Product Description

For more than 30 years, Neil Young's fans have appreciated his individualistic stance, his unique sound, and his determination never to take the easy route. Neil Young provides a concise, well-researched view into the career of this rock and roll giant. Alexis Petridis includes full biographical information and a complete discography as he explores the influence of Young on everybody from Sonic Youth and Ron Sexsmith to Nirvana.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #949233 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

From Library Journal
Because the subjects of the publisher's "Kill Your Idols" series are "unafraid of experimentation," "hold nothing sacred," and "inspire skepticism of idol-making in their listeners" (for the most part), they are perhaps more magnetic than popular music's traditional gods and goddesses. These anti-idols may not have directly sprung from the pelvis of Elvis, but they are related to the Velvet One. Here, original research is not the point (rabid fans have frayed these musicians' yarns anyway); the authors relied on each performer's standard biography, documentaries, liner notes, and other sources to relate a condensed chronology of career and personal highs and lows. Rather, this is a chance for a "professional" fan (read: a music critic) to express his opinions on the roles that pompousness, vision, and circumstance played in his band's life. Each profile is under 150 pages and consists of three sections: "The Story," "The Music," and (often the most compelling section) "The Legacy." Quoth Quantick in his insightful closing: "People were inspired by The Clash not for what they actually achieved, but for what The Clash thought they might achieve." Much like Cliff Notes for frustrating music careers, these pocket-sized biographies contain indexes but no bibliographies. That absence, along with the personalized tone, recommends the series to comprehensive music collections. Johnny Green's A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with the Clash (LJ 1/99) and Ira B. Nadel's Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen (LJ 11/1/96) will well serve library patrons. [The standard Neil Young biography may end up being Shakey: The Biography of Neil Young by Jimmy McDonough, who spent eight years writing the tome. Right now, however, McDonough is suing Young for $1.8 million for prohibiting its publication after Young signed an agreement to cooperate with McDonough. Ed.] Heather McCormack, "Library Journal.
- Heather McCormack, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Should be used more as a Neil Young Companion
This book is, as has been already stated by the other reviews, concise and to the point. The part that really interested me is the disassembly of each track and each album, not so much giving an interpretation (which is inevitable sometimes) but rather information about the song, and the situation from which the album was birthed. I take this book everywhere I go because of its small size and an easy reference if I'm listening to a song and want to know more about it (even if, at times, it is a biased account). The author and I don't always agree but he often provides a thoughtful, and sometimes unexpected, platform to approach this mans' art.
The story and legacy sections are quick and have been stewed together with quirky trivia that could drive you into obsessive fandom. It gets through his life at a brisk pace and the pictures provided are fun to look at and are reproduced at a high quality, keeping in tune with the rest of the book. This book is an excellent purchase that every Neil fan should have stuffed into their glove compartment on those long, song-driven road trips.

Refreshing
I'm happy to say this is not a typically gushing fan bio. Young is often applauded for his consistancy when he is compared to his contemporaries, perhaps because his most highly regarded work is spread out over a long period of time. Fans often forget that between "Tonight's the Night" and "Rust Never Sleeps" Mr. Young did in fact record "American Stars 'n Bars," that for every "Ragged Glory" there's a "Broken Arrow." Petridis is a harsh critic who does not praise a Neil Young album simply because it's by Neil Young. He realizes that, while Young's missteps may be interesting, they are not necessarily fun to listen to. Petridis also has unique observations on Neil's masterpieces, challenging the reader to look at these works in new, enlightening ways.

Additionally, the format of the bio makes it an enjoyable, easy read. After a biographical overview filled with amusing anecdotes that capture the spirit of Young's adventurousness, Petridis concentrates on the music. He comments briefly on each song Young has released officially, packing much insight into a few sentences. I recommend the book to casual fans and die hards alike.

concise, very readable
This is a concise book, but I mean that as a compliment - it does an excellent job of covering the key aspects of Young's life and career, without getting lost in the writerly junk that weighs down so many bios ("It was a bright and sunny day when Johnny entered the studio . . ." - ugh). The arcane details about the recordings are mostly covered in a separate annotated and critical discography - itself very readable, with many interesting insights and surprises. A nice approach that I'd love to see used in other music bios. Definitely recommended for Neil fans.

FWIW, it's also a very sharp-looking book. A nice job all-around.