This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band by Levon Helm, Stephen Davis Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band
Book Review: Best Seat In The House
Summary: 5 Stars
A fascinating story about the best band ever.Written in a conversational down home style that's most enjoyable.If your a fan of The Band your going to love it. I could'nt put it down!!!Book Review: A treasure trove of inside info about The Band
Summary: 5 Stars
"This Wheel's On Fire" is an amazingly comprehensive history of the life and times of The Band, from their formation to their ultimately sad disintegration, told from the perspective of Levon Helm, drummer, singer, co-founder of this legendary conglomeration of talented musicians. Readers will learn an astoundingly amount of industry-insider info about the musicians, as well as a blisteringly honest and candid assessment of the music industry. Told from the perspective of Levon, with source input from other Band members, producers, engineers, arrangers, and musicians, this book rips apart the curtains of secrecy, rumour, and innuendo, revealing just what goes on in the process of becoming what many in the industry consider to be one of the seminal groups of rock and roll history.Book Review: Who killed THE BAND?
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a recent convert to The Band. I've watched The Last Waltz more times than I want to admit. Overall, I liked this book alot and I like Levon Helm. How could anyone not like him? If you love the music of The Band and want to know more about them, this book is a treasure trove.
First of all, two criticisms and the first is more of an observation than a criticism: Helm did not really fault Elvis for submitting to the draft but he said that the military hurt his subsequent ability to perform as well as he once did. That may be true, but Elvis did something better than perform: he turned his back on a brilliant career to serve his country. In the checkered annals of rock n roll, THAT will always stand out. The other criticism is that Helm uses too much profane terminology.
Before I read the book, my sense of The Band was first and foremost that of a group of friends. I was touched by the scene in The Last Waltz where Danko patted an obviously confused Richard Manuel on the back. Anyone who has seen that movie knows that Manuel needed help and my sense is that he drew much help from being with and making music with his buddies in the band. And Helm's affection and admiration for his buddies is evident throughout the book. Now enter Robbie Robertson or just 'Robertson' as he is referred to in later pages of the book. Here, Helm paints a picture of The Band in its glory days as Camelot. Helm is King Arthur and Robertson is Mordred, the betrayer, the destroyer. Does this all hold up? Read page 254 where Helm quotes Robertson as saying that he is leaving and that he will stop any attempt of the rest of the band members from playing together as The Band. Now no one can blame a man for wanting to get off the road to be with his family, to shake the wild parties, the drugs, the booze, etc. But why did he have to take this thing away from his pals? Helm does not lay out all of the details but he pretty much makes it clear that money was the main angle. If that is true or even partially true, then Robertson needs to humble himself. Its never too late.
Book Review: This Wheel's on Fire - Levon Helm
Summary: 5 Stars
Very interesting book - why aren't bands this great anymore?Book Review: The Band inside out
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent account of a great band on the road for 16 years.