canada.gif

gb.gif

de.gif

us.gif
Neil Young's new release ""World Record" w/ Crazy Horse is now available for pre-order. Order here
(Please shop locally & independently. But if you can't, we appreciate your supporting Thrasher's Wheat by clicking this link or YOUR COUNTRY's FLAG. Thank you!!!)
ADVERTISEMENT
<-Older Posts Blog Home Newer Posts->

Thursday, September 22, 2011

More Details on Neil Young's Upcoming Autobiography "Waging Heavy Peace"

berlin-deja-vu-press-conf.jpg
Neil Young @
2008 Berlin Film Festival
Photo by Markus Schreiber


The news that Neil Young is writing an autobiography seems to be taking the publishing world by storm (to a degree).

Likewise, Neil fans seem somewhat divided on the effort tentatively titled "Waging Heavy Peace". Fan comments range from the book is a distraction from the music, to we'll never live to see it a la Archives delays, to this being another brick in the artistic creativity wall.

From National Post by Ben Kaplan:
News that Neil Young would be penning his autobiography took the Canadian book world by storm Tuesday. Hot on the heels of the bestselling Life by Keith Richards, Young’s autobiography might be the only Canadian rock memoir to present any kind of sales rival to the skull ring-wearing Rolling Stone.

...

“A memoir coming from Neil Young — if, in fact, he’s written it, he’s honest, he can write, he has a good editor and lots of photos — will sell tons,” says Jack David, publisher of ECW Press, a 37-year-old Canadian publishing house that specializes in pop-culture books, including a memoir from Rush drummer Neil Peart. “We turn down two celebrity memoirs for each one that we publish because either they can’t write, their story isn’t interesting or else they aren’t willing to be honest. Keith’s book did all those things, and we have to expect the same from Neil.”

...

Grant Lawrence, music aficionado, memoir writer and CBC Radio 3 host, says that a book by Young is a can’t-miss publishing event. “If you’re a fan of a band, what does a fan want? Access. A fan wants to go backstage,” says Lawrence, author of Adventures in Solitude, recently shortlisted for the $60,000 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. “What does an autobiography promise? The ultimate backstage access — it’s really a simple formula.”

Rock memoirs, whether they’re by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Anne Murray, Bob Dylan or Steven “Popcorn” Adler, have provided a boon to the ailing book biz. An article in the April issue of Billboard magazine entitled, “How Rock Music is Saving Book Publishing” mentioned that a musician’s automatic fan base make a US$75,000 writer’s advance seem like money well spent.

“The amount of rock books on the market is crazy — even Sammy Hagar’s book did well,” says Lawrence, adding that Stompin’ Tom Connor’s 900-page autobiography sits like a prized possession on his bookshelf. “From Neil, I want to hear about Winnipeg in the ’60s. What was it like for him growing up as a teenager in an isolated city in the middle of Canada? Don’t get me wrong, I want backstage access, but I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get some Canadiana from Neil.”

Of course, a U.S. publisher might not push Young to delve too deeply into his Canadian roots, and the singer’s certainly forged a uniquely roundabout path. From his brain aneurysm to Woodstock; Crosby, Stills & Nash to his son Ben’s battle with cerebral palsy and his own epilepsy, the 65-year-old has lived more than enough to fill the pages of several memoirs.

...

Still, ECW publisher David has his money on Neil.

“Does anyone want to read about Stephen Harper or Dalton McGuinty? I don’t think so,” David says. “Fans are fanatics, they want to read about their heroes and I think, at this point, there’s few people who have the allure and stature of Neil.”

Our thoughts?

First, the title “Waging Heavy Peace”. We love it and dearly hope it sticks. In a way, it's a play off the Living With War title. Sort of the flip side of the same coin. He once called Phil Ochs' music "Heavy Metal Folk", in a similar vein to LWW.

Neil's still clearly living with waging heavy metal peace... as many of us are.

Also, not insignificantly, it seems that the pivotal song in the new film Life is "Ohio". The song has Kent State footage and other signs of the times. The Vietnam war protests deeply impacted Neil.

Any insight into his mindset during this time would be a fantastic revelation & riveting reading

We don't think this will be like Dylan's Chronicles. Neil has always been much more literal than Dylan. Dylan is downright inscrutably cryptic and often says/writes exactly the opposite of what he means.

While we think many would prefer NY stick with music and leave books to others, this could be quite significant. A future biographer would never have access to the inside story. We've long maintained that we barely know NY. Less than 10% perhaps.

This is an opportunity to set the record straight in his own way, while he still can. Neil's father suffered from Alzheimers so we think with NYA#1 finally coming out, the aneurysm, Ben & L.A. passing, he feels the time has come to pass on some lessons. Maybe some band will read it and take something away? Pearl Jam just said that they owe NY for sticking it out for 20 years and couldn't have done it without Uncle Neil's advice.

As for the timing of the announcement, it makes sense that this news comes out now after all the blowback on the Buffalo Springfield tour delays.

In particular, its insightful that the book is written "in the moment" with flashbacks. If that's its final form, folks will probably have issues that the book isn't linear or something. However, after listening "Hitchhiker", this totally makes sense to use flashbacks as a narrative device. If it works like the song "Hitchhiker", it'll be devastatingly effective.

Also, it would be fascinating if Neil actually addressed the whole muse thing. While anything could happen, it seems that a considerable contract has been signed and the PR machine has already cranked up. Sometimes it can be hard to backtrack on these commitments. The release date is Fall 2012. So we'll predict Summer 2013 at the earliest.

Anyways, the title is really sinking in and hope it sticks. Hopefully, the publishers don't decide to consider some of the ridiculous tweets we're seeing like "An Old Man Looks At His Life", etc.

More on living with waging heavy metal peace and Neil Young's Autobiography "Waging Heavy Peace".


7 Comments:

At 9/22/2011 02:05:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thrasher...hate to be a stickler here but this sentence:


...The news that Neil Young is writing a biography seems to be taking the publishing world by storm (to a degree)....


is incorrect. Neil young would not be writing a "biography" of himself...he would be writing an "autobiography".

:-)


Thanks... Jeffry...used to be with IBM...

 
At 9/22/2011 02:33:00 PM, Blogger thrasher said...

doh?! Thanks Jeffry. Not being a stickler.

You know how we are @ TW - quality whether you want it or not.

Or something like that...

 
At 9/22/2011 03:03:00 PM, Blogger SONY said...

...'having to have the very best' !!!

 
At 9/22/2011 03:05:00 PM, Blogger wardo said...

I'd be happier with the news that the book was already done, rather than the prospect of him just sitting down to start it. It would be nice to have an Archives Vol. 2 in our hands before he began another project with such a fuzzy finish line.

But the hell with it. The fact that he's doing something, anything at this point in his life and his career is a blessing. Long may he run.

 
At 9/22/2011 08:58:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think it was mentioned, but at the Q & A for the Journey film premier, someone asked if Neil had been thinking about the old day in T.O. etc.
Neil said that he had been very much. That he had just finished writing a book, and that we was thinking of writing another.

Syscrusher

 
At 9/23/2011 11:09:00 AM, Blogger andrea1bianco said...

Neil doesn't like touring without new songs or a new recording project. We dont't have enough information about his recording contract. Maybe for the studio albums it's expired , maybe not.Writing a book is a good way for remaining creative. And also profitable...

So Tired.

 
At 9/25/2011 02:35:00 AM, Blogger andrea1bianco said...

Here's an extract from the Songfacts interview with Pegi:
"Songwriting is so personal and sometimes he's writing something else. He writes so much – his father was a writer and he's just got that writer gene. So he writes a lot for his website or his Lincvolt Gazette. He had the N Y Times when he was doing Greendale and I'm not entirely sure what all is still up."

Pegi was probably interviewed on December 2010, so these are the first hints in family of the new Neil passion.

So Tired

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

<-Older Posts Blog Home Newer Posts->

Willie for a Nobel!
#Willie4Nobel

Willie Nelson for Nobel Peace Prize
for Farm Aid and his work on
alternative fuels, and world peace initiatives.

farm-aid-logo.gif
Farm Aid

Go Farmers Markets!


"In the >field< of opportunity
It's plowin' time again."

SUPPORTER
logo
Silverline Communications

(Home of the FarmAidians)
Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada
(519) 737-7979



This blog supports free speech!


Demand justice for Aaron:
Support "Aaron's Law" and inquiry into his prosecution

(... he didn't kill himself either...) #AaronDidntKillHimself

Induct Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame



Please Help Support Independent Media &
Non-Corporate Advertising
This Blog's For You!


The Hypocrisy of the Mainstream Media

It's Been Called The
"Missing Link" in the Ditch Trilogy

time-fades-away-banner2a

Sign the Release "Time Fades Away" Petition
Join The 10,000+ Who Have Already Signed


broken-arrow-mag-new-logo.gif

Neil Young Appreciation Society


sugar-mtn-logo.jpg
Sugar Mountain

Neil Young Setlists
rust-radio-new
Rust Radio


bumpersticker-neil-concert.jpg


i-l-ove-neil-young-sm.jpg
Bands Covering Neil Young songs


bumper-sticker-live-music-better-sm.jpg
LIVE MUSIC IS BETTER


ny-times-logo.jpg
Official Neil Young News Site

bridgeschool_logo
The Bridge School


The Bridge School Concerts
25th Anniversary Edition

**100% of Proceeds to Benefit Bridge School***

linda-eastman-neil-young-sugar-mtn-sm.jpg
The Essential Neil Young

neil-young-sleeveless.jpg
Fans Favorite Neil Albums

neil-young-heart-of-gold-film-still
Top 50 MP3
Neil Young Song Downloads


Top 10 Best Selling Neil Albums Today
amazon-neil-store.GIF
Support Thrasher's Wheat
via Purchases from:
United States - Amazon.com us.gif
Canada - Amazon.ca canada.gif
United Kingdom - Amazon.uk gb.gif
Germany - Amazon.de de.gif



Neil Young Songbook Project

In the fields of wheat

"Children of Destiny" will NOT be harvested
However, the chaff will be burned by unquenchable fire

Neil Young + Promise of the Real

Europe 2016 Tour Dates



2015 Rebel Content Tour


Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Alchemy Concert Tour Reviews

Fall 2012 N. America Tour
Spring 2013 Australia/New Zealand Tour
Summer 2013 Europe Tour

Europe Summer 2014 Concert Tour
Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Thrasher's Wheat Radio Supporters Go To Europe

jttp-film-poster-sm.jpg
Neil Young Films

musicares-neil-young-2010.jpg
2010 MusiCares Honors Neil Young

Features Elvis Costello, Crosby Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Ben Harper, Elton John, Norah Jones, Lady Antebellum, Dave Matthews, James Taylor, Keith Urban, and others.
Proceeds from sales go to MusiCares,
which helps musicians in need of
financial and medical assistance.

live-rust-promo-poster.jpg


"There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye"

#BigShift

trans-promo



Neil Young FAQ:
Everything Left to Know About the Iconic and Mercurial Rocker
"an indispensable reference"

paul-neil-bridge2004-sat-sfc-kkomenich-sm.jpg
Paul McCartney and Neil Young

woodstock-poster.jpg


"You can make a difference
If you really a try"

lennon_peace_liberty
John Lennon and Neil Young


"hailed by fans as a wonderful read"

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young:
csny-1974-poster.jpg
The Supergroup of the 20th Century



Director Jonathan Demme's Exquisite film "Heart of Gold"

eddie & neil
Eddie Vedder and Neil Young

buffalo-springfield-poster.jpg
Revisiting The Significance of
The Buffalo Springfield


"The revolution will not be televised"
... it will be blogged, streamed,
tweeted, shared and liked
The Embarrassment of Mainstream Media

Turn Off Your TV & Have A Life


"Everything Is Bullshit" +
"Turn Off The News"
Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)


Neil Young 2016 Year in Review:
The Year of The Wheat

Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain and Neil Young

Neil Young's Feedback:
An Acquired Taste?

Young Neil: The Sugar Mountain Years
by Rustie Sharry "Keepin' Jive Alive in T.O." Wilson

"the definitive source of Neil Young's formative childhood years in Canada"

neil & joni
Joni Mitchell & Neil Young

europe 1987.jpg


dylan-young-crop
Bob and Neil

weld
So Who Really Was "The Godfather of Grunge"?


Four Dead in Ohio
kent state
So What Really Happened at Kent State?


The Four Dead in Ohio



May The FOUR Be With You #MayThe4thBeWithYou

concert-pass-europe-2003-solo.jpg


dissent is not treason
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism

Rockin' In The Free World



Sing Truth to Power!
When Neil Young Speaks Truth To Power,
The World Listens

emmylou-harris-neil-young-0305-crop
Emmylou Harris and Neil Young

wilco-062305-wide-background.jpg
Wilco and Neil Young

bluenotes-pass-young88crewlam-sm.jpg

bruce-springsteen-neil-young-bridge-oct-1986.jpg
Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young

europe87concertpass


elton-john-neil-young-crop-sm.jpg
Elton John and Neil Young

ronnie-vanzant-neil.jpg
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young

+

The Meaning of "Sweet Home Alabama" Lyrics


Neil Young Nation -
"The definitive Neil Young fan book"

powderfinger
"Powderfinger"
What does the song mean?

Random Neil Young Link of the Moment
neil-sad.jpg

Bonnie Raitt and Neil Young

Wisconsin-solidarity.jpg
I'm Proud to Be A Union Man

UNITED WE STAND/DIVIDED WE FALL


When Neil Young is Playing,
You Shut the Fuck Up


Class War:
They Started It and We'll Finish It...
peacefully

A battle raged on the open page...
No Fear, No Surrender. Courage
WE WON'T BACK DOWN. NEVER STAND DOWN.

"What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees?"
Full Disclousre Now


"I've Got The Revolution Blues"

Willie Nelson & Neil Young
Willie Nelson for Nobel Peace Prize



John Mellencamp:
Why Willie Deserves a Nobel

willie_picnic_poster_070503


BOYCOTT HATE

Love and Only Love

"Thinking about what a friend had said,
I was hoping it was a lie"


We're All On
A Journey Through the Past

Neil Young's Moon Songs
Tell Us The F'n TRUTH
(we can handle it... try us)

Freedom:
freedom-video
Does Anything Else Really Matter?

"Nobody's free until everybody's free."
~~ Fannie Lou Hamer

Here Comes "The Big Shift"
#BigShift

Maybe everything you think you know is wrong? NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS
"It's all illusion anyway."

Propaganda = Mind Control
NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS
Guess what?
"Symbols Rule the World, not Words or Laws."
... and symbolism will be their downfall...

Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge
Be The Rain, Be The Change

csny2k-plate.jpg
the truth will set you free
This Machine Kills Fascists


"Children of Destiny" - THE Part of THE Solution

(Frame from Official Music Video)

war is not the answer
yet we are
Still Living With War

"greed is NOT good"
Hey Big Brother!
Stop Spying On Us!
Civic Duty Is Not Terrorism

The Achilles Heel
#NullifyNSA
Orwell (and Grandpa) Was Right
“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery.”
~~ Bob Marley

The Essence of "The Doubters"



Yes, There's Definitely A Hole in The Sky


Even Though The Music Died 50+ Years Ago
,
Open Up the "Tired Eyes" & Wake up!
"consciousness is near"
What's So Funny About
Peace, Love, & Understanding & Music?

churchsign

Show Me A Sign

"Who is John Galt?"
To ask the question is to know the answer

"Whosoever shall give up his liberty for a temporary security
deserves neither liberty nor safety."

~~ Benjamin Franklin

Words

(Between the lines of age)


And in the end, the love you take
Is equal to the love you make

~~ John & Paul

the zen of neil
the power of rust
the karma of the wheat

~Om-Shanti.

Namaste