It's our final week with Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young and oh, what a ride it's been.
In week one, we spoke to Neil Young fanatic Jason Schneider and got his thoughts on the very idea of this book and why he wasn't super keen to read it.
In week two, we heard from Mike Belitsky of the Sadies, who talked about what it was like to actually record a song with Young in Toronto.
And then last week, it was back to Belitsky, this time for a rare peek behind the scenes of the "Alchemy Never Works" tour that found the Sadies opening for Los Lobos and, on two nights, Patti Smith before Neil Young and Crazy Horse roared onstage to play "Love and Only Love" and other signature songs.
Through it all, we've been reading select passages from Young's life (meaning, whatever he feels like randomly divulging about it) and learning how his mind works a bit. Having seen him and Crazy Horse three times over the last two months and reading Waging Heavy Peace during this tour, I'm seeing the writing process for the book and his latest album, Psychedelic Pill, as being one and the same.
In the book, Young laments that he has no songs to write. Then he goes and makes something like "Born in Ontario," which is pretty much comprised of word-for-word anecdotes from his book.
In the end, I don't believe that either the new Crazy Horse LP or this book will go down as great works in Young's canon. I feel like he's aware of this and owning it, though. He'd rather work on other projects nowadays, and says as much. His artistic mind isn't quite as sharp as it once was and I think he really lost something of his rock vision when his longtime collaborator, David Briggs, died in 1995.
Having said that, I did enjoy reading the book and driving around Ontario to see Crazy Horse play killer shows and am very glad I did.
Any final thoughts to share about Waging Heavy Peace? What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about Neil Young from reading it? What do you make of the book in general? Have you seen or are you going to see Neil Young and Crazy Horse on their current tour? Otherwise, what'cha readin'?
Related:
What’cha Readin’? Backstage at Neil Young and Crazy Horse with the Sadies
What’cha Readin’? The Sadies’ Mike Belitsky on working with Neil Young
What’cha Readin’? Jason Schneider on Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young
What’cha Readin’? Farewell to Perfect Youth (and 'Hey there' to Sloan's Chris Murphy)
What’cha Readin’? Questions about Drake for Dalton Higgins
What’cha Readin’? Rob Benvie on Maintenance
What'cha Readin'? Shawn Colvin answers your Diamond in the Rough questions
What'cha Readin'? Daniel Mark Epstein on The Ballad of Bob Dylan
What'cha Readin'? Goodbye Lightfoot, hello Dylan
What’cha Readin’? Thoughts on Writing Gordon Lightfoot by Dave Bidini