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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
If you're looking for great writing, you won't really find it here. Young's narration is scattered, and his prose borders on tedious. However, he's a passionate writer, mixing in heartfelt reminiscences of lost friends and loves, fiery diatribes about his current bugaboo (improving digital music) and meandering hippie daydreams of the spirit life and his mercurial muse.
For Young fans, a must read. For everybody, a curiosity, perhaps, but an inexplicably entrancing one.
For Young fans, a must read. For everybody, a curiosity, perhaps, but an inexplicably entrancing one.
Pretty interesting memoir by Mr.Young, he rambles a fair bit, and is quite honest about himself. Half the book is about his gripe with Apple and compressed digital music. I already pledged for his PONO player and this book was a great endorsement!
I can understand this book being hard for some to get through.
But it feels like you spent a weekend at uncle Neil's and he was feeling open and chatty.
If you love your uncle it's endearing.
It was also nice for me to hear his story of Farm Aid in Kansas City.
I was backstage listening from behind a see-through curtain pondering a multitude of big life moments.
It felt like a magical moment. It did for him as well.
thanks for sharing Neil. thanks for the songs.
But it feels like you spent a weekend at uncle Neil's and he was feeling open and chatty.
If you love your uncle it's endearing.
It was also nice for me to hear his story of Farm Aid in Kansas City.
I was backstage listening from behind a see-through curtain pondering a multitude of big life moments.
It felt like a magical moment. It did for him as well.
thanks for sharing Neil. thanks for the songs.
Neil really needed a good editor. And a ghost writer. And a lot less weed in his life. Ah well. At least he has his music.
eeeeee... as a massive Neil Young fan, I have to say it is a privilege that there exists a memoir written by the man himself. Whatever else you can say, at least you're getting the story in his words and, for what it's worth (no pun intended), I do get a sense that you're getting an accurate self-portrayal. Beyond that though, he makes himself sound like a bit of an idiot and there's too much talk about cars. I'm not even slightly interested in cars. But Neil is, it's his book, and that's fine.
I would've liked for there to have been more insight into the creation of the music - in fact, there was very little that I hadn't learned by reading about him before - but, like when you go to one of his shows, you're going to get what Neil wants to give you. And you should be grateful for it because, if there's one thing that is consistent about anything Neil does, it is that it is on his terms. And his life's work is richer for it.
I'm not giving it 5 stars, and that's partly because I think Neil's work is beyond star ratings. It's also because this isn't a work of literary genius. But why should it be?
I would've liked for there to have been more insight into the creation of the music - in fact, there was very little that I hadn't learned by reading about him before - but, like when you go to one of his shows, you're going to get what Neil wants to give you. And you should be grateful for it because, if there's one thing that is consistent about anything Neil does, it is that it is on his terms. And his life's work is richer for it.
I'm not giving it 5 stars, and that's partly because I think Neil's work is beyond star ratings. It's also because this isn't a work of literary genius. But why should it be?
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
i love neil young.
SO MUCH!
parts of the book i loved and parts i found distracting - mostly the sections where he is talking about his volt car. it was interesting for a while but there was just too much about that in this book. he mentioned that he should write a new book just for his volt car and i think he should!
reading this is, i imagine, like hearing young speak to you. it's disjointed and clunky in its flow but that wasn't such a surprise.
I LOVE NEIL YOUNG!
anyway -- i didn't learn to much new here, but i am glad to have read it.
SO MUCH!
parts of the book i loved and parts i found distracting - mostly the sections where he is talking about his volt car. it was interesting for a while but there was just too much about that in this book. he mentioned that he should write a new book just for his volt car and i think he should!
reading this is, i imagine, like hearing young speak to you. it's disjointed and clunky in its flow but that wasn't such a surprise.
I LOVE NEIL YOUNG!
anyway -- i didn't learn to much new here, but i am glad to have read it.
I'm less than a quarter way thru and already it gets five stars. This thing is a meandering mess of a book. Very little rhyme or reason as to the arrangement of chapters or topics. It's as if Neil just sat down and started writing. Which is exactly what he did! He does admit to having edited a single paragraph but that just makes me wonder what he changed. I am thoroughly enjoying this. I'll report back when I finish, in about another 42 chapters...
(By the way, I'm listening to the audiobook read by Keith Carradine so perhaps his excellent performance is part of my enjoyment. But that makes little difference to me!)
"...I induced dreams in the waking hours to snatch them in their innocence and commit them to song and melody and words captured. ... So now I am in the song machine gone awry. I wander the halls of straightness, not knowing how to hallucinate."
Can this guy write or not!?
(By the way, I'm listening to the audiobook read by Keith Carradine so perhaps his excellent performance is part of my enjoyment. But that makes little difference to me!)
"...I induced dreams in the waking hours to snatch them in their innocence and commit them to song and melody and words captured. ... So now I am in the song machine gone awry. I wander the halls of straightness, not knowing how to hallucinate."
Can this guy write or not!?