RIP Robbie Robertson

[SFIND]

Neglected to mention this in the Favorite Song thread. While I love many of the Band's song, this is probably No. 2 behind the Weight.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I think even that's an understatement; it owes everything to The Band.

The king of Americana - Jason Isbell - tweeted (sorry, X-eeted) as much today when the news broke.

 

[franticscribe]

My first real girlfriend introduced me to The Band's music when I was 16, back in the early 90s. Been hooked ever since. Sad news. He was one of the greatest songwriters from a generation that had a lot of them.

 

[justgladtobehere]

The king of Americana - Jason Isbell - tweeted (sorry, X-eeted) as much today when the news broke.

Jeff Tweedy has something to say.

I don't know how much The Band had to do with Americana. Rural Midwesterns listening to country and classic rock seems to be the recipe for Americana.

ADD: The Dead, Flying Burrito Brothers.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I think even that's an understatement; it owes everything to The Band.

Americana music is country music that country radio is afraid to touch.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Americana music is country music that country radio is afraid to touch.

I don't see it that way. Sturgill Simpson is country, but I don't see him as Americana unless by default. Same about Billy Joe Shaver or Cash's American Recordings.

 

[Starman]

The Band certainly projected the image of a close knit brotherly unit, but subsequent events have revealed a lot of cracks in that facade. The music remains great.

A crux of a lot of the friction in The Band appears to be Levon Helm's demand to get more credit in the writing of the songs and Robertson's insistence he deserves most of it himself.

 

[SFIND]

A crux of a lot of the friction in The Band appears to be Levon Helm's demand to get more credit in the writing of the songs and Robertson's insistence he deserves most of it himself.

And it angered Levon so he didn't speak to Robertson for decades. Robertson was alerted when Levon was on his death bed in 2012 and went and saw him, but I've read conflicting accounts of this last meeting. Supposedly Levon was unconscious already; if true, it really wasn't much of a last meeting.

The fractions are unfortunate; both give their sides of the stories in their respective biographies.

I don't know what could have been done to avoid them, in the end. Richard was a full-on addict, Rick and Levon were close to or addicts themselves. As Robbie said throughout the years (and hinted to in The Last Waltz), he was afraid unless those three changed their lifestyles, they would meet premature deaths (and Richard eventual did; Rick met an early death, and Levon damn near did before beating cancer to have a decade-long encore). And that's not getting into the songwriting, money and ego issues.

I don't know what the truth is re: songwriting credits, but I tend to believe Robertson's telling is closer to the truth. John Simon has said as much, and Robertson did Levon shared credits when Levon's contributions apparently warranted it (like Life is a Carnival); that leads me to believe that while Levon's stories may have inspired Robertson or Levon may have contributed to the arrangement, he didn't actually write the lyrics or the music.

But, who knows. And maybe even if that was a case, Robertson should have been more generous with the songwriting credits, knowing how important they are monetarily in the long run, and that while he may have done the heavy lifting, he couldn't have done them without the inspiration of the other four (and knowing they would never have been popular without Levon/Richard/Rick singing them and Garth's orchestration).

One thing that will always bother me about Robertson: I don't know how he could skip Richard's funeral. I don't care how mad you are at Levon, or if you blame him and the others for Richard's death. How can you have a "brotherhood," with him, be in a band for 20 years, and not come to his funeral?

 

[SFIND]

Jeff Tweedy has something to say.

I don't know how much The Band had to do with Americana. Rural Midwesterns listening to country and classic rock seems to be the recipe for Americana.

ADD: The Dead, Flying Burrito Brothers.

Well, the AP does.

The Band has been widely credited as a founding source for Americana — or roots music.

Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist and songwriter of The Band, dies at 80

 

[Slacker]

All props (and RIP) to Robertson as a songwriter, but I liked each of the other four Band members much more, warts and all.

 

[dixiehack]

Maybe this is an insensitive time, but I've gotta ask. What exactly is The Weight supposed to be about? I've heard it dozens of times, I've looked over the Wikipedia article more than once and none of it clicks for me.

 

[swingline]

It evokes a mood.