UPDATED: It is Official! Neil Young Will Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies

UPDATE: Full Video of Neil Young at Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Re-Fresh for Updates


Neil Young
"Long May You Run"
Vancouver Olympics Closing Ceremony: Winter Games 2010
PHOTO by Getty









Neil Young performed "Long May You Run" for the Vancouver Olympics Closing Ceremony: Winter Games 2010. Snow drifted down from ceiling as Neil strolled about with harmonica rack and Hank Williams' Martin D-28 guitar.

Following Young's performance, the cauldrons were extinguished and the torch arms retracted.

Many, many 1000's of instant mini-reviews on Twitter indicated that Young's performance was highlight of closing ceremonies. Many felt that what followed Young's performance was a travesty and embarrassment to music fans and Canada's heritage.

A brief video clip of Neil Young Olympics.

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Somewhat surprising poll results of what song Neil Young would play at Olympics.

"Long May You Run" -- which was played -- came in 5th with 8%.

"Oh Canada" was voted #1 with 19%, followed by "Four Strong Winds" with 16%. next -- our vote "Rockin' in the Free World" with 8%

The surprise was "This Note's For You" in 3rd with 15%. Can't figure that one? Probably the result of the f'n Freepers cramming the poll. Get a life.

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Official Neil Young Tour Page

It is official! Neil Young will play the Olympics Closing ceremonies tonight.

Neil Young's Official Tour Page has just been updated with tonight's date.

So how about all of those rumors we've been hearing about all week?! In the immortal words of Pete Townshend, "We won't get punk'd again."

So what will Neil Young will play the Olympics Closing ceremonies tonight?




Something new. You can enter a new song entry if not already listed in poll. Ok, that doesn't seem to be working. Drop a suggested song in comments & we'll try and add.

I'm a dreamin' man, guess that's my problem.



UPDATE: Massive Twitter traffic on Neil @ Olympics. See right sidebar for live tweets.

UPDATE: Full Video of Neil Young at Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Photo: Olympics Soundcheck of Neil Young

UPDATE 2/28/10: Neil Young News: It is Official! Neil Young Will Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies


Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young
(or is it Neil Young channeling Jimmy Fallon?)
Comedian Jimmy Fallon performs at the Whistler victory ceremony at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in Whistler, Canada on February 25, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

Punk'd!

Yep. We done been punk'd.

All week long there have been rumors floating around about how Neil Young will play at the Olympics' closing ceremonies. Neil will duet with Ontario Alberta's Joni Mitchell. A Canadian all-star musical tribute with Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Randy Bachman, Cowboy Junkies, Celine Dion and Neil Young. Yikes.

Crazy, made-up, baseless conjecture, outrageous speculation, nonsense stuff. All over the internets tubes.

Then, along came the rumored Neil sightings in Vancouver. And then photos surfaced.

Well, it seems that comedian Jimmy Fallon is in Vancouver doing his Neil Young impression and that has caused quite a bit of confusion, to say the least.

In the ever expanding bizzarro world where Jimmy Fallon's impression of Neil Young goes massively viral and Neil Young does impressions of Jimmy Fallon performing American Idol's "Pants On The Ground", no one seems to be able to keep track of who is who doing what.

Then you have Will Ferrell channeling Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant channeling Neil Young via Blue Oyster Cult, and we just don't know where the shark jumping begins and ends anymore.

Seriously.

Now why in the world would Neil Young play "Heart of Gold" at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada -- of all places -- they asked rhetorically? C'mon now. Don't you think "After the Gold Rush" would be a better anthem?

Oh, Canada.

So let's just stop all the speculation, rumors, dis-info once and for all. We will not tolerate it here @ TW. We have standards higher than TMZ. (Of course, that's not saying much). And that's the last word on this subject. Period.

In the immortal words of Pete Townshend, "We won't get punk'd again."

I'm a dreamin' man, guess that's my problem.



UPDATE 2/28/10: Neil Young News: It is Official! Neil Young Will Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Randomly Blogged: Astrid Young, Musicares Highlights, Wilco's "Broken Arrow", Rick Griffin, Krist Novoselic

Astrid Young and brother Neil
Farm Aid - Date ?

Astrid Young, Neil Young's sister, is working on a new album and is looking for a little love & support. We can get down with that concept.

From a quite unique project called Sell a Band, here's Astrid's pitch:

My album, iNtegratron, has been in the works for a couple of years.

During that time i have been writing, collaborating and recording with some of my dearest and most favorite artists/writers/musicians/producers/engineers/studios all over the world. most of the project has been funded by me out of my own pocket - however, i have one major handicap i am afflicted with, which prevents me from finishing this myself - i have a serious hearing impairment, and on this project in particular i need to hand over the mixing and mastering reins to others.

i have assembled an awesome team of mixers and editors, the likes of Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Smithereens, Tea Party, etc.), Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails, Econoline Crush), Rob Sanzo (VoiVod, Treble Charger), John X (U2, The Rolling Stones) to do my mixing for me. along with the wonderful cast of musicians who played with me on this project, these mixers will be the foundation of my sound: these are people i have worked with extensively in the past, who know me and my sound, who share my vision, and for whom i have the utmost respect and reverence! Of course, they need to be paid, so this is what i am raising funds for.

So, if you can help out Astrid with her recording project, we're sure she'd appreciate it. And her brother would probably too. ;)

Podcast of "A Palace in the Gravy - The very best and worst of Neil Young".

Originally aired February 14, 2010 on 93.9fm, www.wrsi.com (Western Massachusetts). Length 1hr 38 min (this podcast is commercial free) and sponsored by www.turnitup.com

http://shar.es/aLFBX or Podcasts_by_Tom.

Partial playlist: Saddle Up the Palomino, Drifter, Surfer Joe & Moe the Sleeze, Computer Cowboy, Hey Hey, Without Rings, Heavy Love, I've Been Waiting for You, This Town, Fontaine Bleu, The World On a String, Ode to Wild Bill #2, amongst many other.

Thanks Tom @ http://www.reelifeproductions.com/!


Video highlights of Neil Young Honored As MusiCares Person Of The Year

If you're feeling like being annoyed by the clueless, check this out: Crosby Stills Nash and Young: Great or Grating? by Rudi Stettner, a Member of the Winter Riders Group. Drop the dude a comment letting him know what you think of his lyrical interpretations. Then come back and let us know what you have to say.

A very ultra cool blog with a profile of artist Rick Griffin, who did the art for On the Beach: The Selvedge Yard: SURF, 60’s PSYCHEDELIA & BORN AGAIN | THE TRINITY OF ARTIST RICK GRIFFIN.


Brilliant Wilco cover of the Neil Young penned Buffalo Springfield "wall of sound" epic Broken Arrow. Recorded on February 23, 2010 at Hamilton Place, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This is a more complete version.

Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is a Neil head & motor head. From Seattle Music - Reverb: "I've Been Listening to Neil Young":

"I like politics and I'm into cars too. I tinker on no less than three air cooled VW sedans. I have a '65, '68 and my nephew and I are putting together a Baja Bug - '67 on a '64 chassis. I crank 40 years of Neil in the old garage! Fork In The Road is a double CD / DVD. We put it in the DVD player in the shop and enjoy high resolution sound without getting greasy fingerprints on vinyl records."

Greendale News of the Moment:



From NPR: 2 Huge Icebergs Let Loose Off Antarctica's Coast - A massive iceberg struck Antarctica, dislodging another giant block of ice from a glacier, Australian and French scientists said Friday. Glaciologist Neil Young said the long iceberg is the size of Luxembourg that collided with the floating Mertz Glacier and shaved off a new iceberg. The new iceberg is 98 miles long and 24 miles wide holding the equivalent of a 5th of the worlds annual water usage.

Meanwhile, in other Greendale News of the Moment: From Climate Progress - Washington Post editorial: “If current trends persist, it’s likely that in coming decades the globe’s climate will change with ***potentially devastating effects for billions of people***.

IPCC errors are "trivial mistakes".

NNC of the Moment: AlterNet: "There's No Such Thing as a Free Market -- Just a Matter of Who Pays for It"

Thanks for links neilyoung.org - Neil Young links - reconnecting thoughts and actions and Purple Words on a Grey Background!

Enjoy the full moon this weekend! ;)

A Full Moon & NYA BD Live #5

There's a full moon risin'
Let's go dancin' in the night

We have a full moon.

Check your Blu-Ray player for latest Neil Young Archives download - BD Live #5 (and #6)!

More on Neil Young Archives BD Live downloads, Easter eggs and hidden tracks.

DEVELOPING - Check Back and/or Re-fresh browser

Another Month, Another Outage

Not Good
Excess Monthly Bandwidth

As you may have noticed, we had another outage here at Thrasher's Wheat due to excessive monthly bandwidth consumption.

This is an ongoing problem. For most -- this is a good problem to have an increasing audience and page views. For us -- sadly -- it's not a good thing, at least financially speaking.

You see, every time demand surges with tours, albums, archives, tributes, etc. we have to go to our ISP host and move up to the next service level package, i.e. greater expenses. And costs continue to rise, just as Neil Young's star shines.

Again, this would all be well and good except that we fund this based on several sources. Primarily -- as many of you may know -- out of our own pocket. This is something we find to be really fun and meaningful and rewarding. We love what we do here in our very, very spare time as we ride into town on the train each morning or back again at night.

The second source of funding is our readers. First we tried the Amazon.com route which generates relatively small returns which continue to dwindle. You see, folks just don't buy CDs, books, DVDs, etc. like they used to. Physical media sales are falling off a cliff. And those commission that we do get from Amazon are quite nominal. Think about 2% on a $13 CD. That's about $0.26. We'd need to sell about 100,000 units on this site to make a go of things. ha!

And we've tried selling ads as well. First of all, most of the "ads" over there on the right do not generate revenue. The banner ad across the top generates about $1 for every 10,000 impressions. Again, we would need a lot of traffic to generate anything substantial.

And we tried fund raising with PayPal. This is the preferred method but also the least successful. It seems it's very hard to get folks to drop $5 a year on Thrasher's Wheat -- even if they visit the site daily. It seems so many want everything for free these days. We realize there's a global recession and all but we do think that $5 a year isn't too much to ask.

Believe us we when begin to say how distasteful this whole process is. We hate to whine or beg.

First, we want to say how much we appreciate all of the support we do receive. Your comments and letters are greatly appreciated and keep us going. So if you're writing comments, sending videos and photos, buying off Amazon, making PayPal donations, clicking ads, re-tweeting or sharing on Facebook your help is deeply appreciated.

It is this sharing that really makes what we do here so rewarding and satisfying to be part of our little global Neil village.

With record traffic levels which stressed the Thrasher's Wheat Platform leading to increasing bandwidth fees we either take TW to another server level or we'll continue to have these outages.

For loyal, regular supporters of TW, this post is not directed at you whatsoever. For those of you who come here frequently but do not comment, contribute or offer other support, please continue to read.

By going the reader-supported route, there are two ways in which you can support Thrasher's Wheat.

The first option is to make a donation using PayPal. Just click on the link below to make a donation. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can use a credit card to make a donation via the button below (see lower left of PayPal screen).

The second option is to shop for your CDs, DVDs, books and other merchandise using the Amazon link below. Each time you purchase an item on Amazon by clicking through the logo link below, Thrasher's Wheat will receive a small commission.


United States - Amazon.com

Canada - Amazon.ca

United Kingdom - Amazon.uk

Germany - Amazon.de



(Please note: International Amazon orders (non-U.S.A., non-Canada, non-U.K., non-Germany) do not credit to Thrasher's Wheat unfortunately. Other international readers are asked to please use PayPal account or credit card to support Thrasher's Wheat.)

You have proven that Thrasher's Wheat matters to you, and that you support our mission: to bring free Neil Young knowledge to the planet, free of charge and as free as possible of advertising. You've helped make and keep Thrasher's Wheat available for the whole world. If you find this site helpful as a reference or news source, please help us continue to help all Neil Young fans. Hopefully, this will continue to work to help defray the costs of running Thrasher's Wheat. Any excess funds generated above and beyond operating expenses will be donated to The Bridge School.



Please don't give out of guilt; just give if you place value on what we do and are in a position to donate a little.

We'll also be giving away a Bridge t-shirt to a random TW supporter.

So Why Bother To Support Neil Young News on TW?

Our goal is simple: we create the best Neil Young blog we possibly can, refrain from contaminating it with nasty, giant corporate advertising, and then ask you to donate to us what you think it's worth. So far it seems to be working out sort of. We're not likely to break even on bandwidth and storage expenses (much less donated labor) this way, but that's not our goal.

Here at TW we're not just non-commercial. We're anti-commercial. We feel that quality blogs and advertising just cannot co-exist. We also choose to refrain from forcibly extracting money from you by charging subscription fees. We leave it up to you to decide what our service is worth to you.

Send support now via Visa or Mastercard — or use Paypal — or scroll down for other options.
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Your voluntary support enables us to devote all of our time and energy to making TW the best blog possible - and pays for the bandwidth, equipment and services required to keep the blog online.

The amount of your contribution is up to you - based on your opinion of how much you enjoy TW & what you can afford. A number of reader's have adopted the "one hour's wages per month" formula - some can afford to send even more than that (thanks!), others can afford only $5.

We particularly appreciate automatic monthly, quarterly or annual support payments. The more regular ongoing support we receive in that fashion the less we have to bug you on the blog. Please consider choosing that option of support.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed so generously over the past few years. We quite literally couldn't do it without you.

And, as always, we understand that contributing money is just not an option for some of you. That's fine. All posts, feeds and services at TW are open to everyone, and we will do everything in our power to keep it that way.

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Send support now via Visa or Mastercard — or use Paypal — or scroll down for other options.
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Safety & Security Concerns:

When sending & receiving your credit card information online we use the standard https protocol that all online commerce sites (Amazon, banks, brokerage houses, etc) use. We do not know -- much less store your credit card number. We have no way to access that data ourselves, even if we wanted to.

We do not ever, under any circumstances, share your email address or any other information about you with any third party - nor do we engage in any kind of email or direct-mail marketing. We will send occasional (2-3 times per year) email to readers, which you can opt out of by unsubscribing.

Other Ways to Help:

Use our TW Neil Young Amazon Shopping Store :

Neil Young Store on Amazon.com

When shopping for your CDs, DVDs, books and other merchandise (Neil & Non-Neil) use the Amazon link above (it's always in the lower right sidebar, too). Each time you purchase an item on Amazon by clicking through the logo link above, Thrasher's Wheat will receive a small commission.

(Please note: International orders (non-U.S.A., Canada, & UK) do not credit to Thrasher's Wheat unfortunately. Please use PayPal account or credit card to support Thrasher's Wheat.)

Spread the Neil Love:

Spreading the word about Thrasher's Wheat is also a huge help. If you have friends that you think might enjoy TW - please take a moment to drop them a note. Postings about TW on appropriate web forums are also a great way to spread the word.

As a matter of fact, we have folks using our new Thrasher's Wheat logo on their blogs!

Again, thanks everyone for their contributions. But mostly thanks for all the reviews, photos, links, videos, and comments. And your kind and supportive words, especially. We truly enjoy sharing the Neil love around the world. We've been doing this on & off for 16 years on Rust/HH/RH and 13 years on TW and we'd really like to continue -- readers willing.

So by helping us out, you'll also help out Neil. And maybe in some small way, it helps the LincVolt project. Because we all want to light a candle, make a difference, be the rain, and be the change.

Be the wheat.
Peace and love,

Thrasher & Thrashette

ps - Thanks to Bill & Rebecca at Radio Paradise for fund raising support tips.

"Keep on bloggin'
`Til the power goes out
The batteries dead
Twist and shout"

- "Fork In the Road"

St. Vincent's Annie Clark and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Cover Neil Young's "Harvest Moon"

St. Vincent's Annie Clark and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Cover Neil Young's "Harvest Moon"

From Brooklyn Vegan/Bowery benefit show for Haiti on January 24, 2010 at Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York.

More reports, videos and photos on this incredible benefit on the blog BrooklynVegan: Britt Daniel, Justin Vernon, St Vincent, Zach Galifianakis, Janeane Garofalo & others raised money for Haiti @ MHOW.

More on "Harvest Moon -- what is certainly one of the most covered songs by Neil Young of all time.

Making of "Touch the Night" Music Video by Tim Pope

Frames from "Touch the Night" -
Neil Young Music Video directed by Tim Pope

Last year, we did a post on the making of the "Wonderin'" video by director Tim Pope which was a little journey through the past. Recently, we did the Ten Random Neil Young Videos That Showcase His Range and Depth, and thought it might be a good time to take another look at of one Tim Pope's videos for Landing on Water: "Touch the Night".

"Touch the Night" is a brilliant single shot* video with Neil as the hapless "action TV reporter" which is almost too real in it's fake newsiness.

From article in Millimeter (March 1987) by Jim Farber on the Landing on Water music videos with Young's portrayals representing different aspects of the American character, including:

- a drunk Elvis impersonator who drowns in a swimming pool (Weight of the World),
- a tap dancer who has a problem with dog droppings ( People on the Street)
- a pig farmer with a history of incest (Drifter),
- a loner who wanders off into a nuclear testing zone and turns into the Lone Ranger (Violent Side)
- an obnoxious TV reporter chirply covering a grisly highway accident (Touch the Night)

Regarding the "Touch the Night" music video, the "unexpected context for its violence takes the banality of TV news splatter and puts the sting back in."

From Tim Pope blog on making video of "Touch the Night":

"i only decided to use the ambience of the live sound later to make things feel edgier. similarly, i shot on video and hanheld camera to make things real and edgy. considering i had not, at this time, watched too much yank t.v., not a bad parody, i'd say and perhaps even foerunner to cop reality shows you now see two-a-penny. the mustachioed cop and the other were real cops and this for me was a real eye-opener, culturally - that cops in america could 'act cops' just as well as actors could. i believe we were the first people after sly stallone to close down a freeway for filming purposes whey-hey!"

Watch video of "Touch the Night".

Also, see Tim Pope: Making "Wonderin'" Video with Neil Young.

Also, see Ten Random Neil Young Videos That Showcase His Range and Depth.

Jonathan Demme Interview on Neil Young Trunk Show Film

Jonathan Demme interview on Neil Young Trunk Show film at Toronto Film Festival in September, 2009.

From Variety - Demme digs Neil Young concert pics :

"We don’t have an illusion that this is something that can move into a movie theater and play for weeks," Demme says, acknowledging the tough times facing docus. "I’m hoping we’ll have some great moment in theaters, but I know full well this is a cable and DVD play." Demme is already prepping the DVD, which will include eight songs not seen in the 82-minute theatrical version.

Additionally, Demme is thinking about another film with Young to complete the trilogy: "I just feel that the physics lead to a third movie." he says.

From an interview with Director Jonathan Demme on Spinner by Liisa Ladouceur:

"The film was shot over two nights in 2007 at the Tower Theater in Pennsylvania during Young's 'Chrome Dreams II' tour. It eschews the chronology of the concerts' set lists, instead jumping around between electric and acoustic numbers both familiar ('Cowgirl in the Sand,' 'Cinnamon Girl') and rare ('Ambulance Blues, 'Mexico') and what passes for costume changes at a Young show (jacket goes on, jacket comes off). The focus is on the interactions between Young and his band, and Demme admits there was 'minimal' pre-planning before the shoot. 'I just tried to respond spontaneously to the music,' he says.

One impromptu moment captured in the film is when Young appears to forget the words to his hit 'Like a Hurricane.' Demme responded by putting the lyrics up onscreen, karaoke style. 'The whole point of that song is that the person telling the story gets lost in a hurricane,' Demme explains, laughing. 'So when Neil is wandering around the stage, forgetting to sing into the microphone, it was like he got lost, too. I thought it was perfect. And Neil liked it; he asked me to keep it in.'

Demme admits he's a 'Neil Young groupie' and says he's already planning a third film with the singer, although no details are forthcoming. And while he says 'nothing can ever compete with live music,' he still finds concert filmmaking exciting.

'We can present a more intimate view of what's going on on the stage.' he says. 'We can pull the audience out of their seat and put them inside the music. Because it's the music that's the message. It's what takes us on the journey.'"

A terrific interview with Demme on MSN by Seán Francis Condon:

"Seán Francis Condon: Is 'Trunk Show' the most elaborate sound mix you've done?

Demme: No. In fact, when we did 'Heart of Gold' - when I've done any of these performance films, whoever's doing them - you cut to the board mix. But then you go on to a movie mixing stage, and you break all the tracks down and you make a brand new mix that in theory is going to be the best sound tapestry and make sure you get everything right. We did 'Heart of Gold' that way, and Neil was at the controls. But here, the more we cut to the board mix, the more I thought it would be insane and kind of against the whole vibe of this show and the film to break that up. This sounds live to me! So, we really stuck with the board mix. Ninety-five percent of what we hear now is what the people in the room heard those nights. There are a couple of places where just one of the levers wasn't up enough and we couldn't hear something. Here and there. This is essentially like a bootleg soundtrack."

From Guardian.co.uk:

DEMME: "When I see him galumphing across the stage in the middle of No Hidden Path, so deep in a trance-state, making sounds that I've never heard and I find so thrilling … it's like if Tchaikovsky had been a guitar player. I just think in terms of the word master coming into my head. Look at this grizzled master just burning this stuff down."

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Also, see Trailer for Neil Young Trunk Show Movie.

More on the Trunk Show concerts in Philadelphia.


Jonathan Demme and Neil Young

More on Jonathan Demme and Neil Young:

- Young and Demme Discuss Trunk Show Movie

- Unscripted Interview: Demme & Young

- Director Jonathan Demme on "Prairie Wind"/Heart of Gold film

- "Heart of Gold" Premieres at Sundance Film Festival

- The Complex Sessions: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Directed by Jonathan Demme


Photo by Larry Cragg

UPDATE: Neil Young News: Trunk Show Film Screening Dates

Trunk Show Film Screening Dates

Neil Young Trunk Show — a concert film directed by Jonathan Demme, will be screened in the following cities:

Beginning Mar 19:
New York, NY — Sunshine Cinema
Los Angeles, CA — Nuart Theatre
Cambridge, MA — Kendall Square Cinema
Detroit, MI — Maple Art Theatre
Philadelphia, PA — Ritz
Seattle, WA — Landmark Theaters
San Francisco, CA — Landmark Theaters
Berkeley, CA — Landmark Theaters
Chicago, IL — Music Box Theatre
Washington, DC — E Street Cinema
Denver, CO – Chez Artiste

Beginning Mar 26:
Portland, OR – Cinema 21
Minneapolis, MN – Landmark Cinema

Also, Neil Young Trunk Show will be release on both Blu-Ray & DVD later this year, according to Reprise Records.

From gordonandthewhale.com » Blog Archive » AFI Fest Review: NEIL YOUNG TRUNK SHOW:

Demme utilizes a variety of camera angles to go along with his disjointed “scene” order. Overall, the performances are filmed up close from either the view of a lucky audience member at the front of the stage or actually on stage with Young and his band. However, Demme also throws up ALL angles up at once giving you the different perspectives of someone watching from the back of the house to the side to the front. I found this to be one of the most interesting parts of the film because, as a frequent concert-goer, it was fascinating to see what the show felt like from the last row to the first.

I am not a huge Neil Young fan and admittedly, it did affect my overall enjoyment of the film. So if you’re not a huge fan, you may want to skip this one. If you love Neil, GET YOUR TICKET NOW. As a fan of all things electric and loud, I did love the guitar riffs he goes off on. It wasn’t until after the screening that I realized the solo for “No Hidden Path” was 20 minutes long. Even as a non-Neil fan, I was sucked in and honestly would have told you that solo was maybe 10 minutes. Having that immersive experience in a theater without being at the show itself really speaks to Young’s showmanship and raw talent.

Also, see Young and Demme Discuss Trunk Show Movie and Trailer for Neil Young Trunk Show Movie.


Photo by Thrasher

Also, see concert review of the 2007 Philadelphia shows at which the film was shot.

Tribute to Larry "L.A." Johnson in Rolling Stone Magazine

Neil Young Loses Longtime Creative Partner
Larry "L.A." Johnson helped create Rust Never Sleeps; Archives box set
Rolling Stone Magazine - March 4, 2010

There is a tribute to Larry "L.A." Johnson in the most recent issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. "L.A." passed away last month leaving a huge void in the Shakey Pictures team while creating a lasting legacy to Neil Young fans with his definitive film director work on Rust Never Sleeps, amongst many other works over the past 40 years.

From Rolling Stone by Andy Greene:

"Larry was a huge influence on me," says Young. "There's a huge void in the universe where he used to be."

Johnson co-created Young's experimental early movies, most notably Rust Never Sleeps. "Now everybody talks about music and film like it was always together," says Young. "But it wasn't together in the way we did it back then."

From the Nineties on, Johnson co-produced Young's albums and was the chief architect of the interactive Archives box set. "Larry spearheaded the whole thing," says Young.

On January 21st, Young had just landed in L.A. to rehearse for his performance on the final Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien when he got word that Johnson had died. "It was very intense, very emotional," Young. "When I sang `Long May You Run' the next day, I knew if I started thinking about Larry I wouldn't have been able to make it through.

Larry "L.A." Johnson and Neil Young
On the Set of Greendale film (2003)

Also, see Larry "L.A." Johnson: 1947 - 2010 which has many warm, fond memories of L.A. in the comments section.

Neil Young tribute band Live RUST Playing Vancouver Olympics - 2/27/10

The Neil Young tribute band Live RUST will be playing Saturday Feb. 27 in Vancouver for The Olympics.

Live RUST will be Playing at The Edgewater Casino Celebration Village 2010 (Formerly The Plaza of Nations).

Show runs from 3:00PM to 3:45PM for what will be the Second Last day of the Olympics.

This is a Beautiful Outdoor Stage and a Free Show.

Thanks Roger (Neil in LIVE RUST)! Should be one heck of a Celebration!

Also, check out other Neil Young Tribute Bands covering Neil songs.

Vancouver Olympics Tribute to Neil Young Reviews

UPDATE 2/28/10: Neil Young News: It is Official! Neil Young Will Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies


Photo by Chris Pizzello


Tribute to Neil Young
Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Twitpic by ncyvr

DEVELOPING - Check back - UPDATE:
Concert reviews

Reviews from the concerts were near universally praised.

From The Vancouver Observer - Vancouver Olympics News Blogs Events Reviews | "Vancouver 2010 Games Bring a Mix of Musicians to an Eclectic and Vibrant Neil Young Homage at Queen Elizabeth Theatre" by Insiya Rasiwala:

Canadian music icon Neil Young did not show up on the second night of a tribute concert in his honour, but the sold out crowds at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre didn’t seem to mind. The three and a half hour set-list that contained more obscure than well-known renditions of Young’s prolific song-writing legacy left the audience happily humming, “Only love can break your heart.”

It was a night to remember, one that successfully bridged the gap between the ages – whether you were a die-hard Neil Young fan; or from the generation that tolerated his undeniable significance to North American pop culture, there was something here for you.

Some tweets:

- Twitter / Amanda Mitchell: "EPIC!!"
- Twitter / Village Flowers: "Just saw the tribute to Neil Young concert here in Vancouver. Fantastic!"
- Twitter / Dean Delandreville: "Orchestral metal machine ala Lou Reed;"
- Twitter / hip baby: "neil young project last night was very cool. his work unfolded over 3 hours all interpreted by amazing musicians. elvis costello was great!"

More concert tweets here, here, and here.


Lou Reed
Photo by THE BACKSTAGE RIDER

Some blog comments by K.Frazer:

"Highlights for me included tunes by Emily Haines, James Blood Ulmer, Elvis Costello, Lou Reed, Teddy Thompson, Ron Sexsmith, Jenni Muldaur, and Ambrosia Parsley. Lots of great playing, but not always with much cohesion. Overall, it was a bit of a yo-yo affair, slipping from curious to stunning, from mush to captivating with disconcerting ease."

Critics. Lots of mentions that Neil didn't show up. Like that was ever even planned.

From The Canadian Press: Neil Young doesn't show, but spirited Olympic tribute a hit with fans by Nick Patch:

Neil Young didn't didn't show up for his Olympic tribute on Thursday night, but the more than two dozen artists who took the stage captured his spirit closely enough with a show that was heartfelt, stirring and delightfully rambling.

But the evening's highlights were borne from riskier renditions of Young's tunes.

From Spinner: Neil Young Project Honours Canadian Icon With Imaginative, Star-Studded Performance by Jenny Charlesworth:

There were plenty of magical moments throughout the evening, including the rousing cover of 'Don't Let It Bring You Down' by Elizabeth Powell from Land of Talk/Broken Social Scene, which was belted out with jaw-dropping intensity. The impromptu audience-made 'thunderstorm' mid-way through 'Walk On,' which Collett orchestrated with the zeal of a camp counsellor by directing the packed house to snap their fingers and stomp their feet, was another show-stopper.

The highlight of the affair, however, was undoubtedly Costello's hard rocking 'Cinnamon Girl,' which garnered the first standing ovation of the evening. Showcasing his formidable guitar skills, the talented UK expat led the ensemble to a blistering climax, giving the enraptured audience in the majestic theatre ample reason to applaud Costello's addition to the bill after the initial lineup was announced.

From Straight.com: Elvis Costello shines in Neil Young Project | Vancouver, Canada | By Alexander Varty:

But when it came to the one-two punch of “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “Cinnamon Girl”, both from Young’s breakthrough Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere LP of 1969, he simply killed.

Barely in control of a big, blond Gibson guitar that squealed and snarled like it was possessed by old Shakey himself, Costello stalked the stage with a flamenco dancer’s élan. Even a ridiculous leopard-skin trilby didn’t undercut his sinister—and, yes, weirdly sexy—intensity; he’d probably skinned that cat himself.

Elvis Costello
Photo by THE BACKSTAGE RIDER

From CHARTattack: Elvis Costello, BSS, Lou Reed Highlight Hal Willner's Neil Young Project In Vancouver by Brian Pascual:

It was like hitting shuffle on an iPod filled with Young's entire catalogue. Collett and Land Of Talk's Elizabeth Powell executed a perfectly down-home version of "Down To The Wire;" Metric's Emily Haines and James Shaw ignored the catcalls and whistles for Haines to offer a pretty faithful (and slightly sinister) "A Man Needs A Maid." When Haines pleaded, "When will I see you again?" it was killer.

Other highlights before the intermission included jazz/blues vocalist/poet Eric Mingus' very menacing and body-shaking "For The Turnstiles," Sun Kill Moon's (and former Red House Painter) Mark Kozelek singing "Albuquerque" and of course, the evening's two crown jewels.

Costello walked on stage to the night's loudest of cheers, and by politely shushing the crowd and immediately picking up his guitar, the message of the night was clear — this was a group, not individual, performance.

With a Burt Bacharach-ian horn section backing him, Costello crooned a lovely "Love In Mind" to the delight of a completely dumbstruck crowd wowed by the fact that they were watching one legend cover another legend.

Speaking of legends, Reed was bathed with a chorus of "Louuuuuuuuuuu" from the crowd before silently setting up and ripping into the great "Helpless." It was so sublime to listen to Reed's powerful yet calm and cool voice ring through the theatre while the full band blasted through the classic.

Leave it to Doiron to say what hadn't already been said — that it was an honour to be on the stage playing the songs of someone who has meant a lot to everyone on stage in some way over the years.

From THE BACKSTAGE RIDER:

Ron Sexsmith’s versions of “New Mama” and “Bethlehem” stirred the crowd, while Bill Priddle (Treble Charger/Broken Social Scene) sounded like a young Harvest-era Young on “Oh Mr. Soul” – just lovely. Emily Haines from Metric’s “A Man Needs a Maid” was flawless and came equipped with a kind of seething intensity.

And Eric Mingus? Genius. He bopped onto stage, booming: “Someone said we didn’t engage the audience enough last night…they may regret that” and then played and danced through a funky version of “For the Turnstiles”, winding it up with some totally bonkers scat singing. Later, he “destructurized” Young’s “On the Way Home” and turned into beat poetry. Brilliant.

Jason Collett strutted around the stage for a version of “Walk On” with Julie Doiron, Jenni Muldaur and Elizabeth Powell bopping in the background. BSS’s Sam Goldberg and Kevin Drew did a pretty groovy version of “Out on the Weekend” with awesome Hammond organ support by the most excellent ex-Bourbon Chris Brown.

Mark Kozelek from Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters with Ambrosia Parsley (Shivaree) and Emily Haines doing “Sugar Mountain” sounded sublime.

Oh and Lou Reed? Coming on stage in trademark leathers and scowl, he blasted through a crunchy rock version of “Helpless” then stayed on stage to play back-up guitarman for Julie Doiron as she muddled through “Harvest”.

The winner, undoubtedly, though, was Oh Mr. Gold (sparkling suit-jacket to represent Gold medals), Elvis Costello. How much of a genius is he? *Holds arms wide apart* THIS MUCH.

The crowd swooned and cheered and tapped their toes and grinned like fools through the three tracks he played: “Love in Mind”, then later “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “Cinnamon Girl” with Joan as Policewoman. He was like snowboarder Shaun White – in terms of awesome, Costello was miles apart from anyone else on stage.

From Brunt's blog by Stephen Brunt:

Caught the Hal Willner Neil Young project at the Queen Elizabeth, which was a kind of glorious mess - three and half hours of others singing the music of the great Canadian garage rocker god, with enough highlights to justify the long, long haul.

Personal favourites: hearing Lou Reed sing the words 'There is a town in north Ontario...' in that Lou Reed voice, then hammer out a power chord; Elvis Costello playing an open-bodied electric in Young style and tearing up Cowgirl in the Sand and Cinnamon Girl; and Metric's Emily Haines with a splendid, subtle take on A Man Needs a Maid.

The show grafted Broken Social Scene - yep, all of them - with a core American group that included, among others, the great, and greatly idiosyncratic guitarist James 'Blood' Ulmer. It didn't all work, but no complaints here.

Ron Sexsmith
Photo by THE BACKSTAGE RIDER

From The Province: Young does Young best by Stuart Derdeyn:

The concert ventured far too often into mere bar-band mimicry, offering up tame to lifeless versions of classics and more obscure tunes from the massive Young catalogue, with plenty of opportunity to let the guitarists wank. Trouble is, as cool as Apostle of Hustle is, their take of "Mr. Soul" with Julie Doiron was just too spot-on to matter.

Of course, fans were freaking over a track they were really familiar with.

Let's see, "mere bar-band mimicry" but "fans were freaking"? Doesn't seem like a bar band...

From The Globe and Mail: It wasn't just Neil Young that was missing by Marsha Lederman:

The musical mishmash produced some phenomenal moments, but they weren't enough; they failed to fuse to make this the legendary night so many fans had hoped for when they fought their way through jubilant post-hockey crowds and into the theatre.

OK, "some phenomenal moments, but they weren't enough".? Hmm, it seems most folks would be happy with a "phenomenal moment" in a day.

From Vancouver Sun: Neil Young tribute bold, inventive by Francois Marchand:

Interestingly, the show seemed to work especially well when it went completely off the wall: spoken word artist Eric Mingus's reinterpretation of For the Turnstiles, which went from strange, clap-along beat poetry to full-blown, apocalyptic wall of noise, Metric's Emily Haines and James Shaw delivering A Man Needs a Maid with piano and chimes, and Joan as Police Woman sending electric violin bolts through the audience on On the Beach. Wow.

It wasn't always pitch-perfect, but that probably wasn't the point. When dealing with Young's material it's probably a pro more than a con -- you need some real, honest grit to make it feel right, and there was plenty on Thursday night.

Considering the sheer magnitude of the undertaking and the absolute brilliance of the man's work, one couldn't help but be amazed by the whole thing.

From The Music Box, March 2010, Volume 17, #3: Hal Willner - Tribute to Neil Young - Vancouver - February 2010 (Concert Review) by Douglas Heselgrave:

By nature, musical tributes are risky propositions. There are several reasons for this, though the most obvious is that it often is impossible to supplant an original work. Any musician participating in a concert honoring an icon inevitably must find a way of breaking through the wall of listeners’ preconceptions. On occasion, cover versions of songs — Jimi Hendrix’s All along the Watchtower and Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah, for example — become revered and accepted on their own merits. However, this is the exception to the rule. The more idiosyncratic and individualized that a performer’s work is, the more likely it will baffle those who attempt to interpret it. Arguably, Neil Young’s output falls into this category. Though his tunes are relatively easy to play, at least from a technical perspective, very few of those who have recorded his material have succeeded in embodying its spirit.

The recent MusiCares tribute to Young is a good example of a well-intentioned event that went awry. It featured talented musicians but failed to say anything new about Young’s work. Despite some rather wonderful performances, the whole effort fell inexplicably flat. The show should have yielded an incendiary night of music. Instead, it rarely escaped its pedestrian predictability. Perhaps, this was because only the most obvious songs were performed. Or, maybe, it was the selection of artists who were invited to honor Young. With few exceptions, the singers failed to put their own egos and personas aside, and this prevented them from grasping the things that are essential about Young’s material.

Thanks http://purplewordsonagreybackground.blogspot.com/!

---

Tonight and tomorrow, tribute concerts will be held to celebrate the music of Neil Young as part of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The concerts will be at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and will be produced by Hal Willner, a veteran organizer of multi-artist tribute shows.

Artists scheduled to appear include:

Chris Brown
Vashti Bunyan
Robert Burger
Brendan Canning
Fred Cash
Jason Collett
Elvis Costello
Julie Doiron
Kevin Drew
Sam Goldberg
Emily Haines & James Shaw of Metric
Shahzad Ismaily
Colin James
Eric Mingus
Sun Kil Moon
Jenni Muldaur
Ambrosia Parsley
Justin Peroff
Ben Perowsky
Joan as Policewoman
Elizabeth Powell
Bill Priddle
Lou Reed
Alasdair Roberts
Ron Sexsmith
Teddy Thompson
James Blood Ulmer
Andrew Whiteman
Doug Wieselman

For more details, ticket info, etc. see Event Listings : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

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



UPDATE 2/28/10: Neil Young News: It is Official! Neil Young Will Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Archives Comment of the Moment: A Journey Through The Past

Some of you may recall last year we posted a few videos of folks opening their Neil Young Archives boxes for the holidays. We had a pretty amusing one from SONY who comments on his thoughts on NYA on the Commentary Open Thread:

A few archive thoughts:

The 'credit card' for the download that comes with the BD set was a great treat for me. I downloaded the whole thing to a hardrive and made CD copies out of 'em, copied the artwork from the BD sleeves and now have a traveling set. An extra bonus for me as I don't listen off the computer too much or an ipod. Next step is to make CD's of just the previously unreleased stuff. I'm 'up' on that download.

Haven't got the "setup" setup for the internet BD update downloads yet. Have heard some bitchin' on that. When I get there I get there, no a big deal to me.

A review of the 'book with no name' shows a tremendous number of 'cuts' that are not included in the archives. Some have already been released on other issued LP's CD's etc. Some may not be listenable from the acetates, who knows. BUT, the possibility that they might be released via the BD downloads later gives me hope that the extra money spent will bring returns down the road.

Journey Through The Past took me by complete surprise for sure. The crazy cover with the hooded horsemen disguised the contents of the film, at least to me as I had never seen it. That is a treat in and of itself. The Fillmore show...the complete ticket, especially Cowgirl in the Sand - took me to a whole other planet. I had not heard that before as I didn't buy the CD when released.

And the other kicker..I haven't even watched/listened to the whole thing yet after 6 weeks in tow. I treat it as a vacation I'm on that I don't want to end, gonna get a few more days out of it before I fly back to reality.

I would think that as long as the additional volume sets keep coming, it can only get better as the technology has grown since the early days and probably Neil's dedication to the historical aspects of his career. Full concerts, road trips, interviews, anything like that is probably a gold mine in waiting up in the old barn.

........and away we go!.........

Thanks SONY!

More Archives Commentary.

ps - No, we don't know when the next BD download will be. But checking our widget in the right sidebar, the next full moon will be Feb. 28.

Interview with Neil Young on BBC 2 on YouTube

Here's a blast from the not too distant past.

The Culture Show on BBC 2: In a rare TV interview, singer-songwriter Neil Young talks to Mark Kermode about the changes of direction his music has taken over forty years.

While originally broadcast 13 Oct 2007, the amazing thing is how relevant the interview is today.

In fact, the interview seems to resonate as a more timely commentary than it did in 2007. Eerie, indeed.

Tribute to Neil Young Show: Bethesda, MD - 2/18/09

A tribute to Neil Young show by Jeff Taylor: Neil Young Tribute coming up this Thursday Feb. 18th at 9:30PM.

Parker's Classic American
4824 Bethesda Ave
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-654-6366
http://www.parkersbistro.com

If you can't make the show, definitely check out Jeff's new website: Jeff Taylor: Neil Young Tribute. The opening page load is a joy to behold!

Excellent website, Jeff.

Also, see other tribute bands covering Neil Young songs (always linked over in far right sidebar).

Comments of the Moment: "Powderfinger" - What the Heck is that Song All About, Anyway?

Lots of interesting comments -- as usual -- on the never-ending debate over the meaning of Neil Young's "Powderfinger".

A comment by Greg M (A Friend Of Yours)

Well, after reading all 80 some comments from the link, and other interpretations over the years, I am not about to take a stab at a definitive take. I was fascinated though by some of the interpretations I never would have even begun to think of, e.g. suicide and nihilism.

Made me think.

I will say this, the name Emmy Lou tells me it is definitely the story of a white southerner. It’s an assumption, but I don’t see an Indian or black woman with the name Emmy Lou. By extension, Emmy Lou being taken by the river tells me the setting is river life somewhere in the south. Moonshiners, TVA resisters, people living off the grid, etc., or the nature and source of threat isn’t really relevant to me.

Ultimately, it’s the story of ill prepared and confused youth - could have been you or me or anyone, but for the grace of God, confronted and overcome by overwhelming forces and circumstances. Although I don’t think it’s what Neil intended. For me, 22 can also be seen as a metaphor for Man as yet still in its infancy, confronted with Life in all its complexity. The heartbreak and sadness is that the overmatched kid simply ended up on the losing end of an attempt at life that we all have to make sooner or later. It may come really early, big and fast, it may come in fits and starts, or it may just be a slow dribble over the course of a lifetime.

The question for me becomes: how have I, or will I face up to my own Powderfinger moment? 22 chose to raise the rifle to his eye instead of running, and died in regret. Was it nobleness in the act of death, or some form of foolishness? Who knows? Life, and the meaning of the life of another, like the song Powderfinger itself, can sometimes seem ambiguous. It all comes down to the individual. How are you going to make your stand? This makes me start to think about the advisability of the individual trying to take the world on by themselves, and all the alternatives to such an individual stance, but I don’t think this is what the song is about.

In the end, it seems 22 just didn’t feel like he had a lot of choice, and suffered the consequence.

Greg M (A Friend Of Yours)

From Matthew Lintzenich:

What HAVE we settled on with this? I mean, obviously there's a kid of barely 22 left alone to protect the ol' homestead, and here comes a white boat, with a red beacon, numbers on the side, a gun, and a man on the rail.

The kid obviously KNOWS that this is not good, remembers the words of his father, who told him to run when he see's red (to me, obviously this is the beacon he's referring to), decides to stand his ground anyway, uncertainly, and terrified, raises his father's rifle, and gets shot by someone on the boat.

His face splashing into the sky is the reflection of his face in the water as he's falling forward.

And he has a few last-second thoughts and regrets, and then that's it.

That's all apparently, to me, obviously correct, but if I recall the debate mostly centered on the SETTING, in terms of TIME AND PLACE, and that's where the confusion came in.

I believe that Neil made it kind of vague so it could be more universally interpreted, that is, you can put your own time and place into it so as to better identify, but I could be incorrect in that.

Neil has been vague about it, which seems to support that theory, but then again...

the names of the people (Emmy Lou and Big John) seem to indicate a very specific intent from Neil - that is, that the time and place are known to him, and are quite specific, but that, in typical Neil fashion, he leaves any direct references to that out, except for the names and description of the boat, so that we have to spend the next 30 years scratching our heads and arguing and debating about it.

heh heh heh.

So was there ever a conclusive agreement on the where/when of the song?

Still not sure what Powderfinger is really all about it?

Or -- more to the point -- what is up with the fascination of some people who analyze lyrics to Neil Young songs anyway?

Email Trouble

We've been having some e-mail trouble over past several days.

So if you sent something, please re-send.

Thanks!

thrasher ATSIGN thrasherswheat.org

Poll Results: Ten Random Neil Young Videos That Showcase His Range and Depth

Earlier in the week, we posted ten Neil Young videos and ran a little poll on folks' favorite.

In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea to include the song "Thrasher" -- which came in with most votes. It sorta invalidated the whole exercise for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, here's a breakdown of the results.



Polls are still open, so stand and be counted.

"Powderfinger": What the Heck is that Song All About, Anyway?

So get this.

It seems -- incredibly -- that there are still some folks out there that can't figure out what Neil Young's song "Powderfinger" is all about. Imagine that.

Over on MetaChat, there's the usual amusing speculation and over-blown lyrics analysis which we do so disdain here at TW.

Really. Come on. Isn't it just totally obvious to everyone what Powderfinger is really all about it? Isn't it?

If you enjoy a little chuckle at the expense those without true rustie enlightenment, drop by MetaChat by jonmc:

Powderfinger by Neil Young. What the hell is the song actually about?

I've heard it a million time and musically it's incredibly powerful, but I can't put my finger on the topic. Neil himself is mum on it. Are the protagonists frontier soldiers/ homesteaders? in Vietnam? Drug smugglers?

I'm baffled. Still a great song, though.
post by: jonmc

Go to MetaChat and then check back on why you should shelter me from the powder in the finger.

Comment of the Moment: Memorable Neil Young Concerts

Neil Young
Wembley Stadium, London, Endgland - 1974-09-14
We had a lot of reactions to the recent posting on understanding Neil Young's music. One reaction was what we'll call the Comment of the Year by Mr. Henry who shared his life story to a Neil soundtrack.

Which -- of course -- precipitated more reactions. Ahhh, the virtuous web we weave. So here's the Comment of the Moment on Neil Young concert memories:

Mr. Henry, what a ride, thanks. It makes me think of all the concerts I’ve seen, and all the circumstances that surrounded them- nothing as cool as a wife to be, or the birth of children, but still, so many good memories, and so many stand out moments.

Like Big Chief, I saw every concert that came through the Detroit area from the Stray Gators in ’73 to CSNY in ‘07(?), with a bonus Freedom show outside Boston (where I spotted Kevin McHale on the way to the men’s room), and then what unfortunately remains the last show I saw, due to finances and lack of proximity, Greendale at the Rosemont in Chicago.

Highlights I can think of right now? Hmmm… Well, there was RNS where I smoked my first joint, and my friend was pissed at the Woodstock piped in soundtrack (said it was old news), Ten Men Working at The Palace with a stirring Ordinary People, the time he stopped playing his guitar during Heart Of Gold, and nodded in approval as the crowd continued singing the lyric without missing a beat, or stopping mid song during the Rosemont show, and yelling at an idiot screaming for Southern Man: “Fuck you, shut up!”

Geez, I could go on, but it’s just my version of what everyone’s memories are going to be, and Mr. Henry already captured the moment. But, in line with Mr. Henry’s recitation of non Neil concert moments, I have to mention the greatest single concert moment I ever experienced, which was the first and only time I saw Dylan in concert. I showed up at Pine Knob outside Detroit with no ticket, and purchased one from a guy in the parking lot. I remember him being pissed because he wanted a ridiculous amount of money, and I told him I wasn’t going to pay more than the face value, which he had to take just before the concert started. What a turn of luck for me, the ticket turned out to be the best seat I ever had for a concert anywhere- eight rows from the stage, dead center.

I remember focusing on each musician specifically to try to appreciate their talents on an individual basis for several songs (G.E. Smith in particular), and then the unbelievable moment when each instrument melded into one overarching sound coming out of the center. I hate to use the word, sorry, but it was a sustained period of sound that simply transcended the musicians, and I’ll never forget it.

I will say this Big Chief, I was at that Shocking Pinks concert at Pine Knob, and remember it specifically as one of the great guitar performances I ever saw out of anyone. I mean, Neil’s guitar picking was so fluid and straight ahead, no fuzz or distortion, just screaming R&B, it was amazing- complete with fedora and sun glasses (alas, no pink suit or greasy pompadour). I also remember it fondly because I ran into a friend who I hadn’t seen in a while, and the first thing out of his mouth was “I knew you would be here!” Even the friend I was with caught the significance of that.

But, I have to say that what I don’t remember is the concert being particularly short, or being disappointed in any way- not that I wasn’t and just don’t remember it. It must have taken a lot for Neil to be pissed off at a Detroit crowd, though, as he’s always been partial to Detroit.

Ironically enough, it does bring up what for me is the one disappointing thing in general about Neil’s concerts- they were always too short for me. Not that they were any shorter than a normal concert, or that I felt I was deliberately being short changed, I just always wanted them to be just a little bit longer. So much material that never got played, that might have had a chance had the concerts been a little longer.

I know what they say about “always leave them wanting more”, and of course I would always want more no matter what, but… Not really a quibble, just remembering how special each and every concert I saw was, how great the anticipation was, and what a big pay off it was when Neil finally strolled out on stage, usually with the characteristic single greeting arm over head, and not infrequently a drawled “Hello, Detroit”.

More Neil Young concert memories and understanding his music.

Ten Random Neil Young Videos That Showcase His Range and Depth

Later this week, there will be a tribute concert to Neil Young at the Vancouver Olympics.

In the spirit of the games, we take some artistic license from
LA Weekly's Randall Roberts who put together "Ten Randomly Great Neil Young Clips That Showcase the Range and Depth of His Powers".

Wonderin', with the Shocking Pinks

"Sample & Hold," from Trans

"Interstate," live from Farm Aid, 1985

Back to the Country

The Needle and the Damage Done

Neil Young with the Band, "Helpless"

Neil Young improvised the solo-guitar soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch's classic Dead Man, starring Johnny Depp.

"Down By The River"

"Thrasher"

Neil Young: 'Johnny Magic' - LincVolt In Wichita

Neil Young | MySpace Music Videos
"Johnny Magic"

So which video is your favorite?

The Neil Young Project: Vancouver Tribute by Hal Willner

UPDATE 2/28/10: Neil Young News: It is Official! Neil Young Will Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies

UPDATE: See Concert Reviews of Vancouver Olympics Tribute to Neil Young.


Hal Willner
Director of The Neil Young Project

This week, there will be another tribute to Neil Young at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Broken Social Scene, Iron & Wine, Sun Kil Moon, Ron Sexsmith, Joan As Police Woman and Lou Reed, among others, will pay tribute to Neil Young's music.

Called "The Neil Young Project" the program is being directed by Saturday Night Live's music supervisor Hal Willner. From Hal Willner's taking risks with his Neil Young Project | Vancouver, Canada | Straight.com by Alexander Varty:

“We know the songs are great, and we know the artists are great,” he explains. “So the thing we can guarantee is that it's going to be something really worth seeing.”

His approach, Willner says, is a mixture of studious research and spur-of-the-moment inspiration. He begins by studying the source material, which in the case of the Neil Young Project involved listening to something like 600 songs. (“I've always loved his work,” he notes wryly, “but I wouldn't have been able to answer a Trivial Pursuit game on him before we did this.”) Once he's chosen the songs he wants to work with, he begins assigning them to the different artists.

“By the time we get on the stage, there will be a script,” he says. “And I always find if you know exactly what's going to happen next, then the artists can be loose within that. A lot of magical moments come out of that.

“It's a lot of risk,” he adds, confessing that he hasn't quite finished planning his Vancouver shows. “But what happens then is that you're guaranteed some once-in-a-lifetime, magical things, and you're guaranteed stuff that's not going to work. So what you hope for is that 95 percent of the show is the magical part, right? And usually it works out that way.”

From Olympic tribute set for Neil Young | Music | Entertainment | Winnipeg Sun By DARRYL STERDAN, QMI Agency:

“They asked me to do it two years ago,” says the 52-year-old Willner during a busy day in his New York office. “We had done a Neil Young Project in 2004, so I thought, why not. The material is really cool to work with.”

“The way I prefer to do it is to go listen to everything the composer has written,” says the veteran producer, who has also helmed tributes to Leonard Cohen (I’m Your Man), Kurt Weill (Lost in the Stars and September Songs) and others. “Then I put the show together just from the material. I want something that balances the well-known and unknown, and covers all styles and approaches.

“After that, I start approaching artists that I think would be cool. Basically, I cast it like a movie. But the trick is to have a very well-thought-out, very tight script ahead of time.”

It’s somewhat remarkable — and perhaps a testimony to the respect Willner commands — that the artists he casts are usually happy to check their egos and go along with his suggestions.

“If somebody comes in and has a particular song that they’re attached to, we’ll try to fit it in, or take out something that was similar — or sometimes we try to talk them out of it. But that doesn’t happen very often.”

Besides, surprises are welcome, he claims.

“You never know what’s going to click or not. The worst thing that can happen is that you’ll see something that can never be repeated. And usually you can be guaranteed to see stuff that’s incredible and magic, and you’ll be talking forever about how you were there. Sure, there’s stuff that doesn’t work. But when it does, 90% of it is great.”

Among the stuff Willner expects to work: Broken Social Scene, who will serve as one of two house bands; avant-garde guitarist James Blood Ulmer, who will team with Reed on “some good noise”; and Canadian troubadour Sexsmith, described by Willner as a “risk-taker (who) could have written some of these songs.”

That’s high praise, Sexsmith says. But for him, just being invited is a bigger compliment.

“Neil is part of that old guard,” he says. “There’s Leonard and Gordie and Joni and Neil. They’re four of the most influential songwriters in the world. Whenever I’m writing, it’s so daunting when you think of the history you’re up against. I’m always conscious of the work that they did, and I always try to walk in their footsteps.

“I used to do a lot of Neil Young songs when I started out in the bars. I could play Neil all night and nobody could complain. That’s probably still the case."

UPDATE: See Concert Reviews of Vancouver Olympics Tribute to Neil Young.

UPDATE 2/28/10: Neil Young News: It is Official! Neil Young Will Play Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Happy Valentine's Day Because Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

We like to wish every day is Valentine's Day. So there comes a time such as the delightfully heart-warming story of Matthew and Melinda which we posted on recently.

In a follow-up comment by Greg M (A Friend Of Yours), another Neil story ... because only love can break your heart. Love and only love.

What a great story, so honest and real. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how and when you were going to blurt it out, Matthew! Nice to see two people “Take a chance on love”, and have it happen with Neil’s music as a backdrop. Very beautiful.

When I first read this thread, I thought you were putting it out there for people to tell their own stories, and immediately wrote my own version of a crucial period of my life, and how it all became tied up with Neil’s music. After rereading what you wrote, I’m not sure that’s what you meant, but here goes anyhow.

"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" was the one that got me.

My parents were in the midst of a divorce, and the house I loved was being put on the market. I was just coming of age, and about to start high school. My father was mostly out of town, and my mother for understandable reasons was out of reach. Within a year my Dad was dead. A turbulent time, my world really was “falling apart”.

I didn't know who Neil Young was until the day I was walking down the hallway outside my sister's bedroom, and first heard that unmistakable voice. She had "After The Gold Rush" on the record player, and I just sat down and listened without saying a word. It was all over but the shouting, I was hooked. The LP was everything- acoustic, electric, melodic, evocative, shot through with imagery, poignant, strident- you name it. It was raw, immediate, real. Maybe more than anything, it was honest and forthright, uncompromising- this is who I am and what I do, and I want the whole world to know it. It became a part of me, I became a part of it, and there was no getting away from it. Some alchemy had taken place. The voice, the feeling, the directness, I could imagine that he was singing directly to me, even though I knew he wasn’t. To this day through all the music that has followed, I can still imagine that.

AM radio was still at the forefront in Detroit, only the lucky few were there when underground FM was happening. But still and all, there was the voice that I had found singing "Only Love Can Break Your Heart” (“over and over”!). It stood out from all the rest, like a “ruby in a black man’s ear”. It was the first song I’d ever heard that found me just where I was: "Someone should call him, and see if he can come out. Try to lose the down that he's found". I didn't fully realize it then, but that was my truth. I was alone in the world, and someone knew it. Someone was singing about me, someone who understood.

Next thing I know, "Heart Of Gold" hits the charts, and I’m dragging my friends off to Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit to see Neil and the Stray Gators, and it’s off to the races, lo these forty years, and thirty some concerts later. "After The Gold Rush" and “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” was just the start.

Since then, Neil Young has been the guy to speak the things I didn’t know were there to be spoken, or give voice to the things I did know, but couldn’t speak about coherently. Neil Young was the first guy I ever heard be vulnerable, and self deprecating, the first guy to speak about things that in my macho world guys just didn’t speak about.

And the music just kept coming. In the end, Neil has been an example: say what you mean, mean what you say, and do it with your own voice, in your own unique way. Even right now, at this latter stage of my life, in the midst of reinventing myself, I am being inspired yet again by the words of Neil Young, speaking directly to me: “Just do what you want to do. Don’t listen to anyone else.” Sorry to blather, just my attempt at trying to define the essence of Neil’s music for me.

Greg M (A Friend Of Yours)

Thanks Greg M! Happy Valentine's Day.

"ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART" - Lyrics by Neil Young

When you were young and on your own
How did it feel to be alone?
I was always thinking of games that I was playing.
Trying to make the best of my time.

But only love can break your heart
Try to be sure right from the start
Yes only love can break your heart
What if your world should fall apart?

I have a friend I've never seen
He hides his head inside a dream
Someone should call him and see if he can come out.
Try to lose the down that he's found.

But only love can break your heart
Try to be sure right from the start
Yes only love can break your heart
What if your world should fall apart?

I have a friend I've never seen
He hides his head inside a dream
Yes, only love can break your heart
Yes, only love can break your heart


Matthew and Melinda



And thanks Matthew and Melinda for capturing the essence of Neil Young's music.

Randomly Blogged - Haiti Children's Choir: "When God Made Me", Conan Soundcheck: "POTG", Peter Gabriel: "Philadelphia", Sevenoaks RustFest

Haiti Partners Children's Choir performs Neil Young's "When God Made Me". (Thanks Liza!)

Shortly after the song's debut back in 2005, the significance and implications provoked one of the all time firestorms on Thrasher's Wheat comments. A comment by Matt M. sums things up as well as any of the many provocative interpretations:

"Keep in consideration that Neil Young is a musician and an entertainer.

He may very well have kept his real thoughts on God to himself, and set these lyrics to music and released them downstream to either collect as silt and drop to the bottom of the riverbed, or spawn and multiply farther along.

Either way, Neil has once again stirred the muddy waters of controversy.

And no matter what side you take, or what your reaction is, the fact remains that Neil knows how to spark a debate."

More on Lyrics, analysis and raging debate on "When God Made Me" Lyrics.

Conan O'Brien soundcheck by Neil Young of "Pants On The Ground" on SwiftFM. Thanks Andy!

Jimmy Fallon discusses impression of Neil Young on PopEater Spends Five Minutes With Jimmy Fallon | PopEater.com.

Also, see Another Jimmy Fallon Impression: "Pants On The Ground" and Jimmy Fallon Impression of Neil Young Goes Viral and Conan O'Brien's Final Musical Guest: Neil Young.

Description: A one-day Rustfest, celebrating the music of Neil Young, in aid of Demelza Hospice Care for Children. Headlined by the mighty Laurel Canyon Band, also on the bill are Don't Spook The Horse (acoustic) and a host of NYAS, UK Shore and Rustlist musicians and singers, plus special guests.
We'll be glad y'all came down...

Saturday, February 20, 2010
Time: 2:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: The Rifleman, Sevenoaks, Kent, England

For details, see Sevenoaks Rustfest on NYAS.

"A Palace in The Gravy: The Very Best & Worst of Neil Young" radio show broadcast THIS Sunday, 2/14, 9-11pm (Eastern)
radio: 93.9fm (western ma, usa)
streaming internet: www.wrsi.com

Thanks Tom @ The Reelife Blog!

Peter Gabriel cover's Neil Young's "Philadelphia" on Exclusive album preview - Scratch My Back | Music | guardian.co.uk. (2nd to last track.)

Songs to Save: cover me monday- the timeless Neil Young:

Ryan Adams- Helpless (recorded right here in Nashville at the Exit/In. That's why you hear a beer bottle drop during this song, cause we're alcoholics around here and can't hold on to our beers.)
Uncle Tupelo- On the Beach
The Flaming Lips- After The Gold Rush
The Smashing Pumpkins- Cinnamon Girl

Updated more complete version of Wilco Covers "Broken Arrow" on YouTube.

Drive By Truckers Patterson Hood on songwriting from Loaded with tunes, ready to roar - Life - NewsObserver.com:

Patterson Hood: "My dream has always been to work like Neil Young as far as starting to record with no regard for a specific project and amassing a stockpile of recordings to draw from,' Hood says. 'Like [Young's] 'Rust Never Sleeps,' half of that dated back to five or six years earlier. Then all of a sudden, he had the album those songs fit on, and it's one of his best records."

Greendale News of the Moment: What can the Winter Olympic sports tell us about climate change? « Climate Progress


Red Hot Chili Peppers at MusiCares 2010 perform Man needs a Maid by Neil Young

Wilco Covers "Broken Arrow" on YouTube - UPDATED

UPDATE: 2/12 - This is a more complete version.

Wilco cover Neil Young's "Broken Arrow" - Feb 9, 2010 Schnitzer Hall, Portland, OR

One of the many highlights of the MusiCares Person Of The Year honoring Neil Young was Wilco covering "Broken Arrow".

"Broken Arrow" is undoubtedly Neil Young's finest studio production -- a masterpiece and epic collage arranged by producer Jack Nitzsche that is on par with anything on The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band" seminal album.

The complexly and intricately constructed audio montage mixes effects and Young's guitar and vocals with a technique what is now commonly known as "sampling". But back in the dark ages of the 1960's audio recording equipment, it was a landmark achievement which took dozens of hours to produce -- an unheard of practice for a single track.

Rarely has the song been covered -- much less performed live -- because of its complexity and technical dexterity requirements.

While this is a truncated clip, The clip does show that Wilco has done "Broken Arrow" proud. (Above clip is missing beginning, this version has more of beginning but is shorter and misses end.)

(Thanks jon & Keith & Purple Words on a Grey Background!!)

From Wilco Talk Football at Montana Gig - Spinner University of Montana's Adams Center, 2/7/10:

"They also dusted off the 'Mermaid Ave Vol. II' Woody Guthrie track 'Remember the Mountain Bed.' 'We played that song because of your freaking mountains!' Tweedy said, then kicked off an eight-song encore with a majestic cover of Buffalo Springfield's 'Broken Arrow,' complete with the 'Mr. Soul' intro and 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' calliope sound. It's a version that they first unveiled at the MusiCares tribute to Neil Young. Heard through Wilco's sonic prism, the song sounds even more like it could have been on 'Sgt. Pepper' or 'Pet Sounds.'

'Yeah, you can see the tie-in between Neil Young and Pet Sounds,' says Kotche. 'Everything that was happening [in 1967], you can see he was kind of in that same head space. Our whole angle with learning that was to do it as exact as possible. The intros, the little interludes, the ending tag -- I'm even doing the same fills. It's fun to play -- and challenging.'"

Here's Wilco's Jeff Tweedy on Neil Young's influence:

"He's right up there in terms of a constant in my musical life as an influence and as a mentor. He's kind of just a force of nature. And I take him for granted sometimes like I take the sun for granted ... I'm really happy the sun comes up every day and I'm happy Neil Young keeps making records."

More on Wilco at MusiCares and Neil Young's influence on Wilco.

Ron Sexsmith and Neil Young

Ron Sexsmith

From www.vancouver2010.com on upcoming Neil Young Tribute at Vancouver Winter Olympics, critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith comments on Neil Young's influence:

“As a kid, you would always hear Neil Young on the radio, back when radio actually played good music,” says Sexsmith. “When I first started playing the bars in Ontario, when I was 17, my brother Don said I would have to learn some Neil Young. You could play his songs all night and everyone would be happy.”

“I’ve always loved [Young]. He’s one of those artists who has been so prolific that it’s hard to keep up with everything he’s doing,” he says. “You walk down any street in Canada, and if there’s a busker he’s probably playing a Neil Young song.”

“I really admire Neil, or [Gordon] Lightfoot, or Joni [Mitchell], or Leonard [Cohen]. They’re the four horsemen of Canadian songwriters, and they loom pretty large,” he says. “I’ve made a lot of records, but I’ve always been under the radar. I’ve never made one of those songs that works its way into the culture, and everyone knows it. That’s something that Neil’s done over and over.”

“When Neil and those guys were doing it, it was a different time. He never cared about any of that stuff, and he wasn’t in it for fame. He wasn’t out for perfection, either,” he adds. “We’re living in a strange time. People like Neil and Willie Nelson, they’re the real deal. I know time only moves in one direction, and it’s hard to say what the next thing is.

But it probably won’t be that.”

From Vancouver Sun: Cultural Olympiad: Musicians gather in Vancouver to pay homage to Neil Young by Graeme McRanor:

“I used to play [his] songs when I was starting out, before I was writing my own songs,” he says. “I used to play the bars in my hometown [St. Catharines, Ont.]. And you can play Neil Young songs all night and no one will complain. He’s just got so many. I don’t know how many records he’s put out, probably around 50 by now. And he’s still very relevant.

“It’s very inspiring.”

“Neil, obviously … his catalogue looms large in rock-and-roll history,” he says. “I’ve been plugging away for years and I don’t have any songs that resonate that way. There was a time when you could be someone like Neil Young and be really uncompromising and yet still kind of break through and have songs on the radio.”

More on Neil Young's musical influences and inspirations.

Comment of the Moment: Understanding Neil Young's Music

The Neil Young Comment of the Moment is actually more of a novel. And more like comment of the year.

It was inspired by the oh so heartwarming story of Matthew and Melinda which folks seemed really touched by.

And here's another Neil story of his music being the soundtrack of life by Mr. Henry:

I've been a great fan of Neil for over 40 years, starting with Buffalo Springfield when I was 12 years old. His music provided the soundtrack for many of my early adventures, love and learning. During those younger years, I almost saw him perform a number of times (CSNY, solo, w/ Stephen Stills, w/ the Horse) but seemed to keep missing him.

In late summer 1983, I saw Neil for the first time. He was playing at Tanglewood and my date was a woman I had just started seeing. This was only her second large concert; the first was a Marvin Gaye performance a couple weeks before, which I also took her to. That was one of Marvin's final concerts.

We got to Tanglewood w/out tickets and went to get lawn seats which were $10 each (oh the good old days!). While in line, a guy asked if I needed a couple tickets, saying "You definitely want to buy these". I took his advice and was glad I did: the seats were 4th row center on the left aisle.

Neil played three sets that night, each about 45 minutes long and with a short intermission between. There was a large TV on stage and there were "news reports" between the sets. One of these was a short interview with Neil earlier in the day while he walked the grounds of Tanglewood.

Each set was incredible. The first one was acoustic solo; second one was electronic solo (w/ songs from Trans included); third set was with The Shocking Pinks and everyone was in full costume. What a great show! We stayed in the area and went back the next day to wander the grounds. While walking around, I found a stash bag that some unfortunate fan must have lost the night before...one more sign of good fortune (at least for me).

After this show, I made every effort to see Neil each time he toured. My girlfriend and I married the next year in December, and we continued to see Neil's concerts. These included the great tours w/ the Horse in '85 and '86 when I was telling anyone who'd listen "Neil Young is the King of Rock and Roll". We saw him with The Blue Notes in '88 (and got to experience Ordinary People for the first time live). Right after that show, we went to San Francisco and stayed with my best friend while wandering the coast up and down for almost three weeks...the best vacation of my younger years.

Our first child was conceived right after this and our daughter was born in the summer of '89. When I picked her up with her mom and drove them home from the hospital, the cassette player was all set. The first song this beautiful two day old heard (at least from me) was Cowgirl in the Sand, followed by the rest of EKTIN.
END PART #1

Continue to Mr Henry's Neil story Part #2 and scroll down for additional Parts.

Thanks Mr. Henry. You get it.

Winterlong

Neil Young - Boston circa 1971
Photo by Elliot Blinder on SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE

UPDATE: Due to conditions here at Thrasher's Wheat International Headquarters, we are now operating in Winterlong mode until further notice.

Now back to our regularly scheduled gonzo, guerilla bloggin'....


"Winterlong" by Neil Young, Leipzig Arena, 8 July 2008.

Thanks Harry O. and Purple Words on a Grey Background!


Painting by Eric Johnson

Lyrics to WINTERLONG by Neil Young

I waited for you, Winterlong
You seem to be where I belong.
It's all illusion anyway.

If things should ever turn out wrong
And all the love we have is gone,
It won't be easy on that day.

Waiting to follow
Through the dreamlight of your way
Is not so easy for me now.

Half the time has passed away
Things we thought of yesterday
Come back now, come back now.

Waiting to follow
Through the dreamlight of your way
Is not so easy for me now.

Half the time has passed away
Things we thought of yesterday
Come back now, come back now.

I waited for you Winterlong
You seem to be where I belong.

Understanding Neil Young's Music

Matthew and Melinda

Often, we've found ourselves trying to explain Neil Young's music to others with varying degrees of success. In the end, we find that his music isn't really something that can be explained.

While we've expended quite a few words on this blog making an attempt, it really is the stories of others which transcend the gap much better.

So here's a link to a story that really seems to capture the essence of Neil Young's music. Matthew and Melinda: put on love...: falling in love and neil young....

Reflections on Grammy Weekend

Neil Young
MusiCares Person Of The Year - 2010
January 29, 2010 - Los Angeles, California
Photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America on Zimbio

We would think that for most Neil Young fans, this weekend represented somewhat of a breakout.

Without getting too bogged down with "what does it all mean?", it just seems self evident and we wonder why we even bother to point out the obvious. But -- clearly -- after browsing reviews and comments, it still seems as if Neil's career remains an enigma for so many.

One would think that simply scrolling through the list of bands performing to honor Neil Young as the 2010 MusiCares Person Of The Year, would be sufficient. Wilco's Jeff Tweedy said:

"He's right up there in terms of a constant in my musical life as an influence and as a mentor. He's kind of just a force of nature. And I take him for granted sometimes like I take the sun for granted ... I'm really happy the sun comes up every day and I'm happy Neil Young keeps making records."

We really couldn't say it any better.

OK, so the music industry honored Neil and his incredible commitment to charitable work and worthy causes. And the Music Academy even awarded Neil Young and longtime artistic collaborator Gary Burden a Grammy for boxset design. Not the music inside the box. Or the breakthrough technology. Or just the release itself. Not taking anything away from Gary or Jenice here whatsoever.

Year after year after year, we've have blogged on the injustice of the Grammy Awards handed out by industry elites, so none of any of this should come as a surprise to anyone.

But, as G.B. observed:

"A friend of mine noted that Neil Young winning for packaging is like Martin Scorsese winning an Oscar for costume design."

"Thanks a lot, everybody."
Jenice Heo, Neil Young, and Gary Burden
Photo by Matt Sayles/Associated Press

From comment on Neil Young Wins First-Ever Grammy Award for Archives Box by Dan:

All I can say that if the Grammy's, after 50 years of Neil rockin the rock n' roll industry, can only manage to give him a grammy for the artwork on his box set, it shows that the whole thing is a ridiculous farce ...

I actually agree that giving him a grammy now for the art on the box set is insulting to him as an artist and at the same time it demeans the whole Grammys institution ... I mean, how can people like Taylor Swift (no disrespect meant to her or her work) or Beyonce walk away with an armload of awards, and this kind of thing has been happening for literally years and decades, and a true authentic artist like Neil has created tens of albums and hundreds of songs of all flavors, and genre's, Jeez he's probably created a few genere's in the process and they can't come up with one measly award for his MUSIC??

Sorry, its a joke, its ridiculous, you'll rarely see me ranting like this, but its preposterous, and it proves the whole Grammys thing is bankrupt, its bogus, its fake, its pretentious, its political ... otherwise its totally unexplainable ...

Neil is a class act to show up and receive the art award ... he's a gracious person who doesn't need their false, pretentious accolades, but the whole thing when you think of it is so ridiculous ya can't do much more than call it out ...

ten years from now these grammy winners and their carefully manicured songs will be long forgotten and Neil and his substantive music will live on, aging gracefully as always...

Neil, Long May You Run!! You truly set the real standard.

Dan

Another comment by Matthew Lintzenich:

Oh come on, people, they deserve the award for such great art direction. The artistry is awesome. I agree that Neil deserves a Grammy for his music, and doesn't get half the overall recognition he deserves, but that shouldn't take anything away from the artists who did such a fine job creating the packaging for the Archives.

It's beautiful.

What y'all need to understand is that mainstream people in our society and the music industry aren't looking for creativity or the quality of personal expression, or your ability to channel the universe in music.

They are much more shallow than that. The people want what's sold to them, they want to be part of the popular crowd, they aren't interested in identifying personally with a song in a profound, emotional way.

They far outnumber the people who enjoy music because it moves them or titillates their minds, because of how it effects them personally, both emotionally and intellectually.

The music industry, by-and-large, plays to this tendency. It releases shallow garbage, people buy it and pretend they like it in order to satisfy their need to be accepted. This is mainstream American pop culture we're talking about here, not the land of smart, thoughtful, multidimensional individuals.

So obviously the chances of Neil Young winning a Grammy are much, much slimmer than Taylor Swift, even though he writes better music. Neil writes better music than almost anyone. It's not about good music - it's about popularity. It's about who sold the most albums because they were aggressively marketed by the industry to the shallow mainstream cult of popularity.

I'd be happy if Neil Young did get the recognition he deserved, but Neil isn't after recognition (thank GOD, because his music wouldn't be half as good as it is), and he doesn't need it, so who really cares?

In some sense it might even be a travesty to award him a Grammy, considering that winning one basically indicates that you're simplistic and derivative enough to easily market to sheep.

And the always thought provoking ranting of Bob Lefsetz:

I saw the Buffalo Springfield. In those days, there were no sponsors. The Fortune 500 ran. Music was dangerous. Neil Young knows the truth, that these companies themselves are dangerous. And that an artist has to march forward and explore unencumbered. Hell, he held up a sign during the show telling the performers to "Just do what you want to do. Don’t listen to anyone else."

That’s the key. To go on your own journey. Not the one people want you to. Hell, did you read all the negative reviews of "Catcher In The Rye" in the Salinger obits? Even the "New York Times" panned it. Unfortunately, the blowback contributed to Salinger’s pullback from society. We lost out, because the powers-that-be needed to tear him down, make him their size.

Thank god Neil Young never succumbed to this. He’s the poster boy for doing it your own way. And that’s why CSN’s business blows up when he performs with them, and he can go out solo to great business and the rest of the players cannot. Because we believe… That Neil Young is giving his all.

Friday night Wilco gave their all. And that’s why their fans believe in them just like oldsters believe in Mr. Young. Punch the clock and people know. Sing from the heart, take your music seriously and the audience knows. Jeff Tweedy wasn’t distracted by looking at the teleprompter, the words were embedded deep inside, just like they are in us.

Grammy weekend. Whatever your thoughts are about the "music industry", it was a time to celebrate. A well deserved celebration for Neil and his friends, at that.


Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and Neil Young

Neil Young Honored As MusiCares Person Of The Year - UPDATED

Neil Young
MusiCares Person Of The Year - 2010
January 29, 2010 in Los Angeles, California
Photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North Americaon on Zimbio


"Broken Arrow"
Wilco



"Comes A Time"
Emmylou Harris



"Down by the River"
John Mellencamp



"Long May You Run"
Stephen Stills and Sheryl Crow



"Don't Let It Bring You Down"
Jackson Browne



"Helpless"
Elton John, Sheryl Crow and Neko Case



"Ohio"
Ben Harper



"Tell Me Why"
Norah Jones



Neil said...
"Just do what you want to do
Don't listen to anyone else"
(Jack Black w/ sign)



"The Needle and The Damage Done"
Dave Matthews



"As a philanthropist and humanitarian, you're one my heroes. I'll never forget your kindness."
Elton John



"The Losing End"
Elvis Costello



"Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
Lady Antebellum
Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood



"Heart of Gold"
James Taylor



"Revolution Blues"
Everest



"Rocking in the Free World"
John Fogerty and Booker T. Jones



Leon Russell



"Human Highway" (for L.A.)
"We made some of the best music of our lives with you." - Crosby
Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and David Crosby



"Harvest Moon"
Josh Groban



"A Man Needs A Maid"
Red Hot Chili Peppers



Musicians Dave Matthews, guest, Jason Mraz, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Shawn Colvin and James Taylor onstage at the 2010 MusiCares Person Of The Year Tribute To Neil Young at the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 29, 2010 in Los Angeles, California


"It's a shame he [Larry "L.A." Johnson, who died suddenly last week] couldn't be here. But I'm gonna keep on going, and I hope you do too."


From USATODAY.com By Edna Gundersen:

"The flustered honoree took the podium and thanked the night's many musicians.

'I forgot how many songs I've written,' Young said. 'It's been a great night. Wore me out.'

He expressed discomfort in gazing back, that it's difficult to recognize the prolific young artist who wrote Broken Arrow. And he wonders what's left in his quiver.

'I listen to some of those songs — who was that guy?' he said. 'Look at Tony Bennett. He rocks. I look at that man and say, 'I can do this.' I'm going to keep on going, and I hope you do, too.'"

After Crosby, Stills & Nash paid their respects and harmonized on "Human Highway," Young took a moment to acknowledge his friend and filmmaking collaborator Larry "L.A." Johnson, who died suddenly last week."It's a shame he couldn't be here," Young said. "But I'm gonna keep on going, and I hope you do too."

From AP:

Josh Groban said: "I've seen a lot of people win Grammy's that have gone on to really disappoint after that and then I have seen a lot of people that have not won any Grammy's, and I guess Neil's a perfect example, who continue to have honesty and integrity and strive to connect with the world in a totally unique way, and I am excited that they are finally honoring him tonight then."

Sheryl Crow said: "He seemed to marry folk music and country music and for me, where I was from in Missouri, it really sort of set me on course as far as a songwriter goes, and he also managed to interject really socially, politically, moving lyrics into rock songs and he still is for me the template that I hold up and hope to eventually accomplish the things that he's done."

---

From Spin Magazine Online by Kevin Bronson:
SETLIST:
John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett, "Down by the River"

Ozomatli, "Mr. Soul"

Jackson Browne, "Don't Let It Bring You Down"

Stephen Stills and Sheryl Crow, "Long May You Run"
Lady Antebellum, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"

Norah Jones, "Tell Me Why"

Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin, "Comes a Time"

Wilco, "Broken Arrow"

Josh Groban, "Harvest Moon"
Everest, "Revolution Blues"

Dierks Bentley and Booker T. Jones, "Cinnamon Girl"

Ben Harper, "Ohio"

Keith Urban, John Fogerty and Booker T. Jones, "Rockin' in the Free World"

Elvis Costello, "The Losing End"

Jason Mraz, Shawn Colvin and the Grooveline Horns, "Lotta Love"

Dave Matthews, "The Needle and the Damage Done"

Red Hot Chili Peppers, "A Man Needs a Maid"

James Taylor, "Heart of Gold"

Elton John, Leon Russell, Neko Case, Sheryl Crow and T Bone Burnett, "Helpless"

Crosby, Stills & Nash, "Human Highway"

From CANOE -- JAM! Music: Neil Young tribute star-studded by DARRYL STERDAN - QMI Agency:

John Mellencamp & T-Bone Burnett | Down by the River

Young's FarmAid colleague opens the show with a slow-burning version of a classic from Everyone Knows This is Nowhere. His band consists of superstar producer T-Bone Burnett on guitar, Kenny Aronoff on drums and musical director Don Was on bass. (The latter two serve as a house rhythm section for most of the evening.)

Ozomatli | Mr. Soul

These Angeleno rockers add some heavy Latin grooves to this Buffalo Springfield oldie -- without sacrificing the fuzzy, Satisfaction-style riff-rock at its heart.

Jackson Browne | Don't Let it Bring You Down

Backed by Aronoff and Was, the troubadour turns in a rich acoustic-guitar version of this powerful cut from After the Gold Rush.

Stephen Stills & Sheryl Crow | Long May You Run

Crow dons a squeezebox and trades verses with Stills on a mellow version of this number cut by the Stills-Young Band in '76. Black needles Young for using such a boring band name, and makes up for it by christening the Stills-Crow ensemble Rocketnuggetthunderclaw.

Lady Antebellum | Only Love Can Break Your Heart

These quickly rising country-pop stars told me they were more excited about playing this event than they were about their Grammy nominations. They play this country waltz fairly straight, but their three-part harmonies add some layers to the melody.

Norah Jones | Tell Me Why

Another cut from Gold Rush, this time picked by Jones and a bandmate playing acoustic guitars. It's wonderfully simple. And simply wonderful.

Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin & Lucinda Williams | Comes a Time

The trio of roots queens join forces -- along with some steel guitar and accordion -- in this folksy chestnut. I wonder why Lucinda is wearing glasses. Then I notice the giant teleprompter screen behind me.

Wilco | Broken Arrow

If you can think of anyone more capable of handling all the intricate twists and turns of this shape-shifting epic from Buffalo Springfield Again, you let me know. Then again, don't bother. You're wrong.

Josh Groban | Harvest Moon

The popera sensation takes a seat at the piano for this gentle ballad, which he gussies up a little too much with all his technique and talent. Neil needs to be a bit ragged, you know?

Everest | Revolution Blues

Who? Well, put it this way: These L.A. roots-rockers are signed to Young's Vapor Records. Hey, throw Neil a bone: It's his big night. Besides, they crank out a smoking version of Revolution Blues. It's the heaviest performance so far.

Dierks Bentley & Booker T. Jones | Cinnamon Girl

Backed by frequent Young sideman Booker T. and his instantly identifiable organ, Bentley and his gruff pipes transform this immortal tune into twangy country-rock -- and lose a bit of the song's edge in the process.

Ben Harper | Ohio

The musical centrepiece of the show. Armed with his slide guitar and accompanied only by three female backup singers, Harper recasts Young's Vietnam-era protest song into stirring gospel-blues. Quite simply one of the finest, most moving versions of this song I've ever heard. It deservedly brings some attendees to their feet.

Keith Urban, John Fogerty & Booker T. Jones | Rockin' in the Free World

Another winner. Urban and Fogerty crank up the amps and blow the roof off the dump, trading solos and belting out the vocals on Young's slamming rocker. Urban is playing harder -- and grinning wider -- than I've ever seen before. And Fogerty still hasn't lost a step. Afterward, Black quite rightly tells the swells, "I know it's expensive -- but I think you're getting your money's worth. This is insane! Can you appreciate how insane this is?"

Elvis Costello | The Losing End

The roll continues: An acoustic-guitar toting Costello takes this lesser-known number from Everybody Knows This is Nowhere and turns it into a country weeper that could have come straight from ole Hank's pen.

Jason Mraz & Shawn Colvin | Lotta love

A horn section and some organ add some soulful backing to Mraz and Colvin's duet. Still, it's not one of the evening's more memorable moments. Then again, they did have to follow Elvis.

Dave Matthews | Needle and the Damage Done

On the plus side: The singer-guitarist totally nails Neil's anti-drug ballad, right down to the mournful falsetto vocal. On the downside: He delivers a rambling introduction that makes him look like a goof.

Red Hot Chili Peppers | A Man Needs a Maid

Not surprisingly, the Peppers -- making their first public appearance with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer -- lace Young's Harvest track with their heavy, slogging funk. But that's not nearly as alarming as Anthony Kiedis's Mexican porn-star moustache.

James Taylor | Heart of Gold

Hey, I respect JT as much as the next guy -- but does the world really need an easy-listening version of Heart of Gold? The good news: Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello and Jason Mraz help out on backing vocals.

Elton John, Leon Russell, Neko Case, Sheryl Crow & T-Bone Burnett | Helpless

The stage is getting a little crowded at this point -- but really, the song belongs to Elton, who converts it into a work of classic country-pop vaguely reminiscent of his own Burn Down the Mission. Neko, Sheryl and Leon each get a turn at the mic.

Crosby, Stills and Nash | Human Highway

"We made some of the best music of our lives with you," says David Crosby before the legendary trio close the show by putting their gorgeous harmonies to work on this underappreciated '70s track. Neil's reaction? "Now I gotta go write some more songs." No argument here.

From Vancouver Sun: Rock’s storied performers gather to honour Neil Young By Jim Holt, Canwest News Service

Booker T. Jones: “He’s a huge influence on me,” Jones said. “His music is heartfelt. He’s always exploring and pushing the envelope.”

James Taylor: “His songwriting is the stuff,” Taylor said. “You hear his music and you know that’s the stuff.”

Jackson Browne: “I’ll be singing ‘Don’t let it bring you down’ which is a powerful song,” said Browne before attending the gala dinner. “Neil Young’s singular use of language is what amazes me,” he said. “It really raises the bar. Nobody but Neil would say, 'When you dance, I can really love.' He's got this powerful way of carving language in very simple blocks of meaning that go right to the core of you."

From Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily by Shirley Halperin:

While Wilco’s gloriously brash rendition of “Broken Arrow” prompted Elton John to give a standing ovation, which he proudly pointed out to the band backstage following the performance. Earlier in the night, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy told RS, ”We rehearsed this song for two days. The guys in our crew said it was the first time they’d ever seen us rehearse in three years.” He added that they’d chosen “Broken Arrow” because it’s “really episodic and strange and when you hear it, it’s pretty obvious that Wilco has taken a lot from this one song.”

Jack Black, who had to keep things moving even if the show went nearly an hour past its allotted time. How did he rate his own performance? “I was pretty nervous and started off shaky, but I eased into it,” Black told RS. “It was just a remarkable night of musicianship. You don’t see a bill like that very often. Everyone was so incredible, and it’s a testament to Neil’s influence and awesomeness that so many people wanted to be part of this show.”

"To that end, Crosby, Stills and Nash’s serenade of “Human Highway” couldn’t have been a more fitting closer. “We’ve done that song with Neil probably 200 to 300 times so it has special significance that he’ll know and we know,” said Crosby, who called his friend of five decades “the real deal.” “There’s been too much focus in recent years on surface rather than substance,” he said. “But Neil can really write a song that you’ll remember 20 years from now. I’ve played some of the best music of my whole life on stage with that man, there were many moments that were pure magic, and I love him.”"

“The first time I saw him sitting in a circle with his guitars and his harmonium behind him was a solidifying moment for me,” said Crow. “There’s something so soulful about that man. It’s when I knew, ‘That’s what I want to do some day — sit with my guitars and play songs.’”

From The Canadian Press: Neil Young's peers happy the Canadian rocker finally getting due from Grammy:

"Added Jeff Tweedy, whose Chicago band Wilco will perform at the MusiCares event: 'He's right up there in terms of a constant in my musical life as an influence and as a mentor. He's kind of just a force of nature. And I take him for granted sometimes like I take the sun for granted ... I'm really happy the sun comes up every day and I'm happy Neil Young keeps making records.'"

A lame -- and uncredited -- review: Honoree Neil Young fails to perform at music biz charity event | Analysis & Opinion | Reuters. (Incidentally, this the most Tweeted story of the event. As always -- lets find the negative on Neil and pound it home. Reuters. What a bunch of losers.)

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More photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America on 2010 MusiCares Person Of The Year Tribute To Neil Young - Show - Pictures - Zimbio

Report on rust : Message: MusiCares! I was Therez! (Rhyme) by Karen.

More highlight photos on Purple Words on a Grey Background.

PHOTOS 2010 MusiCares Tribute To Neil Young concert highlights : starcasm.net

PHOTOS: Grammy weekend begins with MusiCares Person of the Year tribute to Neil Young - latimes.com

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Musicares Highlights - Part #1


Musicares Highlights - Part #2


Musicares Highlights - Artisan News

Also, Interview Videos for 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute | GRAMMY.com with:
James Taylor
Elvis Costello
John Stirratt
Dave Matthews
Jackson Browne
Lady Antebellum

Thanks neilyoung.org - Neil Young links - reconnecting thoughts and actions!

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Musicares Rehearsal photos

Arrivals @ Musicares: 2010 MusiCares Person Of The Year Tribute To Neil Young - Roaming Inside - Pictures - Zimbio


David Crosby & Elton John



Neil Young & Tony Bennett



Neil Young, Pegi Young and Elton John

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Also, see Neil Young Wins First-Ever Grammy Award for Archives Box.

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DEVELOPING. Check back.

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