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A review by psteve
Testimony: A Memoir by Robbie Robertson
4.0
I enjoyed this book a a lot more than I thought I would. I kind of expected Robbie to include a lot of myth making (as he did in the interview segments of The Last Waltz) and maybe more name-dropping; I also thought he would be getting even with some of the things that other Band members, notably Helm, said about him over the years.
I was wrong. Robertson's prose is lean and descriptive, and he's good at capturing characterizations. His characterizations of Band members are warm and seem, from listening to them over the decades, accurate as to their talents and shortcomings. He doesn't try to counter some charges as the others, or not explicitly, but presents the story as he sees it without arguing.
In the end, it's an engaging book. Oftentimes funny, and he doesn't shy away from his own problems (notably, drugs, though not as bad as some of his Bandmates, and womanizing). I very much enjoyed his descriptions of how the Band worked in its early days. His characterization of Body Dylan was interesting, mostly because Bob was more of a bandmate and collaborator to him than a hero figure.
Towards the end, before The Last Waltz, the book feels a bit name-droopy, he talks about his friendships (and sometimes affairs) with such as Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, David Geffen, Martin Scorsese, Jimi Hendrix, etc. etc. It feels a bit tiresome at the time, but on the other hand, this is Robbie Robertson, and if you had the likes of Michaelango Antioni visiting you, wouldn't you make sure to mention that in your memoirs? And also, his characterizations of many of these people are fascinating.
Finally, it's interesting and likely that he ends the book after The Last Waltz. His life became a lot less, what, groundbreaking after that. It seems this may have been a late decision, as many things he mentions, notably his wife's nascent drinking problem, are left unfinished.
All in all, a good book. Not up to the heights of the recent Springsteen, but if you care about The Band, a must read.
I was wrong. Robertson's prose is lean and descriptive, and he's good at capturing characterizations. His characterizations of Band members are warm and seem, from listening to them over the decades, accurate as to their talents and shortcomings. He doesn't try to counter some charges as the others, or not explicitly, but presents the story as he sees it without arguing.
In the end, it's an engaging book. Oftentimes funny, and he doesn't shy away from his own problems (notably, drugs, though not as bad as some of his Bandmates, and womanizing). I very much enjoyed his descriptions of how the Band worked in its early days. His characterization of Body Dylan was interesting, mostly because Bob was more of a bandmate and collaborator to him than a hero figure.
Towards the end, before The Last Waltz, the book feels a bit name-droopy, he talks about his friendships (and sometimes affairs) with such as Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, David Geffen, Martin Scorsese, Jimi Hendrix, etc. etc. It feels a bit tiresome at the time, but on the other hand, this is Robbie Robertson, and if you had the likes of Michaelango Antioni visiting you, wouldn't you make sure to mention that in your memoirs? And also, his characterizations of many of these people are fascinating.
Finally, it's interesting and likely that he ends the book after The Last Waltz. His life became a lot less, what, groundbreaking after that. It seems this may have been a late decision, as many things he mentions, notably his wife's nascent drinking problem, are left unfinished.
All in all, a good book. Not up to the heights of the recent Springsteen, but if you care about The Band, a must read.