who worked with him:
- Dylan
- Scorsese
- Clapton
- Muddy Waters
- Van Morrison
- Neil Young
- Joni Mitchell
- Neil Diamond
- Tom Petty
- Peter Gabriel
Vale Robbie Robertson — you are missed by many.
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