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 Wins First-Ever Grammy Award for Archives Box

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

From Neil Young Wins First-Ever Grammy Award - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com:

Updated | 6:52 p.m. Well, that only took, what, 50 years? After a career spanning nearly a half-century as a solo artist and a member of groups like Buffalo Springfield and Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Neil Young won his first Grammy Award in a pre-telecast ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The award, for best art direction on a boxed or special limited edition package, was shared among Mr. Young and his art directors Gary Burden and Jenice Heo for the boxed set “Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972).” Upon his win, Mr. Young (who did not receive his first Grammy nomination until 1989, for the video for “This Note’s For You”) told the crowd: “Thanks a lot, everybody.” Mr. Young was also nominated for a Grammy in the best solo rock vocal category, but lost to Bruce Springsteen.

Congratulations, Neil, Gary, Jenice, the NYA crew and all @ Shakey Pix (r.i.p. l.a.)!!!

More on Gary Burden Receives Grammy Nomination for NYA Design.

Also, Gary Burden’s blog has fascinating entries about this project with respect to design, sustainability and collaboration.


Whiskey admires Grammy Award Winning NYA Box
(Thanks Heidi!)



More coverage on neilyoung.org - Neil Young links - reconnecting thoughts and actions and Purple Words on a Gray Background: A Grammy for NY and Gary Burden.

Also, see Neil Young Honored As MusiCares Person Of The Year.

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Neil Young Honors Updates

REPORT - 1-30-2010: Neil Young Honored As MusiCares Person Of The Year


Neil Young
MusiCares Person of the Year

2010 already looks to be shaping up as another blowout year for Neil Young.

The MUSICARES Tribute to Person of the Year already has an impressive roster of musicians lined up of which Booker T. Jones, Lucinda Williams and Ben Harper have just been added. The all-stars will honor 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Neil Young on Jan. 29 in Los Angeles, two days before the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Artists on board to fete the legendary rocker are Jack Black, Jackson Browne, T Bone Burnett, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, Everest, Patty Griffin, Josh Groban, Ben Harper, Emmylou Harris, Elton John, Norah Jones, Lady Antebellum, k.d. lang, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Ozomatli, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Leon Russell, James Taylor, Wilco, and Lucinda Williams.

Some really great news is that portions of the Person of the Year event this year will be streamed live for the first time ever at GRAMMY.com.

From Lady Antebellum Feel 'Faint' Over Neil Young Tribute Concert - The Boot:

"Lady Antebellum are among the acts performing at a tribute concert honoring Neil Young as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year. The event's lineup of musical talent has Lady A giggling like starstruck teenagers. 'I'm so excited about that,' Charles Kelley tells The Boot, turning to his bandmates and adding, 'I was thinking about that, guys ... We need to rehearse! We're going to sing a song, 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart.' It's gonna be really exciting for us. I mean the lineup, too, that night ....'

'I saw Elton John [on the list] and fainted!' a beaming Hillary Scott interjects."

The Grammy honors will be followed by a Canadian Neil Young tribute concert at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre on February 18, hosted by Hal Wilner. That lineup will feature Lou Reed, Iron & Wine, Vashti Bunyan, Ron Sexsmith, Mark Kozelek, and members of Broken Social Scene.

So when -- oh when -- will Neil ever find time to work on Linc-Volt?? Or NYA #2?! Or release 17 discs like in 2009?

Slacker.

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UPDATE 1/28/10: From Variety:

Crosby tells Daily Variety of "Long May You Run": "I like what it says, and he will know what we're saying about our relationship by doing that (song)."

"'Neil Young is one of the best artists of our time,' Crosby says.

'He's an unbelievably good singer-songwriter and a fantastic guitar player. He's also very goddamn brave. Knowing how he has lived his life and the choices he has had to make make him stand out as a very courageous man.'"

From Toronto Sun:

“I’m more excited about that, to be completely honest with you, than the Grammys,” says Lady Antebellum vocalist Charles Kelley, whose Nashville trio is up for two awards at Sunday night’s ceremony thanks to their hit single I Run to You. “I have no idea how we got invited, but it’s a huge honour and I can’t wait. In my old cover-band days we used to play Southern Man and Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.

“We’re getting to perform Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” he said. “I wanted to do Helpless so bad, but I think they said Elton John was going to do it, so I’m not going to argue against that!”

Wilco bassist John Stirratt didn’t want to give out any spoilers about what the Chicago alt-rockers will play, but he wasn’t shy about discussing Young’s impact on the band.

“Had he not picked up a guitar and made music, we would not be around,” said Stirratt. Wilco’s eponymous CD Wilco (The Album) is up for Americana album of the year on Sunday, but he says honouring Young is “the main reason” they’re going to L.A.

“Boy, does he deserve this — if only for all the work he puts in every year on the Bridge School Shows. You know how annual events are; they come around so fast. But they’re so nice in how they treat the artists, and they have a big party out at their house.”

Now, he just has to forget the fact that he has to play Neil Young songs in front of the man himself.

“You know, I never really thought about that until you mentioned it. That’s going to be brutal. Thanks a lot.”

From Brandon Sun Online:

"I've met a lot of my heroes, but I haven't met Neil and I haven't met (Bob) Dylan," Ron Sexsmith said in a phone interview.

"I don't really set out to meet people. ... But the year that I won my Juno in Winnipeg (in 2005), Neil was supposed to perform and I was really excited about possibly getting the chance to meet him but that was when he got sick, you know, and had the close call. If it happens, it happens."

Still, he says he loves Young's work.

"When I started out playing bars, I had to learn an awful lot of Neil Young songs, because that's pretty much all anyone wanted to hear," he recalled.

"I'm sure if you went to any bar in Ontario or across Canada, you'd still hear it. ... He has this strange place, anyone can pick up an acoustic guitar and play one of those songs. As a songwriter, that's something you kind of aspire to."

Randy Bachman, who grew with Young in Winnipeg, echoed that sentiment.

"You could go to any street corner in the world, and I mean in the world, and play a cassette or CD or whatever of Neil Young and (people) will say '(That's) Neil Young," he said.

"He has a voice like no one else, he plays guitar like no one else and he writes these songs that are so honest and ... first takes, if you know what I mean. He doesn't really polish up anything. It's whatever comes out.

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."

"He's always been a really gracious guy, a really down-to-earth guy," added Tom Cochrane.

"That's what impressed me the most about him, outside of obviously his prodigious songwriting talents and the fact that he's a lot like John Lennon. He's like our Canadian John Lennon. He always wrote songs from his heart and never pulled his punches. He's been a great role model for me and countless numbers of other artists and I'm very proud to say that he's a Canadian singer/songwriter.

"Good for Neil. He's a big influence."

Musicares Rehearsal photos

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Also, see Neil Young News: The Charitable Mr. Neil Young and Neil Young influences and inspirations.

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REPORT - 1-30-2010: Neil Young Honored As MusiCares Person Of The Year

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