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An unofficial news blog for Neil Young fans from Thrasher's Wheat with concert and album updates, reviews, analysis, and other Rock & Roll ramblings. Separating the wheat from the chaff since 1996.
The Concert Performance Timeline will contain full concerts from our recording archives.
NYA subscribers can request certain shows they have attended and can write their own concert memories
from these shows. Once the request is processed, NYA will post that
show in rough form (original recordings unaltered) on the Timeline.
And while we have spent a great deal of time here on this blog analyzing the song “Rockin’ In the Free World” over the last few decades, we do sometime wonder just what it is about this song exactly that makes it work on so many levels?
If you listen to a lot of Neil Young songs, you start to see that
even though a song may be in a simple major or minor key (this one is in
E minor, with an A chord thrown in, borrowed from the dorian mode), he
tends to favour pentatonic melody shapes.
An E minor pentatonic scale uses the notes E, G, A, B and D, and
you’ll notice that a lot of the verse melody dwells on these notes,
particularly D, E and G:
Those melodic ideas, playing in and around those three notes, are a
favourite shape of Neil’s, and as I say, you’ll notice that he really
likes pentatonic shapes. You see it in the opening line of “Old Man” (“Old man, look at my life/ I’m a lot like you were…”), and all through the melodic ideas in his “Heart of Gold.”
...
Lyrics
The lyrics reference the politics of the late 1980s, so you’ll see
references to the Iranian “death to America” mantra of that time, as
well as some gibes to George H.W. Bush’s “thousand points of lights”,
and “a kinder, gentler nation.”
But I think what is most noticeable is that this is the sort of lyric where the meaning gets transmitted best when being sung over one or two pitches.
When you sing lots of repeated notes, it sounds like a kind of musical
“scolding”. Just as Bob Dylan chose to set the lyrics of “Like a Rolling
Stone” over melodic cells that repeat the same note often (“Once upon a time you dressed so fine/ Threw the bums a dime/ In your prime…”), Neil sings out the words to “Rockin'” like he’s really trying to make an important point, and uses repeated pitches to do it.
...
Chord Progressions
The song is in E minor, and both the intro and the verse use the simple three-chord progression Em-D-C.
In the intro, those chords get played over a pedal point bass that sits
on that tonic note E. The bass then moves to play root position chords
for the entirety of the verse.
The chorus switches to the relative major key of G major, and gives us this progression: G-D-C-Em.
The tag at the end of each chorus, which brings us back to either the
intro for the next verse, or Neil’s guitar solo, is an A major chord.
Previously, Neil Young has “continuously and publicly” objected to his music being used by Donald Trump
going back to 2015 on his website NYA. Background on Neil Young's Open Letter To President Trump and below.
Comment of the Moment: "Homefires" by Neil Young + Spooner Oldham Interview
This clip features the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, amazing studio pianist, Spooner Oldham.
Spooner Oldham, was a "Stray Gator", Neil Young's touring and recording band. The interview by Joe Chambers, is from
2004 at Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama.
Prairie Wind Band - 2005
Ben Keith, Neil Young, Chad Cromwell, Rick Rosas, Spooner Oldham & Karl Himmel
I'm not sure if anyone has spotted this retrospective with Spooner
Oldham on the Stray Gators and some old footage. It may be of interest
to folks (apologies if this was already posted and I missed it).
Simultaneously,
Come Along and Homefire have been added to the drip of NYA videos
uploaded on Youtube. Fun songs and great vintage photos and video
sprinkled in--it occurs to me that we're essentially looking at Neil's
old home movies in some of these clips. Super fun!
I still have
not made a final decision on the incoming second edition of NYA#2, but
the free NYA digital subscription offers considerable added value, imho.
Do we know if the subscription is for a limited time, and which
potential tier(s) of access will it cover?
Nonetheless, I'm glad
to see Neil seems to be about as personally involved in managing the
release as any one person can be with a project of this magnitude and
scope. There have been--and perhaps continue to be--bumps (and forks) in
the road for sure. My understanding of the Archives at this point is
that, in fact, this represents Neil's ultimate effort to organize and
curate his massive body of work, hence the preponderance of previously
released material. There may have been some misunderstanding on this
over the years, but I don't think the project has ever been simply about
getting unreleased songs out there--that's just a bonus or corollary to
the comprehensive assemblage of Neil's output.
NYA, digital or
box set, is all about presentation. Way back in '77, Decade was Neil's
first pass at the Archives concept, and all iterations since then have
followed the same basic template: a retrospective of Neil's catalogue
for a given period of time, with a clutch of rarities and previously
unpublished recordings interspersed with the highlights.
Know
what you're getting with any form of NYA: access to a Neil Young media
universe, arranged into solar systems and constellations as Neil sees
fit. The unheard songs and alternate versions are presented
chronologically among the familiar recordings, illuminating their
original place within the history of Neil's recordings and artistic
career. The 'Doves' (side 1) selections of Hawks and Doves are a perfect
example, now appearing on Homegrown and Hitchhiker to show both when
they were recorded and how Neil originally intended to release them.
Presumably, Old Homestead and Lost in Space will receive similar
treatment as the Archives roll on--possibly in Vol. III, which I think
we must now assume covers the rest of the '70s, possibly to the dawn of
the Geffen period.
All of this should illustrate, if nothing
else, the expanse and complexity of the NYA undertaking. How much money,
time, and energy a fan wishes to invest in this undertaking is purely a
personal decision. Yet I hope I have helped to give a little context on
what I think Neil is trying to do, and that my thoughts here can help
other Neil Nuts and music lovers and to make sense of the magnificent,
unwieldy construct that is The Neil Young Archives.
~Om-Shanti.
Thanks so much for sharing this Spooner interview Meta Rocker!
Really enjoyed the memories and rare footage of the New Gators in 1991 at Broken Arrow Ranch. Always nice to go on the journey thru the past as the time fades away before it finally comes a time.
Here's our Spooner memory.
Pegi Young w/ Survivors Band (Rick Rosas & Spooner Oldham)
"We don’t feel that offering more of a product sold as a limited edition
is a good thing to do. Thank you to all who purchased this set."
As noted earlier in an apology to fans, the fallout continues over the most recent "trick of disaster" regarding the launch of the long awaited Neil Young Archives Volume II Limited Edition Boxset.
Beginning last Friday (Oct. 16) and into the weekend, all 3,000 units (@ $249 USD each) sold out in less than
48 hours -- somehow inexplicably and unpredictably -- demonstrating a
huge pentup demand for physical Neil Young product by a global hardcore
fan base. (See SOLD OUT: Neil Young Archives Volume II Blows Out in 48 Hours.)
So even after yet another‘Come to Jesus’ meeting"(similar to the 2018/9 fiasco overtheBob Dylan & Neil Young Hyde Park, London gig), it looks like Neil Young fans will have to wait until 2021 (?) for a CD only set. (Thanks Lone Red Rider!)
Greedy Hand Store: NYA #2 - SOLD OUT
So,even after determining that Warner Brothersleaked
the preorder number which led to the launch debacle, no one at WBR/Reprise is stepping up to take the rap?
So,Neil apologizes and forgives, but the record company clowns/jailbirds/"Mo The Sleaze's" pocket the profits?
It's
not nice to fool the rusties ... #BeTheRain, RED october, #StayCalm,
hunters become hunted. #NoFear, rusted moon, #disCERNment, son is
rising, #BigShift, WHITE squall, #WT1sWBW4, BLUE ocean, 1:4:3/1:0:7.
Directed by L.A. Johnson and Bernard Shakey, RETURN TO GREENDALE is performed live in Toronto with full cast. A premiere screening of the film RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse was held at Balboa Theater in San Francisco, CA on Jan 28, 2020, where much of the cast and crew attended, as we reported. Each Monday features a chapter from Greendale on NYA.
The Return To Greendale series continues . . . . . this chapter focusing on Sun Green’s dad Earl Green, the great psychedelic artist no one has ever heard about.
Earl Green is played by MAZZEO. The devil’s in the details.
(More insight into Neil's enigmatic allusion "The devil's in the details" @ "Devil's Sidewalk" from Neil Young's RETURN TO GREENDALE | NYA . Also, see the question in this recent tweet about "The devil’s in the details" and Trump suggesting a connection between Neil Young's song “Devil’s Sidewalk” and "The Invisible Enemy".)
Back in 2004, we revealed that artist Jim Mazzeo was the subject of Neil's Greendale song "Bandit" according to a Metroactive newspaper article by Rebecca Patt.
Alexey Butirskiy, Jim Mazzeo and Neil Young by Gabreal Franklin Greendale Artist Jim Mazzeo is "The Bandit"
The lyrics: "You're hard to reach, no one can reach you, but I can reach you" apparently refer to Mazzeo's relationship with Young.
"And he can reach me, 'cause he's like my best friend, and he knows he can," says Mazzeo.
Mazzeo also worked on over 140 pen-and-ink illustrations for the book of Greendale. In the interview Mazzeo said:
"In the back, there is a really nice supplement all about me and my artwork and my biography, which is really going to be a feather in my cap when it comes out."
Greendale, the story of Sun Green coming of age in the world, and seeing all of the threats against the Earth, is one of my favorite films in the Shakey Pictures library. Sun Green was played by one of my daughter Amber’s friends, Sara White. I discovered her at a school play we went to see when Amber was in high school.
Larry Johnson and I shot Greendale on super 8 film cameras. I wlll never forget it. Getting up before dawn and heading to nearby Half Moon Bay from my ranch everyday, driving in Grandpa’s big white eldorado with a cup of coffee, I would meet Larry and we would plan and shoot the day. So many of my friends are in Greendale; Gary Burden as the Captain, Eric Johnson as the Devil, Mazzeo as Earl Green, Sun Green’s dad. Pegi Young as her mom Edith. Larry Johnson was the cop. Erik Markegard was Earth Brown. Erik was the son of my foreman at the ranch, Larry Markegard. Karin Markegard, Erik’s mother, played a part as well.
These folks were all my friends. I will never forget Greendale, one of the biggest highlights of my filming life.
What a fantastic song! We are being rewarded for our undying love and
appreciation for the life’s work of our musical Hero, an Eco Warrior
too!
Thanks Neil! I also will enjoy it on NYA for years to come. But I
also want to own the physical copy. I want it on Blu Ray! Anyone at the
Record Company listening?! I want to buy this on Blu Ray! I bought my
surround system for Archives 1. I own a lot of great high resolution
music to enjoy on that system. But now it looks like a long shot to even
get it on CD, and I am broke. This pandemic is not kind to the wallet.
So how about selling a CD version with no book? How about selling just
the unreleased music discs separately for those who want them?!
I own
all of the discs out thus far except Tuscaloosa. So now I must re-buy
all the same CD’s and get a nice book even though I cannot afford it. If
NYA 2 comes out on Blu Ray, I will buy it. BUT the way it looks I’d be
lucky to get the CD’s. I have faith that Reprise will come to its senses
and realize that they must sell this product and multiply the
quantities by 10 or 20, at least!
But I get to sit back and enjoy
(&) Keep the Home Fires Burning & all the rest. Still waiting
for the Eldorado EP to come to life on NYA. I bought the Cocaine Eyes CD
single back in the day; that’s as close as I got. So much treasure to
enjoy. I SO appreciate the artist who dreamed all of this up! One day
Neil will be wielding 0ld Black in Valhalla! And I will join him there
at the Great Gig in the Sky.
But for now, I will listen here on Earth, our dying planet. NYA is a salve for weary souls.
Don’t
forget to vote! The Oligarchy depends on the people believing in fair
elections and Democracy. The 1% will be fine either way. Good job, DNC,
picking the less popular sellout candidate with the horrible record, a
guy who promises he won’t ban fracking and wonders why the Cops don’t
just “shoot ‘em in the leg.” Ya, the DNC could only beat 1 politician...
they chose Bernie.
Alan In Seattle
Thanks Alan! Great to see you're able to comment again here on TW. Sorry about all the logon troubles. This seems to be a mobile glitch where sometoken is stored requiring reset. About the only solution we've found is to crash browser app, logout and re-login. We know that's a pain, sorry.
>> Pre-Order on Amazon.com << 
Human Highway
Concert Review of the Moment
This Land is My Land
FREEDOM In A New Year
*Thanks Neil!*
![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.thrasherswheat.org/gifs/free-speech.gif)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young
Pardon My Heart
"We're The Ones 
Thanks for Supporting Thrasher's Wheat!
(... he didn't kill himself either...)
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Neil Young's Moon Songs
Civic Duty Is Not Terrorism
Orwell (and Grandpa) Was Right
What's So Funny About 
