Celebrity Death: Robbie Robertson
- Thread starter Raging Bull
- Start date
VMBM
Hansel?!
RIP. 
The main creative genius behind one of my favourite bands. I hope he and Levon Helm can finally make peace there somewhere (I don't actually believe in the afterlife, but it's a nice thought).
The main creative genius behind one of my favourite bands. I hope he and Levon Helm can finally make peace there somewhere (I don't actually believe in the afterlife, but it's a nice thought).
Mike C
Registered User
WOW. Sad day. Gonna put on Before the Flood. Great live LP Dylan and The Band. Almost 50 years ago?
At least he made it to 80....GREAT run!
BackToTheBrierePatch
Eff Cancer
the valiant effort
settle down, bud
- Apr 17, 2017
- 4,795
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Controversial as the film might be, it's still ****ing legendary:
Comes as a shock. One of the great guitarists from one of the great bands which I had the privilege to see several times, including at Massey Hall in Toronto.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Proud Canadian who broke down walls that were put up in front of him. Stood as a symbol for many first nations kids who were raised on reservations
genuinely curious, why is it controversial? I love the film but am unaware of controversy.
VMBM
Hansel?!
At least Levon Helm hated it, both being in it and the final result. He felt that Robbie and the management shoved the whole thing down their throats, and he didn't want The Band to break up. That's what he says in his autobiography anyway...
reckoning
Registered User
- Jan 4, 2005
- 7,093
- 1,438
I'm not old enough to remember The Band in their prime. My first knowledge of Robbie Robertson came in '87 when he released his first solo record. I bought it after hearing Fallen Angel and Showdown At Big Sky on the radio. That started me down the rabbit hole of checking out The Band's discography. What an incredible group.
Rough year for Canadian music with two legends gone in Lightfoot and Robertson. Hopefully Neil and Joni are still healthy.
Rough year for Canadian music with two legends gone in Lightfoot and Robertson. Hopefully Neil and Joni are still healthy.
His lyrics were so unique and unforgettable. The consummate storyteller.
One of the top guitarists of his generation.
And the Band itself were all top notch musicians with three of the best and most unique voices in the business.
The Weight is my all time favourite song!
RIP.
One of the top guitarists of his generation.
And the Band itself were all top notch musicians with three of the best and most unique voices in the business.
The Weight is my all time favourite song!
RIP.
McGarnagle
Yes.
- Aug 5, 2017
- 30,350
- 41,636
The narrative is that Robbie was the one who decided to break up the band and do a Last Waltz in the first place whereas the other guys would've been happy to continue on. Plus there was some resentment from the way Scorcese edited the movie to make Robbie look like the star and the leader of the group and didn't portray Manuel or Helm in as good a light as him.
Lost another one of the greats. RIP
Lou is God
Registered User
Mike C
Registered User
to me, one of the most poignant songs of all time is Arcadian Driftwood......very emotional story, well delivered
Damn, another legend gone. Wrote some great songs. I watched the ‘Once Were Brothers’ doc on Crave about a year ago. I recommend it for those who haven’t seen it. He seemed like a real humble, down to earth guy. R.I.P.
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Mike C
Registered User
VMBM
Hansel?!
Drinking and listening to The Band. I don't need much reason to get drunk anyway (it's sad), but this has hit me quite hard. Some songs by Mr. Robertson I'm now re-discovering:
What a forgotten gem this is; the writing, Manuel's vocal performance, Hudson's organ work.
Robbie thought that this was a poor recording (outside Rick Danko's vocals); idk, it moves me deeply. As an old nostalgic (and trainspotter!), some of the lines really get to me.
There are reasons (=Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko) why Robbie didn't sing much in The Band, but this performance is terrific:
What a forgotten gem this is; the writing, Manuel's vocal performance, Hudson's organ work.
Robbie thought that this was a poor recording (outside Rick Danko's vocals); idk, it moves me deeply. As an old nostalgic (and trainspotter!), some of the lines really get to me.
There are reasons (=Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko) why Robbie didn't sing much in The Band, but this performance is terrific:
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Helm and Robertson never got on the same page during the last few years of being in the band together. Helms version of the lead up to that gig and doc was that they were just going to take a break and then get back together after a few years. But according to both Helm and Danko soon realized that it was being billed as their last gig. Robertson made it clear he was tired of touring and did not want to die on the road. He had other things he wanted to do.
Like many, I loved the band and the wide changes they did in music and where it did not quite fit into one category.
Then you had the arguments between Helm, Danko and Roberston.
Garth Hudson is the last man standing and I doubt he will shed any light on went happened as he more reserved and keeps things himself.
Probably the greatest musician from Toronto. Arguments could be made for Neil Young if you consider him from Toronto (had a pretty nomadic childhood on where he lived), and there are others
Some of my earliest memories when related to music are listening to The Band. Since I'm in Toronto, I'm hoping some independent theatre or Tiff has a reshowing of The Last Waltz in theatre.
My dad is a The Band/Robbie Robertson super fan. Like, to the extent he almost named me Robbie (didn't because I have a cousin named Robert). There are a few things. There was a massive dispute over writing credits. Helm believed they were all essentially writers because of how they worked in the studio, whereas Robbie is generally credited as the writer on most songs. Another is, Robbie was married and a family guy, whereas the others were a bit more loose cannons in their lives. And as mentioned, Robbie was never a big fan of touring, while he did performances post-The Band, I'm not sure he ever went on a legit longterm solo tour.
Some of my earliest memories when related to music are listening to The Band. Since I'm in Toronto, I'm hoping some independent theatre or Tiff has a reshowing of The Last Waltz in theatre.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
I love the band but when it comes down to the creation of the songs? They filmed themselves making the music and while I will say RR was the lyrists in the band--the music was the creation of what they all did with the lyrics that RR brought to them and I can see why there was some bitter feelings when, after RR left and before the rest of the band got back together. The music media made it look like RR was sole creative force in the band and that did not help the bad blood
Oh, I don't disagree, I just believe that a major contributing factor in the break-up was bad blood related to song writing credits and what it meant financially. Robbie was more astute than the others financially and made more off royalties.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
The is one thing that I think about when it comes down to Helms version vs RR version of things and this might just be me. Levon was born and raised in the deep south and was what would be called a southern gentleman. He lived the life of a southern before heading north. Doing time in the big easy and other places before meeting RR and the rest of the boys. He was actually the first to join Ronnie Hawkins when Ronnie was still in the deep south before heading north to Toronto. Helm for me brought the essence of how southern music felt and how it sounded. Something you could not learn by listening to other play it. Some might disagree. But Helm brought authenticity to what The Band was all about. While the bands arrangement seemed very complicated and sophisticated, Helm was able to simplify how it sound by as he said "doing less is more sometimes"
But like with many things when it comes to bands--we will never know the full truth just the views of how people viewed what happened
But like with many things when it comes to bands--we will never know the full truth just the views of how people viewed what happened
