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stevenp33's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.75
mooncrab's review against another edition
5.0
Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of The Band, all the members, the land they come from and the epic concert film, The Last Waltz. It’s one of the biggest joys and musical obsessions of my adult life. I absolutely loved this book, but recognize the biases in my pre-existing fascination with the subjects at hand. All that to say, THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!!! Pure entertainment from start to finish. Unlike other celebrity memoirs, this is a chronological telling of Robbie’s rich story, and it reads like fiction. It is engaging, exciting, funny, difficult and beautiful. I hung on to every word. It’s very clearly a one-sided tale with Robbie as his own main character, but it really makes for an awesome story. The book is even further supported by the film Once Were Brothers and I highly recommend it, too.
lamom77's review against another edition
5.0
I have liked The Band's music for many years and The Last Waltz is one of my favorite movies, but I didn't know very much about the members or the story of The Band, until now. This was a fantastic autobiography by Robbie Robertson about what brought The Band together and kept them going through an amazing career. So well written and interesting - it will make me see theirs and others music differently. Off to rewatch The Last Waltz with new lenses.
rexsavior's review against another edition
3.0
According to his memoir, Robbie Robertson has never made a mistake, never done anything he regrets, never slighted a friend or business partner. This, of course, is contrary to alternative accounts of the events he describes, and also to our understanding of what a 'life' is generally comprised of--that is to say, at least 80% mistakes/regrets. Despite this, Robertson's stories are worth reading, the people he describes worth celebrating. Dylan, in Robertson's memory, seems more like a real, human person than in other accounts. And I do feel that I now 'know' (at least a little bit!) the other members of the Band.
I greatly miss Richard, Rick, and Levon, but I am grateful that we still have Robbie, and that he took the time to write down his story. I guess he's entitled to tell it however he wants to tell it.
I greatly miss Richard, Rick, and Levon, but I am grateful that we still have Robbie, and that he took the time to write down his story. I guess he's entitled to tell it however he wants to tell it.
readandlisten's review against another edition
5.0
Outstanding. This memoir is indeed a testimony to a fine musician, song writer, and band mate. Rest in Peace Robbie Robertson.
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
4.0
I had a very mixed reaction to both the book and the author. Maybe this reaction is not surprising, given that I like the Band, but I wouldn't call myself a fan, if "fan" is short for fanatic.
So it's no surprise that I found the book too long. Wait, that's not quite right. It's not that there were too many words. It's that I wanted different words.
For example: Robertson describes performances he gave or performances he witnessed in detail. This is no surprise. Robertson is, first, last, and always, a musician. But his descriptions are often variations on one of two themes. It's either "we were great" or "it was a privilege to see ---- perform and I was honored to meet him backstage."
Meanwhile, he starts some stories, but quits before getting to the end. One of many possible examples: in the last few pages he describes a recording session at the Shangri-La studio he convened. None of his band mates show up.
Well, what then? Their contract required another album. Did they produce it? Did they buy themselves out of the obligation? Was Robertson furious with his band mates of 16 years? What did they say when confronted?
We learn nothing more. Only that (duh) Robertson takes this to mean that the band is no longer a band.
As I've indicated, Robertson is good at telling us what happened. But I want to know why. And how. And what Robertson thinks it might mean. He doesn't even pose these questions.
So it's no surprise that I found the book too long. Wait, that's not quite right. It's not that there were too many words. It's that I wanted different words.
For example: Robertson describes performances he gave or performances he witnessed in detail. This is no surprise. Robertson is, first, last, and always, a musician. But his descriptions are often variations on one of two themes. It's either "we were great" or "it was a privilege to see ---- perform and I was honored to meet him backstage."
Meanwhile, he starts some stories, but quits before getting to the end. One of many possible examples: in the last few pages he describes a recording session at the Shangri-La studio he convened. None of his band mates show up.
Well, what then? Their contract required another album. Did they produce it? Did they buy themselves out of the obligation? Was Robertson furious with his band mates of 16 years? What did they say when confronted?
We learn nothing more. Only that (duh) Robertson takes this to mean that the band is no longer a band.
As I've indicated, Robertson is good at telling us what happened. But I want to know why. And how. And what Robertson thinks it might mean. He doesn't even pose these questions.
emckeon1002's review against another edition
4.0
I've always been a huge The Band fan, and after reading Levon Helm's This Wheel's On Fire, I'll admit to feeling a lack of respect for Robertson, at least in the "business decision" department. This autobiography shows Robertson to be a gifted writer, a genius musician (recruited by Ronnie Hawkins at 16), and an insightful memoirist. Though this book was not released until long after Levon Helm was gone, it does show Robertson (albeit from his point of view), to be considerate of the artistic and financial needs of his bandmates. Robertson doesn't paint himself as faultless, but his portraits of Helm, Dylan and the many musicians, artists and actors whose paths he crossed, are fascinating. I plowed through the 5oo pages in four days, and at the finish, watched, with great satisfaction, The Last Waltz, which is the topic to the last chapter of the book. Reading this, Helm's book and Barney Hoskyn's Small Town Talk, one can assemble a notion of a significant creative moment in American musical history.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Very interesting, but I was sorry it didn't go beyond the Last Waltz. And I did find the endless self promotion a bit tiresome. And did anyone else wonder how Nick Drake was a casualty of the Road? Fame maybe, depression certainly, but not the Road. But it is an interesting book about a period I'm interested in, and if you are too, it might be worth reading. More than that I cannot say.
lindsayb's review against another edition
3.0
Boy...I got to the end of this thinking, "I don't think I really wanted to know that much about Robbie Robertson." There were entertaining parts (like the whole mafia family thing), and I did (mostly) get what I came for in learning more about the creative process within The Band, a group whose output makes me highly nostalgic, which is why I'm bumping this to 3 stars...though not without feeling highly suspect about it all. It's a memoir, so to say that it felt one-sided is perhaps moot, but it definitely felt a bit too self-aggrandizing, especially in light of what other band members had reported over the years. It was also silly of me to not remember, going into this, how anything connected to Bob Dylan is just one big Boys' Club, and it really wore me down to hear Robertson talk about women. That's great he has a photographic memory, but I don't really need to hear about all the special women he bagged while on tour with The Hawks. It's rock'n'roll; I get it...I know it's happening regardless of what you say. But to reveal as much as he did also lets on to the misogyny and abuse going on. He couldn't even talk about women artists as peers--in nearly every instance, he talks about their appearance before their talent. It really bummed me out.
So...I guess I got a lot from this memoir, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting, and it wasn't flattering.
So...I guess I got a lot from this memoir, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting, and it wasn't flattering.