Brian Wilson: 1942 - 2025

Neil Young & Brian Wilson
The Bridge School Benefit - 10.25.14
Photo by Jay Blakesberg Photography (Click photo to enlarge)

The Beach Boys Brian Wilson (1942 - 2025) has passed away at age 82.

Brian Wilson and Neil Young performed "Surfin’ USA" together at the  28th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concerts in 2014.

Neil Young, Brian Wilson & Eddie Vedder

Bridge School Benefit October 30, 1999 

Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA 

Photo by Jay Blakesberg

Neil Young saluted Brian Wilson at the MusiCares' 2005 Person of the Year tribute to the Beach Boy legend.

Photo by Frank Micelotta, Getty Images


On Feb. 11, 2005, in Los Angeles, Neil performed the Beach Boys song 'In My Room' and dedicated the song not only to Wilson, but to his late brothers, Dennis and Carl.

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Neil Young Invites President Trump To His Concerts

WAKE UP AMERICANeil Young Archives
(Click photo to enlarge)

Neil Young has posted a statement on Neil Young Archives titled "WAKE UP AMERICA" in which he invites President Trump to attend his concerts.  (Thanks Road Dawg!)

"When I tour the US this summer, and martial law isn't declared by then, which would make it impossible, we should all come together and stand up for American values. We won't be putting on a political show. We'll be playing the music we love and can all enjoy together. President Trump, you're invited. Come and hear our music, just as you have for decades. "

For reference, here are the dates for this summer's Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts love earth tour.

Recently, Neil Young challenged US President Trump over statements regarding Bruce Springsteen.

Yes, It's Still An Angry World Neil Young, But "everything Is going to be all right"

More on Neil Young's long running animosity to Republican U.S. Presidents and Neil and Donald's apparent love/hate relationship.

Neil Young's latest album "Talkin' to the Trees," recorded with Chrome Hearts, will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital on June 13.

In May 2025, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts released a new Official Music Video for the song "Lets Roll Again".

 "Lets Roll Again"  Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts (Video Frame via Official Video) (Click photo to enlarge)

In January,  Neil Young dropped a track from his latest album titled "big change is coming". In addition, an Official Music Video was released featuring the band  The Chrome Hearts.

 "big change is coming" 

by Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts

(Video Frame via Official Video) 

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NYA Timeline Concert of the Moment: Neil Young @ Minnesota State Fair w/ The International Harvesters - 1985-09-01

International Harvesters '85 Tour(L-R: (top) Joe Allen, Rufus Thibodeaux, NY, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Karl Himmel; (bottom) Anthony Crawford, Ben Keith)photo by Tom Sheehan  (Click photo to enlarge)

A new  Timeline Concert of the Moment is now streaming on NYA. (Thanks Jim!)

The latest Timeline Concert is Neil Young w/ The International Harvesters @ Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept 1, 1985.

 

Neil Young & The International Harvestersw/ Hargus "Pig"  Robbins on piano
This recording contains the legendary "Down By The River" as witnessed by Jim McKelvey, who ranks this version of DBTR as "the greatest" due to the interplay with pianist Hargus "Pig"  Robbins.  (Also, see Farm Aid Memories: 1985 Pine Knob Music Theater (Detroit) by Jim McKelvey with more thoughts on Hargus "Pig"  Robbins.)

Willie Nelson Farm Aid interview - 

Detroit Free Press, Sept 20, 1985 by Jim McKelvey 

(Click photo to enlarge)

 

 

Ticket Stub - International Harvesters '85 Tour

Neil Young @ Minnesota State Fair w/ The International Harvesters - 1985-09-01photo via Sugar Mountain   

Also, see Meta Review: A Treasure - Neil Young & The International Harvesters.

A Treasure
Neil Young & The International Harvesters

Also, see:

• The Making of A Treasure: Interviews with Neil Young Neil Young Unearths 'A Treasure' -- Video & Interview
• A Treasure: New Neil Young Album Coming
• Release Details on A Treasure: New Neil Young Album Coming June 14
• Neil Young Discusses The International Harvesters and "A Treasure" Release
• Tech Notes on The Making of A Treasure
• Album Review of the Moment: "Neil's uber-country phase" - A Treasure
• A Treasure: Are You Ready To Get Back To The International Harvesters?
• Exclusive Preview Video of Neil Young's New Album "A Treasure"
  
  
  
  
  Neil Young
  International Harvesters Tour, Costa Mesa, CA - 10/24/84 
  Photo by Robert Matheu

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Comment of the Moment: "Talkin' To The Trees" by Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts

Talkin' To The Trees by Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts

Last week, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts released the title track for the upcoming album "Talkin To The Trees". 

Here is the Comment of the Moment on the song "Talkin To The Trees" by Tomatron:

From the new album I’d like to hear Big Change live. That song rips. 

While TTTT ["Talkin To The Trees"] title track doesn’t make for a great single, I expect it eases in nicely as an album track, a peaceful respite from the heavy energy of the songs that precede it. He seems to be doing something different with that song. It has no narrative or chorus; the melody is minimal. It exists only to express a present moment. 

Neil’s lyrical method of late, to capture the idea as it comes without further refinement, is used to full effect to provide a glimpse of his thoughts, one minute of a day in the life. 

Aficionados of his classic work crave the figurative language that elevates much of his 70s songcraft; it’s still there, but it lives between the lines now. Some have called TTTT bland. I think plain is a better descriptor. The song reminds me of the plain art tradition of American folk art, capturing the honest essence of a restful moment. 

A picture of peace.

Thanks  Tomatron. "A picture of peace." Yes, we can all use a bit of that these days.  Good insights. And -- as speculated elsewhere -- we'll likely hear album cuts on this summer's tour.

The album "Talkin' to the Trees," recorded with Chrome Hearts, will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital on June 13.

Earlier this month, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts have released a new Official Music Video for the song "Lets Roll Again".

 "Lets Roll Again"  Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts (Video Frame via Official Video) (Click photo to enlarge)

In January,  Neil Young dropped a track from his latest album titled "big change is coming". In addition, an Official Music Video was released featuring the band  The Chrome Hearts.

 "big change is coming" 

by Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts

(Video Frame via Official Video) 

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"My Boy" - Neil Young Solo @ The Farm at Lakefield College School, May 23, 2025

Neil Young

Image via Clifford Skarstedt/Examiner(Click photo to enlarge)
Here's a video of "My Boy" by Neil Young at The Farm at Lakefield College School Friday, May 23, 2025.  This is song's 1st performance since February 10, 1983, per Sugar Mountain.

UPDATE: Apologies, looks like you need to go directly to YT.

Prior to the concert, Neil posted the following photo to NYA of "My Boy" -- his son Zeke with his father, Scott Young.

Neil Young, Zeke Young and Scott Young

More on Neil Young at The Farm at Lakefield College School Friday, May 23, 2025. 

And here we are with "My Boy" Zeke @ 2015 Bridge Concerts.

w/ Zeke Young @ 2015 Bridge Concerts 

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A Note From "The Proprietor"

If you've been following some of the recent threads here on Thrasher's Wheat, you will be aware that things are really heating up as we prepare for the summer tour.

So much so that readers are threatening to leave the site -- or already have abandoned ship. Obviously, an unfortunate situation. 

Thanks to Dan for stepping in with some calming words:

For those who have spoken about leaving this site, I urge you to reconsider. 

We are living during a very difficult time, and there is much division. This country is experiencing a crisis, and we need to find ways to deal with the struggles and fear that many of us are experiencing.

If we stop engaging with each other then we will simply grow farther apart, and that is the opposite of what needs to happen.

Yes, this is a Neil Young appreciation site, and that is at least one thing we can all share in common. And Neil has always been an activist for change. Don’t let the current predicament we are facing separate us from each other.

Peace

A timely suggestion. 

Hopefully the dialogs here are doing more good than harm. As you say, once the talking stops, the shooting starts. Many are hell bent on making this go hot and kinetic. As someone casually dropped on us long ago, "TW [NY] is like a flower stuck in the gun barrel of the MIC".

From the "proprietors" perspective, one of the many lessons we've learned over the years, is that if you don't have the time or patience to be crystal clear, don't even bother.

As much as we would love for every post to be carefully crafted down the last syllable and every comment carefully considered from every angle, we just can't.

So clearly we've been quite careless here. Anyone who has known us and this site would be shocked to see these accusations leveled. In fact, we're kind of surprised by the level of blowback from regulars who presumably wouldn't be coming here year after year if this ideology is what the site supported.

Attempting to be clear here, but we have made a concerted effort in recent years to stick as much as we can to the "Neil facts". As in, quote the man directly and abstain from editorializing. Again, broke the rule on this post.

At the moment, we continue to work on the long overdue re-launch of TW in what very little spare time we have.

As we head into the summer tour and Farm Aid 40, we're already considering 2026. 2026 will be the 30th anniversary of TW. Our plan is to make it to 2026 and operationalize the re-launch to sustain TW well into the future.

peace 

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