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Title: Shakey: Neil Young's Biography by James McDonough ISBN: 0-679-75096-7 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 13 May, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.65 (91 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Love It, Hate It, SHAKEY is here to stay
Comment: I am a writer--not to mention huge Neil Young fan--and boy, I've never seen a biography that divides people more than this one. It really seemed to have hit a nerve. This is one of the most original--albeit IMPOSSIBLE--books I have ever read. The author tries a lot of stuff, and while it doesn't always work, it is nothing less than fascinating.
Personally I thought he was kind to Carrie Snodgrass (one of many kooky, kooky characters in SHAKEY)--a lot kinder maybe than Neil himself was. And I think he brings Young's world to life by way of a lot of previously unknown facts. I find it funny that some fans are taking McDonough to task for all sorts of minute details while failing to address the bigger picture he creates. Perhaps they are a bit uncomfortable with this brutal but loving portrait? Maybe they are upset that McDonough questions whether Young has (forgive the train ref) any steam left in his caboose these days? Face it--the evidence seems to support him with the half-dozen or so dud albums Young has released in recent years.
Is the book way too long, repitious and sloppy? Yes. Is McDonough sometimes a highly irritating windbag who should keep his endless opinions to his cranky self? Yes. But does the spirit of Neil Young in all his crazy, contrary ragged glory scream from every page? A resounding YES. Love it, hate it, you will never read a portrait of any artist quite like this one.
Rating: 4
Summary: Flawed but fascinating
Comment: This book seems to polarize readers--they usually love it or hate it. I lean toward the former, but it's far from a perfect book. But as a lifelong Neil Young fan, I couldn't put it down, even when it annoyed me. The depth of McDonough's research is impressive, and he comes up with scores of fascinating facts and quotes about Neil's past. I've read books on Young before, and was surprised by how much I *didn't* know about him before reading this book. The accounts of recording sessions--often from David Briggs, engineers, and musicians--provide important insight into the finished products. And they helped me understand why Neil never releases "perfect" albums.
But it's hard to ignore the shift in the tone of the book when the story gets to the point where McDonough entered the picture (late '80s). While earlier in the book the author revealed his opinions on the music, CSNY, Neil's treatment of people in his life, etc., he kept the narrative moving in a relatively objective way. But that gets thrown out the window later, making the book read like two different manuscripts merged awkwardly. The latter part of the book isn't necessarily bad (though I could live without some of the author's more ignorant rants, like saying Pearl Jam is Jethro Tull without the flute), and it's often fun to read his attempts to antagonize Neil by playing devil's advocate, but the more objective biographical account of the first three-quarters of the book is better.
As for Neil the human being--he's an artist, not necessarily a nice person. We already knew that, but this book captures it in much more detail. I came away thinking no less of him (but also no more), but understanding his artistry better. And, his frankness about how the creative muse is not always there is a significant admission that explains some of the weaker periods of his career. For example, though the book was written before their release, I now understand why "Silver and Gold" and "Are You Passionate?" are so tepid compared to his great work--the songwriting well is dry at the moment. Before reading this book, I was positive it was over for Neil...his creative muse was gone for good. Now I'm not so sure. I think it'll come back.
Overall, a worthy book. If you're interested in Neil Young at all, you must read it. You won't love all of it, but it's well worth the time and money.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Harpoon Dodger Who Swims On
Comment: Jimmy McDonough crawled uphill in a hail storm to get this monster biography published. The struggle was well worth it. This exhaustive study of Neil Young's career, though it celebrates the prodigious output of an insanely talented songwriter, never descends to idol worship. McDonough maintains a sharp critical eye throughout, and his unaffected prose is loose, often biting. When covering the Buffalo Sprinfield era, the author justifiably savages the pastiche excesses of "Broken Arrow" while praising the majestic "Expecting to Fly," a song that took Young and Jack Nitzche a whole month to get right. And boy did they ever get it right.
The book digs up "innaresting" dirt on Young's songs and literally drips with atmosphere. You can smell the hippie idyll of Topanga Canyon slowly sour and feel the chemical depravity of sessions dragged down to stupor by honey slides, tequila, and the memory of fallen comrades. Interviews with Young, interspersed throughout the biography, reveal a self-absorbed artist enslaved by his quixotic muse. Changing musicians like they were flannel shirts or guitar strings, Shakey Deal admits to leaving a considerable wake in his tenacious pursuit of the perfect vibe.
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Title:Greendale (Bonus DVD) ASIN: B0000AI44Q Publisher: Warner Brothers Pub. Date: 19 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $14.99 |
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Title:On the Beach ASIN: B00009P1O0 Publisher: Warner Brothers Pub. Date: 19 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $11.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $10.99 |
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Title: Neil and Me - Revised Edition by Scott Young ISBN: 0771090994 Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Pub. Date: 26 April, 1997 List Price(USD): $21.99 |
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Title: Journey Through the Past: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs of Neil Young by Nigel Williamson ISBN: 0879307412 Publisher: Backbeat Books Pub. Date: 10 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title:Tonight's the Night ASIN: B000002KCC Publisher: Warner Brothers Pub. Date: 25 October, 1990 List Price(USD): $17.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $14.99 |
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