"Cinema speelde altijd al een grote rol in het werk van de in augustus 2023 overleden gitarist/songwriter van The Band. Daarnaast hield hij natuurlijk een nauwe band met Martin Scorsese, dit alles nadat de muzikant zélf al de ster was geweest van een Scorsese-film: "The Last Waltz" (1978), de afscheidsregistratie van The Band. "Killers Of The Flower Moon" gaat over de moorden op de Osage (een Indianenstam) in Oklahoma 100 jaar geleden. Robertsons moeder was van Indiaanse afkomst en het schrijnende relaas raakte hem daarom ongetwijfeld diep in de ziel. Maar hij wilde beslist geen typisch Indiaanse muziek op de soundtrack. In plaats daarvan is de muziek bij vlagen bluesy, met slide-werk dat sterk doen denken aan de soundtracks van Ry Cooder. Met rijke instrumentatie (percussie, panfluit, mondharmonica) raakt Robertson precies de juiste toon voor een aantal cruciale scènes." (Lust For Life; 5 uit 5 sterren)
"Released as a companion to Robertson's 2016 memoir of the same name, "Testimony" is the singer/songwriter's own take on his musical history - an 18-track compilation that samples from every era of his career, from his time supporting Ronnie Hawkins to his stabs at moody trip-hop. Five songs are culled from solo albums, with 1991's "Storyville" earning the largest play and the electronica aspects of 1998's "Contract From The Underworld Of Red Boy" and 2011's "How To Become Clairvoyant" diminished. The Band naturally figures heavily into the equation, but Robertson avoids his biggest hits. Instead, he culls heavily from the 1972 live album "Rock Of Ages" -- and the 2005 box "A Musical History", which is where all the early cuts from Levon Helm & the Hawks and the Robertson-sung "Twilight (Song Sketch)" were first released. By piecing together all these elements of his career -- including his time backing Dylan, he paints a fairly rich portrait of his musical achievements." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic)
"His first album since 1998's "Contact From The Underworld Of Red Boy". In the interim, he served as musical director for some Martin Scorsese films, produced soundtracks, and worked as an A&R man. Co-produced with Marius de Vries, the 12-song set boasts an impressive guest list. Eric Clapton makes seven appearances on guitar, duets on "Fear of Falling," co-wrote three tunes, and contributed an instrumental ("Madame X," which is minimally but beautifully textured by Trent Reznor). Steve Winwood, Robert Randolph, Angela McCluskey, and Tom Morello also appear. Bassist Pino Palladino, drummer Ian Thomas, and pianist Martin Pradler are the house band on a Robertson album typically saturated in rich, warm production, sonic flourishes, and ambient atmospheres. Despite a preponderance of guitars, this isn't a cooking session, but an uncharacteristically autobiographical song cycle that addresses not only Robertson's life and experiences, but those of his friends, heroes, and collaborators." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
