I could have gone forever on Neil Young and his music but at this point I would like to share some notes on the book itself for future readers. And I am glad that he is because I know I will be heartbroken like never before when he is gone. In 2017, Young still goes on strong, releasing new stuff almost at the pace of Buckethead. It must be difficult for him that his 1979 line "it's better to burn out than to fade away", featured in his mega-hit "My My, Hey Hey" and, ironically, in Kurt Cobain's suicide note, still taunts him today - giving that he remains the only survivor in a cut-throat business who claimed lives much younger than his.
You can see during the transcript of his interviews that he really tries hard to bare his soul and that it takes its toll on him. Not that Neil Young consciously tries to make it harder. Fully aware of his frustration and shortcomings, even McDonough finds it reasonable to plea Bob Dylan, who is as enigmatic and tough as Neil Young, to solve the mystery. So, even though this might be the only book that will ever come close to revealing the true nature of Young - since nobody will ever show the patience author Jimmy McDonough has displayed with Young's twist and turns - it still falls short in terms of "peeling the onion" of Neil Young. But overall impression of the book, and the message that it conveys (providing it has one), is that anger and resentment towards Neil would be redundant as you will never know which Neil Young is the real one as he is capable of changing constantly and shifting from one character to another to the detriment of people who are close to him.
#PEARL JAM BOOTLEGS 2018 WITH MISTAKES FULL#
Up until that time Neil Young was my musical hero, and I guess he still is even though some of the things about him that were unbeknownst to me (like his support for Reagan or his comments on gay community during his full "redneck" period) frustrated and disappointed me to a great extent. Reading this book fifteen years after its publishing, with the hindsight about everything that has changed in Young's life (including his recent separation with Pegi, the love of his life during the writing of the book) and knowing that he has recorded fifteen more albums since then (almost equal to the studio catalog discussed in this book) only adds up to the impenetrable, mysterious character of Young - whom I finally had the chance of seeing live on 2014, with his band of misfits Crazy Horse. Perhaps in an ironic way, the book itself is a literary epitome and reflection of Young's music: it's way too long, has its own ups and downs, mostly repetitive and raises questions more than it answers. Shakey, aptly named after one of Neil Young's many aliases "Bernard Shakey", is the most comprehensive book ever written, and most likely will ever be written, about the enigma that is Neil Young - the definitive book, if you will, about this Canadian singer/songwriter.
Perhaps in an ironic way, the book itself is a literary epitome and reflection of Young's music: it's way too long, has its own ups and downs, mostly repetitive and raises questions Pretty inneresting stuff y'know - heh heh heh. Pretty inneresting stuff y'know - heh heh heh. Filled with never-before-published words directly from the artist himself, Shakey is an essential addition to the top shelf of rock biographies.more Jimmy McDonough follows Young from his childhood in Canada to his cofounding of Buffalo Springfield to the huge success of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to his comeback in the nineties. Based on six years of interviews with more than three hundred of Young’s associates, and on more than fifty hours of interviews with Young himself, Shakey is a fascinating, prodigious account of the singer’s life and career. He has never granted a writer access to his inner life – until now.
Based on six years of interviews with more than three hundred of Young’s associates, and on more than fifty hours of interviews with Young himself, Shakey is a fascina Neil Young is one of rock and roll’s most important and enigmatic figures, a legend from the sixties who is still hugely influential today. Neil Young is one of rock and roll’s most important and enigmatic figures, a legend from the sixties who is still hugely influential today.
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