Concert Review of the Moment: Minneapolis, MN - November 8, 2007
The Concert Review of the Moment from Minneapolis, MN - November 8, 2007
At 11/11/2007 01:20:00 PM, hilltop said...
Its great to hear from some folks who really get Neil. I went to the Seattle show and an LA show and found both to be profound performances that I hold up to some of the best Neil shows I have seen since 1976. The "looked tired" and "phoned it in" comments are really missing the point in such a massive way that I can hardly begin to express my thoughts. I do sometimes wish we did not have this internet monitoring of every moment and every setlist, but it is interesting when you look at all his tours. He always stuck pretty close to a certain setlist, with a couple subtle changes here and there. I think this is because he has always been not only an artist of the highest order, but he is a real craftsman. The subtle nuances in his delivery has been amazing on this tour and I remember the same attention to detail in all the other performances I have been lucky enough to attend. I agree wholeheartedly with the comment that Ambulance Blues was worth the price of admission alone...and there you had the perfect example of craft and art...just amazing..that's all you can say. And for that matter every other song on this tour has been delivered with the same care and passion. No Hiddden Path had the passion and intensity of Hurricane, but a new maturity in his guitar phrasing that I was really blown away by. I can't say enough about this tour...its a great one. Ignore the passive audience, the people who came for the hits...just focus on the man onstage. That's all you need. thanks again Neil...for everything.
More concert reviews of Neil Young in Minneapolis, MN - November 8, 2007.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 11/12/2007 02:20:00 AM
3 comments
>> Pre-Order on Amazon.com << 
Human Highway
Concert Review of the Moment
This Land is My Land
FREEDOM In A New Year
*Thanks Neil!*
![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.thrasherswheat.org/gifs/free-speech.gif)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young
Pardon My Heart
"We're The Ones 
Thanks for Supporting Thrasher's Wheat!
This blog 
(... he didn't kill himself either...)
#AaronDidntKillHimself
Neil Young's Moon Songs
Civic Duty Is Not Terrorism
Orwell (and Grandpa) Was Right
What's So Funny About 
3 Comments:
I was at the Detroit show, but man, you wrote exactly how I felt. Exactly. Appreciate the man up on stage. He totally rocked.
Hilltop, great post! Totally agree that the negative comments miss the mark. I haven't see this tour yet... planning to see him New York ... having seen Neil live a number of times since the 80s he's NEVER disappointed and always amazed me with his overflow of great energy. I have yet to see any performer over the past decades -- Dylan, The Dead, Stones, The Who, ect... who have so consistently delivered excellent shows (full disclosure - never saw Springsteen).
IMHO one of the things that makes Neil resonate deeply with so many of us is that his music is completely sincere and heartfelt. He doesn't play a song or a set list because he wants to impress the audience. Rather, he sings what he feels and the depth of emotion he expresses is what moves the audience. He speaks in interviews about how he can't sing some songs live anymore because it’s as if he doesn’t feel like the person who long ago sang that song. Which means if the song doesn't resonate with him he won't fake it. Long time fans have learned to trust Neil, trust that if they let go of their own expectations of what they think Neil should play and they tune into what he's feeling and expressing it will be a unique, moving experience.
This maybe helps explain why he wouldn't make the records Geffen wanted ... because he operates inside out and not outside in ... perhaps that also explains his 80s records and why some people have a hard time relating to them .... in interviews he's said he was going through some tough things and his records were expressions of that. It’s a testiment to his character that he didn’t pretend he was feeling something else and try to make insincere records to generate sales and further him fame.
The Chrome Dreams II album and tour are no different ... he's expressing what he's going through ... for him to break out Ambulance Blues, A Man Needs Maid, Harvest, ect... its epic Neil! Totally classic, the set lists on this tour in terms of rare gems are just amazing ... That's also why I think any Peggi-bashing, which fortunately has been minimal, is off the mark. IMHO this is part of his whole scene ... having his wife open the show, being on tour together, enjoying the experience together ... how can these pleasures and experiences not come out through his music ... this seems to have been one of the themes of his recent movie ‘Heart of Gold’ … playing with old friends and with family … connecting to what’s important.
In the big picture, seeing Neil in small venues, with a mixed acoustic/electric set list, playing rare classics and new classics, and with Neil at 62 still on top of his game - its totally Epic!! What a gift for all of us!
Thanks Neil!!!
Excellent post.
Post a Comment
<< Home