Told in the same simple, gritty, no-nonsense style for which his drumming is famous, Levon Helm's memoir of his life and times with The Band is heavy on reminiscences of his Arkansas farming childhood. Rock& roll myths are cheerily debunked, backstage shenanigans gleefully recounted, and, perhaps most importantly, old scores--mostly concerning the group's guitarist Robbie Robertson--settled. The latter disagreements give rise to some of the book's most contentious chapters; during its heyday, some band members seem to have had rather too much of a ball, leaving the way open for the ambitious Robertson to allegedly hijack songwriting credits and ultimately split the group up. Tales of the reformed band's forlorn tours in sleazy clubs, the suicide of its brilliant but fragile pianist, Richard Manuel, and the death of its bassist, Rick Danko, are recounted in the same regretful yet matter-of-fact way Helm's kin might have used to describe the effects of tornadoes or floods. In its forthright recounting of an archetypal rock& roll story, THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE is as much a reflection of its author's candid attitude and Arkansas upbringing as of The Band's camaraderie and love of music. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.