November 3, 2014
In this flat-as-pavement second installment of his memoirsâfollowing on last year's best-selling Waging Heavy PeaceâYoung invites us to ride along in the many cars he's owned over the past fifty years, telling us how those cars drove him through various phases of his musical life and his relationships with family and friends. "I have collected many cars and have had lots of experiences with every one of themâ¦I just loved the way they looked and got a lot of joy from just observing them from every angleâ¦they talked to me. And I talked to them." Young recalls the 1985 Ford Econoline van that provided enough space for his son, Ben, to look out the window as the Youngs traveled, but it also brings back the memories of his good friend Larry Johnson's death. Young now owns a number of cars in various states of repair: "The unfinished cars mean something. They represent broken dreams, lost loves, and abandoned ideas. This is the sad part." Looking back, though, Young regrets the heavy carbon footprint his cars have made; in 1976, he drives his 1975 Dodge Power Wagon about 380 miles and deposits about "411 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere." Young devotes the final chapter of this uneven memoir to a long discussion of the value of biofuels and his attempts to turn a classic car into an environmentally friendly one.
October 1, 2014
Young (Waging Heavy Peace, 2012) returns to reflect on the two defining love affairs of his life: cars and dogs.The author's interest in cars dates back to when he was a young boy riding around in his family's 1948 Monarch Business Coupe with his dog Skippy tucked away in the car's trunk. Perhaps the reason cars made such an impression on him is that the family moved around so often, developing a sense of itinerancy that fostered a love of being on the road. Young's many road trips, however, allow him to retroactively calculate the emissions pumped into the atmosphere. This recurring diversion awkwardly interrupts the narrative, but Young feels obliged to include it due to his eco-conscious beliefs. It's an interesting juxtaposition: the author's love of cars against his awareness of the ecological damage caused by fossil fuel consumption. Nevertheless, Young reveals that his interest in cars was always about their aesthetic appeal, and it was not merely limited to the newest and most streamlined vehicles. The author admits that what really caught his eye were cars with an indescribable uniqueness, which often attracted him to "clunkers." These cars spoke to Young, holding a romantic sway over him. Among his favorites was the black hearse that functioned as the Squires' unofficial tour bus, as well as a 1957 Corvette he purchased to reward himself after his first taste of success with Buffalo Springfield. The plaintive and straightforward approach to Young's remembrances evokes a kindly paternalism as he candidly recounts details of his experiences forging his musical ambition in Canadian clubs, the hippie scene in Los Angeles, his later solo career and the innumerable rides that took him there. Ultimately, Young issues a warning about our dependence on fossil fuels and the resultant threat of climate change while showcasing new and efficient alternative fuel systems. Both heartfelt and conflicted, Young's passion for cars is tempered by his environmental conviction, a prescient reminder that the Earth is more important than a hobby.
COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from October 1, 2014
Iconic musician Young follows up his well-received Waging Heavy Peace (2012) with another rambling, charmingly unconventional memoir, but this time the rocker-turned-author gives his book a little bit of structure. Memories of cars he's owned, restored, traveled in, loved, and mourned provide a loose framework for a mostly chronological and somewhat cohesive narrative. Young uses his love of cars, especially vintage American models, as a launching pad for reminiscences of crisscrossing Canada and America alone or with various bands, stories of his pre-Buffalo Springfield groups struggling to find success in the Toronto and Winnipeg 1960s rock scenes, eulogies to friends and bandmates, and declarations of love for his wife and children, offering personal and professional insight that is sure to delight fans. He caps this thoroughly entertaining book with a long chapter detailing his continuing efforts to design, build, and market an electric and biofueled car that reflects both concern for the environment and an appreciation for stylish yet powerful automobiles. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed Waging Heavy Peace will likely find Young's latest outing just as informative and amusing, and it is highly recommended to anyone interested in the musician's passions, inspirations, and private side, even for readers who don't share Young's fascination with cars. [See Prepub Alert, 5/1/14.]--Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2014
Now here's a guy who takes the word autobiography seriously. This outgrowth, as Young puts it, of the Canadian singer-songwriter's 2012 memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, is quite literally an auto-biography, a collection of reminiscences sparked by the author's memories of the cars he and his family have owned over the years. The book inevitably covers some of the same ground as the earlier book. Young does warn us about that in the preface, but he treads that familiar terrain with a bit more of, shall we say, a heavy foot. For example, he's more outspoken regarding his views on politics and environmental issues, especially the damage done to the atmosphere from all that driving around people did back in the day. As an extra treat for his fans, the book is full of illustrations (of cars, naturally) done by Young himself. It's an interesting approach to a memoirhere's what was going on in my life when I owned such-and-such a carand, despite the overlap with Waging Heavy Peace, the approach makes the material feel fresh.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)