Insomnia - by Robbie Robertson (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The rock legend tells the story of his wild ride with Martin Scorcese--as friends, adventure-seekers, and boundary-pushing collaborators--with all the heart of his New York Times bestselling memoir, Testimony. For three decades, Robbie Robertson has produced soundtracks for Martin Scorsese's films, a relationship that began when Robertson convinced Scorsese to direct The Last Waltz, the iconic film of the Band's farewell performance at the Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving 1976. The closing of the Band's story with that landmark concert opened a new door in Robbie Robertson's life--specifically the door to Scorsese's Malibu home. With both men on the outs with their wives, Robertson moved into Scorsese's place, inaugurating a two-year "lost weekend" of wild revelry and adventure. Though both men had already accomplished culture-changing feats, neither had reached thirty-five years of age, and each in his way stood at a creative precipice, searching for the beginning of a new phase of life and work. Their shared journey would take them around the world and down the rabbit hole of American culture in the long hangover of the seventies, a path lined with equal parts hedonism and paranoia, set against the backdrop of the disco-fueled streets of New York and the grand mansions of Mulholland Drive. With a cast of characters featuring Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Sam Peckinpah, and many more, Insomnia is part comedy, part travelogue, echoing the blissed-out ride of Fear and Loathing as taken by two titans of American arts. Insomnia is an intimate portrait of a remarkable creative friendship, one that would explore the outer limits of excess and experience before returning to tell the tale"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The rock legend tells the story of his wild ride with Martin Scorsese--as friends, adventure-seekers, and boundary-pushing collaborators--with all the heart of his New York Times bestselling memoir Testimony.

"A tender portrait of shared adventure and an unflinching reflection on brotherhood, loss and redemption."--The New York Times

For four decades, Robbie Robertson produced music for Martin Scorsese's films, a relationship that began when Robertson convinced Scorsese to direct The Last Waltz, the iconic film of the Band's farewell performance at the Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving 1976.

The closing of the Band's story with that landmark concert thrust Robertson into a new and uncertain world. With his relationship with his bandmates deteriorating and his marriage collapsing, Robertson arrived on Scorsese's Beverly Hills doorstep only to find his friend in similar straits. Before the night was out, Scorsese had invited him to move in. Both men, already culture-transforming stars before the age of thirty-five, stood at a creative precipice, searching for the beginning of a new phase of life and work. As their friendship deepened into a career-altering collaboration, their shared journey would take them around the world and down the rabbit hole of American culture in the long hangover of the seventies. Buffeted on either side by temptation and paranoia, veering closer to self-destruction than either wanted to admit, together they had devoted themselves to a partnership defined by equal parts admiration and ambition.

With a cast of characters featuring Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Federico Fellini, Sophia Loren, Sam Fuller, Liza Minelli, Tuesday Weld, and many more, Insomnia is an intimate portrait of a remarkable creative friendship between two titans of American arts, one that would explore the outer limits of excess and experience before returning to tell the tale.

Review Quotes

"A rollicking account of the pedal-to-the-metal years that followed the [Band's] dissolution. . . . Robertson's speedy narrative eschews the maudlin self-analysis common in books of this stripe, delivering a magpie assemblage of impressions and anecdotes--late-night sound mixing sessions with Scorsese, cocaine-fueled gallivanting, and hobnobbing with famous faces. . . . At the same time, Robertson's sensitive portrait of his friendship with Scorsese--particularly during his addiction-induced hospitalization--provides a potent emotional ballast to the otherwise careening narrative. For rock fans, this is a must."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A pensive, clear-eyed vision of a collapsing world as seen through grimy, rain-streaked windows . . . a pleasure for golden-age rock fans."--Kirkus Reviews

"[This] lively account . . . is a tender portrait of shared adventure and an unflinching reflection on brotherhood, loss and redemption, replete with drug-fueled, all-night movie screenings and raucous cameos by Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro and many more."--Tas Tobey, The New York Times

About the Author

Robbie Robertson was the guitarist and principal songwriter in the Band and had a long career as a solo artist. He produced many movie soundtracks for Martin Scorsese and others. His first memoir, Testimony, was a New York Times bestseller. Robbie Robertson died in 2023.