Neil Young News: 08/01/2008

He Came Dancing Across The Water: Europe Summer Tour Wrap Up

Coburg, Germany, 08/23/08 - Photo by Coburger Tageblatt

The Neil Young's Europe summer tour wrapped up last night in Denmark.

Lots of highlights from the tour. Not the least of which was the debut of three new songs:
- "When Worlds Collide" in Coburg, Germany, 08/23/08

- "Sea Change" from Way Out West Festival, Göteborg, Sweden, 6/9/08

- "Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World" on August 7, in Helsinki, Finland
(lyrics and YouTube videos at links above)

A quick run through of the song grid on Rust Radio shows that Neil played 35 different songs over the 24 date tour. Among the highlights was the cover of The Beatles "A Day In The Life" which was played as the final encore song.

Here are songs that were played only once on tour (or twice):
When You Dance, I Can Really Love
Time Fades Away
For The Turnstiles
Winterlong (twice)
Down By The River (twice)
Wrecking Ball

So a real range of songs with rarities, one-offs, covers, and new songs.

Thanks Roel for the statistics!

The Concert Review of the Moment of Neil Young at Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, England: 7/6/08 is by J Phimister:

To put it succinctly: Neil. Young. Fucking. Rocks. I am beginning to think there is no-one quite like him out there. I'm pretty sure they must have been able to hear this set in Calais! He kicked off with a beyond-grungy version of "Love and only love" and never looked back. Old Black, his trusty Gibson Les Paul screamed, roared, squealed, moaned and howled over nearly ten minutes as the old fucker stamped around the stage, his face screwed up in an expression of sheer, what? Anger, hurt, delight? It's hard to tell with old craggly-face, and it doesn't matter. What matters is that no one, not Elton, Macca, Dylan or Prince, plays with such fire and rage in their bellies as Young. And this was just the first song!

Rock In Rio Madrid, Spain, 6/27/08 - Photo by Antonio

Coburg, Germany, 08/23/08 - Photo by Henning Rosenbusch

Neil Young: "A Day in the Life" at Rock in Rio Ciudad del Arganda Rey Madrid, Spain, 6/27/08.

"Time Fades Away" at Konig Pilsner Arena, Oberhausen, Germany on 7/9/08. This is the first performance in 35 years!

Roskilde Festival, 7/5/08
Photo by Martin Rosenaur

A Concert Review of the Moment of Neil Young in Lyon, France, 6/25/05 by Benji:

Then on No Hidden Path came that amazing fall when he tripped right stage over a floor monitor and Old Black's lead got stuck on the top of the old harmonium, with Neil on his back. It really looked as though that hurt and Neil held the guitar aloft, horizontal, banging away still, well and truly entangled. He finally managed to rise up, everything still connected, and him to the music. He then seized the guilty monitor and threw it a few inches back and addressed a unfriendly hand gestures to the techs right stage. He then majestically treated us to another 10 minutes of his epic track, clocking in at 28 min (i think). It seemed as though he might have hurt right-hand finger(s) as he looked at them a few times. But Neil can't be stopped, not by age, techtrouble or pain.

The encore was truly mind blowing. That was A Day in the Life takes a walk on the wild dark psychedelic side and it floored everyone in the hall. Neil clearly looked hurt - Larry had to help him saddle up Old Black. When he finally broke its' strings, it was a titan breaking free from the chains of fate! moving stuff, almost painful to watch!

On the whole, great gig, even if, this time, I felt as though Neil was hanging on to the Bronco rather than levitating above it in amazing grace as he had done on Valentine's in Paris. Fighting the muse rather than cavorting in the Elysean Fields with her. So that is epic solos where melody out of chaos where they had been elegant crystal sculpture magically emerging from some galactic elemental soup.

Verona, Italy, 6/23/08 - Photo by Alessandro Corio

Xabre in Lisbon, Portugal, 7/12/08 - Photos by HarryO

The Concert Review of the Moment on Neil Young at Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, England Concert: 7/6/08 by jamesayliffe:

Neil went for the heart’s main aorta from the first song, and I gave myself up to him completely for the next two hours. Any of us could have written a set list with or without any of the songs he played, but I thought the pacing and the choice was nigh immaculate. Once he had played He Hey My My, one of my top ten revolving Neil Young favourites of all time – Rust Never Sleeps was possibly my most played album of 1980 – he could play whatever he liked, and I’ve have been just as happy. As it happened, every song, familiar and unfamiliar, compounded into a blaze of supreme magnificence. I was glad there were such big gaps in my knowledge of his material, because I love hearing music for the first time, and I certainly did that. If there’s anything I love it’s a good trancey guitar wig-out, and he left me drooling with rapture, punching the air and wailing as he did things to his instrument that can’t have been legal, and went beyond rock music in to pure sonics. Prehistoric feedback dragged from the pit of creation ended the night, Neil’s guitar a naked soul exposed, as it lay against the drum-riser, burnt out but still sputtering in the memory of music; utterly ravished…

Oberhausen - 7/11/08
Photo gallery by Roel on Rust Radio

Hop Farm Country Park, England, 7/6/08 - Photo by Contact Music

Also, see all reviews, photos and videos of Neil Young 2008 Europe Summer Concert Tour. And Highlights of Summer 2008 Europe Tour - Leg #1.

Thanks everyone for the reviews, photos, videos, and links. Thrasher's Wheat appreciates everybody's support!

“Comes A Time” Neil Young Tribute in Vermont This Sunday

As we mentioned earlier, a tribute to Neil Young called “Comes A Time” will be held in Burlington, Vermont on Sunday, August 31.

Here are the details.

It all started here on Vermont soil the day Neil Young crossed the Canadian border and played his first concert in the United States. Forty years later, Burlington internet radio station WBKM.org is proud to bring the music of Neil Young back home!

Nine confirmed bands each bringing a distinctively unique approach and flavor to some of Neil’s tunes will play at a free family event. It's entitled “Comes A Time”, held in Burlington’s Battery Park on Sunday August 31, 2008 between 5 and 8 PM, to honor a musician who’s impacted our lives artistically, socially and environmentally.&nbs p; We ask you to join the WBKM family and help get the word out on this great First Annual free event. The Lake Monsters mascot "Champ" will be there, we'll have face painting and the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf will be there to collect your non-perishable food items.

For further information, please contact WBKM and speak to either Eric Koval or Tony Gallucci at 802-399-2871 (studio) or 802-318-1924 (cell). Thank you!

Thanks Tony! We'll be looking forward to a full report. Good luck & have fun!!!

Horsens, Denmark Concert Reports

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Forum Horsens, Horsens, Denmark.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

Radiohead Covers "Tell Me Why"

Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood covered Neil Young's 'Tell Me Why' during their concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles this week on August 25th.

The pair had reportedly tried to play the song in Washington the previous week, but Yorke forgot the words.

Thanks Liam & sweetpete!

And here's a Clash of the Cover Songs: Neil Young vs. Thom Yorke performing "After the Gold Rush" on Spinner.com.

Radiohead's awesome version of Neil Young's "On The Beach" on Youtube.

Thom Yorke covering Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush".

Radiohead on Neil Young in The Guardian .

From "Don't Be Denied" BBC documentary on Neil Young:

Thom Yorke on Neil Young (Part 1)

Thom Yorke on Neil Young (Part 2)

More on other artists inspired by Neil Young.

Bergen, Norway Concert Reports: 8/26/08

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Koengen, Bergen, Norway.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

3rd New Song of Tour: "When Worlds Collide"

Here is the 3rd new song of the tour "When Worlds Collide" in Coburg, Germany, 08/23/08.

Thanks Rudy for the front row footage! Excellent!

Here are the lyrics to the new as transcribed by Liza. Any help with corrections is appreciated.

When Worlds Collide

Taking a trip across the USA
Gonna meet a lot of people along the way
Far and Wide
Floating along on the Rio Grande
Coca Cola in my hand
In the promise Land
Living my days in the old jail cell
Somehow things just go to hell
When worlds collide

Love is love
Hate is hate
Truth is fiction
And late it late
Truth is fiction
Truth is lies
Strange things happen
When worlds collide
Strange things happen
When worlds collide

Cruising down Route 66
Where the guys and gals
Used to get their kicks
In the old days
Running low on the peoples fuel
Riding in something that's really cool
On the proud highway
Living my days in an old jail cell
Some out think just go to hell
When worlds collide

Black is black
White is white
Wrong is wrong
And wrong is right
Truth is fiction
Truth is lies
Strange things happen
When worlds collide
Strange things happen
When worlds collide

Love is Love
Hate is hate
Truth is fiction
And late is late
Truth is fiction
Truth is lies
Strange things happen
When worlds collide
Strange things happen
When worlds collide

Strange things happen
Strange things happen
Strange things happen

Thanks Liza from Germany, Mark C. and Fredrik on Rust!

We're Back Up!

Testing 1,2,3,4

OK, it looks like Thrasher's Wheat publishing function is back.

Sorry, but it's been a long few days since things went kaput last week. As is typical with these things, it was a lot of troubleshooting by a lot of folks to track down a config setting change.

Long story short, we're back in business.

Without a doubt, this has been the worst outage we've ever experienced in the 12 years we've been running TW.

More later in a technical update if anyone's interested.

Coburg, Germany Concert Reviews: 08/23/08

Photo by Coburger Tageblatt

"Sea Change" video by Rudy.

Photo by Henning Rosenbusch

Photo by Henning Rosenbusch

Thanks for the links Rudy!

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Schlossplatz, Coburg, Germany.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

NOTE: Comments are not appearing at this time. Comments can still be submitted and will appear once technical problems resolved.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Thrasher's Wheat is experiencing technical difficulties.

We've been unable to publish updates since Wednesday and have been working to resolve. This update is being done manually until things get straightened out.

Right now, it is unclear where the problem lies. The way this is supposed to work is that files are composed using the Blogger software and then uploaded to the ISP hosting thrasherswheat.org. And that has worked fine for the past 4+ years we've been using this arrangement.

However, the files are no longer reaching the ISP for some strange reason. We've been exchanging support tickets and calls and are unable to troubleshoot back to blogger.com. At the same time, blogger.com insists that the issue is with the ISP.

Apparently, some configuration and authentication change has occurred somewhere along the network.

All other functions at TW are operating properly as far as we can tell. Comments can still be submitted but will not appear until normal operations are back up.

Of course the timing of all this is rather troubling given the upcoming conclusion of the Europe tour.

Any suggestions are welcome. You can drop a comment below. We'll receive it, but it will not display. Or email us directly at: thrasher AT thrasherswheat.org

Don't let it bring you down.

Zürich, Switzerland Concert Reviews: 8/21/08

Photo by Tagesanzeiger

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

PRE-$ALES BEGIN TODAY

PRE-$ALES BEGIN TODAY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20TH, 2008 AT 10AM **LOCAL VENUE TIME

Details available at www.neilyoung.com.

Pre-sale tickets available through Music Today.

Tour dates here.

Berlin, Germany Concert Reviews: 8/19/08

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Zitadelle, Berlin, Germany.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

North American Fall 2008 Neil Young Tour Schedule

Dates for Neil Young's North American Fall 2008 tour have been announced. The news confirms some of the rumors we've been following recently.

Concert reports and reviews
October 14 - St. Paul, MN -- Xcel Energy Center
October 16 - Winnipeg, MN -- MTS Centre
October 18 - Regina, SK -- Brandt Centre
October 19 - Calgary, AB -- Pengrowth Saddledome
October 21 - Everett, WA -- Comcast Arena at Everett
October 22 - Vancouver, BC -- GM Place
October 29 - San Diego, CA -- Cox Arena
~~30 - Los Angeles, CA -- The Forum / on sale August 25~~
November 1 - Reno, NV -- Events Center
~~4 - Kansas City, MO -- Sprint Center / on sale September 12~~
~~5 - Omaha, NE -- Qwest Center / on sale September 12~~
29 - Halifax, NS -- Metro Centre

December 1 - Montreal, PQ -- Bell Centre
December 2 - Ottawa, ON -- Scotia Bank Place
December 4 - Toronto, ON -- Air Canada Centre
December 5 - Toronto, ON -- Air Canada Centre
December 7 - Detroit, MI -- Palace of Auburn Hills
December 9 - Chicago, IL -- Allstate Arena
December 12 - Philadelphia, PA -- Wachovia Spectrum
December 13 - Boston/(Worcester), Massachusetts -- DCU Center
December 15 & 16 - New York, NY -- Madison Square Garden

Also, see tour map on Rust Radio and setlist grid chart of 2008 US/Canada tour.

Some song chart analysis by Roel "Obviously Doing Well":

30 different songs, finally some setlist variation in the second half of the tour, a 7 song show-length difference in between the short Regina/Calgary/Toronto2 shows (19 songs) and the final show in NYC (26 songs). That 2nd New York show now equals the 26th-long setlist of the last show of the winter European tour, where Neil did a 26-song set in London. Some innaresting one-offs on this tour, "Helpless" was only played on the opening show, "The Sultan" once only played once and the only "2nd encore" song as well, another one-off was the brand new song "Get Around" played on the last show.

Also: was the Philly show the last we heard of "Sea Change"?

Amazing: 10 new songs on one tour (granted, 3 of them debuted in Europe), when was the last time that happened on a regular tour, Greendale 2003?

The concerts will feature the same band that he has toured Europe with: Ben Keith, Rick Rosas, Chad Cromwell, Anthony Crawford and Pegi Young.

Death Cab For Cutie and Everest will support dates from October 14 through November 5; Wilco and Everest are on the bill for dates starting November 29 through the tour's conclusion, with the exception of the December 9 Chicago date which will feature (TBD) and Everest in support.

Probably one of the most interesting aspects of the announcement is that all shows for this tour will be general admission floor with reserved seating in the stands. This is great news for those of us who had to be restrained from standing and moving during "No Hidden Path".

General admission tickets will be prices at $75.00 with reserved stand tickets ranging in price from $45.00 to $250.00.

Thanks Chicago!

Also, see all reviews, photos and videos of Neil Young 2008 Europe Summer Concert Tour.

Concert tour dates for Neil Young in Australia and New Zealand in 2009.

"Just singing a song" on YouTube

Live from Oslo 2008. The 2nd ever performance of the great new song.

"Just singing a song" Lyrics .

More Oslo videos on YouTube - kskyberg's Channel. Thanks Knut!

Thanks knutson1 & IC NA!

See Any Similarities?

Joshua sent this link over from San Diego Union-Tribune by George Varga on Neil's new song "Just Singing a Song Won't Change the World."

We looked it over and it seemed remarkably similar to our post earlier this week on the exact topic.

The San Diego Union-Tribune story has the same YouTube video, the same Pete Townshend video, the same lyrics transcribed by e2f, and the same Neil quotes.

Whatev.

While we liberally "borrow" as well here at Thrasher's Wheat, we always try to attribute and credit our sources faithfully. We really don't mind folks ripping stuff from TW, just credit with a link, OK George?

Stay classy San Diego!

Thanks Joshua!

Lovely Days Festival, Wiesen, Austria - Concert Reviews: 8/17/08

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Lovely Days Festival, Wiesen, Austria.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

“Comes A Time” Neil Young Tribute in Vermont

A tribute to Neil Young called “Comes A Time” will be held in Burlington, Vermont on August 31.

Here are the details.

It all started here on Vermont soil the day Neil Young crossed the Canadian border and played his first concert in the United States. Forty years later, Burlington internet radio station WBKM.org is proud to bring the music of Neil Young back home!

Nine confirmed bands each bringing a distinctively unique approach and flavor to some of Neil’s tunes will play at a free family event. It's entitled “Comes A Time”, held in Burlington’s Battery Park on Sunday August 31, 2008 between 5 and 8 PM, to honor a musician who’s impacted our lives artistically, socially and environmentally.&nbs p; We ask you to join the WBKM family and help get the word out on this great First Annual free event. The Lake Monsters mascot "Champ" will be there, we'll have face painting and the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf will be there to collect your non-perishable food items.

For further information, please contact WBKM and speak to either Eric Koval or Tony Gallucci at 802-399-2871 (studio) or 802-318-1924 (cell). Thank you!

Thanks Tony! We'll be looking forward to a full report. Good luck!

Massey Hall is to Neil Young what Folsom Prison is to Johnny Cash

We had intended to post this earlier this week but it never quite made it up with all the Neil news happening.

Last night we saw Eddie Vedder solo at the Warner Theater in Washington, DC and had a tremendous time. After seeing Pearl Jam last month in a 20,0000 seat basketball arena, it was nice to see Eddie in a small venue. It reminded us how nice it was to see Neil in a small theater last fall.

The setlist was all over the map. Some unfamiliar material, a little PJ stuff, some Body of War, and a few from Into the Wild. (Setlist on Pearl Jam Message Pit.)

We'll try and have more to say later on the show and may try and make the 2nd show tonight. But suffice it to say that Eddie was quite chatty last night although he often had trouble with the audience yelling out requests, etc.

Someone threw a Bush mask onstage which brought about one of the few rants of the evening. Later Eddie said something to the effect that he expects art and politics to intersect and is disappointed in those who are of the "Shut up and sing" mentality.

Eddie wanted the audience to sing out "No more war" loud enough to be heard at the White House which was a block away. Not sure if the sound traveled that far, but folks gave it a good try blowing the roof off the theater.

Eddie played "Blackbird" and preceded it with a discussion about the progress of civil rights and how he looked forward to the possibility of Obama's election which was received enthusiastically.

The show had some special guests and was being filmed for future release. So that's pretty cool.

Anyways. Maybe more later. But this is what the original post covered regarding the Toronto show on Tuesday.

From TorontoSun.com on Eddie Vedder's Tuesday performance at Massey Hall:

"Throughout it all, one could sense Vedder feeling Young's spirit hovering around the hall. Prior to Man of The Hour, Vedder mentioned how Neil Young and Massey Hall was sort of like Johnny Cash and Folsom Prison. 'I'd much rather be here than at Folsom Prison, although a few of you look like convicts,' Vedder said.

He also covered the Young (and Stephen Stills) nugget Long May You Run, which Vedder said he only performed before at his mother's birthday.

And while it perhaps didn't carry the same historical clout as Young's groundbreaking 1971 performance at the venue, several times Vedder tapped into that special magic only an old, intimate venue is capable of containing."

We're off to see Eddie Saturday night at the Warner Theater in DC so we're pretty stoked about that. Had a super time at Pearl Jam's show back in June. Drop a note of you're planning on being at the show.

eddie-vedder-program-08-08

Eddie Vedder Solo East Coast Tour Program

More on Pearl Jam and Neil Young.

Colmar, France Concert Reviews: 8/15/08

Brief, but totally awesome video clips!

Photo Gallery by Michel Petry - Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace

"Wrecking Ball" Neil Young - 2008-08-15, Colmar, France [mp3]

Complete concert coverage by Piet Vercaempst.

Also, blog review by Roman on This note’s for you » Neil Young in Colmar.

Thanks Ray, Piet & Johnny "Song Dog"!

Also, check out Johnny "Song Dog"'s other tour highlights.

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Le Théâtre de Plein Air, Colmar, France.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

The Archives and "Sugar Mountain"

The excruciatingly delayed "Archives" project is "supposed to be" released on November 3. (Note, this will be at the same time that Hell freezes over.) This information comes from Warner Bros. release sheets and Uncut confirms.

Incidentally, this places the release date one day prior to the U.S. presidential election so we're sure this news will have a significant impact on the race and cause a drop in voting participation as fans watch their Blu-rays and opt out of going to the polls. What was Neil thinking with this release date??? Regardless, folks are going to be either cheering or crying that week.

Also, according to our source BECAUSE SOUND MATTERS (who has been on target in the past), Neil Young will release "Sugar Mountain" on September 29. Exact details of what this album will contain are unconfirmed, but it’s widely presumed to be another set of vintage live material.

A bootleg album, "Live On Sugar Mountain", recorded at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on the last night of Neil Young's early-1971 solo tour, has long been in circulation, and it’s *possible* the material for this official release may well be drawn from that show.

Thanks Greg, BSM & Scott in Glasgow!

North American Fall Tour Dates

UPDATED 8/18/08:North American Fall 2008 Neil Young Tour Schedule

There have been rumors floating around for some time now that Neil Young will continue touring this fall. This comes based on comments Neil made earlier:

"I'll be touring pretty extensively for the next year, year-and-a-half. That's what I'm focusing on. Playing for people with a great band is very rewarding. It's very good for me -- it keeps me in top form physically, and that makes me feel good."

There's not too much that is definitive as of yet. On High Road Touring, the listing for Wilco has the following tour dates with Neil listed:

- Canada: Sat Nov 29 '08 - Sat Dec 6
- U.S.A.: Sun Dec 7 '08 - Tue Dec 16

However, Wilco's website has no information on touring with Neil.

But the Wilco forum Via Chicago is buzzing on the rumor. Well maybe not everybody. Here's Wilco fan "giraffo" on the possibility and gives Tweedy and company some "advice" on opening for Neil:

Personally, I hate his music (with the expection of some of that Massey Hall album and On the Beach), but it goes beyond that. I feel like if you're still kind of (relatively) an up-and-coming rock band getting more mainstream attention, the last person I'd want to go on tour with is Neil Young. Why? a) he's just another aging boomer relic who is pulling out the "rares" in order to wow the audience that grew up on his hits while simultaneously egging on your overzealous critic fans to give you more praise than you deserve. Each member of your band can singlehandedly outperform him and has made better records on their bad days than this guy's best days. however, due to the novelty fact that "he's freaking Neil Young!" you'll never be given the credit ('you' being Wilco) you really deserve.

I mean, come on, to be fair, I don't like Neil Young but I think we could all agree here Wilco puts him out of business in terms of actual showmanship. His songs, not that he can help it, are either given a folk rock or grunge rock treatment and they never are given the room to breath life. Whereas, you have a band like Wilco, with two superhuman musicians and probably the most likable singer-songwriter in his age group playing songs of more dense emotional (okay, opinion) and musical (this however I feel is fact) complexities-- the craftsmanship of the mentioned bringing a tight yet spaced out sound. I feel like Wilco going on tour with that guy is Wilco not giving themselves enough credit. Yeah, he's Neil Young, but you're doing now what he did yesterday in terms of making contemporary, fresh, new sounding music. You're not recycling as much as your contemporaries are, the music you make is as new now is his was then. You should be the ones on stage, you can't help it that the music business has (for the most part) aged more intelligently than him and you get overlooked.

don't get me wrong. if you wanna go see Neil Young, go see Neil Young. But everyone should be going ape over getting to see him open for Wilco, not the other way around. I'm sure I'm the only one that feels this way, I'm sure I sound backwards to probably 99% of the people here.

So, one can imagine the reaction which ensued as Wilco fans rallied to Neil's defense and savored the possibilties.

If this pans out, it'll mean that Neil has been pretty much been on the road for a year. While he's been playing Chrome Dreams II material fairly heavily, who knows what this next segment will be showcasing?

Toast anyone?

Stadtpark, Hamburg, Germany Concert Reports: 8/13/08

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Stadtpark, Hamburg, Germany.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

Nancy Loves Neil

Nancy in Zurich, Switzerland - July 25, 2008

Thanks for the e-postcard Nancy!

So is the New Song "Sea Change" or "See Change"?

So is the new song's title "Sea Change" or "See Change"? There has been some debate on rust about which fits better.

Here are the lyrics transcribed by Mike "Expecting To Fly" using "See". (Listen here.)

See Change
See change
It's a transformation of civilization
See change
From nation to nation, an age of innovation
See change
You can feel it in the air everywhere you go
See change
Come on, come on we gotta [indecipherable]

It takes love, it takes money,
We're all in it 'cause we wanna see light of day
It takes God, it ain't funny
The next generation's gonna have to pay

See change
Come on, come on, who's gonna turn this thing around?
See change
It's not too late to make a difference right here on the ground
See change
I think you're ready now to ride a sea change
See change

Come on, come on
It takes love, it takes money,
We're all in it 'cause we wanna see light of day
It takes God, it ain't funny
The next generation's gonna have to pay

See change
It's a transformation of civilization
See change
We gotta ride the wave from nation to nation
See change
Come on, come on you gotta ride the wave
See change
Come on, come on, come on
See change

Personally, we think that "sea change" is a better fit in that it reflects change on a significant scale rather than merely witnessing change. And we think this may refer to the Obama campaign.

Regardless, a change is a comin'! (That is before the flood and after the goldrush.)

So which spelling do you think best fits the lyrics?

So is the new song's title "Sea Change" or "See Change"? ( surveys)

Thanks e2f!

Or maybe this is the sequel to the joint Pearl Jam-Neil Young collaboration "I'm The Ocean" (lyrics analysis)?

Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway Concert Reviews: 08-11-2008

Neil Young will be performing tonight at 08-11-2008, Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

New Song "Sea Change"

New Song! "Sea Change" from Way Out West Festival, Göteborg, Sweden, 6/9/08

Thanks Espen!

More on Way Out West Festival, Göteborg, Sweden Concert Reviews: 6/9/08.

New Song "Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World"

On August 7, in Helsinki, Finland, Neil Young debuted a new song called "Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World".

The song is in response to a question that was raised at a press conference: "can music still change the world"?

The worldwide reaction to Neil's response prompted him to make a highly unusual clarification about what it will really take to change the world.

And now Neil's put those thoughts into a song.

"Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World" [mp3]

Thanks Johnny TheSongDog Yuma!

Lyrics transcribed by Liza from Germany.

Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World

You can play my guitar
See it where it'll go
Send this song to a distant star
While the rhythm explodes
Just singing a song won't change the world

You can drive my car
Feel how it rolls
Feel a new energy
As it quietly rolls
Just singing a song won't change the world

Just singing a song won't change the world
Just singing a song won't change the world

You can sing about change
Well, you're making your own
You can be what you're trying to say
On a big wheel road
Just singing a song won' change the world

You could play my guitar
Go where it goes
Send this song to a distant star
While the rhythm explodes
Just singing the song won't change the world

(Note that lyrics in 3rd verse are incomplete. Corrections welcome!

Thanks Liza! Updated lyrics 8/14.)

Pete Townshend discussed Neil's quote that music can not change the world on this YouTube video and didn't necessarily disagree.

Others, nevertheless, haven't lost faith in the power of music:

"Perhaps it’s true that music and musicians don’t change the world the way they or we like to think they can. But individual people create change every day. Some by teaching, some by protesting, some by volunteering time or money. Sometimes a smile is all it takes to make the difference in another’s day. A song won’t change the world dramatically overnight, but it has to start somewhere, and musicians and their music can still do their part even if it’s not a revolution."

Lately, Neil has made serious commitment to his vision of eliminating roadside re-fueling with the LINC VOLT project.

Asked about the perceived shift, Neil responded in an interview:

'You know, I thought long ago you could change the world by writing songs.

'But you can't change the world by writing songs.

'Oh, you can inspire a few people, get some of them to change their thinking about something. But you can't change the world by writing songs.

'But we could change it with this car.'"

"Back in the old folky days,
The air was magic when we played."

It's a war of man

Georgia-Russian War - August 9, 2008

No one wins
It's a war of man

Still livin' with war.

Way Out West Festival, Göteborg, Sweden Concert Reviews: 6/9/08

Photo by LINA BOSTRÖM EINARSSON

Listen to new song "Sea Change" here.

Swedish review: Neil radade upp klassiker ikväll | Festivalsommar | Nöjesliv | Aftonbladet.

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Way Out West Festival, Göteborg, Sweden.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

The Case of the Exploding Sidebar

We interrupt this tour to bring you a technical update. As some of you have mentioned, the right sidebar occasionally disappears. Actually, the sidebar is there, although it has been pushed below the post column.

This seems to occur with the IE 6.0 browser. The problem is that sometimes the feeds in the sidebar explode too far right at times. This occurs with weird formatting, extra long URL's, or when a feed invalidates due to server congestion.

Firefox and other browsers seem to handle this problem OK by keeping the columns parallel.

Sorry about that. We don't have control over the feed contents obviously.

Folks seem to like the feed feature so we'll continue with them. The only other thing we can suggest is that Thrasher's Wheat has been optimized for Firefox and so try and use when possible.

Helsinki, Finland Concert Tonight Kicks Off Neil Young 2008 Summer Tour Leg #2

New song debut!

"Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World" [mp3]

Thanks Johnny TheSongDog Yuma!

Lyrics transcribed by Liza from Germany.

Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World

You can play my guitar
See it where it'll go
Send this song to a distant star
While the rhythm explodes
Just singing a song won't change the world

You can drive my car
Feel how it rolls
Feel a new energy
As it quietly rolls
Just singing a song won't change the world

Just singing a song won't change the world
Just singing a song won't change the world

You could sing about change
Well, you're making your own
You could be what a child says ??
On a big wheel rose??
Just singing a song won't change the world

You could play my guitar
Go where it goes
Send this song to a distant star
While the rhythm explodes
Just singing the song won't change the world

Note that lyrics in 3rd verse are incomplete. Corrections welcome!

Thanks Liza!

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2008 Summer Europe Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

The Rust Guitar

We made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland earlier this summer and finally got to see the famous "Rust Guitar". Quite a beauty. It literally drips rust particles. Too cool.

Also, caught a few other Neil sightings, including Neil's fringed jacket and The Buffalo Springfield nameplate.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is definitely worth a visit if you're ever in the area.

More on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction of Neil Young.

Randomly Blogged - Jambase, Colbert Report, Pete Townshend, Verona Gallery

Verona, Italy, 6/23/08 - Photo by Alessandro Corio

A nice photo gallery of the Verona, Italy concert by Alessandro Corio.

Crosby, Stills & Nash are interviewed and sing "Teach Your Children" -- one of the finest songs ever about home schooling -- with the new "Y" on The Colbert Report Full Episode | Wednesday Jul 30 2008 | Comedy Central. Hilarious stuff.

A good Neil Young article - Neil Young: Chaos Is Good on JamBase.

Pete Townshend discusses Neil's quote that music can not change the world.

Thanks Christopher, Thomas and Rustvision!

Concert Review of the Moment: Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, England - 7/6/08

The Concert Review of the Moment is Serendipity: Neil Young At The Hop Farm. It's lengthy and quite a tale that's worth sticking with.

Also, videos and Hop Farm Re-Visited And Some Other Reviews.

More on Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, England Concert Reports: 7/6/08.

Neil Young: "A Day in the Life" at Rock in Rio Ciudad del Arganda Rey Madrid, Spain, 6/27/08.

More Neil Young at Rock In Rio Madrid, Spain Concert Reviews: 6/27/08.

Concert Review of the Moment: Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, England Concert Reports: 7/6/08

Photo by Simone Joyner

The Concert Review of the Moment of Neil Young at Hop Farm Country Park, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, England: 7/6/08 is by J Phimister:

I just have to post my thoughts and feelings on the Hop Farm Festival, which took place on July 6 in a lovely corner of the Kent countryside. The bill was solid: Primal Scream, Supergrass, My Morning Jacket, Rufus Wainwright, and my own personal god Neil Young. How could I not attend?

Well, the weather would have been one reason not to. I guess it's all part of the Festival fun, but fuck me did it pour down. And personally, I can think of a number of things that I'd rather do than spend nearly four hours getting soaked. I love rock'n'roll, but that's just taking the piss. And it just wouldn't let up! It was like the meteorological equivalent of Jim Davidson: unpleasant and relentless.

I had arrived early, to make sure I caught every act, and must first tilt my hat at the sterling organisation. A bus picked us up at the station, there was no queue to get in (the perks of getting there early, maybe) and every act was pretty much on time. Plus, the bars were nice, the food varied and interesting, and the sound was great for an outdoor venue. Thumbs up to the organisers!

But, by the time the first act, the pretty decent country-rock quintet Everest, came on, it was pissing down. Despite my hood and umbrella, and their excellent set (well, for a first band on, it was tight, smooth and melodic - can't really ask for more at 12.30 in the afternoon!), it was pretty dispiriting, so I went to take refuge under a tree during the second set, by folky 18-year-old singer Laura Marling.

[SNIP]

And so onto the big one. The Loner. Shakey. The Godfather of Grunge. Again, I could feel the butterflies. How would my idol hold up to the scrutiny of this youthful (ok, there were some oldies in there, but more than a few scrawny indy kids too) crowd, many of whom I suspected were mainly there for Primal Scream? The massive crush to get to the front suggested at least that he had a loyal following in there, and of course, I needn't have worried.

To put it succinctly: Neil. Young. Fucking. Rocks. I am beginning to think there is no-one quite like him out there. I'm pretty sure they must have been able to hear this set in Calais! He kicked off with a beyond-grungy version of "Love and only love" and never looked back. Old Black, his trusty Gibson Les Paul screamed, roared, squealed, moaned and howled over nearly ten minutes as the old fucker stamped around the stage, his face screwed up in an expression of sheer, what? Anger, hurt, delight? It's hard to tell with old craggly-face, and it doesn't matter. What matters is that no one, not Elton, Macca, Dylan or Prince, plays with such fire and rage in their bellies as Young. And this was just the first song!

The stage set up, identical to the one from his Hammersmith Apollo show of a few months ago, had me wondering if I was going to get the same set. Again, why was I worrying? Have I no faith in the man? After all these years? What a cock! Some songs were the same, but there were enough surprises and jolts to have me grinning like a teenager whose just got laid for the first time and is about to tell his mates. "My My, Hey Hey" came next, and, if possible, things got louder. The feedback roared out of the speakers like a monstrous sonic kraken (a pretentious metaphor, I'm aware, but sod it), and I was half expecting earthquake reports this morning. These were My Bloody Valentine-worthy noise levels. We then got the first surprise in "I've Been Waiting For You", a song that goes back 40-odd years and still sounds like it could have been written by, oh, My Morning Jacket. Or Guillemots. Or fucking Primal Scream! Then came "Spirit Road", which continues to grow on me, especially when watching Neil, all of 62 years old, jumping up and down like Pete Townsend circa 1978. I can't enumerate all the delights. We had pure grunge, of Nirvana or Dinosaur Jr. intensity (only better than both) with "Fuckin' Up", a superb acoustic set (maybe slightly more predictable - "Old Man" and "Heart of Gold" are the only songs I believe he has played in all three gigs of his I've seen), and then a heart-rending finale.

I''ve seen Neil three times. Each time I've cried. And I was at it again as the thundering riff of "Words" rang out across the crowd. Who were enthralled - talk about blowing away the competition! I could actually see several jaded twenty-somethings turn and gaze goggle-eyed at their friends, stunned by the intensity and power of this old fogey and his equally ageing mates. They were like a gang, and his guitar was the gang-leader, exhorting its cohorts with each screaming solo or driving riff. And, y'know, it may not be what it was in 71, but Neil's voice still rings out strong and true, and "Words" was the perfect demonstration. It stretched out for over ten minutes, but even that didn't compare to what came next: his rousing new set-closer, "No Hidden Path", easily the stand-out track of Chrome Dreams II and of his live show. It just goes on forever! Each time you think the latest solo is the last one he suddenly leaps back for more, dragging more and more notes and noises from his protesting axe. At the end, it had become a raging, boiling mass of feedback and squalls as Neil raged, "Ocean skies/Sea of Blue/Let the sand wash over you" over and over as the rain and wind battered at the stage and us poor souls, who couldn't give a care in the world, such was the trance he had us in. And yes, the tears flowed down my cheeks as the joy gripped my heart and I was yet again reminded of why Neil Young is the most important living music artist today.

His encore song, a ragged version of The Beatles' classic "A Day in the Life" that out-did the original in terms of sheer intensity and power, and even managed to be more psychedelic, as Young once again abused poor Old Black, and more and more twisted, elegiac notes sounded out across the Kentish valleys. He ended up ripping the strings off the neck in a possessed rage and pounding the poor axe on the floor to drag out even more feedback (as guitar tech Larry Cragg looked on in obvious horror), before storming off with nary a glance at either his beleaguered (but ecstatic) audience or his bandmates. Punk still lives! It's 62 years old and it's name is Neil fucking Young!

Afterwards, I wandered in a daze for a few minutes, still stunned, still overjoyed. Then it was time to pile into coaches and head back to London and normality. As we cruised past dark fields and empty office buildings, I put my iPod on and tuned into "Down by the River". To keep the dream alive a bit longer. Seeing a true rock legend, an icon, a legend, a hero, will do that for you. You just don't want it to end. Despite the ringing in your ears...