Book Review - Neil Young Nation - Author - Kevin Chong
Neil Young has legions of fans called “Rusties” for whom Neil’s music has played a roll in shaping their lives. Some survived adolescence, drug dependency, others divorce, and all found new meanings in well loved songs as they grew older. This bond has many Rusties looking for ways to get closer to their idol. Author Kevin Chong decided the best way to explore his “Neil Fetish” was to retrace Neil’s famous journeys from Winnipeg to Toronto, Toronto to LA and to chronicle his journey in this book.
Living in Vancouver, Chong had to get to Winnipeg first. Chong wanted to make the trip in an old hearse just like Young had. In true slacker fashion things didn’t work out and a brother’s Suzuki Grand Vitara subs for the far cooler and authentic hearse.
Kevin Chong recruits a couple of high school buddies for one last “guys only” road trip. Fearing that their youth was slipping away in the unrelenting glare of marriage, children, and careers this assortment of slackers and stoners jumped at the chance to hit the road with a huge stack of old Neil CDs. No sleep, leaky tents, farting in confined spaces, subsisting on hotdogs and driving while stoned is all covered in frat-boy detail.
In a series of ragged interviews with those he meets along the way Chong tries to shape his personal voyage into a shared journey with those who have been touched by the Neil. Some have stories to share about their encounters with their hero. None revel any thing new about the artist that has not been chronicled in other bios. Many have little or no connection to the Canadian superstar. This never stops Chong who interviews them anyway with predictable results.
If your looking for new insight into Young’s career or music better to read Jimmy McDonough’s excellent biography “Shakey” or local writer John Einarson’s brilliant book “Neil Young, Don’t Be Denied: The Canadian Years”. Kevin Chong’s book offers little new insight and is more of a drunken/stoned travelogue then biography, amusing, but hardly riveting.
The Winnipeg chapters are the most interesting as Chong, rested and eager to talk, interviews Neil Young authority John Einarson about his reflections and remembrances. Author Miriam Toews who’s only connection to the legend is that she lives in River Height’s close to where Neil lived while going to high school but has met Kevin Chong at a writer’s event is bafflingly quizzed. Chong meets with John K. Samson singer and lyricist for the indie darlings the Weakerthans. Winnipeg comes off looking intellectual and interesting, if a bit worn and faded. Chong and his motley crew come off looking kind of pathetic as they mooch meals and sleep in an RV in the driveway of a relative.
As the miles take their toll, Chong becomes less motivated to do the research and takes the easy way, too often relying on his Rustie network who share their fixation on all things Neil. BBQ’s, beer and joints take more and more page space and direct connections to the man get fewer and more obtuse.
I found the most interesting thread was people’s picks for their favourite Neil Young album. There certainly was no consensus with fans choosing records that coincided with epic events in their lives or identifying with Neil’s country, rock, or folkie periods. Most fans also seemed able to cut their idol some slack too for his commercial and artistic failures like Re*Ac*Tor, Trans or Everybody’s Rockin’.
“Neil Young Nation” for all its shallowness is not with out charm and you can’t help but wish you had the time to spend chasing a dream, living in the moment and listening to your favourite CDs with old friends.
Chris Brown
Living in Vancouver, Chong had to get to Winnipeg first. Chong wanted to make the trip in an old hearse just like Young had. In true slacker fashion things didn’t work out and a brother’s Suzuki Grand Vitara subs for the far cooler and authentic hearse.
Kevin Chong recruits a couple of high school buddies for one last “guys only” road trip. Fearing that their youth was slipping away in the unrelenting glare of marriage, children, and careers this assortment of slackers and stoners jumped at the chance to hit the road with a huge stack of old Neil CDs. No sleep, leaky tents, farting in confined spaces, subsisting on hotdogs and driving while stoned is all covered in frat-boy detail.
In a series of ragged interviews with those he meets along the way Chong tries to shape his personal voyage into a shared journey with those who have been touched by the Neil. Some have stories to share about their encounters with their hero. None revel any thing new about the artist that has not been chronicled in other bios. Many have little or no connection to the Canadian superstar. This never stops Chong who interviews them anyway with predictable results.
If your looking for new insight into Young’s career or music better to read Jimmy McDonough’s excellent biography “Shakey” or local writer John Einarson’s brilliant book “Neil Young, Don’t Be Denied: The Canadian Years”. Kevin Chong’s book offers little new insight and is more of a drunken/stoned travelogue then biography, amusing, but hardly riveting.
The Winnipeg chapters are the most interesting as Chong, rested and eager to talk, interviews Neil Young authority John Einarson about his reflections and remembrances. Author Miriam Toews who’s only connection to the legend is that she lives in River Height’s close to where Neil lived while going to high school but has met Kevin Chong at a writer’s event is bafflingly quizzed. Chong meets with John K. Samson singer and lyricist for the indie darlings the Weakerthans. Winnipeg comes off looking intellectual and interesting, if a bit worn and faded. Chong and his motley crew come off looking kind of pathetic as they mooch meals and sleep in an RV in the driveway of a relative.
As the miles take their toll, Chong becomes less motivated to do the research and takes the easy way, too often relying on his Rustie network who share their fixation on all things Neil. BBQ’s, beer and joints take more and more page space and direct connections to the man get fewer and more obtuse.
I found the most interesting thread was people’s picks for their favourite Neil Young album. There certainly was no consensus with fans choosing records that coincided with epic events in their lives or identifying with Neil’s country, rock, or folkie periods. Most fans also seemed able to cut their idol some slack too for his commercial and artistic failures like Re*Ac*Tor, Trans or Everybody’s Rockin’.
“Neil Young Nation” for all its shallowness is not with out charm and you can’t help but wish you had the time to spend chasing a dream, living in the moment and listening to your favourite CDs with old friends.
Chris Brown
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