Robbie Robertson
Contact From the Underworld of Redboy (Capitol) (star) (star) (star) 1/2
Robbie Robertson has one foot in the past and the other firmly in the present on this album celebrating his Native North American heritage. An outgrowth of his 1994 soundtrack for the TBS documentary “The Native Americans,” “Redboy” is a fascinating amalgam of traditional Indian themes and chants and some very up-to-date dance beats, loops and samples courtesy of au courant London mixer-producer Howie B. “I can’t let go of the old ways,” Robertson sings on “In the Blood,” amid percolating electronic rhythms and tribal chants. “Sacrifice” features long-imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier telling his story over some of the album’s most haunting music, while on the very funky “Rattlebone,” Robertson lets loose on guitar like Neil Young on peyote. This old-new mix reaches its apex on “The Code of Handsome Lake,” a traditional fable that takes the former leader of The Band straight to the dance floor. Amazing stuff.