Interview with Neil Young on LincVolt and Music Changing World
A great interview with Neil Young on SCORP10N BOWL by RICHARD B. SIMON on the LincVolt project and "Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World":
RICHARD B. SIMON: Why are you doing this?
NEIL YOUNG: Because I don’t like war.
RICHARD B. SIMON: Well, what’s the connection, then?
NEIL YOUNG: Energy, oil, war. That’s the connection.
RICHARD B. SIMON: So, the electric car is a direct response to everything else.
NEIL YOUNG: Innovation is a direct response to the world we’re living in. We’re living with a set of rules that just doesn’t work. We’re using the wrong fuel, and people, just regular guys like you and I, gotta start taking aim at it. If you have an idea you’ve got to take a shot. I have the luxury of being able to take a shot, so I’m taking it. People have given this to me, I’m giving it back.
RICHARD B. SIMON: I’ve read you say that you don’t believe that music can change the world anymore.
NEIL YOUNG: I don’t think one song can change the world. I think it makes a difference. But I don’t think that it changes the world. What needs to happen now is we need quick change. We need to change the world in record time. We need to make a big change. And if you don’t show the way, if people don’t see that the technology exists and go – and you combine the situation of what I’m talking about with these oil prices that are going on, and the senate saying, the Republicans saying, no we’re not gonna have a windfall oil tax on the oil companies, and we’re not going to fine them for doing this or that – because they’re ripping us off.
Thanks Richard!
More on the LincVolt project and whether music can change the world.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 2/11/2009 05:31:00 PM
14 comments
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14 Comments:
PRESIDENT YOUNG....Its got a ring to it hasn't it!
Love ya Neil..Change what? Change what real fast? The oil company's are not ripping us off..they do not set the prices at the pump.They make very little on every gallon sold considering the cost of finding it,getting it,and refining it.Look up the definition of "windfall" and you will see that it means an unexpected influx of money with no effort or work of any kind.Exxon/Mobile made a shit load of money yes,but also paid a record 32 million in taxes in one quarter,they make money on the volume of their product.I'm all for getting off oil and going green and love link-volt but im sick of hearing this shit its fucking stupid and i know Neil is smarter than this.
Lauren
I think Neil was making sweeping generalizations or talking "short hand" for that $3 billion dollar windfall that came out of American consumer's pockets and back into the oil company due to a natural phenomenon that causes oil to expand in tanks.
Also, there was that big concern a while back about big oil and gas companies cheating Americans out of billions, not paying the royalties for the oil and gas they extract and sell off federal-owned waters.
Well, the pump price is not UNrelated to the amount oil companies make, and I have a hard time thinking that they are looking out for the good ol' consumer when I see stories like this: "Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday reported a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008, breaking its own record for a U.S. company, even as its fourth-quarter earnings fell 33 percent from a year ago."
$32 million in taxes x 4 quarters =~120 million for the year on profit of 45 BILLION. Wow. That's not even half of a percent! Like with the Valdez, they're sure paying their way.
Neil's main point is right on the money. We need to get serious about energy conservation, alternative energy, and so on.
Charlie
thanks for posting this. it was fun to read.
Lauren, sorry, but you haven't convinced me to feel bad for the oil companies. :)
Yeah Lauren..you MUST work for the oil company! Your fucking stupid....are you out there doing ANYTHING? ANYTHING AT ALL? No...you sitting on your ARSE complaining.... AT LEAST NEIL IS DOING SOMETHING!
Maybe you LOVE paying FIVE bucks a gallon for gas....hell lets pay them $12 bucks a gallon! Why not? They deserve it right? For Causing wars and killing our planet...just so you can make it to Walmart to buy porkrinds, slimjims,snickers bars and washed down with a pepsi. We're Americans...we deserve the best.
How say you Mr President....
INNERESTING!
Well....I dreamed I saw the silver spaceships flying in the yellow haze of the sun!...look at mother nature on the run!
SEE the sky about to acid rain!
Keep on walkin" in the Fee world
NEIL THE PROPHET!
My God, am I ever sick of Neil's political views... I'm a huge fan, but I don't share his views, and I just can't get into his new music because of it. It's a shame.
No, it's a shame for you, my friend.
Neil Young political?
Oh that's so funny.
Neil Young is apolitical, really.
Think about it.
All his music ever reveals is a strong desire to get to a truth about something. He searches, he yearns, he laments. And most importantly, he wants to know why things are the way they are in the world.
That's not being political, is it?
That's just beind downright curious. Nothing political about asking a question, is there?
I don't know what you mean by political unless you think "Let's Impeach the SOB" was political. That too, was a question he threw out there.
I think it's the media who misinterprets his actions & songs as being "political" because they can only see things in black and white.
You're either on this side or that side.
I think the only side Neil's been on is my side.
RIGHT ON THRASHER! NEIL HAS AS MUCH OF A RIGHT TO BE SPEAKIN' OUT ON HIS POLITICAL VIEWS IN ANY FORM HE WISHES.... MUSICAL AND OTHERWISE. HE ALWAYS HAS AND TO SAY YOUR SICK OF IT?!!!?!!? DO YOU FOLLOW HIS CAREER? HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING THE 40 SOME ODD YEARS? HE'S LIVED HERE FOR WAY LONGER THAN I"VE BEEN ALIVE AND PAYS WAAAAAYY MORE TAXES THEN ALL OF US COMBINED! HE'S MORE AMERICAN THAN MOST OF US BECAUSE HE DOES SPEAK HIS MIND! AND AS AMERICANS WE ALL SHOULD! MAYBE IF WE HAD MORE PEOPLE LIKE NEIL WHO OPENED THEIR MOUTHS ONCE IN A WHILE THIS COUNTRY WOULDNT BE IN THE SHAMBLES THAT IT IS IN RIGHT NOW!
KEEP SPEAKIN' OUT NEIL!!! YOUR A TRUE PATRIOT AND A REAL AMERICAN!!!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unnamed person (jeez, at least sign with "my name is..... Nobody"; that would be funny),
A friend of Neil's recently said that Neil doesn't care about politics; he cares about people. That's crystal clear to me... hence, for example, the aversion to doing overt fundraising for the DNC (which Stephen does). I don't understand how someone couldn't see that, but to each their own... But, really, which politics are you talking about? The fact that he doesn't like people dying in wars? Is that what you take issue with?
Hey, unnamed guy here. People probably won't read this message (they are probably off defending Greendale or something).
All I'm saying is I feel alientated by Neil's political music. I'm not afraid of global warming, I don't like electric cars, I'm conservative in my political views. I just wish he'd go back to the way it was. But I supposed it will never be the way it is.
I'm just disturbed by some of the fans at TW. It seems no matter what Neil says, you take it as gospel. No matter what kind of music Neil releases, it's the next coming of Harvest or Tonights the Night.
Its depressing.
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