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Shakey

hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
edited July 2008 in The Porch
If anyone hasn't read Jimmy McDonough's biography on Neil Young entitled "Shakey," I recommend you do so. It's fantastic! It's funny and I learned so much about Neil Young (well as much as possible--the man really is an enigma.) Stories, crazyness... and lots and lots of drugs. Makes for a real life Fear and Loathing...

here's one of the funny tales:

It was during the Harvest period that Neil Young's film company, Shakey Pictures, was born. Young had already toyed with moviemaking, fooling around with Super-8 equipment in Topanga. The first Shakey Pictures project would be a pseudo-documentary entitled Journey Through the Past. Did Young work from a script? No, nothing so comventional. "I have a list," Young would tell Larry Johnson, his pricipal collaborator, and with a crew consisting mainly of Fred Underhill, Jeannie Field, and veteran cameraman David Myers, Young ran around the country shooting mostly 16MM footage relating to weird ideas on his list and whatever other odd ideas popped out of his skull in the process.
A man who's funny, fast and takes the weirder aspects of Young's scene with a grain of salt, Johson said Journey Through the Past "was a very experimental, and that to me is a strength of Neil and why he's great to work for- because he will try stuff that other people more knowledgable than him would never think of trying, because they know all the pitfalls. Neil's the naive explorer."

...

James McCracken, who also appeared before the cameras, spent hours and hours building elaborate miniature adobe buildings housing salamanders, and then promptly destroyed them. "Mac was drunk and he didn't think Neil responded appropriately---like he was totally blown away---so he just walked all over 'em," said friend Sandy Mazzeo. "Neil would go 'No! No!' and Mac would step on another one." (The incomprehensible salamander footage would give Young and out when constructing the equally incomprehensible movie; when things got too confusing, he'd command Johnson, "Cut to the lizards.")

Apparently this Journey Through the Past movie is like an acid trip on film haha.

what a GREAT book.
Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    mertmert Posts: 167
    I'm about halfway through... I'm loving it but I had to take a break - I'm a huge fiction reader, but I'm not so big on nonfiction a lot of the time. The only complaint I have is I really don't like super long chapters, just because it's hard to read for a few minutes, and this book has many.

    Definitely read it though, if you're a fan of music - the man has had so much influence on modern music, it's crazy.... :)
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    hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
    mert wrote:
    I'm about halfway through... I'm loving it but I had to take a break - I'm a huge fiction reader, but I'm not so big on nonfiction a lot of the time. The only complaint I have is I really don't like super long chapters, just because it's hard to read for a few minutes, and this book has many.

    Definitely read it though, if you're a fan of music - the man has had so much influence on modern music, it's crazy.... :)
    yeah it is a long one... i like how they do it too what with the author taking breaks in the story so neil can talk about the incident or situation or whatever it is....

    he really is a puzzle unsolved isn't he?
    Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    mertmert Posts: 167
    He most certainly is, which makes him so "innaresting" to read about! ;) I, too, love how the author tells you about the subject and then gives you Neil's perspective, and then other people's perspectives. More nonfiction should be written like that!

    My favourite part so far would be when Neil says that he classifies all music as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones: this had me trying to classify all my music for months! :D
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    hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
    guy is an absolute quote machine too:

    Is Rock 'N Roll the Devils Music?
    - Rock 'N Roll is everybody's fuckin' music. I would certainly hope it's the Devils music, but its not just the Devils music. I think that's where God and the Devil shake hands- right there.


    on eddie:
    Eddie Vedder's a real guy?
    - Oh, I really think so, yeah. He's a unique kid. There's nothin' false about him. He's a little unbelievable in his naive ways, his openness- but it's real. Music is his religion, that's what he told me. He came in after we were playing with tears in his eyes. This is just the way he is- it's not just when he's onstage. Plus he records everything, did you know that? He records EVERYTHING. There's something slightly Chaplinesque about him. He's a very interesting character.

    he goes on...

    Pearl Jam are interested in bein' in the space to play- mentally. Surviving that trip from the dressing room to the stage and back, remaining intact with what's goin' on. That's why they have candles around. That's a reminder- and the crew keeps those candles coming, they keep them lit all the time. Because they know that the candles have something to do with the music, what's goin' on.

    ... I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there.

    ... Elliot (Roberts, his producer) almost went onto a feeding frenzy with Pearl Jam, heh heh. He wanted to put me and Pearl Jam and Crazy Horse together. I told him, "No chance. You think we're gonna do that to Crazy Horse? No fuckin' way."
    Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
    mert wrote:
    He most certainly is, which makes him so "innaresting" to read about! ;) I, too, love how the author tells you about the subject and then gives you Neil's perspective, and then other people's perspectives. More nonfiction should be written like that!

    My favourite part so far would be when Neil says that he classifies all music as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones: this had me trying to classify all my music for months! :D
    haha yeah!! innaresting. loved that. naturally PJ was the stones :)
    Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    mertmert Posts: 167
    :D I haven't gotten to the 90's yet in it. Like I said, I put it down a couple of months ago.... When I finish the series I'm working on right now, I'll pick it up again.

    But the Stones/Beatles, thing really hooked me because I hate classifying music by genres - so much of the music I listen to is hard to classify, and music evolves, so at what point is something pop or rock? :) I loved Neil's way because it's so subjective and yet so personal. Some of my favourite bands I'm still having trouble classfying, though... :)
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    CopTheRiotActCopTheRiotAct Posts: 953
    Wow, thats crazy... i just bought it yesterday!!
    ...The Moon is Rollin' Round....
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    hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
    mert wrote:
    :D I haven't gotten to the 90's yet in it. Like I said, I put it down a couple of months ago.... When I finish the series I'm working on right now, I'll pick it up again.

    But the Stones/Beatles, thing really hooked me because I hate classifying music by genres - so much of the music I listen to is hard to classify, and music evolves, so at what point is something pop or rock? :) I loved Neil's way because it's so subjective and yet so personal. Some of my favourite bands I'm still having trouble classfying, though... :)
    well... i'm not sure you can classify all bands/acts in the stones/beatles mold. theres so much variety...

    how'd you even put this bad boy down?? yes i'll agree that the beginning was slow going... how about life back then? bouncing around with absolutely zero security? not know where you're even going, where you're going to sleep or even what you can eat? man the times are sooooo different...
    Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
    Murder wrote:
    Wow, thats crazy... i just bought it yesterday!!
    get on it!! :)
    Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    mertmert Posts: 167
    hiding103006 wrote:
    how'd you even put this bad boy down?? yes i'll agree that the beginning was slow going... how about life back then? bouncing around with absolutely zero security? not know where you're even going, where you're going to sleep or even what you can eat? man the times are sooooo different...

    Well, I'm really careful about not burning myself out with books - learned the hard way when I finished my degree in English Lit and couldn't read a good book for a year! :( I has a lot going on when I was reading it, so I didn't have the time to devote to the massive chapters (I'm quite anal sometimes, and one thing is I hate putting a book down when I haven't finished a chapter, lol)... So I put it down instead of starting to not enjoy it.

    I actually found the first bit really cool, but it was quite personal for me - I only live a few hours from Omeemee and my parents grew up in Winnipeg at the same time as Neil. My mom actually might have run in the same circles as Neil, because she used to see Burton Cummings pre-Guess Who band every Friday night! :D
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    hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
    mert wrote:
    I actually found the first bit really cool, but it was quite personal for me - I only live a few hours from Omeemee and my parents grew up in Winnipeg at the same time as Neil. My mom actually might have run in the same circles as Neil, because she used to see Burton Cummings pre-Guess Who band every Friday night! :D
    WOW that's really cool!! i'm so jealous, eh. lol

    i just meant the very very beginning. before he started playing music... other than that i have zero problems with this book i just find it all sooo interesting.
    Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    hiding103006hiding103006 Posts: 452
    just want people who haven't seen this to see it.
    Camden 7-5-2003, Camden 7-6-2003, Hershey 7-12-2003, Camden 5-27-2006, Camden 5-28-2006, Lollapalooza 8-5-2007, Camden 6-19-2008, Camden 6-20-2008, New York 6-24-2008, New York 6-25-2008, Mansfield 6-28-2008, Mansfield 6-30-2008
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    The_Fixer The_Fixer Posts: 255
    I read this last summer. Awesome book!
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    TravelarTravelar Kalamazoo, USA Posts: 3,366
    hiding103006 wrote:
    ... Elliot (Roberts, his producer) almost went onto a feeding frenzy with Pearl Jam, heh heh. He wanted to put me and Pearl Jam and Crazy Horse together. I told him, "No chance. You think we're gonna do that to Crazy Horse? No fuckin' way."

    About halfway through.... but this is a great quote. Hahaha.
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    tatooedeverythingtatooedeverything Posts: 2
    This is my favorite book EVER. I read it about five years ago and when I finished it, I started back at the beginning and read it again. I think, in fact, now that you mention it, it's time to read it a third time. Clearly, it is now my Holy Book. :) When I was reading it, I drove my family practically insane by reading so many parts aloud. (I had, at that point, yet to discover the world of internet friends who care about the same shit I care about!)

    Note to Fellow Shakey Lovers, however: Do not ask Neil Young to autograph your Shakey book. He HATES the book. I am not exactly sure why, since I am a huge fan of Neil's and I absolutely love it; I think Neil comes off great in the book. But he does hate it. There was a huge lawsuit to get it released by Jimmy McD, etc. A very bad and ugly scene went down there. Too bad. Great book. GREAT book!!! Off to find my dog-eared copy right now ...
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