First off, I'm not really a fan of CSN or CSNY. I'm aware of who they are, their music has been on the radio for almost all my life, but I've never been exactly "awe struck" or "enchanted" by it. I say that not to cast any dispersion on the group, their collective or individual talents, or the music - It's just the way it is. I picked up this book mostly to fill in the gaps as to why they are considered so groundbreaking and iconic. Did I succeed in finding out? Well, sort of...

This book chronicles the collective known as CSN and sometimes CSNY. There is basic biographical information on all four of the main guys involved but it mostly just pertains to those things that contributed to the forming, breakup, and various attempts at reformation (some more successful than others but apparently none all that successful).

From the little bit I know about the individuals who make up this "supergroup" I can tell you that there are great gaps in the personal biographies when it doesn't have direct impact on their collective endeavors. David Crosby's well documented legal issues, for example, are mentioned mostly in passing. Sometimes it seems that the author is biased (to say the least) in favor of some members and prejudiced against others.

All in all I have a better understanding of why CSN (and sometimes Y) are so celebrated by those of their generation but I don't feel as if this is a definitive history of the group or the individuals. I'm not sure how much those who are big fans would get from it but those with a passing interest would probably enjoy it.

*""I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed. It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more

It is no wonder there has yet to be a comprehensive biography on CSNY until now. This supergroup is a difficult subject with not only contrarian individuals making up the bulk of the band but also egos so huge no skulls could contain them. But they were great musicians and engaging characters. Their music soared at a time when our young people needed them. CSNY was definitely the brand name leading the anti-war movement but also the symbol many of us could proudly display back when our freak-flag flied. And their music was different and superb in every way.

Doggett’s biography is not only engaging and informative, but also suspect to the memories of the many iconic contributors to this book. An almost sixty-year history of the principle players is covered, and the page count feels as if justice was done. It is heartening that all the members of CSNY are still alive and playing music. They, and their stories, are amazing.

These four were my favorite artists while in high school and college and I looked forward to this inside look to their creative story. I was not disappointed. The background of all four was thoroughly developed. It gave me pause to wonder how they survived the years.

What I look for in a biography is a very neutral viewpoint - mostly facts with leeway for some interpretation from a knowledgeable writer. But with CSNY, this felt very much a book written by a friend - someone who knew one or two of the band members and therefore, like a friend, not willing/wanting to hurt their feelings by giving a very honest depiction of events in the past. As well, those who were not deemed as helping the friend will get lambasted - so e.g., Crosby fares well here but Young and Nash do not. It's the nature of friendship but doesn't necessarily make a good book; the bias had to be compensated for by having inside information that a researcher just wouldn't be able to find. I don't know that this book really succeeded there - it is a VERY sympathetic look at especially Crosby and Stills but definitely not so for Nash and Young.

A reader will get this impression of the band after reading this book: Crosby is a loveable little scamp with an incredible voice who adored women and became ensnared by drugs, Stills is a multi-instrumental genius who creates masterpieces, singls like an angel, and the leader of the band. Nash is wishy washy and a milquetoast who spent most of life bemused, and Young is the biggest jerk on the planet who is so selfish, he lives to ruin others lives and livelihoods. In reading the competing biography, Crosby comes off as a womanizer and damaged - needing drugs first to assuage and then to hide from life. Stills is demanding, difficult, and alcohol made it nearly impossible to work with him, Nash didn't like the drama and tried to tread the middle as much as possible to mitigate it, leading to bursts of anger and vicious words at bad times, and Young didn't want to deal with the drugs and personalities, had the complication of a disabled son requiring full time care, and shifting priorities that meant he was completely unpredictable and impossible for anyone to work with for any extended period of time.

Since this is focused on that two year period when CSNY got big, you'll find a lot more in here about their lifestyles and the people moving around them like satellites. The author gives many different accounts of the same situation (drugs/alcohol meant that most remember the time differently) but then he also gives a lot of opinions throughout, either making conclusions on what really happened or flat out guessing why someone did/said something they did. Some readers will appreciate the opinions/speculation but others may prefer a biographer to just stick either the facts or the statements, without trying to interpret them.

What the book did well is to really make Stills and Crosby personable and like your best buddy - you feel like you were one of their friends during this time period in their life. Life in Mulholland and Laurel Canyon in the 1970s/1960s is richly realized - and it was fascinating to read about all the people who floated in and out of the scene when the band got together (be it at Mama Cass' house or at one of the band's homes). And events of the time, such as the death of Crosby's girlfriend in an accident, are richly detailed rather than a passing comment. As such, it does feel like you are looking from the inside out or talking with someone who was touring with the band and knew them well. But I think it is important to be aware of the limitations of seeing things from the inside - it's hard to really gain a clear perspective on the subject. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Recommended for fans of CSNY, and all its parts/permutations. This is an incredibly well written and sourced book giving the entire history of CSNY from the mid 60s to the current feud between SNY and C. Also covers a bit of the childhood backstory of the 4 musicians.

I have always been a big fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Although I was too young to really understand their lyrics when they were big in the 70s, I liked their music. Later when I had grown up, I understood what their songs were saying, and liked them even more. I jumped at the chance to read and review this biopic of the band, their music and their careers.

David Crosby. Steven Stills. Graham Nash. Neil Young. All huge musical talents. And big stars in the 60s & 70s, a time when war protests, social unrest and angst were the driving forces behind an entire generation. I was born in 1968...so I missed out on most of it, but I did get to enjoy their music.

I enjoyed this book. It describes the formation of the band, personality clashes among the members that broke them up multiple times, and the force, will and creativity they all added to the mix. After enjoying the recent movie about Freddy Mercury and Queen, I enjoyed reading about another band that seemed to have similar problems. Each member of CSNY had been in other front line bands like The Hollies and The Byrds and each wanted their songs/lyrics at the forefront. Strong personalities, incredible talent and inflated egos seem to be a recurring theme with popular bands. It was so interesting to read about their prior music careers, eccentricities and musical abilities, plus information about the band (both in the Crosby, Stills & Nash years and after the addition of Neil Young) that I didn't know.

I had to read this book in small bits. There is a lot of information....lots of name dropping and mentions of singers, bands, songwriters, concerts, lyrics, historical events, etc....so much information. I read a few pages....looked up names and events online for more information....and let that digest before moving on. I pulled up all sorts of songs and albums and enjoyed listening to so much awesome music as I read this book! My copy was a digital review copy....so the accompanying photographs were absent in my copy. I'm going to see if my library has this book so I can see the photos!

Great book for any fan of CSNY, 60s/70s music or culture! I loved it!

My favorite CSNY song?? There is a live performance of it here: https://youtu.be/2vnYKRacKQc

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A book about how the group CSNY came together. The author refers to them as a supergroup and growing up listening to their music I really never looked at them that way. I knew Neil Young had a successful solo career and really did not like to tour. In the book, the author explains how when he was with the Buffalo Springfield along with Stephen Stills how Young stopped showing up for shows like the Carson T.V. show then the Monterey Jazz Festival. I had known that they had been with Springfield that Nash was with the Hollies because I really liked the groups at the time. I did know of the Byrd’s I just was not a big fan and was not following that group. So I later knew Crosby came from them. Like Young he would not show up either to shows or recording sessions and when there was always difficult to work with. The author takes to how the three CSN meet at the Whiskey club, I had always heard it referred to as Whiskya’ go-go, and have albums recorded live from that venue. The group itself CSNY only have recorded three albums, but CSN has a total of fourteen. What I found interesting was the influence of Mama Cass and Joni Mitchel. It was always interesting how Stills seemed to bring everyone together and work through everything, for me, he is the one that I got that the music was more important than all of the other stuff going on around them. Also, their early songs really spoke to what was going on in the country, “Ohio” for example was about the shooting at Kent State, and another song was about the death of Robert Kennedy just months after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Then into the ’70s, they were still speaking to the people. I really listened to their music up to the last few years, out of their 14 albums I have 11 plus some of their solo ones, I just can’t get into some of their new stuff. An interesting group that I grew up listening to that now I guess maybe I will think as a supergroup even though they would not want that title. Maybe a super Folk group would be better. A good book.

What is CSNY's legacy? Too many cooks/egos? The more the merrier? Less woulda been more? Doggett charts the members' varied paths to the formation of the short-lived [re: their initial two-album peak] and ultimately underachieving "supergroup." There's not much new here, and the author's unrestrained admiration for the trio/quartet's output airbrushes a lot of warts out of the tale. He sets off a bit of unease in the Introduction: "For reasons I can't quite explain [a troubling admission -- if the author of a 368-page book can't elucidate CSNY's transcendent appeal, who can?], but I can always feel, the music made by those four men still touches me more deeply than any other. I can see and describe its faults, but as in any enduring love affair, they are ultimately irrelevant." As the prickly protagonists quit their spawning combos [Byrds/Buffalo Springfield/Hollies] and swiftly traverse from harmonic bliss to mega-selling success and discordant dissolution, their accomplishments seem minor and ultimately irrelevant. [But wait, there's more: David Browne's 'Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: The Wild, Definitive Saga of Rock's Greatest Supergroup' is also hitting shelves on April 2. Too many books? The more the merrier?]

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!
CSNY covers the formation and history of the band Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young - one of rock and rolls first supergroups.
Growing up I really enjoyed the music, so it was a cool inside look at the band.

3/5 stars

CSNY: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
by Peter Doggett
due 4-2-2019
Atria Books
3 / 5

This book was written in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock.
In 1969, David Crosby (ex-Byrds), Stephen Stills (ex-Buffalo Springfield) and Graham Nash (ex-Hollies) formed CSN when the musicians became frustrated with being a ¨group¨. Their smooth and vocal harmonies, idealistic and mature lyrics and exquisite songwriting abilities all came together to give them a creative outlet for their many varied talent Each musician wanted to make sure their songs were used, mixed with excessive drug use made for a tense and turbulent environment to work in. Stills asked Neil Young (ex Buffalo Springfield) to join after one album, solidifying the magic and the depth of talent. Young would be the most reclusive member of the band.
CSNY released 2 albums but the constant tension and turbulent relationships between the musicians made it a difficult environment to create in. Their personal relationships outside the group were also a huge factor.
I really enjoyed reading about the clubs (The Trip, for one) and festivals, popular then-Monterey Pop Festival, SF-Be-In @Golden State Park, Altamont and, of course, Woodstock. Some of the best writing in this book were the chapters on Woodstock and the anti-war protests.
The musical histories and relationships between them as well as their personal lives are researched and detailed-the use of quotes was a little excessive and distracted from the story and were hard to follow, but I did love the insights of the members and their formation.
This band, CSNY, and this era in musical history; the musicianship, lyrics and harmonies are unforgettable. It will never happen again. This is a great tribute to a band and time in music that are timeless and classic.

A fascinating account of how the band came together and ultimately kept falling apart. It delves into the turbulent relationships among the musicians as well as their backgrounds. Throughout it seemed like a love-hate relationship mix. Their egos and eccentricities kept getting in their way. All band members were strong-willed and each wanted things their own way. Stephen Stills seemed to be the one who pulled the music together and mixed it to perfection. All of them are songwriters and each wanted their lyrics front and center and they had to work out a way for sharing the limelight. It was good that in many of the concerts they would play together then each musician would have a solo spot that showcased their voice. Crosby, Stills and Nash were the core of the group since they were together before Neil Young entered the picture. Neil was a recluse and, though he contributed much to the band and their unique sound, would disappear whenever he wanted - often at inappropriate times leaving the rest of the band to pick up the pieces. Young is a creative genius though and much was forgiven to keep him with the band and to have his voice and his lyrics.

One of the things that amazes me is how the musicians in this group and many other musicians at the time (and probably still today) float in and out of each others lives and can even step onstage in someone else's band and play like they belong there. It also amazes me how many of the musicians know each other. It seems CSNY hung out with and knew Mama Cass (who introduced the group members it seems), Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and the list goes on an on! Of course the CSNY band members had been part of The Byrds, ?The Hollies, and Buffalo Springfield before their group was ever formed. What talent!

The background of what influenced the lyrics was interesting. Many of the lyrics were written in anguish from various love affairs on the rocks. Some came from Crosby's sci-fi interest. Others were totally crafted into something that would appeal to the most people and sell the most. And still more came from the drug-infused atmosphere of the sixties. Then, of course, there are the political protest songs that were mainly against the Vietnam War.

I don't read much non-fiction, but since I love CSN's and CSNY's music I wanted to read this and I'm glad I did. The first of the book was a little rocky, but it smoothed out after awhile. It was only somewhat sequential in nature though - it kept going back and forth during a relatively short period of time (the band was only together officially for about two years). Reading this made me get out all my CSN and CSNY music and listen to it again and still love the feeling.

Thanks to Peter Doggett and Atria Books through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is about half of a really good biography.

The author is upfront about his biases, but does a terrific job of covering the pre-Crosby, Stills and Nash years, how they came together as a band, and how and why Neil Young quickly was added to the line-up.

There follows a surprisingly even-handed and detailed description (particularly for a self-proclaimed fan of the band) of their various adventures and misadventures over the next few years.

But then it pretty much stops cold after their break-up in 1974, The rest of their careers to date get summarized in one incredibly rushed chapter.

What's there is good, but I can't shake the feeling that this was intended as a much longer biography that got truncated and was rushed into print in time for this year's 50th anniversary of Woodstock. The event, and its continuing impact on how CSNY have been perceived and received since, is a recurring theme throughout what's told here of their much-longer story.