Understanding that my writing skills are equivalent to a typical sixth grader, I am using a time honored grade school outline for the following book report.
I Book Basics: Wild Tales by Graham Nash, copyright 2013, published by Crown Publishing Group, 360 pages, autobiography, black and white photographs throughout.
II Basic Theme: Graham Nash is a good guy.
III Target Audience: Old white people.
IV Author Information: Graham Nash was born in a poor area of northern England in 1942 to parents who were an odd lot (whose aren’t), he loved music and art from an early age, started played skiffle and primitive rock while in middle school, was a founding member of the Hollies (Bus Stop, Carrie Anne, King Midas in Reverse), loved America and became an American citizen, joined the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and (sometimes) Young, did tons of blow, smoked tons of weed, shagged lots of birds, raised a family in Hawaii, started a second life as a photographer, activist and artist before writing this book.
V The Protagonist: The hero and main character of the book is Graham Nash. He is a good man. His background was modest, his curiosity and balls were not. The people in the section of England where he grew up tended to stay put and lead a life of quiet resignation. Nash did not settle for that. He loved singing and harmonizing and was never afraid to try something new. This talent and curiosity culminated in receiving the Order of the British Empire from the Queen. His shortcomings are difficult to discern; he is the author after all. I would say that his songs tend to be more simple musically and lyrically than the others in his supergroup. Even that “shortcoming” could be considered a strength as his most popular tunes “Our House”, “Teach Your Children” and “Just A Song Before I Go” stand out amongst the angst and politicism of his comrades.
VI The Antagonist: The villain in the book ( if there is one), is the best friend of the author, David Crosby. Nash is a star in England and visiting America in the late 60’s when they meet. Croz (as he is called) turns him on to weed, shows him that his songs with The Hollies are kid stuff, introduces him to his first profound love in Joni Mitchell and makes millions of fans and dollars with him in CSN. None of that is bad. What is bad is that Crosby morphs into a freebasing, violent, jailbird covered in sores and killing his liver. “Long Time Gone “ is a great song, but not great enough to atone for all the hurt this guy put his friends and family through.
VII One Other Character: The most interesting side character in the book is Neil Young. He is an asshole. He does not play well with others. Nash once sent a heart- felt email to Young pouring out his feelings about the fractured relations within the band in hopes of reconciliation. Young’s brief reply was, “What a load of shit.” Please don’t make this brevity out to be cool. It’s an example (one of millions) of his interest in Neil Young only. What a pain. Oh yeah, his guitar solos are often pointless and too fucking long (my opinion, not Graham’s).
VIII The Conflict: Everyone is familiar with the Behind the Music series. This is not much different, just bigger names (John Lennon, Mama Cass Elliott, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell) and bigger places (Woodstock, Buckingham Palace, Fillmore East, Berlin Wall, White House). Nash comes from less than humble beginnings (outdoor plumbing), becomes obsessed with music (stalking the Everly Brothers), earns his professional chops (Hollies), becomes a mega star (CSNY), falls apart (ego and drugs), makes a comeback (family and activism), lives happily ever after (full head of hair).
IX Recommendation: Confession: I am a music snob. If I don’t like it, its probably not worth a damn. I used to turn up my nose at CSNY. Nash got the brunt of my disrespect. Stills and Young were guitar gods, Crosby was a bad ass who almost cut his hair. Nash was the Brit along for the ride. Wrong on all counts. Separately, they are tremendous. Together, legendary. Their songwriting talent and harmonizing is undeniable. Nash is at least one fourth of this. His writing, singing and personality go a long way in making CSNY a supergroup and not just a cash grab. The book is an easy read. Of course, the stories about Woodstock and Crosby are great. You will also find stories like Nash turning down Cass Elliot’s sexual advances interesting as well. What I found most profound was the process that allowed a skinny kid from humble beginnings to become a household name, fuck up along the way and come out the other side with his life intact. Good man, good read.
X Conclusion: Dig this and ponder how two guys as obviously baked as Nash and Crosby could sound so fucking good.
Cheers! Jim
