I highly recommend <em>Shakey</em>, the Neil Young biography. The guy that wrote it (Jimmy McDonough) talked to numerous people in Neil Young's past to chronologically piece together his music career. It's also sprinkled with brilliant, insightful and hilarious conversations with Neil. He talks a great deal about this ranch and recording "Old Man" on it with James Taylor. James had never played banjo before, and just when he practiced enough to feel comfortable recording, he realized that Neil had been recording takes as he practiced. That was the take they used.
A lot of musicians were friends with Manson. He was ingratiated in the Topanga Canyon music scene. He partied with Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young. Young’s song “Revolution Blues” on his album On the Beach is inspired by Manson.
In his biography “Shakey”, Young’s biographer Jimmy McDonough gets into this time in Young’s life.
Manson said he hated all of his musician friends, except Neil Young, who gave him a motorcycle.