Robbie Robertson is best known as the guitarist and
songwriter for The Band who penned such
memorable classic songs as “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” and “The Night
They Drove Old Dixie Down” among many others.
The Band was an eclectic group of musicians who backed up Bob Dylan
during his transformative years and released the seminal album “Music from Big
Pink” in 1968. Robertson covers the Band’s inception and evolving musical
journey that culminated in the 1976 Martin Scorsese film documenting The Band’s
final live appearance in “The Last Waltz.”
In between, the autobiographical Testimony brings to life a musical journey for Robertson that began
at age 16 when he left his home in Canada to join Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks.
Robertson’s heritage is half-Mohawk and his storytelling nature makes for an
interesting read. He became close friends with Dylan and mingled with a
veritable who’s who of the 60’s and 70’s including every member of the Beatles,
Joni Mitchell, David Geffen, Cher, Edie Sedgewick, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young,
Carly Simon, James Taylor and many more.
As a result, the reader is treated with a rich
understanding of the evolving music scene and an inside view of a band of
musical brothers who are hardened by life on the road; including drugs and
other excesses, and eventually burned out by that same highway. Five hundred
pages in length, “Testimony” is a large book. However, it engages the reader
and Robertson’s ability to weave story after story makes for an easy read.
In a recent interview Robertson explained that the
original manuscript was edited down from an original, imposing 800 pages. Those
familiar with Robertson’s life know that his talents took him on further
artistic journeys beyond the end of the book which covers only up to 1976. As a
result, fans can look forward to the second book that will surely include his
solo albums, film scores, and acting projects up to the present. Robbie
Robertson has lived an interesting life and “Testimony” is a fine addition to
rock musical autobiographies.
