Across the Great Divide: The Band and America [Hardcover]

Barney Hoskyns (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1993

Recounts the turbulent career of The Band--Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and Levon Helm--from their beginnings playing in seedy bars to their rise to international stardom.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a saga spanning three decades, British journalist Hoskyns ( From a Whisper to a Scream: The Great Voices of Popular Music ) chronicles the story of the critically acclaimed rock group, the Band. As the 1960s dawned, a shared interest in the music of the American South brought Arkansas drummer-vocalist Levon Helm together with four Canadians: guitarists Robbie Robertson and Rick Danko, vocalist Richard Manuel and keyboardist Garth Hudson. Known as the Hawks, they backed up Bob Dylan after his notorious acoustic-to-electric switch; later, they perfected a style of their own at a Woodstock, N.Y., house dubbed "Big Pink." In 1968, their first album as the Band was released, and subsequent hits included "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." This account relies heavily on quotations from the likes of critic Greil Marcus, performer Eric Clapton and late promoter Bill Graham. Where-are-they-now final chapters investigate the years after the Band's 1976 split: Robertson pursued Hollywood interests, Manuel committed suicide in 1986 and the others continued solo work. Of the Band's lineup, Robertson proves by far the most loquacious, making this volume a bonanza for his fans in particular, as well as for Dylan aficionados. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Implicit within the redemptive qualities commonly ascribed to rock'n'roll is the metaphor of the band/musician as leaders in a spiritual search. The hyperbole that typically ensues from such metaphors is entirely appropriate in reference to The Band, the seminal folk/country/rock group whose recordings, made from 1968 to 1978, psychically imprinted an entire generation. That a predominantly Canadian group should have been so transfixed by, and subsequently successful at, articulating deeply rooted American themes is just one of the seeming paradoxes that Hoskyns explores in this first major study. Borrowing heavily from both previously documented and self-conducted interviews, Hoskyns connects the dots that link The Band with Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Woodstock, and the concert film The Last Waltz (1978). Cumulatively, the effect of this treatment is ponderous; Greil Marcus's classic essay "The Band: Pilgrims' Progress" in Mystery Train ( LJ 4/1/75), from which Hoskyns liberally borrows, is more revelatory. Still, this solid treatment of an influential group belongs in most popular music collections.
- Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., Tex.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 438 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Books; 1st edition (July 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562828363
• ISBN-13: 978-1562828363
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,393,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book that should be in a gossip section., January 4, 2008

By 

Mark Cohen "book review" (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Across the Great Divide: The Band and America (Paperback)

This book is full of blatant and unacceptable inaccuracies. For instance, it has the wrong year for Robbie Robertson's birthday. It plagarizes a quote out of Levon Helm's book (a quote by Levon Helm), paraphrases it inaccurately and attributes it to Robertson. (pg 401). It misstates the name of F.S. Walcotts Rabits Foot Minstrels etc. etc. Quotes are taken from the interviews in the Last Waltz and deceptively placed here as if they were obtained by some research done by the author and again they're not 100% verbatim despite the quotation marks. There is an immense amount of conjecture and unwarranted personal opinion interjected throughout. The inaccuracies completely destroy all credibility of this book. Even Robbie Robertson stated in a Rolling Stone interview that he read the first 30 pages and had to put it away because of all the mistakes. This is a third rate product. There are better books to read to learn about the Band.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Book, Revised, Updated and Expanded, November 13, 2006

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Across the Great Divide: The Band and America (Paperback)

First written some years ago, this book has long been out of print. Now Hal Leonard has finally issued a new revised and expanded edition. It contains all the information from the original book plus updating the information on the members of the band. This includes an obituary of Rick Danko and a brand-new interview with Robbie Robertson.

With the years that Mr. Hoskyns has put into this book, it is likely to remain the definitive book on 'The Band' and on the early years of rock. The Band pioneered not only music, but many other things. Here were a group of young men that were suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Here was a band that put out two of the most significant albums of our time, and then fell apart.

This book chronicles the interplay between the members of the band that led to their breaking up, it talks about the suicide of Richard Manuel, and of course the life that Rick Danko lived with drugs and pain killers until his fatal heart attack.

This is one of those books that is literally a labor of love by a professional writer of course, but also by a devoted fan.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This revised edition offers a detailed survey of its members, December 13, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Across the Great Divide: The Band and America (Paperback)

George Harrison called The Band 'the best in the history of the universe', and other rock musicians applauded them as well, so it's importantb to note ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE: THE BAND AND AMERICA is essential for any in-depth understanding of the group and it's lasting influence on rock music. This revised edition offers a detailed survey of its members, with the new US edition including a postscript, obituary of Rick Danko, and a new interview with Robbie Robertson, among other features.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch