Author:Barney Hoskyns
Starting out as a backing group for Ronnie Hawkins, before being propelled on to the world stage by Bob Dylan, The Band literally changed the course of music with their first two albums.
Retreating from the psychedelic circus of '60s rock, these four Canadians and one Arkansas boy hid away in upstate New York and steered rock 'n' roll back to its funky rural roots. Today The Band's soulful fusion of country, R&B, gospel, jazz and vaudeville is more revered than ever, exerting a massive influence on everyone from Uncle Tupelo to Ryan Adams.
Across the Great Divide is a vivid and rollicking account of the group's journey. Spanning the entire course of American rock, and boasting a supporting cast that includes Dylan, Janis Joplin and U2, it brilliantly captures the raw magic and complex personalities of these 'musicians' musicians'.
The best band in the history of the universe
—— George HarrisonA fine meditation on the Canadians who mythologised America
—— EsquireIt is the great virtue of Across the Great Divide that Hoskyns has managed to make the less glamorous business of being a band come so alive. The attention to fluctuations in group chemistry and morale, on stage and in the studio, is steeped in the author's engaging fascination with the minutiae of how rock music gets made. It makes for a surprisingly refreshing and admirable read
—— Robert Sandall , Sunday TimesBarney Hoskyns clearly relishes his task. Indulging in the same colloquialisms as his subjects one moment, passing critically astute judgements the next, he takes us from sleazy one-nighters backing up Ronnie Hawkins to high-rolling one-nighters firing up Bob Dylan, and beyond
—— Bobby Surf , NMEImpeccably researched and elegantly written
—— Charlie Gillet, author of The Sound of the City
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