Robbie Robertson - Sinematic

Sinematic, released in 2019, is a sprawling 13-song experience spanning two albums. Broken into four segments, it's actually easier to digest in the small chunks presented on each side than sitting and listening to this on streaming (or CD). Although having said that, depending on my mood I like to eat the elephant one bite at a time. If you have the time, listening to it uninterrupted is a treat if you can manage it in a single sitting. 

The streaming version also contains lyrics, and to my surprise on Apple Music the album description contains an overview as well as commentary on several of the songs, which was a real surprise. My goodness, this is how you try and compensate for not having a physical copy.

I still find it interesting that I was never really a fan of The Band as a kid. I recall seeing bits and pieces of The Last Waltz and couldn't figure out what the fuss was. I do remember there was a bit of a tempest in a teacup when the band reunited without Robbie in the mid '80s, but it was about as relevant to me as leg warmers or stirrup pants.

However, I do know that when I heard "Showdown At Big Sky" in '87 I was blown away. There were some good songs on that album, and while I didn't enjoy 1991's Storyville nearly as much, it was one hell of a comeback from an artist enjoying his second act. While he would sporadically release an album every few years or so, he had fallen off my radar completely.

Over the last couple of decades, however, I gained an appreciation for The Band. I saw a remastered version of The Last Waltz and I finally got it. Then I watched the 2019 documentary, Once Were Brothers, and while it seemed, like The Last Waltz, to be focused more on Robbie Robertson, it was excellent. I also really liked the song of the same name.

As fate would have it, before Christmas when I was abandoned at the mall, I sought refuge at the small record store, and the clearance section coughed up Robbie Robertson's 2019 Sinematic (another Marco Polo Platter) It would be his last album before he died at the age of 80 in August of 2023.

I was a bit surprised this wasn't a gatefold as this was stuffed with two records, a beautiful booklet containing illustrations for each song. As well as a track by track list of credits (love having credits) ... all that was missing were lyrics. Can't have it all I guess.

Sinematic is deeply influenced by a cinematic vision. Each song is a mini movie according to Robbie, and it shows. The songs are emotionally charged and self-contained. This is a very ambitious work. Right up to the end he was pushing and trying to advance his craft.

"I Hear You Paint Houses" features Van Morrison on vocals and Pino Palladino on bass. The lead-off track, and right off I was drawn in. Robbie Robertson is not a singer; he uses his voice to convey emotion. It's a plus, and a minus. When juxtaposed with a singer of Van Morrison's calibre, it only serves to illustrate the gulf between them as singers.

Regardless, it works. Robbie knows he has a limited vocal palate, but what he has he uses to full effect. For me it wears a little thin at times, especially when he's in his singsong narration mode, which is more often than not on the album, but man, the guy could convey emotion and whether you want to or not, you feel it. This is where listening in small chunks, a side at a time, has its advantages. I can simply put on a record, get a taste, and then go about my day.

The other standout, and it too appears early in the rotation, is "Once Were Brothers," a song I first heard from the documentary. It's a complicated tale, the story of The Band, and it seems every armchair fan has an opinion or has taken a side with respect to who wronged whom. Me, I don't have a dog in this fight. I thought it was a beautiful song.

The songs musically are ethereal, and Robbie knows how to milk a note for impact. His playing here is often understated but exactly right for the moment. There are a couple of really effective instrumentals on the album. I love "Wandering Souls" on side three, where Robbie, along with Pino Palladino and drummer Chris Dave, weave a tremolo-driven silent film.

The other is the closing track, "Remembrance," which features Derek Trucks on slide guitar and Doyle Bramhall on guitar. It is a near-perfect coda to the album, summing up everything without having to say a word.

This was an incredibly ambitious project, and I think Robbie managed to balance the evoked imagery and music. I know I would have missed this if it weren't for the serendipitous clearance bin, which got me thinking of all the people who know the name but have missed out on his final work.