Waging Heavy Peace

By: Neil Young

Narrated by: Keith Carradine

Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

The perfect gift for music lovers and Neil Young fans, telling the story behind Neil Young's legendary career and his iconic, beloved songs. “I think I will have to use my time wisely and keep my thoughts straight if I am to succeed and deliver the cargo I so carefully have carried thus far to the outer reaches". (Neil Young, from Waging Heavy Peace)

Legendary singer and songwriter Neil Young’s storied career has spanned over 40 years and yielded some of the modern era’s most enduring music. Now for the first time ever, Young reflects upon his life - from his Canadian childhood, to his part in the '60s rock explosion with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, through his later career with Crazy Horse and numerous private challenges. An instant classic, Waging Heavy Peace is as uncompromising and unforgettable as the man himself.

©2012 Neil Young (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Great book for Neil Young Fans

I recently read Clapton's autobiography and found it a complete bore. Almost the entirety of the book was about his failed relationships and lifelong addictions - who cares. Neil Young, on the other hand, is a fascinating well rounded personality. Not only does he get into the music and musicians of the most musically influential period of our time, but we find out about his obsessions with model trains, electric cars, and a new high resolution digital music delivery system as well as his battle with epilepsy.
Neil Young obviously wrote this book without any help and it shows. The story wanders from subject to subject and jumps around in time like a sci-fi movie, but somehow it all works. I never got lost and never lost interest, however, I doubt that non-fans would find this book worthwhile.

My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)

Would you listen to Waging Heavy Peace again? Why?

I don't know that I'd listen to it again, but I would read the hard copy. Don't get me wrong, I loved this audiobook. I'd read the book in order to review certain passages several times at my own pace; especially those covering Neil's technical details about his songs, cars and improvements to recorded sound.

What other book might you compare Waging Heavy Peace to and why?

Dylan's Chronicles Volume I, Clapton's autobiography, McCartney's biography Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. All great books by and/or about my music heroes.

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

There were many, but particularly Neil's many reflections on the passing of his dear friend and pedal steel guitar player, Ben Keith. I saw Neil at the Northrup Auditorium back in July of 2010; the same week Ben Keith died. Neil's sadness came through in his performance.

I'm distressed that in this book Neil states that he'll never be able to perform the most important songs Ben Keith contributed to again (like Old Man and Heart of Gold) because it wouldn't be the same with anyone else performing the pedal steel parts.

Hey Neil, I don't know anything about recording or performing music, but I'm pretty sure you could bring Ben Keith's music on the road with you, cue it up and play it at the right moments. You could explain it to the crowd...they'd understand; hell they'd love you more for it. Ben Keith could be there every night.

Any additional comments?

I was amazed and distracted by the nearly complete lack of common contractions throughout the book. There is not a that's, can't, won't, he'll, she'll, shouldn't, wouldn't (you get the picture) to be found. Wow! Is this an editing thing, a Canadian thing, or more likely, just a quirky Neil thing?

Keep On Reading In The Free World

I'm not the biggest Neil Young fan. I have the greatest hits and respect him but don't know a lot. Now after reading this book I'm interested in hearing more albums. I am a fan of Rock N Roll history and this is one of the best I have read. It's totally honest and off the cuff. He just wrote it himself. He has no set structure yet it works.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that even just knows of Neil Young. He's amazing and this book really shows a down to earth honest guy. I highly recommend this book.

Wonderful memoir

Waging Heavy Peace was very well read, it felt like I was hanging out with Neil and he was telling me stories about himself. It seemed like I got to know him a little, and really got a feel for his amazing life. He has a lot of heart, and has really lived his life with integrity. By the time it was over, I had a bit of a hero!

What a Mess!

Would you try another book from Neil Young and/or Keith Carradine?

Actually, Keith Carridine did a great job narrating.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Learning so much about Neil Young and his personal life and interests... I had no idea his was into so many different things besides music.

What about Keith Carradine’s performance did you like?

His voice is clear and easy to understand.

Could you see Waging Heavy Peace being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

NO!

Any additional comments?

Not sure why his editor allowed it but the book is extremely disjointed. He jumps around like a crazed person.... sorry Neil, I love you but your writing needs work.

Love Neil

Narration as well as information gathered from this book really gave me alot of answers and things I wondered about throughout his musical career. His second book is also worth a listen or read

Love Neil Young

If you could sum up Waging Heavy Peace in three words, what would they be?

Neil Young Rocks

What was one of the most memorable moments of Waging Heavy Peace?

I'm a Neil Young fan so.... I may be biased but I loved this book. I saw a review that commented negatively on the narrator but I enjoyed the narrator. I thought he sounded a lot like Neil Young and would frequently forget it wasn't Neil reading his own book to me. Neil is certainly eccentric and obsessive / compulsive but he's also honest to a fault about his vices and accepts himself for who he is as much as he can. He expresses his regrets in a way that reminds you of your own regrets and how maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge. He is very scattered in his thoughts and never keeps a chronological timeline but that's easily forgiven because...he's Neil Young.

A little disappointing.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, I really like Neil but I felt he didn't go into as much detail about his music career than I would have liked.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Neil spent too much time on his automobile & sound enhancement ventures.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Keith did ok I guess.

What else would you have wanted to know about Neil Young’s life?

I was excited about his performances at Woodstock & The Last Waltz. I think he wrote maybe a paragraph about Woodstock.

Any additional comments?

I understand about his interest in improving autos due to the environment. And improving the music experience with improved sound. But I wanted more about his music history.

First: I have always loved Neil Young.

What made the experience of listening to Waging Heavy Peace the most enjoyable?

I don't read a lot of biographies, but I have always thought Neil Young was one of the most interesting artists I had ever encountered. I had heard a few of the stories of Neil's life, but hearing them in his words was great. I liked that he jumped around a lot - like a stream of consciousness conversation. The connections he has had over the years, and the way he was at the heart of the 60s and 70s culture makes his story very interesting, as it is also part of my story.

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed how open and honest he comes across in the stories. I am sure some were hard to write.

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

Keith Carradine's narration was a little wooden, but it seemed to work for me. He would not sound good at all reading fiction in that style, but for this story, it didn't bother me, and I am often critical of the readers.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt how strongly Neil loves his family and friends, and how important they are to him. Once I started it, I didn't want to get out of the car.

Any additional comments?

He talks quite a bit about his audio project, and his electric car project, but these are a lot more than money-making projects to him, and I didn't get tired of hearing about them, although a couple of my friends did.

Old Man Takes a Look at his Life

I'm always anxious to learn more about Neil Young. He is one of my generation's great observers and he's not afraid to address our society's shortcomings. Neil's humanity, respect for women and big heart come through so clearly in these chapters. The texts devoted to Clear-tone and Link-volt were too long in my opinion and somewhat self indulgent. His music and daily life interested me most and he shared alot about both. He is a deep thinker, family man, and, most of all, an incredible human being.