• Wild Tales

  • A Rock & Roll Life
  • By: Graham Nash
  • Narrated by: Graham Nash
  • Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (786 ratings)

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Wild Tales  By  cover art

Wild Tales

By: Graham Nash
Narrated by: Graham Nash
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Publisher's summary

From Graham Nash - the legendary musician and founding member of the iconic bands Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Hollies - comes a candid and riveting autobiography that belongs on the reading list of every classic rock fan.

Graham Nash's songs defined a generation and helped shape the history of rock and roll - he’s written over 200 songs, including such classic hits as "Carrie Anne," “On A Carousel,” "Simple Man," "Our House," “Marrakesh Express,” and "Teach Your Children." From the opening salvos of the British Rock Revolution to the last shudders of Woodstock, he has rocked and rolled wherever music mattered. Now Graham is ready to tell his story: his lower-class childhood in post-war England, his early days in the British Invasion group The Hollies; becoming the lover and muse of Joni Mitchell during the halcyon years, when both produced their most introspective and important work; meeting Stephen Stills and David Crosby and reaching superstardom with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and his enduring career as a solo musician and political activist. Nash has valuable insights into a world and time many think they know from the outside but few have experienced at its epicenter, and equally wonderful anecdotes about the people around him: the Beatles, the Stones, Hendrix, Cass Elliot, Dylan, and other rock luminaries.

From London to Laurel Canyon and beyond, Wild Tales is a revealing look back at an extraordinary life - with all the highs and the lows; the love, the sex, and the jealousy; the politics; the drugs; the insanity - and the sanity - of a magical era of music.

©2013 Graham Nash (P)2013 Random House Audio

What listeners say about Wild Tales

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Best of the Recent Rock Biographies

After listening to Keith Richard's and Clapton's bios in addition to Billy Crystal's, I liked Nash's the best. Nash was always the most articulate of Crosby Stills & Nash. Which is remarkable for a guy who never completed high school. He doesn't waste lot of time discussing his drug use like in Keith Richard's bio, nor does he spend a lot of time bragging about his children and worrying about his imminent demise like Billy Crystal. lnstead, Nash gives us the condensed version of what we came for, which is his rise to rock and roll stardom 1st through the Hollies and then with Crosby Stills & Nash. It's a remarkable story. How the Hollies 1st big U.S. hit Bustop was written by the 14 yr. old Graham Gouldman, and how Nash was blown away when the kid performed it for him. And the 1st time he sung together with Crosby and Stills at Joni Mitchell's house. He also brings us up to date with his current pursuits.

What made the audiobook for me was that it was read by Nash himself, a really nice personal touch.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Great Story for fans of the Hollies and CSN!

What did you love best about Wild Tales?

I loved hearing Graham's story from himself, rather than a paid reader, as was the case with Clapton's audio book and Keith Richards'. Graham is generous to the many people who came into his life and is full of wonder and excitement about how his life changed when he entered the music business. Escaping the rigidities of British society and learning to express himself musically is a major theme of his account, which led to his leaving the Hollies and coming to America and joining Steve Stills and David Crosby to start a new group, CSN. For those of us who are long time Hollies fans, his detailed account of the events leading to his departure is something we've wanted to hear from him, personally, for a long time. It was hard to stop listening to his story, and I give it a full five stars. The only negative was his constant use of the "F" word, which was ubiquitous! So, be prepared!

What other book might you compare Wild Tales to and why?

The audio versions of Clapton, Richards and Townshend autobiographies. Those where the author is reading his own book, are the best. Townshend's book is an example, whereas the Clapton book and Keith Richards is read by a paid reader. Even so, I recommend them all to those of us who are "children of the 60s"!

Have you listened to any of Graham Nash’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is his only performance that I am aware of for a book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, absolutely, although I was not able to. It is over 14 hrs long. A great buy.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Hated the Band, Loved the Book!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The fact that Graham Nash was not a rock-and-roll genius made this book all the better! Nash's story of a working-class kid from the Manchester slums who found success with The Hollies and mega-success with Crosby Stills Nash and Young is so interesting because he wasn't and isn't a genius. What Graham Nash has always been is curious, appreciative of talent, embracing life's opportunities, positive-minded, forward looking. Every time a new opportunity presents itself, Graham Nash says, "That's interesting, that's cool, let me try that!" and then works hard once he's in the situation.

What does Graham Nash bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

You really feel he's telling us his story without mediation. It's very intimate and friendly and draws you in. That North England/West Coast accent is disarming, to say the least!

Was Wild Tales worth the listening time?

Yes, to see Nash's evolution from an almost 19th century childhood in Manchester (no hot water, no indoor toilet) to discovery of rock-and-roll to the perfect timing of following The Beatles into rock-and-roll hero status ... it's a cultural history as well as a personal one.

The second half of the book was far less interesting to me -- as was the case with Keith Richards' book. All those tales of decadence in the 1970s and 1980s are tedious, sad, annoying. But they were part of the trajectory, I suppose!

Any additional comments?

I still don't like any of CSN's songs, and thought they were corny and mushy even when I was young! But Graham is like a favorite uncle: not cool, perhaps, but loving and really great to have over for a visit.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Where does Wild Tales rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very Highly

What did you like best about this story?

Great to hear Nash reading and singing. The beautiful illusion is the feeling that Graham Nash -and other readers of their autobiographies like Stephen Fry- are sitting in the same room as you telling stories from their lives (in my case via the audiobook played through iPhone speakers in my shirt pocket) while I am doing the cooking and sipping a glass of nice South Australian wine.

Which scene was your favorite?

Meeting David Crosby and building their great friendship

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His childhood

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Inside Story

If you could sum up Wild Tales in three words, what would they be?

Trip through time

What does Graham Nash bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Graham's personality and his viewpoint came through clearly. He made it come alive through the whole story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A movie could never live up to the reality.

Any additional comments?

This book took me back in time to relive what happened then. Having been at several of his concerts, with and without the full band, it made me feel pleasantly nostalgic. Especially about a Crosby/Nash/Carole King show in the 70's. I could hear the friendship I saw on many occasions.This was one of my best purchases and I can't wait to tell others about it.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Could he be a bigger blow hard?

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

It would have been nice to hear all the stories without all the self adulation and dumb jokes.

Has Wild Tales turned you off from other books in this genre?

YES!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He's just not a good reader and some of the comments might have had a chance of being funny if they timing was better in the reading.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

This book is about one of my favorite bands and I saw this man in concert in 1980 or 1979. I love their music and it was nice to understand the make up of the group and how things worked.

Any additional comments?

Seriously a little less ego. According to Graham he helped save the Beatles first record gave Marooon 5 their start and Graham is a world renowned philanthropist, photographer, painter, and sculpture. An amazing life like his did not need to blow his own horn quite so much and it completely ruins the story. Wasn't there an editor at his publisher willing to help him out a bit?

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Full disclosure

Not everyone allows the reader into his heart and soul. Graham did just that. Hope you enjoy reading about a life well lived in full self expression! With gratitude for your courage and commitment!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

First half great, the rest is OK

The first part of this books- his early days through the formation of CSN and then CSNY - is very entertaining and a wonderful perspective not only on his career but the broader evolution of rock. The rest of it somewhat degenerates into a series of anecdotes, many fairly repetitive, of fights, drugs, concerts, personal
philosophy, name dropping, and self-congratulation. In fairness, for all that, it gave me a real appreciation of Nash's dedication to music, the sheer persistence of CSN, and the breadth of Nash's interests and talents, although not accompanied by a lot of insight. For me the part up through the formation and development of CSNY made the second part worth it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable - (minus the politics)

If you could sum up Wild Tales in three words, what would they be?

Veteran rocker remembers.

What did you like best about this story?

It's honest. He bares his soul. I felt the urge to revisit some of those great old songs now that I have more insight about them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His ability to remain friends with Crosby, Stills and Young.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed about 90 percent of this book. I could have done without the political rants. I never understood why rock stars feel qualified to push their political beliefs to their fans. It's this simple: Shut up and play your guitar.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • al
  • 03-12-21

Could Hve Been Better

OK, So we all know, "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" But does Graham need to spend at least 1/3 of the book telling us how he and his friends spent millions of dollars on them. Without those needless & boring hours of drug stories, I would have given it Five Stars.

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