This is an unauthorized biography of several different people, all of them Stephen Stills. At various times he has been band leader, guitarist, workaholic, egomaniac, blues man, poetic songwriter, and laid-back, carefree family man and father of seven. The steely, blue-eyed blonde kid with the big white guitar has evolved into a gravel-voiced LA blues man who, you feel, would make the perfect voice-over candidate for the next Disney blockbuster.
So, the most complicated and hard to pin down member of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young conglomerate finally gets his story told. Stills' career has not been without its problems, but the unconditional love, protection, and support of his fans begs the question, why no Stephen Stills autobiography?
Music writer Jeff Tamarkin once provoked a damning response when Stills revealed, "I find interviews and talking about myself the most loathsome activity in the world. So no, I'll never write one of those stupid autobiographies."
Despite his protestations, he has tried to write his own story. But you sense the staying power and slog of hunching over a typewriter on the tour bus appeals less than picking up a guitar and doing what comes effortlessly.
If he does ever decide to write his own version of events, perhaps this book would be a handy starting point. Over to you Stephen...