Neil Young: The Definitive History

by Mike Evans

Neil Young is a rock icon, with a career unrivaled in its breadth, innovation, and success. This celebration of the man and his music tells the story of Young's nearly six-decade rock 'n' roll journey. It traces the singer/songwriter's memorable work with Crazy Horse, Buffalo Springfield, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; his solo albums and tours; his activism, particularly for green causes and Farm Aid; and his personal life. Classic and rare images, record artwork, and contemporary press and marketing materials make this a sumptuous, must-have volume for every fan.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitive? Hardly. Very brief, more of a discography with photos. And even then some sloppy errors, wrong dates and the album covers shown in chronological order at the end puts Zuma after Freedom. Crappy. I have loved Neil Young's music for a long time without knowing much about him. That unfortunately hasn't changed much after reading this. So back to the library for this and I'll try again.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as a clear and streamlined Neil biography - Evans provides clear dates, tracking how tours and recording sessions and shifting bands all fit together. Now, it's a fairly superficial biography, so serious Neil fans won't learn more about the man, but I still see value in it for putting events in order, although he really starts to skim the surface of that timeline in the last chapter. It seemed as it he'd lost interest, honestly.

One negative: Evans has some ... peculiar takes on several albums. A negative take on Harvest Moon is a curiousity for sure.

[Joe Rodeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Less sex and drugs--and more rock. *Neil Young* is a combination of personal biography, photo collage, and album by album analysis. Serious rock enthusiasts will love the inclusion of all the musicians--stars and side men--whom Neil has been affiliated with.

It's not a hagiography. Evans talks just as much about Young's blunders.

Brilliantly done.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with a lot of great photos and brief descriptions of each Neil Young album from the 60s until 2010, this is essentially a fluff piece tribute to one of the greatest singer/songwriters of the last 60 years. If you're looking for a brief overview, take a day to read this. Otherwise, there are better books out there.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid fan of Neil Young I found this book to be pretty comprehensive review of his recording career without getting into his massive 900 page biography "Shakey." I'm sure this leaves out much of Neil's personal life as it focuses primarily on his music career be it live or recorded. Definitely recommended for even the casual fan.

[G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative overview of Neil Young's career and work, although, even though it came out in 2012, it's already out of date. He's had two big albums released since then, including the wonderful "Psychedelic Pill." I have a new list of albums to purchase after reading this. I had forgotten many of his releases over the years, and now I want to go back and revisit. I also want to read his recent autobiography "Waging Heavy Peace." My opinion of Neil Young? One of the greatest artists of our time.

[Deshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

With lots of photos and pictures of recognizable album covers, this coffee table-sized book is an entertaining and quick read. As a fan of Neil Young's music since Buffalo Springfield days into the CSNY days and his solo career, I knew nothing about him as a person. This book filled the gaps. No big surprises in his story but I did come away admiring him and his music even more.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read with plenty of facts and multitudes of previously unseen photos.

A Neil Young Fan? Then pick up this book. You won't be disappointed.

[Du · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great coffee table sized book with text that is informative and readable. Not something to reread, but a great one time resource.