Un'opera unica nel suo genere, creata con passione, competenza e gusto, con una così ricca documentazione che esula, però, dal solito noioso schematismo. C'è da scommettere che rimarrà nel tempo come il vero reference book del gruppo californiano, uno strumento di lavoro indispensabile per fan, addetti ai lavori ma anche per comuni lettori di musica. Non costano poco, beninteso, ma valgono per intero il sacrificio economico. Un must per ogni vero appassionato di musica rock.

JAM (Italy - November 2002)

Se volete conoscere a menadito la vicenda di CSN and Y, cercate senza timori questi libri, vedrete che tutte le pubblicazioni inerenti vi sembreranno inutili al confronto.

LATE FOR THE SKY (Italy – November 2002)

Per quanti sforzi, si possano fare è assai difficile che un'ulteriore biografia dedicata ad un gruppo di musica rock sia in grado di far sensazione più di questa. Mille e passa pagine complessive, più di cento interviste esclusive, circa ottomila date di concerti commentate, una discografia completa ed arricchita da un capitolo intero dedicato alle sessions e alle canzoni inedite: questo e ancora altro è CROSBY STILLS NASH and sometimes YOUNG, la storia completa del gruppo mito della musica californiana, la band che ha sconvolto una generazione e che, a distanza di trent'anni, fa ancora sognare migliaia di fans. Tre volumi che mettono a fuoco le storie delle prime band dei componenti del gruppo (il primo), la cronistoria nei minimi dettagli del supergruppo fino ai giorni nostri (il secondo), l'appendice monumentale di tutte le registrazioni, concerti, sessions (il terzo). Nato dopo una lunga gestazione (dieci anni di ricerche) da un quartetto di appassionati agguerriti e puntali, CROSBY STILLS NASH and sometimes YOUNG è un lavoro unico, preciso, perfetto, che soddisferà l'occhio e il palato di appassionati, fans e addetti ai lavori. Pubblicato in Olanda dalla Gopher Publishers può essere ordinato sul sito www.gopherpublishers.com: è in inglese e non costa poco, sia chiaro, ma vi assicuro che comunque vale assolutamente la pena farci un pensiero e un sacrificio (economico). Un must per tutti gli appassionati della musica californiana… e non solo.

www.cruisincalifornia.com

"I quattro cavalieri del rock: ´C.S.N. and Y' Una biografia a cavallo tra Woodstock e il futuro."

di Leonardo Lodato.

Una biografia monumentale nata dall'amore e dalle cure a dir poco maniacali che Herman Verbeke, Francesco Lucarelli, Stefano Frollano e Lucien van Diggelen hanno dedicato, nel corso degli anni, ad uno dei gruppi più influenti della storia del rock. 'Crosby Stills Nash (and sometimes) Young', (edita dall'olandese Gopher Publishers, euro 100 per l'opera completa ma acquistabile anche separatamente), raccoglie in tre volumi, per un totale di 992 pagine, tutto ma proprio tutto sulla band che dal 1969 ad oggi continua a fare grande il rock d'autore ´made in America'. Il primo volume racconta 'The early years', gli esordi, con David Stills, Stephen Crosby e Graham Nash impegnati con le rispettive band (Byrds, Buffalo Springfield e gli inglesi Hollies). Nella seconda parte, la più voluminosa, entra in gioco anche Neil Young, per dare vita ad un racconto che, dal 1968, prosegue fino al 2001. Il terzo volume è destinato a diventare una vera e propria enciclopedia di C.S.N. and Y. grazie ad un'attentissima discografia, ma anche alla videografia, alla bibliografia, alla cronologia dei concerti con tanto di tracklist e line up, oltre ad una lista di apparizioni in radio e tv e all'elenco delle canzoni del gruppo cantate da altri artisti. Immancabile e di ottima qualità il corredo fotografico in bianco e nero e a colori, con foto 'live' e copertine dei dischi, mentre risultano curiosi e gustosi i numerosi racconti, 'rubati' in presa diretta, degli stessi artisti così come di produttori, manager e personaggi dell'entourage che hanno seguito la band in studio o durante i concerti, offrendo uno spaccato inedito dell'attività di quattro tra i più grandi nomi della scena musicale internazionale. Definirla un'opera immancabile nella libreria di tutti gli appassionati è a dir poco superfluo. Per i più giovani, cioè per chi non fosse ancora al corrente dell'influenza che David, Graham, Steven e Neil hanno avuto sulla musica, lo sforzo dei quattro autori è mirato a fornire un'idea piuttosto esaustiva di quella che è stata la storia del rock attraverso gli anni, partendo dai Sessanta, per viaggiare nei magici anni Settanta - che bettezzarono C.S.N. and Y. come 'supergruppo' - per arrivare alla rinascita degli Ottanta e giungere oltre i Novanta. Caratteristica del libro, e soprattutto della casa editrice, la vendita via Internet che permette alla Gopher di stampare i volumi su ordinazione con la possibilità, tra l'altro, di personalizzarli.

LA SICILIA (Italy - 5 December 2002)

This is defenitely the most comprehensive biography on Crosby Stills Nash and Young ever. The set contains three awasome books and it is like an endless well of information.

ALOHA (Holland - June 2002)

This 3 part CSN and Y biography, based on a lot of interviews with dozens of insiders and with the gentlemen themselves, is the most complete book ever published about Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Belgian national radio Radio 1

The authors invested ten years of their lives researching obscure information and talking to CSN and to more than one hundred people related to CSN and Y. This 3-volume biography is definitely very interesting and well-worth for fans and for those who want to know more about CSN and Y music. The three books are like an encyclopedia and people will certainly love them.

Nederlandse Library information desk (Holland - 2002)

This is a unique work in its genre, created with passion, competence and style, richly documented and far from the boring sketchiness which often plagues books full of data and information. You can bet these volumes will stand as the real reference books of the band, an indispensable tool for those who work with/for CSN and Y, for the hardcore fan, but also for the casual reader. The books are not cheap, but they are definitely worth every single cent. A must for any genuine rock fan.

JAM (Italy - November 2002)

Un'opera unica nel suo genere, creata con passione, competenza e gusto, con una così ricca documentazione che esula, però, dal solito noioso schematismo. C'è da scommettere che rimarrà nel tempo come il vero reference book del gruppo californiano, uno strumento di lavoro indispensabile per fan, addetti ai lavori ma anche per comuni lettori di musica. Non costano poco, beninteso, ma valgono per intero il sacrificio economico.

Un must per ogni vero appassionato di musica rock.

JAM (Italy - November 2002)

Se volete conoscere a menadito la vicenda di CSN and Y, cercate senza timori questi libri, vedrete che tutte le pubblicazioni inerenti vi sembreranno inutili al confronto.

LATE FOR THE SKY (Italy – November 2002)

If you really want to know EVERYTHING about CSN and Y, look for these books and buy them. After reading them, any other CSNY related publication will look superfluous.

LATE FOR THE SKY (Italy – November 2002)

The Netherlands

This is defenitely the most comprehensive biography on Crosby Stills Nash and Young ever. The set contains three awasome books and it is like an endless well of information.

ALOHA (Holland - June 2002)

The authors invested ten years of their lives researching obscure information and talking to CSN and to more than one hundred people related to CSN and Y. This 3-volume biography is definitely very interesting and well-worth for fans and for those who want to know more about CSN and Y music. The three books are like an encyclopedia and people will certainly love them.

Nederlandse Library information desk (Holland - 2002)

United Kingdom

To quote a certain Mr. Crosby, "It's been a long time comin'..."

These words, as well as the famous phrase "Yeah, right" surround the long overdue release of the English language version of "Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young". News of the release of this much anticipated 3-volume set was starting to approach the status of other legendary no shows (e.g. when someone tells you "Neil's archives are supposed to be out by Christmas," or "On The Beach is coming out on CD". To which you give the aforementioned reply, "Yeah, right!"). The first communication of this project came in a cool color mailer encouraging you to order before November 2000. (I actually saw one of these mailers for sale on ebay as a collectible!). At that point it was also only a 2 volume set and was to be published by another publisher. Well, like anything that seems to be even remotely associated with Mr. Young, the delays set in. When the news came that it was expanded to a 3-volume set, I immediately ordered. I then returned to waiting mode while it was released in a Dutch language version only and I guess some members of the CSN organization took a look at it. After almost reaching the point of having to purchase some Dutch language records, the big package finally arrived. The amazing part is how many times have you ordered something and still had the commitment met over a year later (and no smart remarks about Lost Dog's service please!). My admiration goes to the authors and to Gopher Publishing or providing the updates and finally taking care of the fans so anxiously awaiting this project.So now the big question, was it worth the wait? YOU BET IT WAS!! First off, what an amazing undertaking! As the authors have stated, there are four decades of information on some of the most unique and volatile personalities of our times. At first you just kind of look through all the material in awe, then you have to try and figure out where to start! Well, for me, I'm still reading volume three - '40 Years of Music and a Trunk of Memories'. I've probably read it in its entirety at least three times now. Where did these guys get all this stuff? The book sets the new standard for comprehensive rock discographies the world over. Simply amazing! (And hey, Francesco…could you send me a CD-r of the unreleased Déjà Vu stuff ?) I've also looked through Volume 1 "The Early Years'. It was a bit puzzling at first until you realize the way you have to read this book. It goes one column Crosby, one column Stills, one column Nash and keeps alternating. There is no "sometimes-Young" column, but he does feature prominently in the book. There are lots of great stories some which have been re-told many times before. The Hollies stuff is probably the most interesting as it seems to be the most historically neglected area to date, and it's really great to finally have that available. Volume 2, "1968-2002" is the center of the project and the meat of the story. It is also a bit similar to the format of the Dave Zimmer CSN book. This volume makes liberal use of quotes and statements from various magazines and publications through the years, and the use of song lyrics to mark each section of the story is a really cool idea. Volume 2, and especially the coverage of the neglected later years, is well documented, detailed and supported by a series of incredible rare photos. Taken as a whole, this is definitely likely the definitive book as far as Crosby, Stills and Nash goes. As far as the "sometimes-Young", well, it's not really a Neil Young book. I have just finished reading Shakey, which to date, I think is the definitive Neil Young biography (sorry, Johnny). Neil is well covered as he relates to the history of the band, but nothing on him is given in much detail, and perhaps this is a later project for the authors. Young certainly doesn't come off as that positive, but then neither do CSN. This is certainly not a whitewashed, fan version of their history, but an honest, historical, comprehensive overview of both a fascinating era and group of musicians. So to the authors from all of the CSN and Y fans around the world, I recommend a huge round of applause for a job extremely well done. Thanks again for sticking with the project and also for the regular updates. And in closing, special thanks for never, anywhere in the whole 3 volumes, using the phrase "heh, heh, heh".

BROKEN ARROW (U.K. - issue # 88, November 2002 - review by Chuck Blanch)

United States

A labor of love if there ever was one, the authors of Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young have spent years of tireless effort to produce this exhaustive body of work. Covering a time span of four decades, the reader is rewarded with a fascinating, deeply honest account - sometimes painfully so - of the collective musical journeys of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and (as the title puts it, "sometimes" Neil Young). Volume I focuses on the early years: Crosby's flight with the Byrds; Stills, Young and the seminal Buffalo Springfield; Nash and the British-Invasion-era Hollies....nearly up to the pivotal moment in 1968 when Crosby and Stills locked voices with Nash for the first time. Volume 2 picks up the story in 1969, from CSN's landmark first album, travelling all the way through to CSNY's wildly successful 2002 American tour. The ups, and downs, the peaks and valley's .... its' all in here. Volume 3 ("40 Years of Music and a Trunk of Memories") is the icing on the cake: discography, concert, radio and TV chronology; films, VHS and DVD; multimedia and more. Not yet available in US bookstores, Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young may be ordered directly through Gopher Publishers at www.gopherpublishers.com

THE INSIDE CONNECTION MAGAZINE (USA - February 2003)

A true labor of love, this exhaustive three-volume set covers the collective and individual careers of CSN and Y in such detail that by the time you finish reading them, you’ll be thunderstruck. Culled from hundreds of interviews and articles over the last 35 years, the authorship team weaves everything together in a all but seamless fashion, and this in itself is remarkable. But aside from the text, the photo selection is equally inspiring. Hundreds of rare shots (many never before seen), video stills and album sleeves are liberally sprinkled throughout the books, making them a virtual page-documentary. Volume one is a transitory, 150-page book on the members’ pre-CSN ( and Y) careers in Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds and The Hollies, following their divergent paths up to the point of conception at either Cass Elliot or Joni Mitchell’s house (no one can yet agree on where the first performance took place). Volume two provides the core of the story, with CSN’s debut, Young’s addition, group, solo/duo and re-formation history from 1968 all the way through the recent turn-of-the-century CSN and Y events. The fast-paced professional and personal events in these four individuals is quite an odyssey, and the writers take good care in balancing art and life, and for the most part, eschewing gossip. Volume 3 (subtitled 40 Years Of Music and a Trunk Of Memories) is a completist’s delight: a 350 page reference guide, containing virtually every known performance, release and recording session. This volume also contains a cornucopia of rare album/CD and 45 picture sleeves (many of them in full color), making it as close to a coffee table book as you’re likely to get on the quartet. Monumental in its scope and nearly cinematic in form, this book is a feast for fans of a band whose legend righteously stands the test of time.

Matthew Greenwald - GOLDMINE (USA - April 2003)

I received my copies of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young books last Saturday (ordered online from Gopher). While I'm still in the process of going through them, I just wanted to comment that I'm mightily impressed. Francesco, Stefano, Lucien and Herman obviously poured their hearts and souls onto these pages. The decade-plus effort put into this project shows. Remarkably, most of the quotes in the text have not been published in book-form before. And I was happy to see insightful comments from many "behind-the-scenes" players such as Kenny Weiss (Stills's former manager and music publisher) as well as a lot of fresh material from CSN and sometimes Y, plus quotes from hard-to-find articles. Also, the tone of the book is definitely not fanzine-like. It has a fluid, energetic feel that makes it a great "curl up on the couch" while foul weather rages outside kind of a read. As for the photographs ... I've never seen many of them before. My favorites are: young Stills shots circa the Couch Album and Manassas, a number of Tom Davis photos, a selection of Henry Diltz photos I've never seen, and a wonderful shot by Roger Barone of Stills before a '76 Stills-Young Band concert in Philly. My only mild quibble has to do with the layout of The Early Years book, which features three separate, parallel narratives for Crosby, Stills and Nash. I found myself having to flip pages back and forth in order to keep up with the flow of the stories. That said, I understand what a difficult task it is to track the guys' individual journeys as well as the group combinations. In my book on CSN, I ended up breaking up the text into copy blocks, with sub-heads, in order to keep the stories rolling forward. So I don't really know which technique is most effective. A final comment before heading off ... ORDER THESE BOOKS! I've got nothing to gain by saying that. If everyone on this list is as interested in CSN and sometimes Y as they seem to be, these books have too much fresh content, too many unseen photos and too many unearthed facts to do without.

Dave Zimmer (New Jersey) - 13 November 2002

Thank you for the gift. The books turned out well. I do like them and I think they're in a great format. Lot's of good information. Well done...all of you. Again, thanks.

Graham Nash (California) - 21 November 2002