Randomly Blogged - CNN Interview, CDII is #1, Uncut Cover

Some randomly blogged items while we await Denver concert reports.
- Neil Young interview on CNN.com
- Chrome Dreams II is #1 on Billboard.com charts for top internet albums
- Neil Young on cover of Uncut magazine's December issue
- Primer on Neil Young - The A.V. Club
- Neil Young, scales and some inspiring thoughts on guitar technique - Harmony Central Musician Community Forums
- CPR's Jeff Pevar interview - CSNY 4 Way Site:

One of the many interesting quotes: David [Crosby] came up to me [Jeff Pevar] one day after a CSN gig and he said to me. "I haven't heard Stephen [Stills] play like that in years! The only other person I have seen do that to Stephen is Neil. Whatever you are doing, keep on doing it"!

Jeff, Neil Young and David Crosby, Santa Ynez Valley Music Festival. September 2003.

Photo: Henry Diltz.

Thanks Hans, Zak, hwycdrrev & Dolf!

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Concert Reviews: Los Angeles - 10/30/07 & 11/2/07

Photo by Tom Mendoza

11/2/07
shakeyfan reports that "Campaigner" replaced with "Love in Mind." "Cortez the Killer" added to setlist. Also, see Sugar Mountain setlists and Numbers On The Site ~ The Neil Young Tour Statistics.

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10/30/07
From Los Angeles Times - "Neil Young, long may he run"by Randy Lewis :

"Young surrounded himself with the tools of his trade -- a semicircular cove of acoustic guitars flanked by an upright piano and a baby grand with a synthesizer keyboard on top, and that other piece of indispensable solo folkie equipment, harmonicas. This, he tacitly informed the 7,000 or so fans who paid rapt attention, is where songs are created, out of a single inquisitive, disciplined and inspired mind. The opened-up stage reinforced the kind of theatrical bent Young has long incorporated in his performances and cinematic experiments. It was cluttered not only with band equipment but with props alluding to the workshop atmosphere. Ladders lay on the floor, colored klieg lights were out for all to see. A stack of art canvases at the back of the stage came into play in the second half as title cards to announce and illustrate each song title. A crew member outfitted as a painter successively placed each large work on an easel at stage left as the band bit into one after another song.

The way he stamped, bobbed and weaved while wringing the neck of a trusty Gibson, it was as though he was intuitively locating the feng shui point on stage where he could channel the note or phrase he was after at any given point."

From LA Daily News - "Neil Young opens the vault for Nokia Theatre set" by David Kronke:

"Two '70s tunes resurrected by Young felt as fresh as the day they were written, thanks to the current political scene. Lyrics written about Richard Nixon for the gorgeously esoteric 'Ambulance Blues' resonated anew: 'I never knew a man who could tell so many lies 'He had a different story for every set of eyes 'How could he remember who he's talking to ''Cause I know it isn't me and I hope it isn't you.' Young even changed the lyric for another Nixon song, 'Campaigner,' to sing, 'Even George Bush has got soul.'"

From Reuters/Hollywood Reporter "Neil Young rocking in a postmodern world" by Paul Gargano:

"With the bittersweet smell of herb floating through the air, Young's anthems of subtle resistance and heartland ethos sometimes seemed out of place in the more sterile surroundings, but nobody seemed to mind. His rough-around-the-edges demeanor and ragged vocals provided all the color that was needed as he slithered in his seat, his gray suit expectedly unkempt, the perfect complement to his grizzled delivery."

AstroFutureTrends AstroBlog: Neil Young: A Scorpio Reborn:

His show was perversely old school. Maybe that has something to do with his lack of the Earth element as he pointedly reaches to ground himself in low-tech. I've seen so many music acts which, although excellent, are also a bit soulless due to their heavy reliance on computerized lighting and wireless technology. During Neil Young's concert, I actually saw a human being up in the lights above the stage, changing gels in a spotlight. A cord stretched from Young’s guitar back to a speaker—no cordless instruments on his stage. His opening act was his wife, Pegi (who did a very nice job in her own right). The stage set, intended to reflect a workshop or artist’s studio--a space where creativity happens--had a very funky, down-home quality. It was another original touch from a rock original.

The show highlight was a new song, “No Hidden Path,” which Neil Young spun out for a good 20 minutes of guitar thrusts, parries, jams, and blistering strokes. As the song concluded, the crowd rose to its feet and cheered.

He played for close to three hours. My wife commented, after the concert, on how much passion and energy he displayed. His Mars in Leo and Venus in Scorpio are exactly square and this emotional tension contributes to a release of high energy on stage through his music. He's also got a great deal of stamina: Neil Young has four planets in fixed signs, and his Scorpio Sun trines Saturn.

See also:
- Portland Concert Reports
- Video: Spokane, WA - October 20, 2007
- Neil Young Tour Kicks Off - Boise, Spokane Reports and Photos
- Tour Dates: Chrome Dreams Continental Tour
- Chrome Dreams II Videos
- Chrome Dreams II Reviews
- Chrome Dreams II history and background on Chrome Dreams I
- Chrome Dreams II Cover Art and tracklisting

See also,
- Sugar Mountain setlists
- Numbers On The Site ~ The Neil Young Tour Statistics
- Tour Map on Rust Radio

Check the feed links in the middle of the right sidebar for the most up to date info.

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Happy Halloween!

Boo!



Which reminds us of the monster concert Neil did in Hamilton, Ontario, Oct 31, 1996 with a 24 song set that went for nearly 3 hours. Here's a report from HyperRust: Neil Days In Canada by Mark Klus a.k.a.Powderfinger".

Happy Halloween!




A very cool pumpkin carving for Halloween. Here's one from Neil fans Kurt & Lisa.

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Filmmaker Demme on Neil: "Quirky"

Jonathan Demme, director of "Heart of Gold", is interviewed in the Washington Post on his new film "Jimmy Carter Man From Plains". In an odd sort of way, Neil Young comes up.

How does making a film about a former president compare to working with rock-and-rollers, as you did with Talking Heads in 'Stop Making Sense' and Neil Young in 'Heart of Gold'?

Demme: All I can say is that the ex-president moves so much faster than the rock star. So I have to say the ex-president is more demanding. He doesn't hang around waiting. He sets such a torrid pace, he's exhausting. This cat never stops moving."

More political: Neil Young or Jimmy Carter?

Demme: [Laughs.] Neil Young is mighty political. Oh, man. These guys have a lot in common. They each care tremendously about the important issues of the day. They each come from deeply humanistic places, and they are incredibly imaginative thinkers. Neil goes off half-cocked sometimes, but then will come back an hour later and say, no, the issue is more complex. Carter is at a stage of life where he speaks his mind without fearing the consequences.

Quirkier: Neil Young or David Byrne?

Demme: Neil's one of the quirkiest people on the planet. David plays that much closer to the vest. That's a hard one. We agree that quirky is good, yes? One of the other super-quirky persons I'd love to make a film with is Emmylou Harris.

More on Jonathan Demme and Neil Young.

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Bridge School Benefit Concert Highlights on YouTube

2007 Bridge School Benefit Concert Highlights

Part #1


Part #2


More Bridge School videos on YouTube.

Also, see 2007 Bridge School Benefit Concerts photos, reviews, and setlists.

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New York Times Interview with Neil Young

Photo by Kevin Scanlon

A must read interview in the New York Times by JON PARELES. Neil discusses the Chrome Dream tour and how he chose every theater on this tour.

“I want to control the environment,” he said. “They have to be auditoriums. The audio part is very important. I prefer that they be old. I prefer that they be in cities. I prefer that the outside elements are totally blocked out. There’s no sunshine coming in through a window; I don’t want any of that. I don’t want to have anything to do with the real world while you’re in there. It’s not where we’re going.”

More on Chrome Dreams/Continental Tour.

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