Neil Young is one of rock 'n' roll's most important, influential and enigmatic figures; an intensely reticent artist who has granted no writer access to his inner sanctum - until now. In this biography, McDonough tells the whole story of Young's life and career. Starting with his Canadian childhood, it covers the founding of folk-rock pioneers Buffalo Springfield, the bleary conglomeration of Crazy Horse and the simultaneous monstrous success of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, trawls through the depths of the "Tonight's the Night" depravity and the strange changes of the Geffen years, to Young's unprecedented 90s comeback with "Ragged Glory" and "Harvest Moon". No detail is spared - not the sex, drugs, relationships, breakups, births and deaths, nor the variety of chameleon-like transformations that have enabled Young to remain one of the most revered musical forces of our time. "Shakey" (the title refers to one of Young's many aliases) is not only a detailed chronicle of the rock era, it is also the compelling human story of a lonely kid for whom music was the only outlet; a driven yet tortured figure who learned to control his epilepsy via "mind over matter", an oddly passionate model train mogul who, inspired by his own struggle, became active in the quest to help those with cerebral palsy. This work is based on dialogue with hundreds of Young's associates as well as extensive exclusive interviews with Young himself, who puts his biographer through some unforgettable paces while answering the question: "Is it better to burn out than to fade away?"