Customer Reviews

Waging Heavy Peace

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Wow!I laughed when I wasn't supposed to. Neil rambles through most of this book. Although I love the man and his music, his writings are repetitious, infantile (sometimes), and play out like a recorded transcript complete with hesitant sentence fragments and uncomfortable pauses. It works when he reminisces about his childhood and his musical friends and enemies. He also seems to come clean about how his history of control has left a trail of damage in the form of broken relationships. It's good that he has "given up booze and weed" (Dr.'s orders) and his musings on the nature of his creativity while off the substances that he has relied on for many years is brave, engaging and revealing. And here I thought Cros was the one with the demons...

I have always wondered about the relationship with his wife, Pegi, and all his children. Here he sheds light on his deep love for family and throughout the book, I found this to be the most touching and meaningful. If you are interested in this powerful bond, I recommend the book. If you are looking for some deep insight into him from an objective (and more harsh perhaps) perspective, go read Jimmy McDonough's book of a few years ago.

Still love the man.

Being a Neil Young fan, a man whose songs through the last four decades will leave a legacy of a marvellous tunesmith, I purchased this book expecting a tome similar in content. Was I wrong. I forced myself to trudge through the near 500-page book expecting an introspective (and retrospective) look into the man and his complicated life. Instead, the first 100-odd pages are devoted to cars. Expect many sentences that run no more than 4 words at a time and essentially say nothing. Expect many exclamation marks that are inappropriate to the statement. Do not expect anything deeper than his love for his current family (sorry, but to me a given) and little regarding the trials and tribulations with his involvement with Buffalo Springfield and C,S,N & Y. These and his troubled relationship with his father ("daddy") are merely glossed over and professes his love for everyone he has ever partnered with. I do admit that the last 50 pages showed promise but it cannot make up for the previous drivel. Finally, to claim that he wrote "Old Man" about a man from whom he purchased his ranch rather than his father is hard to stomach. As was mentioned previously, if you want a deeper look into the man, read "Shakey" by James McDonough.

When I put this book on my Wish List, I was told that I would be wise to borrow it first. I did.

I have done a lot of reading in 65 years; and given Young's history and lyrics, I expected an interesting cultural voyage.

But this was the worst waste of trees I've ever seen. He has clearly done too many drugs because he continually praises his own writing skills (non-existent), and his personal experiences (trivial and uninspiring). He apparently has learned nothing from his rather colourful journey.

I was well advised not to buy this one.

This book is written is a stream of consciousness format - nothing is chronological and there is no structure. Acquiring an understanding of his artistry and career is difficult as a result. Some anecdotes are interesting and amusing, but in a very disorganized fashion.

i HAVE FOLLOWED THIS GENIUS FIR 50 YEARS AND MY OLDEST BOY SAW THE BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD -MEND MORE FENCES AND BACK OFF WITH THE WILD PRICE FOR CONCERT TICKETS-IF YOU AIN;'T RICH BY NOW THEN JUST RETIRE..
IT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR LIFELONG FANS TO GET RAPED & PILLAGED & THE Gate

LOSE CRAZY HEART & FINISH YOUR CAREER WITH STUDIO GREATS-THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ART & NOISE IS BEYOND THE BLACK MAGIC OF LANOIS TO FIX ...thanks for the memories Neil and tell Dylan to quit touring-it;s a disaster.

Interesting look into an INTERESTING life. Being huge Neil Young fans, it is always fun to see the other side of things.

I'm a big fan of Neil Young and I've read a photographic biography of Neil before and it was interesting, but to read a
biography written by the man himself is something else.
I can't wait to read more of it.

very "stream of consciousness" and jumps all over the place but ends up a fascinating read. More than anything, the human shines through. Textbook descriptions of the artist process too

Quite possibly the worst book I've ever read. If you want to know anything about Neil Young, look it up on the internet because he cannot tell a story that flows. He jumps all over the map without ever really telling the story of his life. I had to force myself to keep reading in the hopes it would get better. He rambles on and on and on about trains, cars, and Puretone. It was horrible.

This is a book every Neil Young fan will want to read. Lets face it Neil, is not a writer and it shows. There are 68 chapters! Its the perfect coffee table book because you can put it down even in the middle of a paragraph and pick it up later with no loss of continuity. There is none.

A lot of the history of Neil Young is known. This book fills in some of the more personal stuff but that's not the reason for the book. I came away with the sense that Neil can see the writing on the wall, either death or dementia, and it was time to wage heavy peace with himself and people in his life and in his past. Some things he comes right out and says, others you have to read between the lines.

I was happy to have bought the book not only for the insight into such a musical icon but also his music.