“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. image by Ros O'Gorman
Not that it’s my only job or task. I have others too. Sacred things that I need to protect from pain and hardship, like careless remarks on an open mind.”
-Neil Young from Waging Heavy Peace.
Neil Young is a singular figure in the history of rock and roll, and he continues to be a universally admired innovative force today. In his new memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, the 66-year-old Young presents a kaleidoscopic view of his personal life and musical creativity: it is a journey that spans the snows of Ontario and prairies of Manitoba to the pot-filled boulevards and communal canyons of Los Angeles to his secluded ranch in the redwoods of Northern California and the contemplative paradise of Hawaii. Astoundingly candid, witty and poignant, this is the Neil Young book music lovers have always wanted.
Throughout Waging Heavy Peace, Young takes a refreshingly honest approach to telling his own story in a voice that engrosses the reader as he reveals his inner thoughts, feelings and motivations. Rather than presenting a chronological look at his life, Young ricochets between memories and reflections, capturing moments in time, past and present.
One aspect of Young that readers have the opportunity to get to know well in Waging Heavy Peace is the constantly driven, uncompromising artist, whose career trademark has been his unwavering dedication to his creative muse, sometimes resulting in abrupt shifts in direction, often without warning.
As for the inspiration behind the title of his book, Young, who has been a vocal critic of the audio quality of digital music in recent years, writes: “Ben Bourdon, one of Ben Young’s caregivers, asked me if I was making war on Apple after he heard PureTone. I said, ‘No. I’m waging heavy peace.'”
Waging Heavy Peace includes some 50 photographs, many from Young’s family collection and previously unseen, adding a visual element to this very personal and engaging memoir.
The enhanced eBook edition of Waging Heavy Peace will include clips of more than thirty timeless Neil Young songs such as “Ohio,” “Cinnamon Girl” and “Rockin’ in the Free World,” providing a soundtrack to his stories. Interspersed throughout the text are then rare Young videos from his own archives, offering an uncommon glimpse behind the scenes a the man behind this memoir. In addition, a complete discography guarantees that diehard devotees and new fans alike enjoy the ultimate Neil Young experience.
An unabridged audio version of the book (11 CDS; 12.5 hours), read by Keith Carradine, will be released simultaneously.
Listen to an audio extract here:
