Testimony
A Memoir
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4.4 • 172개의 평가
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- US$14.99
출판사 설명
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this “robust, wry, gritty, and wise” (The Wall Street Journal) memoir, Robbie Robertson tells the spellbinding story of the band that changed music history, his extraordinary personal journey, and his creative friendships with some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.
The basis for the documentary Once Were Brothers, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Brian Grazer, and Ron Howard
“Testimony reads like one long, grand adventure through rock’s golden age, as told by a world-class raconteur.”—Billboard
“High-spirited, hugely enjoyable, and generous from start to finish.”—The New York Times Book Review
Robbie Robertson’s singular contributions to popular music have made him one of the most beloved songwriters and guitarists of his time. With songs like “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and “Up on Cripple Creek,” he and his partners in the Band fashioned a music that has endured for decades and changed the language of rock ’n’ roll, first with Bob Dylan and then on their own.
In Testimony, Robbie employs his unique storyteller’s voice to weave together the journey that led him to some of the most pivotal events in music history. This is the story of revolution as the world tumbled through the ’60s and early ’70s, and a generation came of age, built on music, love, and freedom. Above all, it’s the moving story of the profound friendship between five young men who together created a new kind of popular music.
Testimony is Robbie Robertson’s story, lyrical and true, as only he could tell it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Robertson, guitarist and songwriter for the Band, highlights his career, from his early days with Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks to the last waltz of the Band in 1976. A masterly storyteller, Robertson easily draws readers into tales of his youth and of his days with Bob Dylan. He describes the eventual formation of the Band and the group's quick climb to fame. For the first time, Robertson tells his side of the story regarding his relationship with fellow Band member Levon Helm. In their early days, the two were close friends, but in late 1969, on the way home from a show, Robertson recalls that Helm lied to him about his drug use, and Robertson recalls: "Things changed in that moment. A distance grew between Levon and me that I don't know if we were ever able to mend." Throughout, Robertson provides an intimate look at the making of the Band's farewell concert at Winterland the Last Waltz and describes the exhilaration, relief, and sadness of the night and the following days. Though it would have been nice if Robertson had included reflections on life since the Band and his own substantial solo career, this long-awaited and colorfully told memoir paints a masterpiece of a life in rock and roll.
사용자 리뷰
The Band books
Read Levon’s book now Robbie’s
Both good from different perspectives.
Very Disappointing!!!
Robinson jumps from event from event like an orangutan leaping from tree to tree. And while he does cover most events, the book comes to a screeching halt at "The Last Waltz" concert in 1976.
After “The Last Waltz” the group never played together again as a band. Robinson it seems just hung up his hat and walked away. Conveniently he’s pushed the Delete Button on the rest of his life. Mysteriously there’s not a word of his titanic riff with Levon Helm who, to quote Robertson, was like the brother he never had. One of the most acrimonious fallouts in rock history which lasted right up until Helm’s death in 2012 was not even a footnote in “Testimony”. Neither was there any mention of Richard Manuel’s bizarre suicide in 1986 nor Rick Danko's untimely demise in 1999. And not a peep about his divorce from his alcoholic wife.
It’s possible Robertson is planning another memoir post 1976. But he shot his wad with this book. He’s not getting another dime out of me.
Good read
I enjoyed this book. But like other rock autobiographies, I'm always let down when I learn that people I've placed upon a pedestal and admired for so long have feet of clay. Robbie also spent too much time on his early days. I know Levon hated him to the bitter end, but if it weren't for Robbie, the Band simply would not have existed.