Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

A 'must' for any popular music library, especially collections appealing to Neil Young fans!
Neil Young: Long May You Run is a visual and critical tribute to the songwriter and his music, offering a lavish biography packed with over 400 photos including rare posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, and tickets stubs. It follows Young's life from his childhood to his latest music achievements and is a 'must' for any popular music library, especially collections appealing to Neil Young fans!

Impressive overview of Neil Young's career
"Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History"
Written by Daniel Durchholz & Gary Graff
(Voyageur Press, 2010)
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This is an impressive, lavishly designed coffee-table book devoted to the career of rock iconoclast Neil Young, from his early garage-rock roots in Canada through his LA rockstar years and more recent elevation to grunge-rock elder. The book mixes a linear historical narrative with sidebars about various feuds, love affairs and creative ventures, as well as testimonials from numerous musicians who express their appreciation for Young's talent and artistic integrity. There are also copious photographs and an astonishing array of Neil Young memorabilia -- ticket stubs, showbills, concert posters, highschool photos and other obscure items -- all drawn together in a well-designed graphic format. Predictably, the writing lapses into rock journalism formulae, but nonetheless I found it cogent and engaging -- I hadn't expected to read the book from start to finish, but was pleasantly pulled in, and certainly learned a lot about Young's career and creative arcs. (He was a Reaganite conservative in the 1980s?Who woulda thunk it?)It's a very good overview of a very complicated person, and is fairly honest and critical in its appraisal of his artistic triumphs and shortfalls.

This book will inevitably be compared to Jimmy McDonough's 2003 biography, "Shakey" (which I haven't read) but I don't think there's any need for a competition between the two; this tome is impressive in its own right, and will definitely please many a fan, particularly with the strong visual design and extensive archival materials. Check it out.(DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue book reviews)

A must-have for any Neil Young fan!
Long May You Run is, quite simply, a must-have for any Neil Young fan. Authors Daniel Durchholz and Gary Graff have done a magnificent job of chronicling Mr. Young's career, and the format of this book is very accessible and visually stunning.

The main section of the book consists of eight chapters that cover specific periods of Young's career (for example, "The Gold Rush, 1968-1972"). The material here is truly a delight, whether you sit down and read the chapters in order or just pick up the book and enjoy pages at random. The photos--many of them rare--are breathtaking, and the shots of concert posters, tickets, memorabilia, and "all things Neil Young" are lots of fun to look at. Also very enjoyable are the many feature essays within the chapters ("Train of Love: Travels on the Lionel Line," "Cowgirls in the Sand: Neil Young's Female Collaborators," and "Aerosmith's Joe Perry on Neil Young," to name just a few).

Following the eight main chapters, you get a wealth of additional information. First off is a comprehensive four-part discography, which includes Young's work as a band member or solo artist; singles; work as a guest artist; and tribute albums. Then comes a selected filmography, a terrific guide to Neil's primary sidemen, and a list of resources. Great stuff, for sure.

The icing on the cake, though, is the incredible presentation of everything. Voyageur Press gets an A++ for their beautiful, aesthetically pleasing design. Every page of this book is like a work of art, making it a tome you'll want to leave out on your coffee table for everyone to enjoy. Kudos to Durchholz, Graff, and Voyageur Press for a job well done! If you're a Neil Young fan, you must have this book!

Great Collectible book
For Neil Young fans or just fans of the history of Rock, this is a great resource and a great bargain.

Neil Young-Long May You Run
Awesome Book,buy it.You won't be disappointed.Keep On Rockin' In The Free World.Steven ... Read more

Product Description
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. 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 fascinating, prodigious account of the singer’s life and career. 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. Filled with never-before-published words directly from the artist himself, Shakey is an essential addition to the top shelf of rock biographies.Amazon.com Review
Cantankerous and secretive, Neil Young has banished authors from his inner sanctum--until now. In Shakey, Jimmy McDonough distills more than 300 interviews (including guarded yet revealing interrogations of Young himself) into the definitive biography: the skyrocket success, willful disasters, health horrors and triumphs, stunning comebacks, and highly colorful scuffles with equally impossible characters like Stephen Stills, David Crosby, and the incompetent yet brilliant musicians of Crazy Horse. Young is not quite the noble soul some thought--he's an astounding control freak. But he is never less than fascinating. "As ruthless as I may seem to be," Young tells McDonough, "you gotta do what ya gotta do. Just like a f-----' vampire. Heh heh heh." --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (133)

Love that Neil
Been a huge fan of Neil for more than 40 years.Learned a ton of new stuff about Neil and his family.Also lots of great input from former band mates like the folks from CSN.Some great old photos are included.This is a fairly long read but well worth it in my humble opinion.

Is this the best Neil Young biography we can expect?
Neil Young deserves a better biography than this massive pile of offal. The obnoxious author insists on inserting himself and his less than insightful critical assessments into every step of Neil Young's life. The man possess not one ounce of objectivity. While I have a lot of respect for Neil Young and love many of his earlier songs (which constitute much of what I have heard of him), I have never been a fanatic. This lack of fanaticism has limited my degree of fascination with his musical journey and I must admit that the book would be more compelling if I were a devotee. However, I suspect that even if I were one of the major Neil Young fans on the planet, I would be disappointed in this book. It contains some interesting biographical information and it illuminated my lack of knowledge of most things Young. That, coupled with my stubborn insistence not to give up on any book once I get past the half-way point, is the primary reason I plowed through to the end. This author is entitled to his opinion (which includes a dismissal of virtually all of Crosby, Stills & Nash's work together and with Young, not to mention considering their own solo work inconsequential) but his arrogance not only regarding Young's contemporaries but also Young himself is truly repellent. The book possesses a journeyman prose style and a Gonzo-like "Aren't I hip?" self-consciousness that prompts one to seek someone with a more reasonable, even-handed assessment. I recommend the book only for those who really want to know the essential facts of Neil Young's life although, to be honest, one could save time and suffer negligible lack of insight into what makes Young tick, by consulting a Wikipedia article.

Shakey may be the title but it isn't
It has been so neat to revisit my earlier years and pull out my old albums and listen to the songs as the book talks about them.I have gone on you tube and looked some up as well and found others recording versions of Neil's work.I love it.I'm young again!
Joanne Lyons, author of It's About Time!: It's All About Time ...Time, Love, And Tenderness (Volume 1)

Very late
I ordered the book months ago and it just arrived yesterday. I don't know what to say.

a long rewarding read - for fans only
The first part of the book is just plain repetitive, made me feel like I was reading an old newspaper (maybe because it's choke-full of references to CSNY which is not what I wanted to learn about). I put the book down after 300 pages of it and didn't pick it up for 2 years.

I then took the book from the shelf again - I'm one of those poor souls who can't let a book then until I get to the last page, whatever the amount of time it tkaes .

Second half of the book was getting better all the time, maybe because the writer's pen got sharper during the 6 years it took him to finish writing it, maybe because it focused on the part of Neil Young's work I know much better, the songs I love, the decades I've been through, the songs that relate to events that mattered to me - I didn't want the story to stop.

And it does, in 2000, leaving me with a sense of curiosity about what Neil is doing today and what was his life in a post 9/11 world - even though the book/Neil (?) is so apolitical I wonder if it would have been mentioned.

The book is an accumulation of facts and inquiries and digging in archives and description of major life events (his childhood, his relation with his parents, his love affairs, his unstability in friendship, in health, etc) with interviews of Neil reacting on the bits...he felt like reacting upon.

The man is a bit less of a mystery now.

One more thing : don't read the book if you're looking for song interpretations (I was craving to find those),it now seems obvious that the meaning of some of them have been forgotten ("blame" the drugs for helping him compose them), some of them he doesn't care about anymore, some of them he will take to his grave. And the rest is up there, blowing in the wind. ... Read more

Product Description
Scott Young chronicles his son’s early years in and around Toronto and Winnipeg and his rise from journeyman, musician to superstar in the 1960s and 1970s. The frequent occasions when Scott and Neil’s paths have crossed – from backstage meetings and family get-togethers to a sold-out appearance at Carnegie Hall – give a fascinating portrait of an enigmatic star.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Poorly written, for an "Author"!
I can understand Scott Young's failure as a writer having read the opening pages of this biography.
Not only does this seem to be much more a biography of Scott Young, rather than Neil Young, the writing is awkward and the editing is poor.

Not worth spending my money on.....

Unsatisfying Biography
I was glad to see the childhood pictures of Neil as well as pictures of his family and learn a bit about what he was like as a youngster.

I think Neil Young is a genius and his music resonates with me just as much as it did in the 70's.I can also tell what a fine man he is.

For me, Scott Young spoiled the book by insinuating his own accomplishments and life into the book to the point it was a bio about him as much as Neil Young.It might not have annoyed me so much except that his personality bothered me with ongoing whining about how he had to pay alimony to 2 different women... - this all throughout the book.The author's way of thinking comes through the entire length of the book as always looking out for 'Number One' and making certain to 'stay in' with his hugely talented son and those people Neil cares about.

I now know a bit more about Neil Young and a great deal about Scott Young.For instance his writing career, his 3 wives, his interest in sports.How he one time lent Neil $400 and never got back some second hand stuff he lent him.How Neil's mother Rassi did not have the dignity to refuse alimony when poor Scott suddenly had still more alimony to pay to his 2nd wife.How he got married a 3rd time - as though this is in some way - interesting to someone reading a Neil Young bio.

I think a biographer should attempt to stay respectfully in the background and give as much description as possible about the exciting parts of his subject's life.

Good stuff
This book was very entertaining and fun to read. Very informative from a very cool point of view.

great reading
I bought this for my husband as he is a Neil Young fan.So far he is very pleased with it.

Fascinating psychological artifact
The first thing you must know about this book:Scott Young adores his son.This adoration pours out in every mention of Neil, whether he's breeding chickens or playing Carnegie Hall.Whether the senior Young was quite so emotional about his other children or not, it's really touching.

The book is utterly unique, as far as I can tell: with the exception of A.A. Milne, fathers just don't seem to write biographies of their children, much less legendary newspapermen of exceedingly legendary rock stars.You do get the Neil Young story in this book, with most of the milestones carefully included, but it's far less interesting than the story of the Young family from its beginnings and its contortions and realignments over the years.

Don't pick this up because you think it will let you understand Neil Young -- even the most milquetoast of men is ultimately unfathomable to others, and NY's inner landscape is craggy and forbidding indeed -- but if you want an account of one family's life, go ahead!

It's appropriate to the man that the two worthwhile biographies (this, by Neil's father, and Shakey, by Jimmy McDonough) of Neil Young have extremely unreliable narrators.This isn't to say that either is intentionally deceptive or misleading, but both have such powerful feelings about Young that their books say more about who they see Neil as (Scott as the caring family man who wants simplicity, JMcD as a chronic deal-breaker and hellraiser) than who he actually is (somewhere in the boundary layer, I'd bet).It's something that Neil himself might well savor. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Neil Young
Astrid Young has written a fanstastic book, She also has shared her persnol prospectives about her famous brother Neil and the entire Young family.

Astrid Young Gives us a much better read un-like writers who are not related to the famous. It's honest,wittey and very truthful. I can only hope that Astrid Young will write more for us readers in the future.

If you are a bio freak like me then this book will do. Included are some nice black&white pictures.

Keep On Rockin & Writeing Astrid...

Cheers Rick Glenn

A Sleeper
You may start into this book thinking that you have stumbled upon an unfortunate example of a book written by the sibling of a world superstar, trying to grab for herself a little piece of the big time.But by the time you finish it, and I hope that you do, you'll have changed your mind.

Astrid Young, half-sister of the legendary Neil Young and sixteen years his junior, has carved out, in "Being Young," her own rightful place in American, and Canadian, culture.The writing is certainly inconsistent, however, as one continues through the book, the literary quirkiness actually becomes a part of its, and her, charm.I had recently read Jim McDonough's "Shakey: Neil Young's Biography."McDonough's lengthy (786 p.) tome covers the gamut, includes many hours of Neil Young interviews, more foul language than one may have thought could be fitted into a single book (but hey, hey, my, my [sorry] 99% of it was in the form of direct quotes), and an immense amount of fascinating behind the scenes stuff that both enraged and endeared the reader to the great singer/songwriter/musician.And as Astrid Young states quite clearly, her book was in no way intended to add more to the Neil Young lore per se.

"Being Young" is two books, in many ways.She weaves an almost self-centered and at times immature tell-all, with IMHO a very real personal take on the world in her time: the deep beauty and craziness that can be found in California, dropping in and out of the Neil Young touring empire, life on the road, the innocence of starting out anew in America with hopes for her own performing career, personal hurts about which she shows remarkable candor, and ultimately returning to her roots in Canada.

There are places in the book where I wished that Ms. Young would have provided the reader with a few hints as to the insider lingo in the music- and wine-businesses, but if I want to I can always go look some of that stuff up myself.I also found it fascinating that she seemed perfectly willing to name names (and call some of these people names) with abandon.Hope that none of them are too spiteful....

Graham Greene, as I recall, said, about art, (and I paraphrase here) the important question really is, "out of what sort of life does it arise?".[Greene's biography itself is entitled "A Sort of Life."]As I was heading into the home stretch with Astrid Young's book, Greene's idea kept popping into my mind.So, what sort of person was I reading here?Astrid Young seems like the type of person I would like to know as a friend, someone I could trust, someone who may be a tad rough around the edges, but someone who is, without a doubt, very real.

Yes, I'm a big Neil Young fan.I'm now also a fan of his sister, Astrid Young.

if you're a Young fan, this is a good one
i think the guy who posted that other 'review' is so wrong, and obviously not really a fan. the young family has contributed a lot to rock and journalism history and i think this book is an amazing contribution ... great stories, great storytelling, and i think a fun read for anyone who wants to be engaged by the author - it hooks you right from the start. as for astrid young herself, she's hardly had an 'unsuccessful' career, and though she's more of a cult status artist compared to her brother, i love her CD's, even the 30 or so that she's only sang back-up on. the music is haunting and lovely. it's nice to know more about her in her own words. i read this book in a single sitting and would highly recommend it to anyone i know, fan or not!

BeingA Backup Singer
Boring! Even though the bookjacket has a picute of Neil on it Ms. Young's book is mainly about herself.Her reaction to 9-ll, her relationships, and her unsuccessful singing carrer.The only interesting parts are when she's on tour with Neil singing backup. ... Read more

Product Description
16 of Neil Young's classics arranged for easy piano, including: After the Goldrush * Cinnamon Girl * Harvest Moon * Heart of Gold * Hey Hey, My My * Old Man * Rockin' in the Free World * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Some of the best Neil Young tunes...
Some of the best Neil Young tunes here-in .....well-made with decent notation to fiddle around with my meager keyboard skills which equals hours of enjoyment.

While true Neil Young fans know his treasure-rich songwriting career encompasses many many fine tunes not in this collection, it's difficult to find much fault in these sixteen beauties. (I am lucky to have purchased both "On the Beach" and "Zuma" songbooks for piano/guitar when available in the 70's)

Greatist Hits starts with "Down by the River"; easy to hear the plaintive cry of lost love. But I also wonder if Neil's choices of chords/melody were a direct or otherwise influence when Pink Floyd's group effort "Breathe" came out a few years later? Inneresting, but as Neil says onstage, "It's all the same song!"

Well, if you like the music of Neil Young, buy this and mess around with the music (whether you can read notes on the music staff or not isn't critcal)to see which chords are played in first position, and which aren't. Listen carefully enough from the "way it sounds" vs.the recordings; then you can consider the songbook purchase a substitute for a few piano lessons and learn to pick out some great tunes.

Awesome guitar chord book with lyrics
I love Neil Young and this book has all the best songs he has written.It's got a nice easy to read layout.Of course it is still too advanced for my limited skills but I'm working on that!I can follow it well enough and once I get the chord progressions down it will be nice to have the music.Great book at a great price. ... Read more

Product Description
This series of biographies, longtime favorites of young readers, now add the first new titles in over 20 years. Rich or poor, great American men and women lived out childhoods as vastly different as the adults they became. Here young readers will learn about the early years of the first person to step foot on the moon, a historic feat he described as "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Childrens history books
I think that these books are a great way to get kids interested in the people who helped shape our country to what it is today, our freedom, power and our faith. It is simple, easy reading for about second-third grade beginning level. They are full of fun interesting things about the person. I think the whole set of these books should be in every library especially at elementary schools. I myself have enjoyed them and learned alot I didn't learn when I was in school.

Great book!
This book is great! The book has a lot of information about Neil Armstrong. You can learn a lot about airplanes! I felt like I was in the story. I think you will feel like you are in the story too!
I strongly recommed this book!

Simon. 7 years old.

Neil Armstrong : Young Flyer
I had to read this book for a book report, and it was very full of good information.It was easy to read, and I finished it quickly ... Read more

Product Description
Neil Young will turn 60 in 2005. Kevin Chong will turn 30. To celebrate these two milestones, Chong sets off on a road trip in search of his boyhood hero. Crisscrossing the continent, he visits Winnipeg, where Young formed his first band; Toronto, where Young was a Yorkville folkie; Los Angeles, where he became a star with Buffalo Springfield; and other noteworthy stops before ending up in Seattle, where he finally sees Neil Young on stage. Along the way he spars with rabid Neil fans, talks to people who knew Young as a kid, and puzzles over Young’s strange, sometimes contradictory pronouncements on such topics as digital music, the environment, AIDS, and Ronald Reagan. More than just an entertaining account of Chong’s journey, Neil Young Nation is a celebration of rock and roll, contrarianism, the allure of the road, being cool, and aging gracefully.Amazon.com Review
While some may be forgiven for assuming that Neil Young Nation is yet another in a crowd of Neil Young biographies, this is neither among those officially sanctioned (Shakey, Don't Be Denied) nor an unauthorized facts-be-damned waste of paper. Never having met with or spoken to the man whose name forms the title (and not wanting to, for fear his role model might be a jerk on such an occasion), Kevin Chong has written a Neil Young book that is less a biography than a memoir: upon turning 29, after spending three years creating a manuscript (for a different book) that no publisher wanted, Chong decided to stop writing fiction, and looked to Neil Young--a man who has succeeded on his own terms--for inspiration on what to do next.

Chong hatched a plan to take a road trip with three friends (Geoff, Dave, and Mark), retracing the journey Young made in early 1966, when he left Canada behind to meet up with Stephen Stills in Los Angeles, where they found immediate fame with their new band Buffalo Springfield. Along the way, Chong interviewed people who had known Young at the early stages of his musical career: former band members, classmates, girlfriends, and others. While well-referenced, what makes the book most rewarding is the dry, self-deprecating humor shared by the author and his traveling companions: "It often seemed to me that Dave and Mark lived in a parallel universe where pretty female strangers, when asked for directions, offered their services as tour guides. On certain levels, I hate them." Equally refreshing is Chong's unwillingness to gloss over some of his hero's questionable attitudes and behaviour regarding relationships and politics, pointing out many contradictions throughout his career but never letting them interfere with his respect for the music and the man. --Eric Wilson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

From a Rustie Wanna-Be
Chong's book is well-written and really speaks to the sort of Young fan I am myself...a long-time fan who loves many periods, but isn't of the obsessive must-have-every-bootleg variety. I enjoyed riding with Chong on his adventure and learning a little bit more about my favorite artist in the process. I even filled in some gaps in my collection after reading this book. Hey, I got Re-ac-tor and Trans when they first came out. How could I never have heard Zuma before? Thank you, Kevin!!

A survey of his findings about Neil Young, rock music, and encounters Neil had with fans and fellow musicians along the way.
Neil Young is one of the most popular musicians of modern times and has enjoyed decades of fame in the rock world, producing consistently outstanding lyrics and sounds. NEIL YOUNG NATION is more than just a review of his life, however: author Kevin Chong set off on a road trip to research his subject, following the places which influenced Young's music: NEIL YOUNG NATION is at once an account of Chong's personal journey as well as a survey of his findings about Neil Young, rock music, and encounters Neil had with fans and fellow musicians along the way.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

On the road with Neil Young
The book's subtitle, A Quest, An Obsession (and a True Story) sums up author Kevin Chong's yearning to discover what it really means to be a dedicated Neil Young fan and his desire to stay youthful and passionate.
"Most of my friends were grown-ups. I didn't count myself among them," Chong writes in his introduction. And later, he confesses his "inability to grow up". Citing what Young calls "reckless abandon" to describe the way he makes his music, Chong states that's what he wants "in my life, in my art".
So, straight up you know this is self-indulgent navel gazing. But don't be put off. There's much more to Neil Young Nation.
Turning 30 the same year Neil Young turns 60, Chong decides to commemorate the two milestones with a road trip with three space-cake munching mates, tracing old Shakey's footsteps from Canada to California.
The pilgrimage by the four adventurers follows the zig-zag trail that Young took in a converted black hearse: Winnipeg, where the country rocker formed his first band, the Squires; Omeemee, Young's childhood home, the "town in north Ontario" he sings about in his sweet song, Helpless; and Los Angeles, where Young found rock 'n' roll fame.
In his peregrinations Chong visits many of his idol's former haunts. He meets other Young obsessives, people who knew Young years ago, including a vice-principle at his old high-school, a former manager of a caf? where Young made his solo debut, and a woman who made the 1966 hearse trek with Young.
The author avoids sloppy sentimentality or embarrassing hero worship. His obsession is kind of scholarly, sifting flotsam and jetsam along the journey for clues, like an archaeological sweep.
Chong uses the subject of his ideal escapism as the reference point, and by journey's end what he has gleaned about Young has also taught him a few things, too, especially about cool and aging gracefully. But, most importantly, choose passion over precision.
Chong, of course, makes liberal use of Young's lyrics through his book, selecting the most appropriate places. There is a discography at the back as well as references and source notes.
Neil Young Nation, thankfully, is not just another biography to add to the half-dozen or so already published, not to mention the scores ofweb sites dedicated to Young.
This is a road book: part biography; part personal essay; part adventure tale. And it adds up to a rollicking, sometimes funny, good-time read. It goes without saying, a must-read for Rusties (obsessive Young fans). Three-and-a-half stars.

a long, strange (but great) trip
Maybe it's because I'm almost 30 years old myself and, like the author, at the crossroads between my freewheeling 20's and the more domestic 30's. Maybe it's because I've thought about making trips to Ontario to see my musical hero's hometown just for fun, and never done it. Whatever it is, this book connected with me. Thankfully, the book is a lot less about Neil Young than it is about a road trip with friends and the experiences they've had along the way. I say thankfully because I've read enough biographical books on Neil, including the extensive, 700-page or whatever "Shakey," by Jimmie McDonough, which is great, by the way. While Chong does get into some history of Young's musical life during the road trip from Canada to LA, I actually found myself enjoying the parts most where it was just Chong and his buddies, Geoff, Dave and Mark, talking about random stuff in the car or while having some beers with locals at various taverns along the way. A modern, sarcastic road trip tale not too much unlike that of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," without the rambling, random lunacy of the Dean character. The book should connect especially with those in the 25-35 range, even if they're not huge Neil Young fans. A must-read for any big Neil fan, however. There's even numerous mentions of meetings with "Rusties" around the country.

college reminiscing
As I approach my 25th year college reunion, this book brought me back to those college days where we thought it was so cool to go to Cy Young's house to speak with the people who live there now.We made precious films about "gazing globes" (those strange balls that sit atop cement stands in gardens all over the midwest).I guess more than anything, this book describes the path you can take if you wish to become a true member of the hidden, authentic Neil Young fan society.Most of the truly informative bits I was able to glean from 4 Way Street: The Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Reader by David Zimmer.But it was a good transport back to those college days when you wanted desperately to be on the "in" of a hip, secret society. ... Read more

Product Description
"Greendale" is based on Neil Young's critically acclaimed 2003 album and 2004 film of the same name. Many have referred to the album as a "rock novel" which explores the effects of crime, media, consumerism and environmental issues on the Green family in the sheltered small Northern California town of Greendale.

Even for politically active teenage girls, Sun Green has always been different. There's been talk that the Green family women had great powers in concert with nature, but Sun herself never really wondered too much about it. Then, in the fall of 2003, as the nation gallops blindly into war, a Stranger appears in her hometown of Greendale, and everything starts going to hell. In an effort to overcome the pain the Stranger brings, Sun unearths the mystery of the Green family women, and in doing so, finds her own inherent power, not just to confront the Stranger, but to confront the mounting injustice of the world outside of Greendale as well.Amazon.com Review
Look Inside Neil Young's Greendale

Your Fight is Coming View larger

Just a Stopover View larger

I Have to Go View larger

Where Things Tilted View larger

The Fabric of Youth View larger

Product Description
Neil Young's musical evolution has been as versatile as rock itself: pioneering country-rocker with Buffalo Springfield; seminal folk-rocker with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; gentle acoustic guitarist; crashing hard rock electric guitarist; grunge prototype; and good-times rock 'n' roller. This cerebral singer/songwriter has penned unforgettable melodies, harmonies, and lyrics, portraying plaintive sadness, lilting warmth, and ragged anguish with his unmistakable tenor voice. Offering detailed analyses of this idiosyncratic musician's songs and the stories behind them, this book examines all of Young's key albums from 1967 to 2000, including such milestones as After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Tonight's the Night, Rust Never SLeeps, Harvest Moon, Silver & Gold, and many others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not worth reading at all!
The author doesn't really know all that much about what he's writing about, and like the other reviewer commented, entire albums and songs are deemed not worthy of exploration. If I had wanted to read critiques of Neil's songs I would have bought a book of critiques. In retrospect buying this book was a mistake anyway because the songs of tell their own stories and part of what makes them so magical is that they are ambiguous. If you listen to Neil Young you know what you like or don't and derive your own meanings from the lyrics that will be much better than this author's lame explanations and ramblings. Do yourself a favor and buy Shakey: Neil Young's Biography if you want some insight. It's an excellent read if you're a fan and gives much better insight to the possible inspiration behind some of the songs.

This book is terrible...
Not only is this book full of typos, its full of blatantly false information, most notable is the assertion that Neil stopped playing "Hey Hey My My" after Kurt Cobain quoted it in suicide note.I have personally seen him play that song at least 5 times since then and before this book was published.I have also read several interviews in which Neil dicounted the stories that he stopped playing it.There are numerous other errors that any serious Neil fan would clearly pick up on.Did the author do any research? Or did he just write on what he thought his personal knowledge was.

Secondly, alot of the stories or assertions behind the meanings of songs, seem to be just speculation, such as perhaps it means this or perhaps it means this.It would be better if the author actually delved into the circumstances under which the song was written.

I also don't like the clear personal bias and thoughts from the author.Instead of reading like a volume of information it reads like one mans opinions of the quality and meanings of Neil Young songs.

If it weren't for the full colour glossy photos (which someone else pointed out are sometimes reversed showing Neil playing guitar left handed!) this book wouldnt be worth the 3.99 I paid for it from the bargain bin at my local bookstore.

Just Okay
First of all, did anyone proof read this book?There are typos on almost every page.Also, a thesaurus would have come in handy.If I had to read the words "Canon" or "Pastiche" one more time I would have had to gouge my eyes out.Also, the pictures are inverted, showing Neil and others playing guitar left handed.The information in this book is interesting, but it's all rehashed from other sources.Skip this one and buy "Shakey".

Some personal bias, but otherwise a great book
I give this book four stars instead of five because the author tends to write off entire albums as [bad] not bother giving the songs adequate review space, especially "Re-Ac-Tor" and "Hawks and Doves," which I think are two of Young's best albums.In fact, the author doesn't like much of anything Young did in the 80s, except "This Note's For You," and this is largely due to his own personal biases (sp?) against the content and genres of the albums.Other than that, this is a adequately insightful book about Neil Young's songs, and I do enjoy it.Anyone who's interested in how his songs came to be written should get this book without hesitation; just be prepared for some of your favorite albums to take a beating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not lame, for beginners...
I am a beginner guitar player, and I don't find this book lame. I think it provides basic chords for strumming that are nice for a beginner like me who just wants to be able to play some songs and sing along and feel good about playing guitar. The song selection is very good, though there are a few more I wish it had. Overall, I like the book very much.

lame!
The transcriptions in this book are horrid! It only has chords, no solos or anything. Do not buy this book! Your better off to check out tabs on the net. ... Read more

Product Description
Now even beginning guitarists can play 16 Neil Young classics! Includes easy arrangements in notes and tab for: After the Gold Rush * Cinnamon Girl * Harvest Moon * Heart of Gold * Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) * Like a Hurricane * Old Man * Rockin' in the Free World * Southern Man * and more, plus photos and lyric sheets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Having Fun - Great songs
Neil's songs in this collection are a blast to play using the Easy Guitar Tab.Although I miss the rich tone and extended solos that more advanced guitar tab includes, this collection allows me to play the melody and just enough of the songs with my current skill level to really enjoy playing the tunes.I loved learning to play one of the short solos on "Like a Hurricane" by memory, which let's me "feel" the music.Thank you, Hal Leonard for a job well done. ... Read more

Product Description
This fantastic collection offers fingerpicking arrangements in notes and tab for 16 Neil Young classics! Includes: After the Gold Rush * Cinnamon Girl * Harvest Moon * Heart of Gold * Helpless * Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) * Like a Hurricane * Ohio * Old Man * Rockin' in the Free World * Southern Man * and more, plus a helpful introduction to fingerstyle guitar and loads of photos, design pages, and lyric sheets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

My,My,Hey,Hey!
These are fun and accessible arrangements of these great songs. You can't beat the price and if you add a 2nd player on rhythm they can be even more fun! ... Read more

Product Description

Neil Young cannot be simply labeled.He has recorded as a solo artist, as a member of a hard rock trio, and with numerous other musician configurations. He can move from the soft sounds of early 1970s acoustic folk to the distorted, fuzz guitar sound of Crazy Horse. And his compositions have responded to musical trends from punk rock to grunge, and to social issues like racism, the Vietnam War, and the war in Iraq as well. The Words and Music of Neil Young follows the evolution of Young's musical work from the late 1960s to the present, with special focus on the enduring elements that have made his music successful.

Individual chapters cover Young's musical output album by album, and song by song—from his debut work with Buffalo Springfield, to his time with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, to his solo work within various genres and for various causes (some political, but all artistic). In his conclusion, author Ken Bielen sums up Neil Young's accomplishments and places his work in the context of contemporary culture.

Customer Reviews (2)

THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THE COVER PHOTO!
Maybe I expected all the lyrics. (The book is too small to have all the music sheets.) Having all the lyrics would've been a big plus. But all the information the author needed to write this book was all the albums and the liner notes - and that's about all you get, besides some guessing as to what Neil means in some of his lyrics. There's no interviews with Neil, his band members or studio musicians -none of that. There may be a tidbit of information here and there tossed in. But that's it. If you are a big fan of Neil Young and have the recordings anf the liner notes, then you have this book. And being the intelligent listener that you probably are (by listening to Neil in the first place), you've already thought about what the lyrics mean - you certainly won't find any answers in this book. Maybe I should toss off one of these books, this one seems to have been very easy to write. A bunch of liner notes and some speculation as to what the lyrics mean. Has anyone written The Words and Music of Kinky Friedman yet?

Chronicling his life album by album
A legend in the field of music for over four decades. "The Words and Music of Neil Young" is a complete and comprehensive examination of the times and life of the artist. Chronicling his life album by album, "The Words and Music of Neil Young" covers all of the artist's popular and unpopular moves as a solo artist or part of his many groups over the years. Enhanced with a discography and extensive bibliography, "The Words and Music of Neil Young" is highly recommended to community library music collections and fans of the man in general. ... Read more

Product Description
Titles include: Country Girl
* From Hank to Hendrix
* Harvest
* Heart of Gold
* Helpless
* I Am a Child
* Love Is a Rose
* Natural Beauty
* The Needle and the Damage Done
* Old King
* Old Man
* Only Love Can Break Your Heart
* Such a Woman
* Sugar Mountain
* Tell Me Why
* Transformer Man
* Unknown Legend
* You and Me. ... Read more

Product Description
Arranged For Guitar Tablature & Standard Notation With Lyrics.Matching songbook to the million selling CD. Contains: Down By The River, Cowgirl In The Sand, Cinnamon Girl, Helpless, After The Goldrush, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Southern Man, Ohio, The Needle & The Damage Done, Old Man, Heart Of Gold, Like A Hurricane, Comes A Time, Hey Hey My My (Into The Black), Rockin In The Free World, Harvest Moon. 4 Pages of color art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Don't waste your money, these are not "Authentic Guitar" versions
I am a huge Neil Young fan and have been playing his songs for years on guitar. I bought this book hoping to finally see what Neil was playing and was hugely disappointed.
A few examples of what you get...
Like a Hurricane - No guitar solos at all but they include a Harmonica solo?
Down By The River - 1 brief solo and then "ad lib" instructions.
Cowgirl In The Sand, Rocking In The Free World & Hey Hey My My - same as above.
After The Goldrush - Only "suggested guitar chords" nothing else. Why this was included on the "Authentic Guitar" version of the book is a mystery.
If you hoping to get any insight into how Neil plays his guitar solos you will be very disappointed. This is a rip off.
There are plenty of great authentic guitar tab books out there but this is an extremely lazy effort by a company that obviously doesn't understand what the word Authentic means and has little to no respect for their customers.
AVOID THIS BOOK.

Avoid "tab" books from Alfred Publishing!
Was So loking forward to this book to learn Neil's songs.
Unfortunaley for me, and for anyone who buys this, Alfred publishing does not transcribe every song note for note the way the great Hal Leonard company does with their tba books.
Have already run into 2 spots where solos I wanted to learn are represented by chord names, and a note to "ad lib" the solo! I coulda done that without paying for this book!
Hal Leonard is the ONLY company you should trust for true tab. What a shame Alfred gets the Neil Young books! ... Read more

Product Description
Arranged for Guitar Tablature & Standard Notation with Lyrics. Matching songbook to "Prairie Wind". Contents: The Painter, No Wonder, Falling Off The Face Of The Earth, Far From Home, It's A Dream, Prairie Wind, Here For You, This Old Guitar, He Was The King, When God Made Me. Also includes separate lyric pages and phots. ... Read more

Product Description
A survey of his long career -- 136 pages, lots of photos, and 35 rock 'n' roll greats: Cinnamon Girl
* Harvest
* Heart of Gold
* Sugar Mountain
* Southern Man
* Ohio and many more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It is what it says it is
I am just starting out on guitar and I really appreciate this book. I doesn't have any long solos transcribed, but there ain't room for them without sacrificing something else. You learn the chord structure, the melody, piano accompanyment and best of all, the chord fingerings and guitar tunings. If I want to learn the exact way the song is played, I play along to the CD over and over again. This book will get you past the rudiments of learning the song, you have to do the rest.

No tab
I was hoping for Tab for these songs, but this is standard notation and chords.So if you are looking to get break outs of solos or little Neil flourishes, this book will not do.

Fun for Beginning Guitar Players
Chords are easy enough and songs fun to play.Knowing so many of the songs makes it easy to figure them out on my guitar.Pure fun.

Jeff, the stay at home strummer

It's all here, if you can play the notes.
The songs in this book are dated from 1966 to 1976, though the book didn't appear until 1978.Neil Young has a long history in music, and it has been easy for other performers to pick up and do songs that have been scored as this book has, with a separate treble staff for the vocal parts, and chord charts for guitar chords throughout.A footnote at the beginning of "The Loner" explains how to make the guitar different, "Tune first and sixth strings to D (D A D G B D)" (p. 29) to play the chords in that song.This is not the same as "Sugar Mountain," "Tune all strings down one whole step to a D-based tuning."(p. 21).

I had an early video of his "Rust Never Sleeps" concert, in which Neil Young sat down by himself at a piano and played, note for note, the song "After the Gold Rush" as it appears on pages 54-57 of this book.The last page is mainly devoted to singing the line, "Flying Mother Nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun" twice, after "All in a dream, all in a dream the loading had begun."I realized that it would take a lot of preparation to get that far, but the time which I devoted to reaching that destination was some of the most worthwhile musical efforts that I have ever attempted.

There are 35 songs in NEIL YOUNG ~ DECADE.Fans of particular concerts, like WELD, might consider most of these songs very early in Neil Young's career.The book is copyright 1978, Weld didn't come along until 1991, and only includes "Cinnamon Girl," "Cortez the Killer," "Like a Hurricane," and "Tonight's the Night":only four of the 35 songs in this book.Fans of Buffalo Springfield might appreciate "Expecting To Fly," and people who sing harmony might see if matching the notes in the book is easier than trying to pick parts off the recorded version.The piano introduction for the song "Cinnamon Girl" has the kind of bass line that I find most interesting in the written music, jumping around slightly before it becomes the melody, and a vocal harmony is also provided.This book helped me learn how much is going on in music besides the melody.The complications for the song "Southern Man" take pages 58-61, while "Helpless" fits on pages 62-63 fine.I have a tendency to like songs called "I Believe in You," and the song on pages 64-66 asks the question like he is really worried about "Am I lying to you when I say that I believe in you?""Oh, oh" coincides with "la la la la" after that.

Then we get "Heart of Gold" on pages 71-73, "Ohio" on pages 74-75, "Old Man" on pages 78-81, "Harvest" on pages 90-94, "The Needle and the Damage Done" on pages 96-99, and I already mentioned some of the more recent numbers.The last song in the book is "Long May You Run" from 1976, suggested for Bright Country Style.You might have heard a few of the other songs in the book, but these are the ones I think you ought to play, if you want to learn something.I hope you can play them better than I can. ... Read more

Product Description
Sheet music -- lyrics and music for guitar and piano accompaniment. Songs: Hey, Hey, My My; My, My, Hey Hey; Pocohantus; Powderfinger; Ride My Llama; Sail Away; Sedan Delivery; Thrasher; Welfare Mothers. ... Read more

Product Description
Neil Young's "Harvest" is one of those strange albums that has achieved lasting success without ever winning the full approval of rock critics or hardcore fans. Inglis here explores the creation of the album and its lasting appeal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Made me listen one more time
As Neil Inglis points out in his book, most Neil Young fans would not count Harvest among their favorite albums, even though it is by far Young's best-selling album (and the best-selling album of 1972!).I fall into this camp -- I considered Harvest pleasant enough, but much less interesting than Young's more rock-oriented work.It is a tribute to Inglis' book that it inspired me to listen to Harvest again with greater appreciation.

"Harvest" is part of the "thirty-three and a third" series of short books (more like long essays) written by critics and musicians about selected rock and jazz albums.Inglis, who is editor of "Sound on Sound" magazine, does a good job of placing "Harvest" in the larger context of Neil Young's career and in the various musical trends in play as the seventies were opening.In his view, "Harvest" was the first manifestation of "Country Neil" -- and an influential album at a time when most rockers still associated country as sell-out music for conservative Middle Americans.He is most informative showing how the Nashville style of recording (as opposed to the Los Angeles style on previous albums) created the sound of Harvest.He has good critical style -- he is a great admirer of both Neil Young as an artist of high integrity and of the album itself, but the book is mercifully free of "fan boy" hyperbole and Inglis doesn't hesitate to be harsh when he feels it is due.I don't always agree with him -- for example, I think he underrates "The Needle and the Damage Done".And he misses the point of "Are you Ready for the Country?" which was Neil Young's raucous, pre-emptive strike at the rock critics of the time who dismissed country music as bland and predictable.But, the point of reading criticism is not to find someone who always agree with you but to find someone who makes you think -- and Inglis certainly does that.

On the down side, even though it is quite short, the book is a bit repetitive and even feels a bit padded.Critical comments on the songs are repeated almost verbatim in different chapters.In addition, the book would have benefitted from a listing of all the tracks and the musicians and engineers involved in each one.But, all-in-all a worthwhile, short read for anyone with interest in Neil Young, or the music of the seventies.

Fun, informative read of Young and his Harvest
This book does a good job of packing in a lot of informative bits, personal opinion, and musical history context -- I'm not sure it helped me re-discover an album I've liked for a long time -- but it is definitely an interesting, cheap and fun read.

The author does a good job of helping us understand Young's production techniques (or lack of them) and his attitude toward music making.I liked the musical context he gives us for country-rock and Young's contribution to it.Especially fresh was the author's attitude of the album as not being a superlative Young album.His critical take on the songs at the end of the book is not as enlightening as I had hoped -- it's really the first 50 pages of this 33.3 book that work for me.

The author should be credited for pulling in information like how often Young continues to play these songs in concert (context pertaining to Young's own ongoing attitude toward Harvest) and detailed information on the different CD (DVD-A) versions of the album and the merits and faults of each -- definitely helps one consider a new purchase of Harvest in the future.

Recommended for anyone who is a music geek or a Young fan. ... Read more