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: Good Read But Incomplete
Summary: 4 Stars
Levon's prose shows he's no Hemingway, but it's a good read nonetheless. He leaves out the juicy sex stuff, which I would have liked to have heard, but hey he's doing the Southern Gentleman trip.
He mentions Libby Titus, but fails to tell the reader she became a highly successful songwriter, who also co-wrote Linda Ronstadt's monster hit "Love Has No Pride."
He seems to think the Band was the greatest musical force that ever hit the music scene, but musically their music was not spectacular. Just easy listening early roots music, in my opinion.
Robbie Robertson was a real snake, no doubt.
Book Review: Good Lazy Lawn Chair Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Good stories. Takes you back to the lush summers of the 60's. Levon is very likeable. He may be a little out of touch [not dishonest]about how good they are. Richard is no Ray Charles. Levon quotes a Toronto journalist calling them "a third rate Younge Street band." Bottom line is that it's fun to read.Book Review: Great Read
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're a fan of The Band or just the early years of R&R, you'll enjoy this one. Levon is Johnny B Goode come alive and his is a story of a backwoods boy who-- by doing what he loves-- makes it to the top of the recording industry. It seems a very faithful account of a life spent on the road--wine, women, and song--and the chapter(s) with Ronnie Hawkins with whom young Levon cut his teeth are not too miss.
Levon is very charitable with nearly everyone invoved except for Robbie Robertson. Not that he does not compliment him or extol his musical virtues, he does. But he clearly feels betrayed by Robertson both musically and financially. Musically, because Robertson unilaterally decided to fold up the The Band's tent when Levon clearly saw no need to; and financially, because Robertson took all of the songwriting credits and eventually bought the publishing from the other band members-except for Helm's. Helm sees this as the reason Rick Danko had to work so hard: because Robertson was sitting back and collecting the royalties that should have been equally spread amongst the band members.
These criticisms may or may not be true. As to the songwriting credits, Helm doesn'tmake any specific accusations. He doesn't say, for example, "I wrote that part" or "Rick wrote that part of the song and Robertson took the credit." This omission is especailly glaring because Levon clearly has an iron trap of a mind when it comes to songs. There are many (far too many)recountings of set lists and song descriptions throughout the book, some going back to the 1950's. He does make clear, and I agree, that The Band was an entity that worked collaboratively to create the sound of the group. But that is not the same as deserving a songwriting credit. Songwriters get credit for writing the words and the music (the melody and chord changes). Instrumentalists do not get credit for writing the the song no matter how important their contribution to it. They get other things such as performance royalties. If The Band were more enlightened, they would have credited everyone in the group as songwriter as does REM. But they weren't.
As to Rick Danko's death, blaming Robertson isn't convincing. There is such a thing as personal responsibility; people make choices and Rick made his and it is sad that he is gone. Helm tries to lay the blame at Robertson's feet, but he is not successful.
These are the sour grapes and angry parts, but they are not the reason to read the book. Read it for the unbridled joy that Helm has for music, conveyed now in words as he did previously in song.
Book Review: I loved it!
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read this book at least 3 times since I bought it last year and it hasnt gotten old yet. Levon Helm tells the story of The Band from the very beginning to the very end. It does give you that old time feel despite the fact Levon isn't the greatest writer. I laughed when I read the story about Rick (Danko) and the deer and I cried at the end when Richard died.
The book starts out brilliant and exciting, slows down in the middle (esepecially during the time that Levon was away from The Band) but picks up again at the end. Levon describes where each memeber came from and includes stories from every step of their journey. My favorite parts are when The Band is staying in Big Pink near Bob Dylan.
It is hard not to take in Levons feelings about certain elements of The Last Waltz especially when he expresses his views on Robbie Robertson, but besides his blatant opinions he gives the facts we may (or may not) want to hear.
I loved all of his descriptions of the members of The Band and the people they met on the road and believe them too be true after I myself met Garth Hudson at the Newport Folk Festival over the summer. Levon is a brilliant writer in his own way and I loved every page of This Wheels On Fire!
Book Review: The Real Story of The Band
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, Well, Well, what can I say, the true story of one of the greatest bands of all time, The Band. This is an account of the history of The Band told from the point of view of it's oldest member, Lavon(Levon) Helm. Helm tells the story of his childhood growing up in Arkansas and learning to play the guitar first and then the drums. This tells how the group came together under the direction of one Ronnie Hawkens, and eventually under the great Bob Dylan, and eventually their solo careers and ultimately their breakup with the "Last Waltz" as Robertson liked to call it. This is full of little known facts and is a must have for any true Band fan, and yes, it does tell what was really in Neil Young's nose.