Shakey: Neil Young's Biography

To quote a phrase Neil apparently uses often, this book was "very innaresting." Seriously, I could not put this down. Before getting this biography, I was a casual fan and I knew less than nothing about Neil Young. From just listening to his radio hits I had put together a vague image of a patriotic hippy who dresses like a scruffy Indian. After just the first few chapters though, this image was shattered. Yet after finishing the book completely, I don't know if I'm any closer to knowing him. He is infinitely more complicated than I had thought. Jimmy McDonough does the best possible job telling Neil's life story. And if you know anything about Neil, you know this is no easy task. The man has got to be the most elusive personality in rock and roll. You can't pin him down on a subject for long, and he's apt to up and leave any project at any time for any reason and you won't know he left till he's halfway across the country. Of course, this all makes the book just that much more of a good read. Shakey reveals much about his life that I've never known. His childhood is covered pretty extensively and I think that's instrumental in understanding his songs. Dealings with CSNY are of course covered in detail. Interviews with David Briggs, Jack Nietzche, and others close to Neil provide great insight into life on Neil's huge ranch and into his recording process, which I think is priceless. But the best part of the book, for me, is the extensive interview with Neil that runs throughout the entire book. For someone who doesn't like to talk much about himself to the press, this is like a goldmine to a Neil Young fan. Some reviewers have already mentioned that towards the end of the book Jimmy falters a bit. Yeah he does, there's no denying it. He gets a little too subjective, goes on for a little too long about Neil's association with trains, and basically loses focus. But really, it's no big deal. I went through this book in a week, then went back over certain parts. After being so immersed in Neil's world, I found myself not wanting to leave. Make sure you have plenty of Neil's albums around, cause you'll be wanting to hear them as they're being discussed in the book. This is a really "innaresting" read and for any fan of Neil it's a solid buy.

The author does a great job of portraying the core of Neil Young's life. Like all artists, it is about the "Body of Work" as a whole. All the song writing, all the living - ups and downs, really don't matter as separate events. In the end, as with Van Gogh or Bach or Shakespeare, it's what the entire collection tells us. Neil Young knows the price for that is high. He has paid the price and has the whole to show for it.

I am a writer--not to mention huge Neil Young fan--and boy, I've never seen a biography that divides people more than this one. It really seemed to have hit a nerve. This is one of the most original--albeit IMPOSSIBLE--books I have ever read. The author tries a lot of stuff, and while it doesn't always work, it is nothing less than fascinating.Personally I thought he was kind to Carrie Snodgrass (one of many kooky, kooky characters in SHAKEY)--a lot kinder maybe than Neil himself was. And I think he brings Young's world to life by way of a lot of previously unknown facts. I find it funny that some fans are taking McDonough to task for all sorts of minute details while failing to address the bigger picture he creates. Perhaps they are a bit uncomfortable with this brutal but loving portrait? Maybe they are upset that McDonough questions whether Young has (forgive the train ref) any steam left in his caboose these days? Face it--the evidence seems to support him with the half-dozen or so dud albums Young has released in recent years.Is the book way too long, repitious and sloppy? Yes. Is McDonough sometimes a highly irritating windbag who should keep his endless opinions to his cranky self? Yes. But does the spirit of Neil Young in all his crazy, contrary ragged glory scream from every page? A resounding YES. Love it, hate it, you will never read a portrait of any artist quite like this one.

I've only read 2 books in my life, that I was completely unable to put down. Shakey and Helter Skelter. Though the 2 books are completely different, they were both totally fascinating. Ironically, Neil Young comes in contact with Charles Manson in his life time and the impact of Neil's visit with Manson is also interesting. Anyway, not only does the book show what an incredibly talented individual that Neil is, it also explains the extreme hardships that Neil had to endure in his lifetime. From his bout with polio as a child, his continual stuggles with epilipsy (ironically this condition seemed to add to some on Neil's great lyical works), and his children's stuggles with celebral palsey. What a wonderful individual. Even though I own most of Neil Young's works, I had to go out and purchase every CD that I did not have once I finished reading this book. I sure hope that he comes out with the "Archives" very soon. It appears to me that he has a tremendous amount of unreleased works that NEED to be heard. Pick up this book. You will not be disappointed! It's phenominal!

Shakey is one of the best Rock and Roll bio's I've ever read, ranking equal with Nick Tosches Hellfire. Author Jimmy McDonough manages to capture the genius, stupidity, humor and relevance of Neil Young without whitewashing Young's career and life or exploiting it. It's both personal and critical, the author obviously admiring Young as an artist, but unafraid of delving into the darker aspects of the rocker's character. It's also a great read and you'll find yourself keeping yourself awake just to get to the next page. Young's life goes through so many changes and he works with, sleeps with, fights with or just bumps into so many people, rock and pop icons that the book also serves as a great historical survey of pop culture from the 1960's-today. For Young fans and Rock n Roll fans alike, this is the bio of the year. Shakey is simply a masterpiece.