Synopses & Reviews
Neil Young is one of rock and roll's most important, influential and enigmatic figures, an intensely reticent artist who has granted no writer access to his inner sanctum until now. In
Shakey, Jimmy McDonough tells the whole story of Young's incredible life and career: from his childhood in Canada to his cofounding of the pioneering folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield; to the bleary conglomeration of Crazy Horse and simultaneous monstrous success of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; to the depraved depths of Tonight's the Night and the strange changes of the Geffen years; to Young's unprecedented nineties "comeback" with Ragged Glory and Harvest Moon.
McDonough spent six years doggedly pursuing rock's most elusive quarry, talking to more than three hundred of Young's associates (many of whom spoke freely for the first time), as well as sitting down with Young in person for more than fifty hours of interviews. This long-awaited, unprecendented story of a rock and roll legend is filled with never-before-published words directly from the artist himself.
Review
"Jimmy McDonough's fat, teeming, obsessive, and revelatory biography of Young is a pure shot of all-access pleasure....Hugely original." Los Angeles Times Book Review
Review
"An exhilarating match-up of author and subject makes Shakey a great, gripping read....A must-read for anyone who cares about Neil Young." Rolling Stone
Review
"Exhaustive, quarrelsome, and sometimes maddening...there are revelations in abundance." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"A mammoth portrait of the artist and lively exhumation of rock n roll history....[McDonough] traces a rich turbulent career in vivid detail." The New York Times
Review
"Imaginatively written...not only is Shakey an extraordinary literary feat of research and affection and endurance, it's an insight into the art of biography itself." Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Review
"Like meeting Brando's Kurtz in a cave at the end of Apocalypse Now....Young comes across as a Jekyll-and-Hyde loner whose life has unfolded like a reckless chemistry experiment a control freak on an endless quest for the uncontrolled moment." Macleans (Canada)
Review
"Does what most rock bios don't: It fails to fawn, it delivers the juice, it subjects the hero to the scrutiny and disappointment of a fan...A page-turning good read." Houston Chronicle
Synopsis
Neil Young is one of rock and rolls most important and enigmatic figures, a legend from the sixties who is still hugely influential today. He has never granted a writer access to his inner life - until now. Based on six years of interviews with more than three hundred of Youngs associates, and on more than fifty hours of interviews with Young himself, Shakey is a fascinating, prodigious account of the singers life and career. Jimmy McDonough follows Young from his childhood in Canada to his cofounding of Buffalo Springfield to the huge success of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to his comeback in the nineties. Filled with never-before-published words directly from the artist himself, Shakey is an essential addition to the top shelf of rock biographies.
About the Author
Jimmy McDonough is a journalist who has contributed to such publications as Variety, Film Comment, Mojo, Spin, and Juggs. But he is perhaps best known for his intense, definitive Village Voice profiles of such artists as Jimmy Scott, Neil Young, and Hubert Selby, Jr. Jimmy is also the author of The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.