It probably would have been the easy way out for Robertson, whose genius vision and smoking guitar work held together The Band during the Sixties and Seventies, to merely repeat his work on the solo side since leaving the group in 1976. However, it was clear during the waning years of the Band’s existence with him, that Robertson, the author of classics like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "King Harvest," "The Weight," "Acadian Driftwood," "It Makes No Difference,"and countless others, was bored of the recording studio/touring schedule circle.
His shift, musically and personally, to Southern California brought him more wealth as the purveyor of soundtracks for several Martin Scorcese movies (Scorcese, of course, directed The Band’s parting shot, "The Last Waltz"), and finally led to his first solo album, in which he mingled more Peter Gabriel-type sagas than the visionary music he brought to The Band. His second album, "Storyville," told, perfectly in his gravelly, road-weary voice, about the birth and growth of music in New Orleans.
Finally, three years ago, Robertson, whose mother is Mohawk, totally returned to his roots with "Music for The Native Americans," which utilized Indian imagery and musicians as a backdrop for his new works.
With the new record, "Contact," Robertson has merged American Indian performers, his own crackling guitar work and techno-pop production from the likes of Howie B and others to forge an amazing amalgemation of sound.
It ain’t The Band, it ain’t Peter Gabriel and it’s certainly not New Orleans. But, it’s purely original and quite thought provoking. Simply what Robbie Robertson has done, over and over, through the years.