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Neil Young

Thought I would share a few thoughts here.

Neil Young is again on tour, so I am again giving this artist some thought.

I remember reading an interview with Bryan Ferry where he said that Neil Young was one of his favorite artists. I thought this odd given the glam rock of Roxy Music. But he described Neil Young as a musical chameleon, always changing up his music and bands, which is why he liked him so much.

That quote stuck with me.  Buffalo Springfield, Laurel Canyon, Solo Acoustic, CSNY, The Shocking Pinks, The International Harvesters, Rockin’ In The Free World, and so on.  Always a new twist for Neil.  He really doesn’t stay stagnant.

Then, reading about his current tour it seems at every stop he is breaking out some long forgotten and unplayed live tune to keep his set lists interesting.  

I’ve never seen him live, and frankly don’t think I have that much interest in seeing him live.  Yet I own a metric ton of his recorded material.  I remember reading someone else who described Neil as a one string soloist when it comes to rock guitar playing.  That kinda stuck with me.

I do appreciate his approach to analog releases from his vast catalog.

Anyway, he is indeed a hall of famer.

pgaulke60
pgaulke60 OP
349 posts
 

I will always think that Neil’s SNL performance was totally ballsy.  Three man band, him in his ripped knee jeans, and scorching rockin’ in the free world.  Now that was a serious performance.

pgaulke60 OP
349 posts
 

I’ve also been thinking that the waves of music that Neil goes through is a lot like Bob Dylan.  Dylan has some terrible releases, only to come back a few releases later with yet another widely considered masterpiece.  Neil’s Greendale period is just such a lull in his recorded legacy.  

bassbuyer's avatar
bassbuyer
888 posts
 

I love NY in all his different settings.  I’ve seen him solo, with Crazy Horse and with several other backing bands.  He puts on an amazing show.  I haven’t seen him lately because his ticket prices are so high and it’s okay with me if I don’t see him after so many shows.  A true music legend.  

moonwatcher
582 posts
 

Ironically, he said it himself, "Better to burnout, than to fade away"....

zx10
145 posts
 

We knew him a bit back in the late 60's when he had a house up in Topanga Cyn and we hung out at a bar named The Corral on Topanga Cyn Blvd. Many artists came in there , Dylan , Neil , Canned Heat , Joni Mitchell and others. They were all friendly and would play a bit sometimes if handed a guitar but they were there to hang out not perform. Everyone treated them like anyone else h I'm sure was appreciated. Neil's early stuff was really good. After The Gold Rush is my favorite. It was recorded in his basement which he made into a recording studio. Pretty sure they did Southern Man on one take. That's Jack Nitzsche on piano who Neil said he had to talk into doing it as he was quite inebriated at the time. Neil was always quite cordial and I love his guitar playing. That's a Gibson sunburst given to him by Jim Messina when they were in Buffalo Springfield. Neil calls it old black because someone had painted it black. It has a terrific sound and he can sure play it although when his partner Danny Whitten O.D.'d Neil said things were never the same afterwards. I don't like his politics and didn't like it when he dumped his wife of many years Peggy but then I'm not perfect either. Neil is an icon for sure.

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