The Long Trail: My Life in the West

by Ian Tyson

A Canadian icon on his longstanding love of the West and his life in "one of the last true cowboy countries on either side of the border."

"I live on a ranch about six miles east of the town of Longview and the old Cowboy Trail in the foothills of the Rockies. On a perfect day, like today, I can't imagine being anywhere else in the world. Of course, I'm not going to say there aren't those other days when you think, 'What am I doing here?' It's beautiful country and it can be brutally tough as well." —Ian Tyson

Ian Tyson's journey to the West began in the unlikely city of Victoria, BC, where he rode his dad's horses on the weekends and met cowboys in the pages of Will James's books, and eventually followed that cowboy dream to rodeo competition. Laid up after breaking a leg, he learned the guitar, and drifted east, becoming a key songwriter and performer in the folk revival movement. But the West always beckoned, and when his marriage to his partner and collaborator Sylvia broke up and the music scene threatened to grind him down, he retreated to a ranch and work with cutting horses. Soon, he'd bought a ranch in Alberta and found a new voice as the renowned Western Revival singer-songwriter and horseman he is today. This book is Ian's reflection on that journey...

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Canada

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2010

Reviews

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already liked him as a musician. Mostly enjoyed reading about his life.
Starts his story with his animals on his Canadian ranch.
Did considerable skimming in second half of story.
3/26/2020 - adding some quotes.
pages 54-55 :
"Sylvia had rented an apartment down on the Lower East Side, near the Williamsburg Bridge. I didn't have my own place in New York; I commuted back and forth to Toronto, chasing girls in both cities. I was always scuffling for a place to stay in New York. There were two hotels in the Village I stayed at; back then if you were half a day behind in your rent, they changed the lock on the door and you couldn't get your stuff. That happened to me a couple times. They didn't mess around.

"Our social scene in the Village revolved around Gerde's, the Kettle of Fish and the Gaslight Cafe, a dingy little coffee house directly downstairs from the Kettle of Fish. The Gaslight was run by Clarence Hood, an elderly Southerner from Mississippi, and his big, husky son, Sam. We played the Gaslight quite a bit and I liked Clarence and Sam a lot. Clarence always seemed a little out of place in New York. Looking at him and listening to his Southern accent, you'd have thought he was a hardware store owner in Georgia, not a coffee shop owner in Greenwich Village. He was a very courtly guy.

"Peter, Paul and Mary were hanging around the clubs and coffeehouses with us, as were the singer-songwriters Tom Paxton and Fred Neil. We spent a lot of time with Dave Van Ronk, an established folksinger who had his own apartment (few people at the time owned their own flats). He was the social kingpin in the Village.

"I also became friends with Ramblin' Jack Elliott, the original Brooklyn cowboy and a very influential figure in the Village. He had just returned from Europe, where he was a big star, when I met him. Jack had left home in Brooklyn pretty early, joining a traveling Wild West show when he was about fifteen. He was a product of the Woody Guthrie era, but like me he didn't buy into the socialism side of it. In New York we spent a lot of time together at the old Hotel Earle on Washington Square. Both of us took great pride in our cowboy hats; Jack says I creased his hat for him by using a grapefruit to weigh it down in the sink. He returned the favor by teaching me his guitar method. His flat-pick style was very sophisticated, a blend of bluegrass and jazz. I think Jack influenced my guitar style more than anybody. We are still very good friends to this day.

"But it was Dylan who got everybody's attention, because his style was so unconventional. When I met him after he'd come down out of Minnesota, he was loaded for bear. He knew exactly where he was going. He had focus. Of course it turned out he was a genius.

"Truth be told, I didn't get Dylan at first. I didn't think he was that great a guitar player and I thought he was a terrible harmonica player. It took me quite a while to realize he was a great player--his style was simple yet powerfu. When he started cranking out all those songs, you stood there amazed. But he was just one of the gang at first. He ran with Suze Rotolo, a good friend of Sylvia's.

"In her memoir 'A Freewheelin' Time,' Suze claims I was responsible for turning Dylan onto pot. I don't remember the details, but it may be true. I remember getting my dope from a cute Italian groupie from Chicago ..."

***
initial review :
page 7 - "After visiting the animals ... I head into the stone house. Inside I've got a few couches, a couple of old rugs spread over hardwood floors and a big wooden table for writing. I make myself another coffee in the kitchen before getting out my guitar and running the scales, doing my best to warm up my stiff fingers. I slide a Mark Knopfler CD into my stereo system--I consider him my songwriting and guitar mentor, along with Ry Cooder--and try to keep up with him for a while before tackling my own material."
***
Some you-tubed Ian songs
Barrel Racing Angel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh495...
Early Morning Rain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyhZX...
Brahmas and Mustangs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p34Tp...
My most recent favorite Knopfler - Nobody's Child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MDfG...
***
Nobody’s Child
Mark Knopfler
The ragged kid nobody wanted
Left alone to ramble wild
Long ago he was abandoned
Nobody's child
Never smiles and never chatters
Never quarrels or complains
Grown as hard as the Sierras
And the Western Plains
Come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
A'come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
Adding some quotes

[Barbi Bouvier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really listened to Ian Tyson, although I've heard his name quite often. I don't know what peaked my interest in reading this book when I saw it at the library but I am glad I did. It's like listening to stories your grandfather tells.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

My parents were major folkies back in the early sixties. In fact, some of my earliest memories are from the folk music concerts they brought me to. Heck, I probably still have a copy of Sing Out stashed away somewhere. My folks also bought a lot of records, some of which I still have. Because they were so large, one really noticed record covers. One that I remember seeing around the house was the Ian and Sylvia album, Four Strong Winds, with its picture of a good looking Canadian couple sitting on a sand dune. I don't recall this album being in as heavy rotation in the house as Johnny Cash, Peter Paul and Mary, or Joan Baez, but I do recall hearing the title song of this album from time to time. So when I learned that Ian had become a cowboy and written a book, I was curious, especially since the review I had read was fairly flattering.

What I found upon reading it was a very interesting look back into the early days of the folk movement and the personalities of the time, back before Dylan was Dylan and when Dave Van Ronk was still king of the Village. I especially enjoyed when Tyson talked about playing DC's Cellar Door since I remember going there any number of times in the 60s with my parents. In addition to the insights into the folk movement, one learns about Tyson's young and rebellious days, how he came to love horses and began to develop his proficiency with them, his personal and musical relationship with Sylvia, and his life after the collapse of folk music and before the popularity of cowboy music.

Along the way, you get a good feel for Tyson's road trips, musical bouncing around, ranch life, and some of the crazy characters he met along the way. Tyson is quite open about how he feels about a wide variety of things; sometimes the book bogs down as he goes on a little too long about past injustices and frustrations. Still, I appreciated his honesty. He didn't try to sugar coat any of his own shortcomings and was able to write about the ups and downs of his earlier days with a clarity that only comes when you have a lot of years under your belt.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. However, even though it wasn't very long, I found myself stepping away from it from time to time to pick up something else to read. If the GR rating system had half-stars, this would be a 3.5 star book for me.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meandering story, told in his own words, of how a Victoria BC born and raised boy became a Alberta cutting horse rider, rancher, musician, and chronicler of the West as it was. I have loved his music, back when he was Ian of Ian and Sylvia, and his solo music is even better.

[Ronald Kelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that I had always liked Ian Tyson, but as I read this memoir I came to a conclusion that I had never really listed to Ian Tyson. Sure, as a good Canadian I can sing Ian & Sylvia’s “Four Strong Winds” and his solo hit “Navajo Rug” and as a good Alberta (although Jason Kenney may disagree) I enjoy Tyson’s collaborations with Corb Lund. But I have never really listened to Ian Tyson’s music before. So, I sought out a couple of albums and, to my great pleasure, found his music to be absolutely fantastic. So, if only that this slim memoir prompted me to discover Ian Tyson’s music it would be success enough. Thankfully, this book is much more.

This memoir seems to show Ian Tyson at his irascible best. He comes across as charmingly curmudgeonly. His language is a touch salty and he pulls no punches when talking about the people and events that have crossed into and out of his life. The memoir is also quite self-reflective and acknowledges past mistakes and regrets, not that he would essentially change anything. The book is a fantastic look at a great Canadian singer-songwriter who was at the epicentre of some of music’s great moments.

My only complaint is that the memoir is very short. I am sure that there are many, many more stories that Ian Tyson could tell. On the other hand, this memoir is a delight to read. It feels very much like I was sitting in a ranch house great room, in a comfy leather chair, drinking scotch (or maybe a nice white wine) listening to Tyson regale me with the events of his storied life in music and ranching. A great read.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the harmonies of folk duo Ian & Sylvia for many years. After their breakup, Ian gradually found a place for himself reviving cowboy tunes and writing many of his own, which I have also enjoyed. But he was no urban cowboy, or a rhinestone cowboy ala Glen Campbell and other country singers. He was the real thing in the days when it was hard to find a place for real cowboys to do their thing. He wound up buying a ranch in Alberta and was still working it as recently as 2010, in his late 70s. In fact, singing/songwriting was a second career for him. He learned to play the guitar while he was laid up in a hospital after a rodeo accident in the 1950s.

He lived a fascinating life, but is a classic example of our heroes not always being as perfect as we might like them to be (Come on, marrying an 18 year old at age 44? Really?) That aside, he did what he felt to be right, and most of the time, steered a good course. This memoir is obviously in his own words. I'd be willing to bet that it was dictated more than written because it just sounds like a natural discussion, sometimes in a "stream of consciousness" kind of way, but always straightforward.

[Jeff]

interesting

but boy is he conceited

[Brian Burhoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always loved Ian's cowboy songs. This autobiography tells his life story, calluses and all. Recommended.

[ROBERT · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but I am not going to round it up to a 4.

Really interesting 200 page memoir that covers his 75 years on earth. He is still with us 13 years later.

I got the book because I kept seeing Ian and Sylvia mentioned as prominent 1960s folkies but knew nothing about them. They wrote some real classics that are still sung today (e.g. Four Strong Winds, and Someday Soon). They broke up a few years after the Beatles changed everything.

Ian packed a ton of living in those 200 pages. He started with his early life in British Columbia, his desire to become a cowboy, going to rodeos, attending art school then discovering he could sing so he started to perform in coffee shops in 1958. It was right at the beginning of the folk boom and he teamed up with Sylvia to become Ian and Sylvia in Toronto, Canada.

They became popular then moved to New York and ended up being managed by Albert Grossman (Dylan's manager). For 3 years they were stars in the popular folkie scene and married. The popularity of folk music declined rapidly when the Beatles exploded onto the scene. Ian and Sylvia started to sell less records, play smaller venues and then their marriage fell apart.

Ian continued to compose songs and play music but now he was free to pursue his desire to live in the wild west and be a cowboy. He bought a ranch in Longview, Alberta on the eastern side of the Rockies and raised horses. He remarried and had a child.

He was a busy guy raising horses, writing country music, touring with a band and entering rodeos. With all that time away from home his marriage floundered after 20 years.

Ian Tyson has lived a full life. You could really feel his love for the wide open plains and horses in this memoir. I think he enjoyed those things more than his music. His description of the highs and lows in his life were unflinching. Not surprisingly, he can write. He is a talented guy.

This was a good book. It is a quick entertaining read.

[Norman Weatherly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I hadn’t read this book. I have enjoyed Mr. Tyson’s music for many years, having a bit of cowboy in me I naturally gravitate towards Country & Western music. Having never met the man I had formed an image in my minds eye of what I thought he would be like. I had an idyllic image of the quintessential cowboy, rugged on the outside from riding the range in a well worn saddle but a real gentleman towards every one he met. Polite and kind hearted towards his family, friends and new acquaintances but tough as nails towards those who crossed him or those he loved. Unfortunately my fantasy collapsed page by page as I read this book. Although well written and full of interesting history about his life it shattered my naive image of the perfect gentleman cowboy. So, I caution you, if you haven’t already read this book or met him personally, your image of Ian Tyson will be shattered if you created an imaginary narrative of him like I had. I don’t want to throw out too many spoilers so all I will say is that my new image of Ian Tyson is that he is/was a narcissistic, alcoholic womanizer who happened to make some good music and live the life of a cowboy at the expense of hurting anyone who got close to him.

[Lise Mayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book written in a conversational style, obviously from interviews. Plain-spoken, frank and honest, Ian Tyson relates his personal history, from boyhood, through the swinging sixties, to today. We developed a love for his music in the late 90's, and it was fascinating to discover how the cowboy songs came about. I didn't realize he was an authentic cowboy, who has worked hard to master horsemanship. I remember his fight to prevent the building of the Oldman River dam. Since then, his voice has made a difference in preserving the beautiful eastern slopes of the Porcupine Hills.

It's a good, quick read, illustrating how a Canadian icon was developed through serendipity, luck, and dedication to create music that will endure, reflecting time and place of the modern West.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an Albertan and Canadian I had heard of Ian Tyson, but wasn't familiar with his music. This book was an interesting, short overview of his life. I appreciated the inclusion of a brief section on the humane treatment of domestic animals, which was a surprise.

I was disappointed by the use of prejudiced language. For example, he attributes 'Mormons in the Cardston area' as being the instigators of the Oldman River dam project, and describes an assailant as a 'Native kid and his sister.' Pointing out religion and race in these contexts was unnecessary and inappropriate.

[Reg Radke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an easy read. I liked the western theme mixed with the country/folk music scene. Interesting behind the scenes of the folk music scene in Canada and the US. Great insight into western history, rodeo and the cutting horse industry. Ian has lived a full life and shares all his ups and downs.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I've always liked his music and enjoyed his commentary on the music industry, environmental issues, politics etc. The narration style made me think I was listening to my grandfather tell me stories of earlier times and I was impressed with his knowledge of cowboy culture and western history.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book as much as I dislike the Canadian soap opera “Heartland”. It kind of dovetails with Dylan Goes Electric. And tells a bit of what it was like working for Albert Grossman, and about the short lived folk scene in general. When everyone went to Woodstock and the folk scene started evaporating and splitting up, Ian went back to Canada and the cowboy lifestyle.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like his songs, Ian Tyson shared with us his story, unembellished, smooth, and mellow. I always loved his music, and now I found myself liking the man too, flaws and all. I could imagine sitting around a campfire listening to his 'raven croak' voice singing a song or telling a story or three.
.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed listening to Ian Tyson songs for over 35 years. Interesting to read how some of the music came about.

[Huguette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting autobiography. It feels like a chat with an old friend who is reminiscing about his past. At a mere 200 pages, I feel that there were many more stories that he could have told us.

[Mark Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Tyson is one Crusty Old Bastard. And, yes, I capitalized it on purpose. There is no other way to describe him. How he went from line of fairly well-to-do English immigrants in fairly upscale British Columbia to being "Cowboy/cowboy songwriter" living much of his live in the harsher climate of Alberta. It's an interesting tale hearing him describe the New York folk scene of the 1960's to his stints on such CBC shows as "Sun Country" and the "Tommy Hunter Show" (which I remember fondly from the days when CBC Channel 9 was one of the four, then six channel choices in Detroit). I was certainly not a fan of his music during his 60's folk heyday, and even his years as a Juno Award nominee and winner (Canadian Grammy) for best Country Artist. I certainly am now. Always loved "Four Strong Winds" which I knew he wrote and "Some Day Soon" which I found out he wrote while reading this book. Best enjoyed with a glass of mellow scotch, a fire in the fireplace, some sort of hound on the rug at your feet and selections from his discography (vinyl always preferred but the stuff is probably not easy to track down-Spotify will do).

Highly recommended!

[Richard Marman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considering Ian Tyson is a Canadian singing icon he isn't so well known outside North America. I first came across his music as half of the 'Ian & Sylvia' folk duo in the 1960s when I bought their 'Four Strong Winds' album. I've been a fan ever since. 'The Long Trail' takes us from Tyson's childhood through his rodeo years, folk singing with Sylvia Fricker and re-emergence as a solo country music star. Tyson is obviously a charismatic character, but often paints himself as a tricky personality to handle, pulling no punches about his shortcomings as well as his talents. At just under two hundred pages, the book isn't over-long and written in a laconic style, so you can imagine Ian telling his tale over a bar-room drink. If you're a fan of Ian Tyson's music, you'll really enjoy this insight into his life. If not check him out on YouTube and then grab a copy of 'The Long Trail' because Ian Tyson is probably the last true singing cowboy.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

i found much here to admire even though predictably i was put off by his disavowal of the protests connected to his early folk. in the end he is very much a protester just not a socialist. a great explanation of the cowboy world and how it was populated by many who imagined it first and then lived it.
his love of horses seems genuine and important.
p148- Someone once told Kurt Markus and me, "The West is fucked now, and it's your guys' fault. You put the final nails in the coffin." They meant that we had blown the cover of the hidden West of the buckaroo and inspired all these idiots to move in on the terrain. But that view is kind of selfish. Everybody wants to be the last one in, the last person to discover the West before it disappears.

[Kari Burk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Ian Tyson has a very flowing , no b.s. way of writing. I like his simple old school style of swear words , communication and honest storytelling. He does not go labor intensive on any one topic in particular. I found myself putting the book down and singing "four strong winds" in bed one night while I was reading ! Beautiful lyrics in that song and beautiful storytelling in this book by Mr.Tyson.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest and thorough walk through Tysons footsteps. The places he called home in his life surprised me, and added a layer of respect for him and understanding of his music. He gave voice to the reality of people in thier 70's; a young man, albeit a little smarter, in an ageing body. Mr Tyson, through your songs and now these words you've given me an understanding of "the full circle" and what it takes to get there. Thank-you.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of interesting stories in this book and I found it fascinating when he talked about his music.

Ian also talks about other stuff in this book (notably a certain thing that young people do when they hit adolescence) that was just kind of weird to read in a memoir when you're expecting stories about music. And because I remember feeling uncomfortable reading about such activities, I docked this book a star. Maybe I'd feel differently upon a second reading.

[Simone]

If nothing else, Ian Tyson is very honest about who he is and what he thinks and where he's been and what he's screwed up; you have to admire that. Reading this was a bit like hanging at the UFA, having a coffee and shooting the shit with the old farmers (I had a bit of a nostalgia trip there, which was nice). Recommended for cowboy music and horse enthusiasts.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was co-written or ghost written, but the ghost writer/co-writer is amazing. When you read this, it feels like Tyson is talking to you. There are also lots of references to cowboying, ranching and the Western lifestyle. I learned a lot from reading this and have taken a few Tyson cds out of the library. I would love to meet him.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit to being an Ian Tyson fan for many years.but found this to be an interesting and honest book and I loved his concern for the west eco-systems and the majestic rockies.I really enjoyed this read. thanks Lynn!

[Wendie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ian Tyson and I really enjoyed reading this autobiography.

[Lynn Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like his singing (especially with Sylvia) better than his writing. He's unrepentently right-wing in his political leanings, but has a rugged sort of integrity for all that.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

ugh