View from the Bottom: 50 Years of Bass Playing with Bob Dylan, The Doors, Miles Davis and Everybody Else

by Harvey Brooks, Frank Beacham, Bonnie Brooks

HARVEY BROOKS first came to the public’s attention when he played on the classic Bob Dylan album Highway 61 Revisited, released in 1965 to great acclaim. Since then he has played with everyone from Miles Davis to Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Electric Flag, Al Kooper, John Cale and many others. This is his story, told from his own perspective, which includes first-hand accounts of such historical events as the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, as well as his esteemed career as a sought-after studio musician and staff producer for Columbia Records.

Genres: Music

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2020

Reviews

[Tom Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bass player in my band lent me this book. He took lessons with Harvey for a bit. We met him opening up for The Fabulous Rhinestones here in Connecticut. Kal David was the lead singer/guitarist and we loved going out to see, or opening up for this great East Coast band out of Woodstock, NY.

I knew a bit of Harvey's credentials, but, obviously not the amazing stories that he lays down in his book. First off, it was great to hear about those early years in New York growing up. The Brill Building, all the studios, folk music scene that turned into rock, and all the famous NYC clubs with jams sessions with the caliber of Jimi Hendrix... on & on. Wow. It makes ya wanna go back and relive it.

Harvey being born around 1944 is very similar in age to many other ground breaking artists. I've read the biographies of Clapton, Keith Richards, Townsend, Steven Tyler and more. Tyler was NYC, the three aforementioned Brits were Londoners. It seems growing up in major cities with a mid 40's birthdate gave your passion for music a huge chance to be successful. It was the perfect timing to be included in the history and the birth of Rock.

One passing mention is Tim Hardin. I did get to sit in front of Tim Hardin as a very young man at a coffee shop in New Haven (coffee shops are all ages. Nice). Just him and a pianist playing a Wurlitzer. I've never forgotten the feel of that scene, where total focus was on our intimate moments with the folk performer and his music. As a lifetime, live, working musician, this great coffee shop vibe would never be close to my years in rock clubs, where a bands music seemed merely the dance beat to get drunk and ultimately get laid. A couple paragraphs down I revisit drinking and drugs.

Not being too familiar, or a big fan of many of the musicians Harvey worked with, I had to YouTube some of them to get a feel. Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravesites (Electric Flag) were some of those, plus I was never a big Dylan fan. Doors, Mom Cass, Hardin, Al Kooper, Seals & Crofts, yes, I was a fan.

It was great to see local friend, singer and club owner Lefty Foster mentioned. It wasn't so great to hear of all the drinking and drugs that have ruined so many lives. Every rock biography on film or in print has so many of these never ending stories about endless parties and falling from grace with friends or fans... many times ending in death. Sad to say, but unfortunately, it is a huge part of modern everyday life :(

Harvey's life is full from top to... yes, bottom. He lived much of his life a loner, but fills in the later bits with his wife and soulmate Bonnie. Happy ending.
I appreciated the little tips at the end about being a good studio musician with your bass playing. "View from the Bottom" is a great statement to early rock history, being on the road and in the studio. Anyone who is a fan of the era of music will enjoy the inside scoop. Tape Rolling... rock on

[Carl J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezy read

Harvey seems like a nice man and of course his musical gifts have given him an interesting life and career, which she shares in straightforward fashion in this book. Read it for the tales from the music-biz trenches and his warm-hearted personal anecdotes. Rock and blues fans won’t be disappointed. And bass players and other musicians will be particularly interested in what he has to share along the way.

[jboyg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Master Bass Player's Life Story

At times boring and than fascinating, Harvey Brooks' bio is a Zelig-like trip through some of rock and jazz finer moments of the past six decades, including stints with Dylan, al Kooper, miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix and hundreds of others. I've always been a fan of his playing and for the most part really enjoyed this book.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three in a row for the music and musicians of my era. This is another candid auto bio and another realistic description of the scene of that time. Again my reviews of my two previous books have much in common with this. It's nice to read a book about a musician and not to get a lot of glorified crap and all three of these books delivered honest and candid pictures of the the time.

[Tony Sannicandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book that tells the story of one of the greatest bass players of our time. Who knew that rock musicians were real people? They are just like the rest of us. Here is the story of one of the “back line” who made it out in one piece!

[David Brimer · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

Despite the help of other writers, this biography comes off as amateurish, which isn’t that big of a deal considering it was written by a bass player not known for his writing. Harvey was around during some the 1960’s best recordings, and his insight is worth reading. Just don’t expect too much.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at 60s music scene Dylan Bloomfield Kooper and the rest .Entertaining and informative reading.