Thirty years after its star-studded farewell concert, documented in Martin Scorsese’s legendary film The Last Waltz, The Band’s influence remains strong as ever. Their reinvention of traditional American music-incorporating elements of blues, folk, country, soul, rock and gospel-has influenced nearly everyone that has ever been described as “rootsy” or “alt.country.”
Now, 17 of these artists, from blues jammers and country singers to indie rockers, are paying tribute on Endless Highway: The Music of The Band. Robbie Robertson, The Band’s guitarist and chief songwriter, took some time to discuss a few of the tracks with Paste:
“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by The Allman Brothers Band: “This song comes from when I was 16 and came down from Canada to the Mississippi Delta to play with Ronnie Hawkins,” Robertson remembers. “It was like going to the Holy Land for me. Listening to the Allmans’ version, it’s like you could pull over at some roadhouse, hear them playing it and it would fit perfectly.”
“Acadian Driftwood” by The Roches: “This song had slipped my mind a little bit, so hearing The Roches recreate the storytelling in it brought back fond memories,” he says. “Whatever ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ was, this is a fuller version. It’s like a movie. And there’s a real sincerity in the way The Roches tell the story.”
“Rockin’ Chair” by Death Cab for Cutie: “This was one of the biggest surprises to me,” says Robertson. “If someone asked me if I could imagine them doing this song, I would have said no. Some of this material is like a wardrobe-some people put it on and it just doesn’t work. The fact that they could put on this wardrobe and pull it off caught me off guard.”
“Life Is a Carnival” by Trevor Hall: “I didn’t know who he was, but on this song he acts like that’s my mistake,” Roberston says. “I like the street-y attitude in it. It has a hint of New Orleans swagger to it, which is true to the song.”
“It Makes No Difference” by My Morning Jacket: “Nobody will ever sing that song as good as Rick Danko, but there’s a beautiful sadness to their vocal,” Robertson says. “If you’re going to sing that song, you better do it soulfully, and they did.