Across the Great Divide: The Band and America Summary and Reviews

Across the Great Divide: The Band and America
by Barney Hoskyns, The Band

Across the Great Divide: The Band and America
List Price: $19.95
Category: Book
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Book Summary Information

Author: Barney Hoskyns, The Band
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-11-01
ISBN: 142341442X
Number of pages: 468
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Product features:

Book Reviews of Across the Great Divide: The Band and America

Book Review: Most Rock Books are for fans only - but this is a gem
Summary: 5 Stars

A welcome reissue, 10 years after its first publication, of one of the few really readable books on Rock Music. This is no anorak's book and is neither pompous nor academic . The publishers Pimlico have also released Hoskyns' collection of articles on American music legends titled "Ragged Glories" , but this book on just one group gives a greater sense of the huge 'melting pot' of popular music styles in the USA.
When I first read this book I didn't own even one album by the Band. I had seen "the Last Waltz" movie several times and found the Band's reminiscences between the songs more irritating with each viewing. This story however is fascinating. Hoskyns never allows the detail to become academic and boring. There is a huge supporting cast of "Rock Legends" but also a real sense of how a group of great characters can gel together and support each other generously. Everything seems possible to them in the land of opportunity. The darker side of fame, fun and fortune inevitably emerges - this is a Rock Biography after all - but not before they made some fabulous music. Your increased appreciation and enjoyment of those great recordings will be the ultimate reward for reading this book.

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