Robbie Robertson was once asked why he waited 11 years after the breakup of
the Band to release a solo project, and he replied, "I wasn't so sure I had something to say." One can hear a bit of this thinking in
Robertson's self-titled solo debut; it's obvious that he didn't care to revisit the
country- and
blues-flavored
roots rock that had been his bread and butter with
the Band, and at the same time
Robertson seemed determined to make an album that had something important to say, and could stand alongside his legendary earlier work. Looking for a moody and atmospheric sound,
Robertson teamed up with producer
Daniel Lanois, who had previously worked with
U2 and
Peter Gabriel, two artists whose work obviously influenced
Robertson's musical thinking while he was making the album (they both appear on the album as well). As a result,
Robbie Robertson is an album that represents both a clear break from his past, and an ambitious attempt to take his fascination with American culture and music in a new and contemporary direction. It's highly ambitious stuff, and the album's ambitions sometimes prove to be its Achilles' heel.
Robertson's collaboration with
U2,
"Sweet Fire of Love," sounds like a rather unremarkable outtake from
The Joshua Tree, with the group's aural bombast subsuming the ostensive leader of the session, while
"Fallen Angel," "American Roulette," and
"Somewhere Down the Crazy River" find
Robertson exploring the same iconography of
the Band's best work, but without the same grace or subtle wit. And it doesn't take long to realize why
Robbie only took two lead vocals during his tenure with
the Band; his dry, reedy voice isn't bad, but it lacks the force and authority to communicate the big themes
Robertson wants to bring across. Despite all this,
Robbie Robertson does have its share of pearly moments, especially on the bitter
"Hell's Half Acre," "Sonny Got Caught in the Moonlight," and
"Broken Arrow" (a performance more subtle and effective than
Rod Stewart's better-known cover).
Robbie Robertson isn't the masterpiece its creator was obviously striving towards, but it's an intelligent and often compelling set from an inarguably important artist, and it comes a good bit closer to capturing what made
the Band's work so memorable than the latter-day efforts from
Levon Helm and company. ~ Mark Deming
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