Neil Young Nation

September 12, 2005
The deep personal commitment that millions of rock fans make to their idols is sharply illustrated by Chong's belief that "Neil Young saved my life." The author, a recent Columbia M.F.A. graduate and novelist, shares the story of a journey he and three friends took through Winnipeg, Fort William (now Thunder Bay, Ontario), Toronto and Los Angeles—all areas where Young lived and worked from his 1950s childhood to his present-day fame. Chong talks with a writer who treasures the memory of being winked at by Young and a landlady who remembers that Young left a cigarette burn on her couch. The musician emerges an enigma, a leftist political artist who antagonized left-wingers by praising Reagan, while denouncing Nixon as "hippiedom's dark overlord." Tough about firing people when he had to, yet sensitive and willing to lay himself bare, Young comes across as recognizably human, despite the author's reverential tone. Chong has a flair for colorful descriptions and bringing character eccentricities alive, and he chooses appropriate Young lyrics to quote throughout the narrative. Penetrating as Chong's chronicle is, however, it sometimes meanders and would've benefited from a deeper look at the author's feelings. Photos.

October 15, 2005
My, my, hey, hey, Chong ("Baroque-a-Nova") has little to say in this puerile, self-indulgent, and banal quasi memoir. An out-of-work writer, he decides to retrace his music idol Neil Young's inaugural journey from semi-obscurity in Canada to success in the United States. Following a stale formula, he gathers a few buddies to accompany him, packs up, and hits the road. Scenes of pot smoking, drinking, and camping out ensue as the men try in their own shallow ways to find meaning in life. In an effort to re-create Young's experience as closely as possible, Chong even tries unsuccessfully to buy a hearse like the one that Young drove to Los Angeles in the early 1960s. Interviews with several people who knew Young in high school and club owners at venues where Young played with his early band, the Squires, are interspersed with well-known facts about the musician's life. Chong reveals nothing but his own insecurities about the writing life and uses Young simply as a ploy for whining about turning 30 (Young will celebrate his 60th birthday on November 12). Not recommended." -Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Lancaster, PA"

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.