Ex-Band member, guitarist and principal songwriter, Robbie Robertson, finally emerged in the fall of '87 with his solo debut album a good ten years after the demise of The Band(even though the other members reunited without him in 1983). The record boasts a production courtesy of Daniel Lanois, whom was growing in the ranks as an in demand producer with his recent success of U2's Joshua Tree release some 7 months earlier, and the band themselves are featured, backing Robertson on two cuts in "Sweet Fire of Love" and the record's closing track "Testimony". The music contained within is well written and arranged, and for the most part, Robertson's time away from the mainstream was a deserved rest and allowed him to recharge his creative muses. The opening cut, "Fallen Angel" was lyrically a tribute to Robbie's former cohort Richard Manuel, whom had committed suicide the previous March while on tour with the reformed Band, and features Peter Gabriel on harmony vocals, adding a tasteful backing to the song's ethereal musical arrangement. "Showdown at Big Sky" follows and is another strong cut, giving the record a great solid start, featuring backing vocals from Sam Llanas, a member of the Wisconsin "americana" band the BoDeans and adds some depth to Robertson's sometimes, thin lead vocals. "Broken Arrow" is another pastoral-like number in conjunction with opener "Fallen Angel" and has since been covered by artists' as diverse as Rod Stewart and the Grateful Dead, displaying its powerful qualities of a worthy number.

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"Somewhere Down the Crazy River" has an interesting R&B/Pop arrangement that features Robertson with a spoken- sung part and a collaborative vocal on its chorus with singer Sammy BoDean. This number adds to the richness of the material on offer here and makes for another strong cut that fleshes out Robertson's debut with great success. Songs that are driven with a strong sense of rock significantly are, "Hell's Half-Acre", "American Roulette" and the aforementioned U2 accompanied, "Testimony", displaying Robertson's guitar prowess as well as his powerful songwriting crafts. "Sweet Fire of Love" is essentially a Robertson/U2 collaboration with The Edge's piercing guitar tones and Bono's throaty and distinctive harmony vocals making for an interesting entry within the confines of this set. Robbie invited former Band members Garth Hudson and Rick Danko into the sessions and they are featured, albeit separately, on "American Roulette" and "Fallen Angel", keyboards by Garth Hudson, and Danko adding backing harmony vocals to "Sonny Got Caught in the Moonlight"; a number that has a contemporary sheen to its arrangement, rich in synthesizer and intricate drum rhythms.

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Although the Band would emerge a few years later with their comeback studio album, Jericho, without Robertson and the two entities would never cross over each other, Robbie Robertson's debut record remains a successful endeavor and I urge fans of the Band to check out this record. Don't expect a rehash of the days of old, for this is the sound of a man whom has reinvented himself and the music contained therein displays an innovative, but contemporary angle of a talented songwriter/guitarist-musician.

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Rating Grade- A