'Wild Tales": Graham Nash Opens Up On Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | NY Daily News
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A very major review of "Wild Tales", Graham Nash's new book on NY Daily News by Sherryl Connelly.
The review doesn't leave much on the table -- or to the imagination.
One thing terribly odd about the review -- besides its shallowness -- is how the review itself is censored?! Seriously, wtf? It would seem that if a book's contents doesn't meet your editorial standards, why would the reviewer quote from it only to blank out words and phrases? Is this to avoid our so tender sensibilities when at the exact time focusing on these supposedly offensive activities? Strange.
Back to the book and review. Nash's book seems to be attempting to live up to its title and tells a few about the supergroup constantly at each other’s throats in drug-fueled rages while the world grooved to the harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young.
Regarding the album Deja Vu, a “game changer” and bringing in Neil Young to CSN, Graham writes:
“Neil Young: It was like lobbing a live grenade into a vacuum,” Nash writes.The book apparently ends on a Neil Young note, as well, which seems to be quite telling given some of the more recent rumbles from Graham:
In the end, Nash says, he knows the music they made together matters more “than what we do (to) each other.” He’s at peace with Crosby and Stills, though he intriguingly concludes, “The jury is out on my long, strange trip with Neil Young.”Graham, here's a news flash -- it's all just a long, strange trip with Neil. We all have always known that.
All of this said, we'll reserve judgement on the book until we actually read this ourselves and hope that it's much more substantial than the superficiality of critic Sherryl Connelly's review. We think Graham and the rest of CSNY deserve much better treatment.
Here's the Amazon link for "Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life" by Graham Nash
. (Thanks! It's like a digital tip jar. You'll be supporting Thrasher's Wheat.)Labels: graham nash, neil young
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/02/2013 07:56:00 AM
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13 Comments:
So Graham Nash is a tell all twit, selling salacious tales as he is obviously desperate for some cash. Like the others, he waits, hoping for Neil Young to decide if he wants to get aboard the creaky old nostalgia barge that is CSN&Y for one last voyage to that big cash machine. Thus "the jury is still out" to Nash on Neil Young. I assume all will be fine if NY decides to sign up for a tour. I hope he decides not to waste any time with those losers.
The review, assuming it has some accuracy, only confirms that CSN were a trio of over indulged and over indulging swine. Sound like typical wealthy hypocrites, espousing virtues they can't come close to living.
I've noticed for a long time Graham never misses a chance to bash Neil in the press...hell the only press Nash gets is when he's talking about Neil Young...
Graham Nash always comes off as an honest person with strong values. I'm definitely going to read the bio and I'm having a hard time understanding the previous precarious reaction.
Neil follows his muse and that means he probably hasn't been the best friend to Graham Nash. So sure, there will be some sour notes on NY. Who cares? Why would that make Nash a twit telling salacious tales?
Trasher and Hippie Dream aren't such nice songs either...
Wow...a bit harsh don't ya think? I somehow don't think GN needs the cash. Residuals from the Hollies and CSN continue to mount, as does the monies from his photography and digital printing processes.
He obviously tells the 'tales' because people (read: some fans) may want to know what the 'flavour' of the times was really all about. And who better the the undeclared historian of the band.
Normally I 'like' the Zuma Band's comments but this was a little disturbing. Perhaps a bad night?
Anyway stay positive and relax...
Billie in Calgary
Sorry if my comments came off as intemperate. Perhaps the interviewer needed to highlight the more sordid aspects of the book to make the article news worthy. But I also suspect that Willie was told, "Willie baby, ya gotta thrown in more of the sex and drugs if you want a bigger payday. It's rock-n-roll baby...besides, you don't anything really interesting to say"...and he appears to have complied. But does anyone really need the image of the piggish David Crosby getting a double bj while smoking a joint and blabbing on the phone? "Hippie heaven"? Maybe it's everyone's age now, but it just sounds unnecessary. I'd find it more interesting and revealing and honest if perhaps some of these characters would go back and find some of these women and ask them their recollections. At least in his autobiography Neil Young acknowledges getting (and, I assume giving) STDs.
Perhaps I'm still annoyed at the Crosby snark about "Trans" (let alone his swipe at Crazy Horse and Billy Talbot). Please, criticism of any sort coming from the author of the execrable "Triad"? Although perhaps the scene Nash describes is Crosby's fulfillment of that three way fantasy. Old school male chauvinist pig IMO.
I admit I will likely read this memoir, if for no other reason than to get a perspective on those times. That being said, I find it a little vain to accuse Neil Young of using CSN as a stepping stone and publicity mechanism. I'm sure those were residual benefits, but I always viewed these various projects as different vehicles for Neil to follow his muse and to pursue different sounds.
I always perceived that Neil's separation from the rest of the circus on the 1974 tour was because Neil was more grounded in reality and avoided the circus of excess that the others embraced. If you've ever seen the full concert film from Wembley Stadium (you can find it on YouTube)...if that's any indication how the bulk of the tour was, you can understand why Neil had checked out from their trip and stuck with Mobil-Obil.
Plus, Neil, for the most part, was the only one of the four prolifically writing and performing new material. If he was using them as a stepping stone in the beginning, they were using him as their creative salvation from 1973 on to generate a new album....
Both Crosby and Nash have been public in asking Neil to get back together for another tour. Crosby is at least candid. On his website, he states that he's having trouble keeping up with the expenses of his sailboat. A tour with Neil would fix it, and he acknowledges it. At least he's honest about it.
Hey, I was born the year of the Doom Tour. I wasn't there. This is just my opinion. I could be wrong....
I just want to clear up this conception that Neil was the only one writing, therefore he left the group. Following deja vu, Neil released 4 albums before the doom tour (gold rush, harvest, tfa, otb). Stills released 2 solo albums and 2 Manassas albums (one of which was a double). Nash released 2 solo albums and one c&n album. Crosby a solo album, Byrds album, and c&n album. Really, all four were pretty consistent until the 77 csn album. I'm not saying that the QUALITY of the work was always on par with Neil, cause it wasn't (although one could argue stills was nearly as prolific and substantive as Neil until about 74, and Crosby produced a solo record that is as good as, if not better than, neils top efforts). Overall id say they were all still in top form in 74, or at least close to it.
Neil is the first to admit he has left a trail of carnage behind him, so surely there are a lot of people that would have some negative views about him.
I don`t think someone who harbours hard feelings against Neil is really going to surprise or offend him, or us.
I look forward to reading it, and if he included some drug and sex tales from the old days, so be it. These guys are all around 70 years old now, if anything it probably gives them an ego boost.
Yeah, but Crosby is in a different position financially than Nash and Stills. He lost all his money. First to drugs, and than to the IRS in the 90's.
Btw, I don't think CSN creative abilities had dried up in 1974. They did play new songs on that tour. The 1975 'Stills' album is really great, as is Wind on the Water by Crosby & Nash. After 75 things slowly deteriorated.
Anon 09:58:00 PM said: "... and Crosby produced a solo record that is as good as, if not better than, neils top efforts..."
Yeah, it's better than Neils top efforts!
One of the best ever made.
Though Crosby,Stills, and Nash were still writing decent material back in 1974, they didn't play very much of it on the stadium tour. Only Neil kept doing his new songs, with some rare exceptions. He's always had a different view about that sort of thing...
Curious which Crosby record you guys are mentioning.
I've never really checked out any of his solo stuff.
Would like to give it a listen.
David Crosby's solo debut "if only I could Remember My Name" - a career high
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