Starred review from October 1, 2012
In his lively, rollicking, high-spirited, and reflective memoir, Young, the hugely influential Canadian singer-songwriter invites readers to sit down on his porch for comfortable conversations about his guitars, his bands, his cars, his inventions, his trains (he owns a small share in Lionel), and his family. Musically, he ruminates, he may or may not have peaked because "other things continue to grow and develop long afterward, enriching and growing the spirit and the soul." Young openly shares intimate moments of life with his sons, Zeke and Ben, who suffer from cerebral palsy, and his artist daughter, Amber, devoting entire chapters to the ways they have changed his life, as well as to his beloved wife, Pegi, and their life together. Like one of his long, inventive jams, Young weaves crystalline lyrics and notes about friends Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, and Bruce Springsteen, former band mates Stephen Stills, and the late great pedal steel player Ben Keith of the Stray Gators, with reflections on the enduring beauty of nature, and the lasting power and influence of music.
February 15, 2013
Canadian singer/songwriter Young presents brief conversational/blog-type entries that culminate in a lengthy narrative in which he ruminates on his life as well as offers heavy doses of his passions--collecting vintage cars/model trains--and his attempts to develop "Pono," a high-quality digital music system. Along the way, he discusses his wife and children and the musicians with whom he has worked. Narrator Keith Carradine competently conveys Young's passion and energy. VERDICT Young's breezy memoir is not particularly revelatory as a biography or a career analysis, but his many fans will enjoy the digressions of this iconic rock star. ["Essential reading for all fans of Young, who, in his typical idiosyncratic, improvisational, and charmingly long-winded style, fills in the gaps of Jimmy McDonough's flawed Shakey: Neil Young's Biography," read the review of the New York Times best-selling Blue Rider: Penguin hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 10/19/12.--Ed.]--Phillip Oliver, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence
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