Opher Goodwin – författare

In the realm of singer-songwriters, few have been as influential as Neil Young, whose music has always been creative and relevant throughout six decades. Neil is a chameleon for whom boundaries of genres do not exist. Throughout a long career that continues to this day, he has delved into folk, country, r&b, rock ‘n’ roll, grunge, hard rock, electronic and pop and made them his own. But the sixties were his launch pad. This book follows his music through that seminal period when he played with The Squires, Mynah Birds, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crazy Horse and The Stray Gators. During this seminal period, Young wrote or co-wrote some of his greatest songs, including ‘I Am A Child’, ‘Southern Man’, ‘Helpless’ and – most importantly – ‘Ohio’. He was also involved in some seminal albums, including his eponymous debut solo album, After The Gold Rush and Déjà Vu.This is the story of how one of the most seminal artists of the last fifty years learned his trade, by delving in detail into every band, every twist and turn, and every track.

Opher Goodwin is the author of many books on rock music and science fiction and taught the first ''History of Rock Music'' classes in the UK. He was fortunate to spend the sixties in London, the epicentre for the underground explosion of rock music and culture, where he was able to see everyone from Pink Floyd, Hendrix and Cream to The Doors, Captain Beefheart and Roy Harper. He was introduced to Captain Beefheart in 1967 and attended that first amazing gig at Middle Earth. He never fully recovered but now lives happily in East Yorkshire, UK.

Arguably the greatest album by the best rock band ever, The Beatles - also known as The White Album – proved to be a watershed recording. This extraordinary double album reflects a remarkable, turbulent time. They were attempting to follow on from the psychedelic masterpiece Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; manager Brian Epstein had died, long-term relationships were coming to an end, and they had become disillusioned with the Maharishi. The album heralded changes in style and marked the start of the falling apart of the previously tight-knit group. A wildly diverse album, its creation and dynamics are revealed. But as the sixties came to an end, so too did the band. The album also followed on from their first highly criticised TV flop, Magical Mystery Tour, the success of the first global satellite triumph of ‘All You Need Is Love’, and the highly ambitious Apple business venture. George Martin ducked out and conflict broke out between band members. But, among all the pressures and stress, they found time to write and record an incredible array of songs that synergised into a spectacularly successful album with a fascinating story. This is the tale of every track and every facet of this remarkable record.

Opher Goodwin is the author of many books on rock music and science fiction and taught the first History of Rock Music classes in the UK. He was fortunate to spend the sixties in London, the epicentre of the underground explosion of rock music and culture, where he was able to see everyone from Pink Floyd, Hendrix and Cream to The Doors, Captain Beefheart and Roy Harper. He was also fortunate to spend time in the Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded. He never fully recovered but now lives happily in East Yorkshire, UK.