Eephus
Footballguy
After The Band
Sinematic - Robbie Robertson (2019)
I can't think of many artists who've tried as hard to escape their musical legacy as Robertson. I don't believe he's ever released any post-Band material that sounds remotely like his old group. This record continues his flight away from Big Pink with a high gloss production by Robertson and Bjork and Tricky producer Howie B. As the title Sinematic implies, the album is like a soundtrack to a set of imaginary movies. There's a song about The Shadow and one set in Shanghai. Robertson wrote some classic songs for The Band but on this record it seems like he's just telling somebody else's stories.
The biggest problem with all of Robertson's solo work is that he isn't a very good singer. The Band had three better singers to interpret his songs. Robertson brings in Van Morrison to duet on the Mafia pastiche "I Hear You Paint Houses" but most of the time it's just Robbie. He singing often consists of talking in a hoarse whisper that tries to suggest intimacy but comes off more like an old guy wearing an expensive leather jacket driving a Tesla.
The song I liked the best is his John Lennon tribute Let Love Reign. It's an alright song I guess but the album didn't move me. The Levon Helm album I listened to last month was better.
Boz is OK.
Sinematic - Robbie Robertson (2019)
I can't think of many artists who've tried as hard to escape their musical legacy as Robertson. I don't believe he's ever released any post-Band material that sounds remotely like his old group. This record continues his flight away from Big Pink with a high gloss production by Robertson and Bjork and Tricky producer Howie B. As the title Sinematic implies, the album is like a soundtrack to a set of imaginary movies. There's a song about The Shadow and one set in Shanghai. Robertson wrote some classic songs for The Band but on this record it seems like he's just telling somebody else's stories.
The biggest problem with all of Robertson's solo work is that he isn't a very good singer. The Band had three better singers to interpret his songs. Robertson brings in Van Morrison to duet on the Mafia pastiche "I Hear You Paint Houses" but most of the time it's just Robbie. He singing often consists of talking in a hoarse whisper that tries to suggest intimacy but comes off more like an old guy wearing an expensive leather jacket driving a Tesla.
The song I liked the best is his John Lennon tribute Let Love Reign. It's an alright song I guess but the album didn't move me. The Levon Helm album I listened to last month was better.
Boz is OK.