CSNY: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

by Peter Doggett

The first ever biography focused on the formative and highly influential early years of “rock’s first supergroup” (Rolling Stone) Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young—when they were the most successful, influential, and politically potent band in America—in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock and the formation of the band itself.

1969 to 1974 were true golden years of rock n’ roll, bookmarking an era of arguably unparalleled musical power and innovation. But even more than any of their eminent peers, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young channeled and broadcast all the radical anger, romantic idealism, and generational angst of their time. Each of the members had already made their marks in huge bands (The Hollies, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds), but together, their harmonies were transcendent.

The vast emotional range of their music, from delicate acoustic confessionals to raucous counter-culture anthems, was mirrored in the turbulence of their personal lives. Their trademark may have been vocal harmony, but few—if any—of their contemporaries could match the recklessness of their hedonistic and often combative lifestyles, when the four tenacious, volatile, and prodigal songwriters pursued chemical and sexual pleasure to life-threatening extremes.

Including full color photographs, CSNY chronicles these four iconic musicians and the movement they came to represent, concentrating on their prime as a collective unit and a cultural force: the years between 1969, when Woodstock telegraphed their arrival to the world, and 1974, when their arch-enemy Richard Nixon was driven from office, and the band (to quote Graham Nash himself) “lost it on the highway.”

Even fifty years later, there are plenty of stories left to be told about Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young—and music historian Peter Doggett is here to bring them to light in the meticulously researched CSNY, a quintessential and illuminative account of rock’s first supergroup in their golden hour for die-hard fans, nostalgic flower-children, and music history aficionados alike.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Rock N Roll

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2019

About the author

Peter Doggett has been writing about popular music, the entertainment industry and social and cultural history since 1980. A regular contributor to Mojo, Q and GQ, his books include The Art and Music of John Lennon, a volume detailing the creation of the Beatles’ Let It Be and Abbey Road albums; the pioneering study of the collision between rock and country music, Are You Ready for the Country? and, most recently, There’s a Riot Going On: Revolutionaries, Rock Stars and the Rise and Fall of 60s Counter-culture.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a big fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Although I was too young to really understand their lyrics when they were big in the 70s, I liked their music. Later when I had grown up, I understood what their songs were saying, and liked them even more. I jumped at the chance to read and review this biopic of the band, their music and their careers.

David Crosby. Steven Stills. Graham Nash. Neil Young. All huge musical talents. And big stars in the 60s & 70s, a time when war protests, social unrest and angst were the driving forces behind an entire generation. I was born in 1968...so I missed out on most of it, but I did get to enjoy their music.

I enjoyed this book. It describes the formation of the band, personality clashes among the members that broke them up multiple times, and the force, will and creativity they all added to the mix. After enjoying the recent movie about Freddy Mercury and Queen, I enjoyed reading about another band that seemed to have similar problems. Each member of CSNY had been in other front line bands like The Hollies and The Byrds and each wanted their songs/lyrics at the forefront. Strong personalities, incredible talent and inflated egos seem to be a recurring theme with popular bands. It was so interesting to read about their prior music careers, eccentricities and musical abilities, plus information about the band (both in the Crosby, Stills & Nash years and after the addition of Neil Young) that I didn't know.

I had to read this book in small bits. There is a lot of information....lots of name dropping and mentions of singers, bands, songwriters, concerts, lyrics, historical events, etc....so much information. I read a few pages....looked up names and events online for more information....and let that digest before moving on. I pulled up all sorts of songs and albums and enjoyed listening to so much awesome music as I read this book! My copy was a digital review copy....so the accompanying photographs were absent in my copy. I'm going to see if my library has this book so I can see the photos!

Great book for any fan of CSNY, 60s/70s music or culture! I loved it!

My favorite CSNY song?? There is a live performance of it here: https://youtu.be/2vnYKRacKQc

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of how the band came together and ultimately kept falling apart. It delves into the turbulent relationships among the musicians as well as their backgrounds. Throughout it seemed like a love-hate relationship mix. Their egos and eccentricities kept getting in their way. All band members were strong-willed and each wanted things their own way. Stephen Stills seemed to be the one who pulled the music together and mixed it to perfection. All of them are songwriters and each wanted their lyrics front and center and they had to work out a way for sharing the limelight. It was good that in many of the concerts they would play together then each musician would have a solo spot that showcased their voice. Crosby, Stills and Nash were the core of the group since they were together before Neil Young entered the picture. Neil was a recluse and, though he contributed much to the band and their unique sound, would disappear whenever he wanted - often at inappropriate times leaving the rest of the band to pick up the pieces. Young is a creative genius though and much was forgiven to keep him with the band and to have his voice and his lyrics.

One of the things that amazes me is how the musicians in this group and many other musicians at the time (and probably still today) float in and out of each others lives and can even step onstage in someone else's band and play like they belong there. It also amazes me how many of the musicians know each other. It seems CSNY hung out with and knew Mama Cass (who introduced the group members it seems), Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and the list goes on an on! Of course the CSNY band members had been part of The Byrds, ?The Hollies, and Buffalo Springfield before their group was ever formed. What talent!

The background of what influenced the lyrics was interesting. Many of the lyrics were written in anguish from various love affairs on the rocks. Some came from Crosby's sci-fi interest. Others were totally crafted into something that would appeal to the most people and sell the most. And still more came from the drug-infused atmosphere of the sixties. Then, of course, there are the political protest songs that were mainly against the Vietnam War.

I don't read much non-fiction, but since I love CSN's and CSNY's music I wanted to read this and I'm glad I did. The first of the book was a little rocky, but it smoothed out after awhile. It was only somewhat sequential in nature though - it kept going back and forth during a relatively short period of time (the band was only together officially for about two years). Reading this made me get out all my CSN and CSNY music and listen to it again and still love the feeling.

Thanks to Peter Doggett and Atria Books through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[KB · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was something about this I can't quite put my finger on. I'm not sure I can pinpoint anything particularly wrong with it, yet it never once grabbed me. None of the four main figures come off well personality-wise. Drugs, egos and one flaky member consistently drove the group apart. Doggett certainly makes a case for how important and incredible their music was, but as someone who isn't a huge fan it felt a little overkill for me at times. I'm not going to lie, I was reading this solely for the drama and it only sort of delivered in that regard.

[M. Sarki · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://rogueliterarysociety.com/f/cs...

It is no wonder there has yet to be a comprehensive biography on CSNY until now. This supergroup is a difficult subject with not only contrarian individuals making up the bulk of the band but also egos so huge no skulls could contain them. But they were great musicians and engaging characters. Their music soared at a time when our young people needed them. CSNY was definitely the brand name leading the anti-war movement but also the symbol many of us could proudly display back when our freak-flag flied. And their music was different and superb in every way.

Doggett’s biography is not only engaging and informative, but also suspect to the memories of the many iconic contributors to this book. An almost sixty-year history of the principle players is covered, and the page count feels as if justice was done. It is heartening that all the members of CSNY are still alive and playing music. They, and their stories, are amazing.

[Loring Wirbel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the distinct pleasure of listening to this audiobook while reading Neil Young's Special Deluxe, billed as a memoir of dogs and cars, but actually a more useful personal memoir than Waging Heavy Peace. Doggett wanted to center this story in late-hippie-period Woodstock Nation, when CSNY reached its zenith, but there have been many histories of Laurel Canyon musicians, and the stories here augment what is already widely known. Where this book really shines is in bringing us up to the CSN/CSNY formation, with histories of Byrds, Hollies, and especially Buffalo Springfield. The exciting years of Stills and Young first collaborating tell us more than the history of the underappreciated Buffalo Springfield itself. Doggett makes the case that 1966 Hollywood/Sunset Strip was at least as formative for late-1960s culture as 1967 Haight-Ashbury. Since I consider 1966 a far more seminal year for pop music than 1967-68, I think Doggett's case carries a lot of weight.

Some reviewers seem to think that Doggett was too close to Crosby and Nash, and too critical of Stills and Young. I am a huge fan of Neil Young, yet I don't think this bias is evident at all. Doggett seems to realize Young was the most innovative of the band, and gushes about wild experiments like Tonight's the Night, the punk experiments of Rust Never Sleeps, and the electronic Trans. The criticisms he makes of Young are well-founded. Similarly, he gives Stills credit for some solo work when that credit is due, but is correct in saying that Stills hit his songwriting nadir in Buffalo Springfield, and never quite equaled it, particularly as a solo artist. Doggett paints Nash as a sad troubadour trying to deal with depression, and he lumps a multitude of sins on Crosby, particularly regarding his sexism and drug use, criticism that is largely deserved.

One thing is clear in all four singers: They had their political hearts in the right place, and still do, but spent their hippie spokesperson years as privileged artists who could often be brats. Granted, they did not grow up in privilege, but all had made a good deal of money before CSN was founded, and hence could jet off to Hawaii or The Bahamas when things went wrong. All four, including Young, were selfish, sexist, and exploitative in their relationships, which unfortunately was true of far too many hippie and New Left boomers who pretended to be harbingers of a better world than the ones their parents built.

Young was the epileptic brooding genius with far more ideas than he could effectively bring to completion, one reason why there are still dozens of finished albums in the Neil Young Archives waiting for official release. Doggett rightly points out that Young was the only one who wanted to constantly surprise and frighten his audience, one factor that led to his constant creativity and reinvention, and one factor that led to David Geffen suing him, when he was signed to Geffen Records, for making "Neil Young records that don't sound like Neil Young." Crosby, Stills, and Nash all realized that this was true, but consequently let Young have too much veto power over CSNY projects. It got to the point where Young was the mysterious Svengali who everyone else in the band was a little afraid of. Doggett gently brings up the question as to whether CSN would have been better off never inviting Young to join the group, but wisely doesn't spend too long playing what-if games. We are left with the history of lives actually lived. (I tend to think CSNY gained more excitement and vitality with Young, and a CSN that remained a trio would have become a nostalgia act far earlier.)

The marketing blurb for the book suggests the narrative ends with the 1974 CSNY world tour, but Doggett wisely provides a rapid but thorough coverage of the various attempts at reunion from 1976 to 2019, and talks about how the Neil Young non-album Human Highway was initially going to be a CSNY album of the same name. There were many missed chances between 1976 and today. Doggett provides a look at how some fans were enraged with the anti-Bush rhetoric of the "Living With War" tour of 2006, but he reads too much into conflicting motives of the fanbase. The ugly truth of 2006 is that there weren't that many younger fans going to that reunion, and the real reason the band was booed is because far too many baby boomers evolved into redneck bigots by 2006 - one might even argue that a majority of Woodstock Nation citizens already had become would-be Trumpsters by that time.

Doggett also delves into how Crosby and Young faced a permanent schism after Young began his relationship with Daryl Hannah in 2014, and Crosby criticized it. Having met Hannah, I can attest to a lot of truth in what Crosby had to say, and I think Young treated his former wife Pegi in pretty shitty fashion, but if I was in Young's shoes, I'd probably unfriend-and-block Crosby as well. Nash should have done the same with Crosby after Crosby criticized his dalliances with younger women. Doggett gives Crosby some credit for releasing some fairly decent albums in the 21st century, but he doesn't indicate how much Crosby had become a doddering old burnout. In a 2019 appearance on Chris Thile's Live From Here on NPR, Crosby didn't have the slightest idea who Stephen Malkmus from Pavement even was, though Malkmus knew the CSNY catalog well. Sorry, but it is never OK for a musician to become clueless about newer musicians. Once you're in, you're in for life.

Doggett's final chapter, "Journey Through the Past," is a joy in recognizing with a wink and a smile that personal histories are next to useless without documentary evidence behind it. It is not just that the four CSNY members are getting old and forgetful, it's that the memories of even sharp personalities are colored by personal preferences and desires, and are not very trustworthy. When certain anecdotes become the stuff of legend, the celebrity isn't really regurgitating personal memory, but memories of the myth as it has been publicly received. Such is the nature of much of the CSNY history. I'll be back soon to write a review of what Neil had to say in Special Deluxe.

[T. Kovak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Doggett explaining how the Beatles broke up: It was a huge effort that took its toll in four souls that were forever linked by the magic of music. They fell in love and broke each others hearts. It was the magic of youth. It was the disappointment of growing up. It was the end of the dream of the 60s. It was the encapsulation of a generation. In many ways they are still together, linked by the terrifying machinery of capitalism.

Peter Doggett explaining how CSNY broke up: Step 1 - They met
Step 2 - They broke up

Anyway they should make a David Crosby movie with a Cass Elliott post credit scenes going "Mr Crosby you just became part of a much bigger universe. I am the director of the Mammas & Pappas, and I'm here to talk to you about the CSNY intiative." Most ambitious crossover. Etc.

[Patrick Duran · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but rounding up to 4 due to the extensive research Doggett did for this book. Big surprise: four huge talents have four massive egos. Graham Nash seems to be the most grounded of the quartet. At one point he proclaimed, "I'm the only sane one in this group!" At times, this book reads like a mess, because the band itself was a mess. I knew very little about these guys, so the book was full of revelations to me. Even when Neil Young decided to join the others, he didn't necessarily contribute harmonies, which I long suspected. It is amazing the band survived the five or so non-consecutive years together, but for loyal fans, we are grateful for the work they left behind. This book is definitely recommended for die-hard fans.

[Signe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it and yet I didn’t like how CSNY were largely portrayed as dicks. It was a time when men weren’t brought up in a well-rounded way, and the book touches in this. They were money-grubbing, drug addicted, somewhat misogynistic egomaniacs according to this book. Surely they all must have had more redeeming qualities that could’ve been focused upon — even Crosby!? This book made me feel a little ill and thankful it was over. I preferred the film Echo in the Valley as you can see the personalities come through without an arrow coming down every 5 seconds pointing EGO, and because the focus is on the music, which makes me feel amazing.

[Vincent Carpentier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started strong, but ended in a mess, like CSNY.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

What I look for in a biography is a very neutral viewpoint - mostly facts with leeway for some interpretation from a knowledgeable writer. But with CSNY, this felt very much a book written by a friend - someone who knew one or two of the band members and therefore, like a friend, not willing/wanting to hurt their feelings by giving a very honest depiction of events in the past. As well, those who were not deemed as helping the friend will get lambasted - so e.g., Crosby fares well here but Young and Nash do not. It's the nature of friendship but doesn't necessarily make a good book; the bias had to be compensated for by having inside information that a researcher just wouldn't be able to find. I don't know that this book really succeeded there - it is a VERY sympathetic look at especially Crosby and Stills but definitely not so for Nash and Young.

A reader will get this impression of the band after reading this book: Crosby is a loveable little scamp with an incredible voice who adored women and became ensnared by drugs, Stills is a multi-instrumental genius who creates masterpieces, singls like an angel, and the leader of the band. Nash is wishy washy and a milquetoast who spent most of life bemused, and Young is the biggest jerk on the planet who is so selfish, he lives to ruin others lives and livelihoods. In reading the competing biography, Crosby comes off as a womanizer and damaged - needing drugs first to assuage and then to hide from life. Stills is demanding, difficult, and alcohol made it nearly impossible to work with him, Nash didn't like the drama and tried to tread the middle as much as possible to mitigate it, leading to bursts of anger and vicious words at bad times, and Young didn't want to deal with the drugs and personalities, had the complication of a disabled son requiring full time care, and shifting priorities that meant he was completely unpredictable and impossible for anyone to work with for any extended period of time.

Since this is focused on that two year period when CSNY got big, you'll find a lot more in here about their lifestyles and the people moving around them like satellites. The author gives many different accounts of the same situation (drugs/alcohol meant that most remember the time differently) but then he also gives a lot of opinions throughout, either making conclusions on what really happened or flat out guessing why someone did/said something they did. Some readers will appreciate the opinions/speculation but others may prefer a biographer to just stick either the facts or the statements, without trying to interpret them.

What the book did well is to really make Stills and Crosby personable and like your best buddy - you feel like you were one of their friends during this time period in their life. Life in Mulholland and Laurel Canyon in the 1970s/1960s is richly realized - and it was fascinating to read about all the people who floated in and out of the scene when the band got together (be it at Mama Cass' house or at one of the band's homes). And events of the time, such as the death of Crosby's girlfriend in an accident, are richly detailed rather than a passing comment. As such, it does feel like you are looking from the inside out or talking with someone who was touring with the band and knew them well. But I think it is important to be aware of the limitations of seeing things from the inside - it's hard to really gain a clear perspective on the subject. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Dorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

CSNY: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
by Peter Doggett
due 4-2-2019
Atria Books
3 / 5

This book was written in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock.
In 1969, David Crosby (ex-Byrds), Stephen Stills (ex-Buffalo Springfield) and Graham Nash (ex-Hollies) formed CSN when the musicians became frustrated with being a ¨group¨. Their smooth and vocal harmonies, idealistic and mature lyrics and exquisite songwriting abilities all came together to give them a creative outlet for their many varied talent Each musician wanted to make sure their songs were used, mixed with excessive drug use made for a tense and turbulent environment to work in. Stills asked Neil Young (ex Buffalo Springfield) to join after one album, solidifying the magic and the depth of talent. Young would be the most reclusive member of the band.
CSNY released 2 albums but the constant tension and turbulent relationships between the musicians made it a difficult environment to create in. Their personal relationships outside the group were also a huge factor.
I really enjoyed reading about the clubs (The Trip, for one) and festivals, popular then-Monterey Pop Festival, SF-Be-In @Golden State Park, Altamont and, of course, Woodstock. Some of the best writing in this book were the chapters on Woodstock and the anti-war protests.
The musical histories and relationships between them as well as their personal lives are researched and detailed-the use of quotes was a little excessive and distracted from the story and were hard to follow, but I did love the insights of the members and their formation.
This band, CSNY, and this era in musical history; the musicianship, lyrics and harmonies are unforgettable. It will never happen again. This is a great tribute to a band and time in music that are timeless and classic.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about how the group CSNY came together. The author refers to them as a supergroup and growing up listening to their music I really never looked at them that way. I knew Neil Young had a successful solo career and really did not like to tour. In the book, the author explains how when he was with the Buffalo Springfield along with Stephen Stills how Young stopped showing up for shows like the Carson T.V. show then the Monterey Jazz Festival. I had known that they had been with Springfield that Nash was with the Hollies because I really liked the groups at the time. I did know of the Byrd’s I just was not a big fan and was not following that group. So I later knew Crosby came from them. Like Young he would not show up either to shows or recording sessions and when there was always difficult to work with. The author takes to how the three CSN meet at the Whiskey club, I had always heard it referred to as Whiskya’ go-go, and have albums recorded live from that venue. The group itself CSNY only have recorded three albums, but CSN has a total of fourteen. What I found interesting was the influence of Mama Cass and Joni Mitchel. It was always interesting how Stills seemed to bring everyone together and work through everything, for me, he is the one that I got that the music was more important than all of the other stuff going on around them. Also, their early songs really spoke to what was going on in the country, “Ohio” for example was about the shooting at Kent State, and another song was about the death of Robert Kennedy just months after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Then into the ’70s, they were still speaking to the people. I really listened to their music up to the last few years, out of their 14 albums I have 11 plus some of their solo ones, I just can’t get into some of their new stuff. An interesting group that I grew up listening to that now I guess maybe I will think as a supergroup even though they would not want that title. Maybe a super Folk group would be better. A good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Ed Schmauder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading rock biographies because I revel in disliking the subjects. Whether it’s the ego, the self-destructive behavior, the excesses, or the pedophilia, it’s always a fun ride.

My most disliked musicians of all time:

1. David Crosby
2. Warren Zevon
3. Stephen Stills
4. Graham Nash

So this supergroup is an all-star team of jerks.

[Joshua Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very evocative of the late 60's early 70's dawn of the era the singer/songwriter period and rock star excess and ego. Doggett gives a colorful and immersive view into the roots of all four men and takes us up to the disintegration of their creative partnership, which amazingly, didn't last more than two or three years at its peak. They could barely keep it together for a world tour which could have netted them major $$$.

Various permutations of the group in duets, trios and the ultimate foursome recorded more material over the years, including a full CSNY reunion in the 90's, but the period past their 1971 Live Album 4 Way Street is covered in a very bullet pointed and superficial way.

I was taken by how unflattering the portrait is of all four of them, none of whom come off as heroes of their own stories. Mama Cass Eliot, at whose house these CSN sang harmonies for the first time (I had no idea what a central figure and mother hen she was to the whole LA folk rock scene) and Joni Mitchell, genius in her own right, and lover of at least two of subjects of this book, come off much more interesting and noble.

I knew of Crosby's difficult and ornery personality, but his three erstwhile mates scarcely come off better, with a combination of ego, lack of loyalty and drug abuse making them less than admirable dudes, belying the 'peace and love' stance that is emblematic of their often wonderful harmonies and songwriting.

I would recommend the new documentary, 'Echo in the Valley' as a companion piece to this book, which covers the heyday of Laurel Canyon and is overseen by rock royalty, Jakob Dylan who admirably performs a number of the classic tunes from the early Laurel Canyon period.

[Don Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

When ever I pick up an autobiography or biography of a person or group from the 60's I am always amazed by the creative explosion that made so much of the music I enjoy. And remains a good tune to this day 50 years, yes, 50 plus years later. It's not to say music since the turn of the century, that phrase should scare you, doesn't have it good tunes....they are just not the same level of colossal raw talent. My main criticism of music today is so much of it is synthesized mush coming out of sound factories that can poses for raw talent.
Having said that, this book examines the roads that in this case members of this short lived group ( CSN&Y ) to intermingle with other artists, find a spark of common combustion to create some really great music that has outlived the life of the group exponentially. It examines each member's history ( and all had incredible history with other groups or solo before and after ) with details on so many chance moments and romantic encounters that inspired the group getting together and their songs. And their egos. A common theme in many of the groups of the sixties. Maybe egos did create competitive competition that was to our benefit. A good read and from what I can determine accurately researched stories and history. Time to go put that album on the turntable.

[Mark Hartzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Doggett tried to provide some granular detail on the artists' background, much of that information has been previously said elsewhere. I was looking for background on the music and instead found personal gossip. Way too much of the book is focused on Woodstock. Way too much of the book is focused on personalities. Way too much of the book is focused on relationships. And finally, way too much of the book is focused on the time dealing with the 1st 2 albums.

For example, Doggett spends almost no time at all on the 1977 album, CSN. The other later albums (and music) get even less attention. In other words, this is 1/2 a book. If you are interested in the years 1966-1974, then this book is for you. If you want background on anything after that, one will need to keep looking. Graham Nash's 2013 book "Wild Tales" is still superior.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ is what I felt was right. Having previously foresworn memoirs, here I am, reviewing a memoir. So that’s on me. Ok, maybe 4.5 ⭐️ because the author really does deliver on revealing what went on in and around this turbulent “group” and the endless personal trials and musical highs and lows of the famous CSN&Y. I liked their music much more than I liked their story, and again that is on me, not the author. He just made me see it in (relative) focus. Hazy, crazy times, documented with substantial clarity. I will now hear their songs through a different filter… So it actually is a 5 ⭐️ book, that I enjoyed less because it was so revealing.

[Ginni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of detail, but rather depressing to read of the inevitable rows, relationship breakdowns, selfish behaviour and so on within and around the group. Neil Young comes across as the main culprit for the numerous break-ups, but TBH no-one comes out well. I think I’ll just go on listening to the sublime ‘Deja Vu’ and ‘Crosby, Stills and Nash.’ That’s where the magic lies.

[Daniel Stekloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crosby, Stills, and Nash was my first concert. I saw them quite a bit over the following few years. There was even a concert at SPAC where they played one night and Neil Young the next (or the reverse) and we all thought they'd show up together at one of the concerts. They didn't. I remember at David Crosby barely moving on stage at the first one, he was really out of it.

Along listening to this book, I also listened to their catalog along the way including solo output (some of which I hadn't heard before) and the incredible amount of media out there like interviews or even the after Woodstock Dick Cavett tv show. Amazing to me what's out there.

I enjoyed listening to the book, it kept me interested along the way. The author is a journalist and did rely on current media at the time. He sums up the whole endeavor at the end with his philosophy, which seems reasonable given how well I even remember anything.

Even though I had known about their excesses and personalities, the level of self sabotage along the way amazed and saddened me. I also learned about things like David Crosby's love of teenage / high school girls . But the most surprising thing for me was that Wooden Ships was this Sci Fi story. I know they said it was a sci fi story in concert prior to singing it, but I thought that was a joke and it was really about the boat people (Though now in restrospect, it was written before the boat people).

I really enjoyed the majority of the book leading to Deja Vu and tours around 1971 or so but was a bit disappointed that what followed was brief to me. I wanted more of their '70s and later happenings to try and understand what happened between Deja Vu and CSN and American Dream... but then this is about all of them - Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - and not the individuals. I guess I'll seek out individual biographies and autobiographies.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young by Peter Doggett (Atria Books 2019) (780.92) (3427). This is an interesting snapshot of the four members of one of rocks' all-time supergroups. Most of the book's activity and narrative passages took place around the time of Woodstock in 1969.

There are obvious and serious shortcomings in author Peter Doggett's recounting. This is sort of “CSN Lite.” Many of the travails and the conflicts which tested the members' mettle both individually and collectively are glossed over or are barely mentioned in this volume. For instance, David Crosby's drug addiction spanned many years, almost killed him, and almost certainly was one of the sources of needless drama that tore apart the group (the other being the struggle for dominance of the group between Stephen Stills and Neil Young).

Unfortunately Peter Doggett took this book to press well before he got the whole story. What evidence is there for this? Because after perusing the author's “Acknowledgments” and “Major Sources” sections, it is obvious (as well as stunning) that Doggett apparently never even met Neil Young much less interviewed him. That is a serious shortcoming, for Neil Young (1) is either a svengali who arbitrarily and maliciously deprived the other three bandmates of the opportunity and reward from recording and performing as a quartet, or (2) is such a staunch ally and friend of the other members that he made it clear that he would only play and record with Crosby, Stills, and Nash once the drug-and-alcohol induced madness which crippled Crosby (and possibly Stills) had been resolved.

This is not a bad little book, but there are much better books on the group out there. My rating: 7/10, finished 3/11/20 (3427).

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I'm not really a fan of CSN or CSNY. I'm aware of who they are, their music has been on the radio for almost all my life, but I've never been exactly "awe struck" or "enchanted" by it. I say that not to cast any dispersion on the group, their collective or individual talents, or the music. It's just the way it is - I picked up this book mostly to fill in the gaps as to why they are considered so groundbreaking and iconic. Did I succeed in finding out? Well, sort of...

This book chronicles the collective known as CSN and sometimes CSNY. There is basic biographical information on all four of the main guys involved but it mostly just pertains to those things that contributed to the forming, breakup, and various attempts at reformation (some more successful than others but apparently none all that successful).

From the little bit I know about the individuals who make up this "supergroup" I can tell you that there are great gaps in the personal biographies when it doesn't have direct impact on their collective endeavors. David Crosby's well documented legal issues, for example, are mentioned mostly in passing. Sometimes it seems that the author is biased (to say the least) in favor of some members and prejudiced against others.

All in all I have a better understanding of why CSN (and sometimes Y) are so celebrated by those of their generation but I don't feel as if this is a definitive history of the group or the individuals. I'm not sure how much those who are big fans would get from it but those with a passing interest would probably enjoy it.

*** I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very excited to get this book as I had been replaying my collection of CSNY albums and some of Neil Young’s too.

Pretty early on in the book, this happened to me:

Bruce Cockburn is name checked in the recounting of the Hollies tour in Ottawa in 1968 as: “Local rock performer Bruce Cockburn”. This really threw me as a lifelong fan of Bruce Cockburn to mention him as a rock performer (in 1968). He was working on his first album called Bruce Cockburn. Indicative of his style at the time it was sparse arrangements, consisting primarily of Cockburn on acoustic guitar (and occasional piano and dulcimer) with some support from Dennis Pendrith on bass. The lyrics are introspective in tone.

I mention this as it is sloppy research and I couldn’t help but wonder what other details were missing or incorrect.

Overall, CSNY had such a colourful and fascinating story, which has been very well documented that it would be relatively easy to put together this book .

I really enjoyed reading about the exploits of CSNY and the various famous folk they encountered but have to say after reading David Browne’s excellent saga of CSNY that this book just didn’t measure up.

If you are looking for one of the definitive CSNY books then I suggest David Browne’s, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

[Tony Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Crosby, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills and Neil Young fell into each others orbit by accident and although their career together was fraught with complications the music they made over a short period became one of the magic stories as the 1960's gave way to the 1970's

Peter Doggett has pieced together an interesting and highly readable biography of a band whose strength came from the combination that they brought to the table, especially the unique harmonies that were opposed by their incandescent personalities away from the stage and the studio.


Doggett shares their individual stories and their eventual combination of their talents after circling around each other in the hotbed of Los Angeles. Two Americans, a Canadian and a talented vocalist from the successful British band the Hollies, somehow began to realise that their four part harmonies and collective song writing was something special.

Of course there was no way the personalities and egos would survive as a working unit for the long term, but the initial music they made, and infrequent regatherings over the years have kept them front of mind to the baby boomer audience. Peter Doggett has created a testament to all that's good and bas under the banner of CSN & Y. Highly readable.

[Neil Crocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

My starting point was knowing their names and a few of their songs. I haven't seen the documentaries, haven't read the autobiographies and don't know every song, or even half of them. This book fills in most of the gaps. Where they started, how they got to CSN and then CSNY and what they did once they got there. Both musically (song writing, album creating, festivals including Woodstock, tours) and private lives (sailing, sex (frequently with young girls), drugs and asset accumulation.) Tons of detail.

Only 4 stars because the book is a bit of a complicated mess, because the author worships CSN and CSNY, and because it gets kind of tedious...these egomaniac men-children could only work together for a couple of weeks at a time before they had to take a time out. Again and again and again.

The late '60's to the mid '70's was a great time to listen to the radio and/or go to concerts. I was a little young, never really listened to lyrics, and otherwise kind of missed out. Fun to go behind the scenes with one of the big bands of the era.

(Quick aside. I listened to the book and frequently went back and forth between the book and Apple Music to listen to the songs and albums being discussed. That approach greatly added to my enjoyment of the book.)

[Russ Bertetta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure this deserves a 2 star rating but that's what I'm giving it primarily because I was a huge CSNY fan a long time ago. This book was a hard read on many levels starting with the fact that it just confirms the fact that these guys were assholes. When I was in college I thought Steven Stills was just a cool dude. No longer (of course I knew this years ago but this confirmed it). As a reader you can only read about so many fights, arguments, jealousies, excesses. These were the themes for most of the book after the opening chapters about their youths (which reveals how they became the assholes they were). Lastly and I've mentioned this in reviews about books written by music critics, these writers seem to be so impressed with themselves that they have to let their readers know just how smart they are through their vocabulary. I find this so irritating and demeaning. Sadly my last complaint is that instead of getting it from the library, I bought it. $28 down the drain. Now when I listen to Helplessy Hoping, Wooden Ships, Long Time Gone they won't sound quite the same. I'll be interested in reading other reviews to see if others feel the same way.

[CyclingMinstrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always loved the music and, particularly, the harmonies of CSN(Y). I’ve always been a huge fan of Neil Young’s solo work, too. It baffles me that they could have reached the heights they did considering how the author portrays them. Not that his portrayal is inaccurate. It’s just that their relationships were so incredibly tumultuous and so self-destructive that they should have flamed out early on and been nothing more than a footnote in history.

The stories revealed more bad shows than good, more calamitous records than critically acclaimed successes, more interpersonal conflict than camaraderie, etc., etc. How on earth did they ever succeed?!?

That mystery aside, I found the book hard to follow in many places because it jumped back and forth in time, and had a lot of little “asides” in the middle of sentences, so it was challenging to detect any sort of consistent, chronological flow. The writing style seemed to mimic the chronic turbulence of the source material, itself.

I’m glad I read it, but it certainly wasn’t my favourite musical biography / autobiography.

[Christopher Rossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listen to CSNY probably once per week and love what they’ve brought to the world tremendously. This book offers a wonderful window into their world of music and chaos and it was a nice read overall. For me personally, it got to be a bit too much about halfway through. They seemed like four egotistical maniacs breaking up and getting back together over and over again not learning from anything prior. Like an immature middle school or high school couple not learning from mistakes and breaking up 14 times per week. That sort of thing made it a little difficult to continue reading regularly because everyone knew that the next page was going to bring about another split or fight… only to go further and say “Stills reached out to Nash and Crosby for his solo album.” The cycle was endless. Literally the definition of insanity. That said, stories of how they came together and all of the musicians of that time was fascinating. Overall an easy read that is interesting yet extremely comical regarding their individual egotistical tunnel vision. Either way, they made some sweet ass music.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read many books about my favorite musicians from the '60s and '70s. The Beatles, The Who, Joplin, Keith Richards, Springsteen and others. No one matches the ego and arrogance of these guys. Crosby, Stills and Nash in particular. Neil is weird in his own way. That said the first two albums (the eponymous first album and Deja Vu are some of the best albums from that period and are certainly among my favorites. Deja Vu was the first non-Beatles album I bought. Suite Judy Blue Eyes and Carry On are masterpieces I think but recording with these guys must have been a nightmare let alone touring. Neil was totally undependable about showing up and there was always a power grab or two going on regarding who was in charge. Most of the time I think the cocaine was in charge. Listen to the first two albums and enjoy their many incredible moments. Highly recommended, especially for fans.

[Karen Miles · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you for Netgalley, the publisher, and Peter Doggett for providing me with ARC copy of "CSNY". I did not grow up listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young but was curious to find out more about the members of this iconic music group. I was curious to know how such a short lived group could be so famous.

I have to admit that this book was not to my liking. I gave up after the first chapter. I lost interest in going further. I think this book is more for long time fans of CSNY and have more knowledge of the group and their beginnings. For a novice to CSNY, I was expecting more of a narrative introducing the band members from the beginning of their music careers till present. I found the information provided scattered & unfocused leaving me no interest in pursuing this book further.

I hope that fans of CSNY will feel different to make this book successful.

[Mauberley]

Well done and I am in no way a fan of the band in either of its two manifestations. Doggett, who is an excellent writer, is the only person I know who appears to lament the addition of Neil Young to CSN. (Doggett's diminished regard for records such as 'Everybody Knows Thi is Nowhere' and 'After the Goldrush' is astonishing to me.) The book particularly shines as it describes the way that the musicians came together and all the co-incidences and machinations that were required to bring it to pass. (Peter Tork, of all people, offers a strange cautionary tale.) If I never hear 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' again, it will be too soon but Doggett's book is a remarkable look at what it means to bring together four talented people who don't really like each other all that much but who go on to obtain stupefying success as well as a bottomless quantity of cocaine and 'chicks'.