Robbie Robertson, who died August 9 at age 80, was best known as the guitarist and chief songwriter for the Band. Over the years, his songwriting came to be better known than his guitar playing because of the fantastic catalog of timeless tunes that includes The Weight, Up On Cripple Creek and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. But Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes points out that Robertson’s playing and writing are so intertwined that they’re impossible to separate.
“I think that people who consider themselves songwriters and/or singers as much as musicians have a different way of approaching solos,” Haynes says. “Because they’re so song-oriented, they think not just about the melody or notes of what they’re playing, but the lyrics, emotions and mood of the song as well. Robbie’s solos and fills always captured the mood, emotions and significance of the songs. They were never just good licks.”
