Takes one to know one

I’ll defer to input from bdp here. From what I’ve read, at a point in their lives when the other members were struggling financially, Robbie came around and bought their individual rights to The Band’s music "for a pittance" as the expression goes. Kind of the old Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright story in a different form. Though no one forced them to sell, Robbie is seen as taking advantage of them. At least some of the bitterness towards him stems from that. On top of this, I think Levon had his own issues with Robbie over group "ownership and leadership" conflicts.

Robbie did write a lot of The Band lyrics. Seems like he was well read (and gifted)...leastways that is my impression; consequently, lotta grist for the mill. According to Wikipedia, the lyric of Whispering Pines is a case in point. Richard wrote that beautiful music, Robbie contributed lyrics that, to my mind, are a mirror on Richard’s soul and that ain’t no simple parlor trick. There are many, many others too, like the excellent Acadian Driftwood and one of my favorites, below...

I tend to think...maybe more than working with Dylan, it was during their time with Ronnie Hawkins when they really learned their chops (not to take anything away from time with Dylan, of course).
http://theband.hiof.no/history/part_2.html

@bdp24 - Like yourself, Levon also expressed great admiration for Richard’s singing (as well as his drumming!). Anyway, this isn’t meant as "one ups manship" at all because, while I love those 2 songs by Richard, for me from a singing/performance point of view, this is the one that always knocks me out. It’s Rick from Live in Japan. Just put this on repeat. What a fantastic song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSHzODm-Ik8

If you want to turn this into some kind of "The Band for Aficionados", I’m there.

Okay...done (for) now. :-)

One of the best business decisions a band can make is to give writing credits to everyone in the band.  Check out the early Van Halen.  Do you really think David Lee Roth co-wrote "Eruption"?  The entire band credit is not a cure all, but it removes a serious money issue for bandmates.  For The Band it was a key and divisive issue.  A similar situation was The Who.  Townsend, as the songwriter, made the serious money and other members would have to beg him to tour so that they could make money too.  Pete Brown, the lyricist, made more money than Clapton or Baker did with Cream.  Think about what it must be like to have been a member of the Kinks or the Rolling Stones and not be Jagger/Richards or Ray Davies.  They have estates in France and Switzerland and drive exotic sports cars, and you got a weekly check.

When push comes to shove it's a business.  Do you really begrudge Robertson for being both talented and smart?

I am just curious, if you were to take Robbie Robertson out of the Bands equation, how much of the genius that we now know as The Band would we have realized.

IIRC, Robbie was married or seriously involved with someone during the Big Pink days.  He did not live at Big Pink.  This helped him remain more sober and grounded while the others, except Garth, were into excess of every kind.  Drugs, drink. women, smashing cars on the winding roads, etc.

If you read Robbie's version of the story, he frequently urged the others to write.  If you read Levon's version, Robbie took all credit for songs that they had worked out together.  No telling what the truth is but the others should have confronted Robbie sooner rather than waiting till the money stopped rolling in.  Levon was very bitter about it but Rick Danko and Garth never complained that much about it that I'm aware of.