The Complex Sessions: Neil Young & Jonathan Demme

Long before the filming of "Heart of Gold" began last summer, Jonathan Demme had already distilled the essence of Neil Young in a little known 4 song video promo.

On October 3, 1994, Jonathan Demme filmed Neil Young & Crazy Horse at the Complex Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The Complex Sessions captured the emotion and angst of the Sleeps With Angels period.

Paul Williams, music critic, editor and publisher of Crawdaddy Magazine in Fi: The Magazine of Music & Sound, June, 1996 writes:

"The Complex Sessions seems to me to represent a pivotal moment in rock history (as, say, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" did), not only because it's so good but also because it is a breakthrough in the creative use of a medium (the long-form rock video as a work of art) that has defeated most supplicants, including Neil as often as not. On the other hand, it isn't selling many copies, and in our increasingly corrupt pop culture, that and inches of press coverage are the only measurements of "significance." Oh well. Great music is still great music.

If a tree falls in the forest but nobody writes a review, did it make a sound?

This is an astonishingly gratifying concert film visually, and combined with Stop Making Sense leaves me convinced Jonathan Demme must be a genius. How many zillion directors have shot rock bands in action and almost never this intelligently or gracefully or pleasingly? He makes authenticity look easy, while almost every other director involved with rock films and videos make it seem impossible, else why would they fail so consistently? Let them study Demme's two masterpieces. This is rock and roll! Notice for example how wonderful Neil looks, and how terrific each Crazy Horse member and all four musicians together look all the time, as though they were cast for this film so perfectly that again you wonder why almost no other rock filmmaker ever got it so right before?"

Here is the review that fell into the blogosphere of the video that made a very loud sound 10 years ago. Just watching Demme's video "Change Your Mind" would change anyone's mind with open ears ... and eyes.

More on The Complex Sessions and film director Jonathan Demme and Neil Young.

(Original post edited. See comments below.)

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