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A review by richardwells
Testimony: A Memoir by Robbie Robertson
4.0
I don't generally read rock&roll biographies, or memoirs. The exceptions being books by or about Paul Simon (high class pop,) Leonard Cohen (unclassifiable,) Bob Dylan (the champ,) and the Band (a whole new take on rock and roll.) So, Robbie Robertson's memoir was a must.
Fifty pages in, my limit if a book doesn't click, I was wondering when we'd really get down to what I was interested in, i.e., Bob Dylan and the Band, and a little tired of the Hawks (their original name) laying waste to the countryside backing up Ronnie Hawkins. The stories were amusing - to a point. And then, Robbie was asked to sit in on Blonde on Blonde and - I'd like to say the rest is history, because it is. The memoir takes us through the 16 years of the Band being the Band, and for a fan, it's fascinating reading. The boys were terrific musicians who fell for all the excesses of stardom. Some to the point of dissolution and later death, and the unit to its conclusion with The Last Waltz. Along the way they supported Dylan through his going electric travails, sat out his motorcycle injuries, moved into Big Pink, moved through the Basement Tapes, and then broke the mold of R&R with Music from Big Pink, The Band, and a few albums following. We end up with the making of The Last Waltz - concert, record, and movie.
Robbie remembers a lot, soft pedals the rough spots - and there were many, provides a little insight into the craft, and writes a fairly personal history.
If you like the music, I think you'll like the book.
Fifty pages in, my limit if a book doesn't click, I was wondering when we'd really get down to what I was interested in, i.e., Bob Dylan and the Band, and a little tired of the Hawks (their original name) laying waste to the countryside backing up Ronnie Hawkins. The stories were amusing - to a point. And then, Robbie was asked to sit in on Blonde on Blonde and - I'd like to say the rest is history, because it is. The memoir takes us through the 16 years of the Band being the Band, and for a fan, it's fascinating reading. The boys were terrific musicians who fell for all the excesses of stardom. Some to the point of dissolution and later death, and the unit to its conclusion with The Last Waltz. Along the way they supported Dylan through his going electric travails, sat out his motorcycle injuries, moved into Big Pink, moved through the Basement Tapes, and then broke the mold of R&R with Music from Big Pink, The Band, and a few albums following. We end up with the making of The Last Waltz - concert, record, and movie.
Robbie remembers a lot, soft pedals the rough spots - and there were many, provides a little insight into the craft, and writes a fairly personal history.
If you like the music, I think you'll like the book.