Getting Neil: Another Perspective on the Mystique

As you might imagine, we come across all kinds of Neil stories. And, because we sometimes like to think that we "get Neil" there's a tendency to just sort of surf by a lot of stuff. But every now and then we come across a post that nearly stops us in our tracks and makes us realize that -- in fact -- we don't really "get Neil" and probably never will.

So this team post by Kat, Laura and Liz was a real eye opener. For one, we often feel that Neil is mainly a "guy" thing. So it's really refreshing to get another perspective. Especially when it so clearly demonstrates that there's a lot more to the picture than meets the eye.

So check out what Kat, Laura and Liz have to say about Neil on
no good for me.

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Italy Tour Dates Announced

From baotzebaoNeil Young Italy tour dates announced for June 22 Florence and 23 Verona.

More on 2008 Europe Summer Concert Tour Dates.

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No Hidden Path: Atomic Sunrise or a Nuclear Sunset?

No Hidden Path, London - 3/9/08
Photo by Dan on Flickr

From Uncut.co.uk London 3/6 review by Allan Jones:

And then there’s a show-stopping, simply colossal “No Hidden Path”, nigh on 20 minutes of it, Neil’s solos sounding like ruptures in the earth’s crust, fissures appearing everywhere, tectonic plates shifting and crashing beneath him. The stage now and the people on it are drenched in a burning golden light, that mixed with the red back-spots bathes the band in the burnished glow of an atomic sunrise or a nuclear sunset, I’m not sure which. As the song reaches towards an awesome climax, Neil stands facing the massive klieg light to the left of the stage, soloing into it, head thrown back, then lowered into it, as if he may at any moment be consumed by it, beamed up, the next stop presumably being the Phoenix Asteroid.

I have a feeling of being witness to some sun-cult ritual, a worship of light as the source of eternal renewal. It’s a spooky fucking couple of minutes, this bit of the show, and I am at a loss to even begin to explain how he wrings from his guitar the sound he makes in the song’s final, dying moments, which provokes much awestruck head shaking and how-the-fuck-does-he-do-that looks at anyone who catches my eye.

More on Neil Young in London, England - 3/8 & 9/08: Concert Reports.

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Cortez The Killer Cover by Carrie Rodriguez

Here's Carrie Rodriguez's sultry MP3 cover of Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer". Carrie's accompanied by Tim Easton.

Carrie Rodriguez - Cortez The Killer

So why was Cortez The Killer banned in Spain?

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Neil: An Unsung Hero of the Iraq War

A new book, "So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq" by Greg Mitchell is a timely read. As we enter the 6th year of the Iraq war with 4,000 U.S. soldiers and thousands of innocent Iraqi's dead, Mitchell's book arrives at a particularly relevant moment to look back at who was wrong -- but just as importantly -- who was right about the fiasco.

Among those who Mitchell credits as right on Iraq is Neil Young. From Salon

Neil Young: Rock star as journo? It essentially happened in 2006 when Neil Young, son of a famous Canadian sportswriter, hurriedly wrote and released (only online at first) his ripped-from-the-headlines "Living With War" CD. He even proposed impeaching the president "for lying" (and "for spying"). In one of the songs in the collection, Young sang repeatedly: "Don't need no more lies."

He emphasized the prohibition against the media showing pictures of coffins with the American dead being returned from Iraq, singing: "Thousands of bodies in the ground/ Brought home in boxes to a trumpet's sound/ No one sees them coming home that way/ Thousands buried in the ground." In another song: "More boxes covered in flags/ but I can't see them on TV."

When Young urged that Americans "Impeach the President," he included audio clips of embarrassing Bush statements ("We'll smoke them out ..."). But a highlight of the collection was the blistering "Shock and Awe," which, along with its antiwar lyrics, included the more philosophical "History is a cruel judge of overconfidence." He also recalled that "back in the days of Mission Accomplished ... the sun was setting on another photo op."

And Mitchell replies back on Pressing Issues: May he stay, forever Young.

More on "Living With War" as rock's "Fahrenheit 9/11".

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Broken Arrow Magazine - February 2008 (#109)

Boston - December 2007
Photo by Steve Babineau

Once again, we got a little behind on our reading last month with all of the tour excitement and just finished up reading the latest issue of Broken Arrow Magazine, published by the Neil Young Appreciation Society.

Issue #109 (February) of Broken Arrow Magazine - as usual - has some fine articles, commentary and nice photos. Great photos by Steve Babineau of the Boston gigs including a nice two page spread of "The Sultan" finale in all of its retro glory.

Also in Issue #109:

• Road reports of the 2007 tour
• Ralph Molina and Anthony Crawford interviews by Steve Cross
• German Human Highway Meetings by Brigette Herker, NYAS #5839
• Chrome Dreams II review by Mark Golley, NYAS #1098 and Richard Hoare, NYAS #130

And as usual, a news section edited by Guy Haslam, with lots of innarestin' items.

Check out the Neil Young Appreciation Society page for more info on how to join.

Don't be denied!

Thanks Scott and everyone who is supporting the NYAS & BA!

Thrasher - NYAS#2476


More on back issues of Broken Arrow magazine.

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