Neil Young: Journey Through the Past: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs of Neil Young

by Nigel Williamson

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879307412
• ISBN13: 9780879307417
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Backbeat Books
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.3" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

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.