The Band’s Robbie Robertson left the world today. He was a true legend, and along with Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and Bernie Leadon, a man who could probably claim to have laid the foundations for country rock. The Band’s rootsy sound and image was completely out of step with the psychedelic scene in which they first found fame, but Robertson’s songwriting – along with that of bandmates Rick Danko and Richard Manuel – had a timeless quality that will outlive everyone. His songs had heart, and often a massive sense of narrative, and his gift for a great melody carried right through a career spanning several decades.
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The Great 80s Project: 1987
After three years of brilliant pop frivolity, 1987 has a huge contrast in mood with albums and singles that seem far more thoughtful and downbeat. U2 turned in a career best with ‘The Joshua Tree’; Pink Floyd made a huge comeback with the moody ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason’ and from a more alternative perspective, Sisters of Mercy and The Jesus & Mary Chain made huge waves with epic goth sounds.