CSNY - by Peter Doggett (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An engaging and illuminating biography focused on the formative and highly influential early years of "rock's first supergroup" (Rolling Stone) Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young--when they were the most successful, influential, and politically potent band in America.

After making their marks in popular bands such as the Hollies and the Byrds, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash released their first album in May 1969. By the time they arrived at Woodstock a few months later, Neil Young had joined their ranks and together, their transcendent harmonies and evocative lyrics channeled all the romantic idealism and radical angst of their time.

Now, music journalist Peter Doggett chronicles these legendary musicians and the movement they came to represent at the height of their popularity and influence: 1969 to 1974. Based on interviews with the band and colleagues, along with exclusive access to CSNY's archive, Doggett provides new insights into their incredible catalog, from their delicate acoustic confessionals like "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" to their timeless classics such as "Our House." Doggett also uncovers plenty of new stories and perspectives on the four tenacious and volatile songwriters' infamously reckless, hedonistic, and often combative lifestyles that led to their continuous breakups and behaviors--extreme even by rock star standards.

"A must for CSNY fans and anyone who remembers the era when it ruled the pop charts" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), CSNY is a quintessential and definitive account of one of the biggest bands of the Woodstock generation.

Review Quotes

"An enthusiastic history of one of rock music's most significant supergroups. . . . The narrative is eminently readable. . . . A must for CSNY fans and anyone who remembers the era when it ruled the pop charts."
--Starred Kirkus Review

"A meticulous chronicle . . . but also a deft portrait of a golden age tarnishing even as the band sang."-- "Sunday Times (London)"

"Engaging . . . Doggett uses the saga of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as a metaphor for the Woodstock generation and their doomed mission to return to the garden."-- "The Times (London)"

"Plenty of nuggets for the diehard fan...a more than welcome addition to the band's bookshelf."-- "Houston Press"

"This honest, occasionally laudatory history will delight its baby boomer audience."-- "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

Peter Doggett has been writing professionally about popular music and 20th-century culture since 1980. His many books include You Never Give Me Your Money, about the breakup of the Beatles and its aftermath; There's a Riot Going On, chronicling the links between rock music and revolutionary politics in the late 1960s and early 1970s; and a biography of David Bowie's 1970s recorded output, The Man Who Sold the World. He lives in London. Find out more at PeterDoggett.org.