What About Robbie?
Took in Scorsese's Last Waltz on DVD last night. It was late. I was tired and laying on my couch overlooking Puget Sound. Typically, DVD+Tired Mike+ Puget Sound Couch=Sleepytime. What a miscalculation: I'd forgotten what a scorching live band The Band were, consistently propelled into orbit by Robbie Robertson's ingeniously spastic guitar solos. Plus I'd forgotten how coked out the who's-who roster of guest musicians was during The Band's 1976 farewell concert at San Francisco's Winterland Theatre, which made for great eye candy. I stayed up for the entire 117 minutes and was so jacked up afterwards (from the music, not the coke) that I watched a featurette on the doc's making before retiring at approximately 1 a.m.
But here's my question, somewhat related to Rolling Stone's recent cover proclaiming morons like John Mayer as the "new guitar gods": As it relates to real guitar gods like Clapton, Hendrix, Page, Betts, Garcia and the like, where does Robbie Robertson rank? Side-by-side or a notch or two below this pantheon? Watching him trade licks with Clapton during the film, I'd say he's right there. Whaddy'all think?
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