Rating: 
Summary: Great read but too subjective
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. If you are a fan of Neil Young you should read this book. The subject matter is fascinating. I am 33 and discovered Neil Young in the mid 80s while in high school. Putting the records that I have listened to so often for so long in a chronological line alongside a very detailed and personal account of what Neil was doing and who he was doing it with has literally made all of his music seem brand new. I have been listening to nothing but Neil for about 2 weeks. An unbelievably productive creative life overdubbed with sex, drugs and rock n roll and very complex and unique personality. This book really sheds a lot of light on the man behind the music and his creative process and inspirations. Thanks to Jimmy Mac for that.Unfortunately what easily could have been a GREAT book is just v. good because the author couldn't get out of the way. He bad mouths all of the sycophants back stage at an LA concert in the first few pages and then proceeds to act like the worst kind all the way through the book. To top it off, his opinions are so predictable that he doesn't really need to keep repeating them after a while. Oh but he does. Anything with CSN=bad. Anything that is commercial or accessible by casual fans=bad. Anything that is unreleased so only insider Jimmy Mac has heard it=great. The ultimate groupie with an axe to grind and a captive audience. I'm sure that Crosby must have kicked sand in his face at some point because Mac never misses a chance to mock him. So get the book - read, enjoy. It really is a very engrossing read. Be prepared to cringe every few pages. If you don't own all of NY's CDs you'll be buying them.
Rating: 
Summary: Shaken, not Still-ed
Review: First, I'll say it was a comparatively faster read for me. For what that's worth. And my wife pointed out how many times I was laughin' while reading the book.
Hey, I would agree with the other reviews that Jimmy put himself too much into the story and the book burned out 'bout half way through. Probably the only way the guy could write the 90's section. I'm willing to give him the benefit.
Now, Neil has gotta be one of the harder bio's for any author to get his teeth into. Lucky he had LOTS of long toothed rockers and "in his orbit" guys to get copy out of.
I think he tossed some enjoyable CSNY stories in there.
Would I recommend it? I'd rather steer a reader to Robert Gordon writing about Memphis musical legends like Alex Chilton.
I think I just get a kick outta reading bio's like this, 'cuz all Neil's music is in my head and the book envokes a kind of jukebox reverie. Hey, if that is what "Fan Jimmy" was working towards, it worked for me!
Rating:
Summary: Better to Burn It Than To Read Away
Review: I am a big Neil Young fan, and I like biographies, so I should've liked this, right? Unfortunately, the writing is so tedious it was a struggle to get through. Jimmy McDonough seems more interested (or, perhaps I should say "innarested" as he does several times a page) in expounding on his own opinions than on Neil's. By about page 2 you realize Mr. McDonough is overly proud of the fact that he has cracked Neil's inner circle, and he spends the next 750 pages reinforcing how chummy he is with the principal characters. We get multi-page accounts of Mr. McDonough recounting how only he would tell Neil that he was being over commercial and over-exposed, then we skip years ahead to the next Jimmy-tells-Neil anecdote. I wanted a Neil Young bio, not a Jimmy McDonough bio. Die hard fans might -- and I stress the maybe -- be able to fight their way through this biography, but everyone else should stay away. Better to spend your money on some Neil Young CD's.
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: Had to quit after 100 pages or so... not enough information about Neil, the author talks about everything but Neil. Needs more editing.
Rating:
Summary: A Man Needs an Editor...
Review: I have been thinking about getting this book for awhile and finally picked it up after hearing a radio interview with the author. I haven't yet finished the book, but I must say it's really getting on my nerves. Information is constantly, annoyingly repeated. First McDonough states it himself, then he quotes Neil Young on the same topic. I prefer to see the author leave him/herself out of the book as much as possible. My ideal of a rock bio style is Tony Fletchers "Moon" about the life of Keith Moon.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheeky author
Review: The book is OK. I will return it to my local Salvation Army when I an done. Neil was right to sue, this author writes badly and to add salt to the wound he seems like someone you'd love to hate.
Rating:
Summary: Not particuarly interesting nor is the subject
Review: It seems to be harsh...let's just say this book is the essential biography. At times not particularly interesting, sometimes boring but it is true to the biography. I mean can the writer make things up to make it more spicy? Let how he attended orgies at playboy's mansion when he didn't? Okay, there was a tremendous amount of work accomplished. It's a complete biography touches every corner and stone of Shakey's career. It explains why these great albums are left in the can such as tonight's the night...when i heard it was in the can for 2 years i was totally amazed...now with hearing other people's side to the story...it may not pertain to everyone like it pertained to me...also the story about his divorce album being left in the can for good...but to only resurface bit by bit on other albums. Okay this book explains Neil isn't the most focused guy in the music business...as a consequence his work suffered for a 10 year period...but not his total art as he was always either performing or making albums...and he's still a decent man considering the troubles he's had with his sons...he may not be a glamorous man in terms of rockstardom...but he's neil young as we who read this book have come to terms with and do have an infinity for this man...so if you want to read the ultimate biography read this monster...beware there are dull moments.
Rating:
Summary: It is not about you!
Review: I have been a devout (sometimes fanatic!) Neil fan for over 12 years and have read all the other biographies written about him. While this book is full of great detail and was a terrific read, I wish the author was not so full of himself. The reason I was so excited to read "Shakey" was because Jimmy McDonough was the first outsider aloud into Neil's inner circle. His many interviews with Neil and those close to him made this book a much more rewarding read. The author leads the reader down paths of Neil's life that other authors just couldn't. I found actually found myself cringing and feeling bad for those who have been around Neil as friends, business partners, managers etc. etc. He has left as he puts it a "trail of destruction" behind him. The book certainly conveys that. I started to get annoyed when the book became about McDonough and his relations with Neil. He set out to write about Neil but somewhere it took a turn to be about Jimmy and what he thought. I did not read the 1st 600 pages about Neil to spend 200 pages reading about Jimmy. No wonder Neil almost did not let him publish it. Also, he wrote a lot about his thoughts on Bob Dylan, he should have written a book about him instead. He certainly likes him more than he likes Neil. I will say this in his defense, Jimmy did a great job on writting about Neil's songs and where Neil was when they were written. Every ten minutes during the read I was running to my CD, tape and record collection to listen to the songs he was describing. This is a must read for any "true" Neil fan. For those "sometimes" fans, somethings are better left unknown!
Rating:
Summary: Definately worth the wait!
Review: This book is long - very long. Its written in a qausi-jornalistic style, with many eccentristies thrown in. Its fascinating and frustrating. In other words, its a mirror image of Neil! Seldom has a biography captured the essence of the eccentric subject as well as this tome. There are places of majestically beautiful writing, places of tedium. There is poetry and there is mechanical detail. The cast of zany characters - Young, Crosby, Nitzsche, Stills, Bachmann, and many others - provide a great backdrop to perhaps the single most important Canadian musician ever. I couldn't put the book down. Definately worth the wait.
Rating:
Summary: Forever Young
Review: I read this book mostly to discover how this guy keeps creating successfully after all these years when virtually all his peers
in rock have 'burned out or faded away'. Cobain checked out cause he lost the passion. Many older rock stars still tour, but they have no new material. Neil's new album should be titled 'Are you still passionate like me?' cause he hasnt lost it. What I realized in the book - his secret is his constant changing gears. He goes to country to hard rock to folk to R&B and other places. He plays acoustic guitar or electric or piano. He solos with guitar or harmonica. He sings in high falsetto or lower registers or a whisper. He plays with Crazy Horse, CSN, Booker T & the MG's, and many others. He can also retreat to his model trains when he gets sick of music all together. It's the variety that keeps him from burning out and losing the passion. This is something we can all learn to do as we age. Keeping a wide variety of interests, hobbies, and other activities keeps you from burning out and allows you to keep the passion for life. There are references to Neil's firing band members & leaving wakes of destruction, but if he didnt keep changing gears he would have quit a long time ago, then those guys would NEVER play with him again. A lot of interesting stories here and despite the complaints from other readers about the author, he still had unprecendented access to the people & places that make the story.
Bottomline message: It's not better to burn out OR fade away, it's better to have a variety to spice up your life and keep the passion. Read the book and learn from it.
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