The first six or so weeks of the launch of “Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: The Wild, Definitive Saga of Rock’s Greatest Supergroup” have been wonderfully gratifying. This past weekend, May 26, the book was included in the New York Times’ annual “Summer Reading” issue, a roundup of what the paper calls “75 of the latest and greatest books to keep you company as temperatures climb and days grow long.” Umbrellas and fruity drinks sold separately: “This is one of the great rock ’n’ roll stories. It’s like a Greek myth. … Browne very good on the tribulations of David Crosby — his addiction, imprisonment, re-entry and subsequent elevation as a battered talisman of something-or-other.” That follows very nice write-ups in People (“riveting”), the Washington Post (“required reading for students of group dynamics”), the Houston Press (“A worthy, substantive, and comprehensive look”), Mojo (“exhaustive”), Kirkus (a starred review–“an excellent portrait of a troubled partnership … celebrates those fine moments when the band merged to make such epochal songs as ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’ and ‘Ohio'”) and many others. I’m grateful for all of it. Watch for upcoming television appearances on PBS’ and WPIX News.
A reader in Croatia also sent this photo, perhaps my favorite bit of feedback:
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Crosby, Stills & Nash, the first of the configuration’s albums; I’ll be blogging more about that later in the week.
Here’s my own “summer tour” schedule:
June 8: Maplewood-South Orange Book Festival, Maplewood, New Jersey: I’ll be part of a panel on music book writing. For more info: http://www.mapsobookfest.org
June 19: I’ll be at Book Culture (450 Columbus Avenue, New York), with my Rolling Stone colleague Brian Hiatt, author of Bruce Springsteen: The Stories Behind the Songs. 7 p.m., free admission.
July 12: Shelter Island Public Library, 37 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 7 p.m.