Comment of the Moment: "Neil is quite simply the man"
The Neil Young Comment of the Moment is from Be On My Side, I'll Be On Your Side by Big E:
"Watching this video ["Fork in the Road"], I think I more or less realized (not that I didn't believe it before) why Neil is quite simply the man. For someone who's already cemented themselves, for better and worse, in the history of rock and roll, accomplished what he has for so long, to continue to do what he feels is important with no regard for the critics our there...like it or hate it, if you can't appreciate what he's doing (putting things he cares about ahead of his own legacy), there's something wrong with you.
Here's a man that could stop playing today, release the archives, never see a stage again, and ride off into the sunset as one of the most successful rock and roll musicians of all time. But what does he do, he decides to use his stage to bring awareness to issues he cares about with no regard to anything else.
Even if you believe that his new music is junk, if you can't appreciate the fact that he still puts himself out there for things he believes in, you are missing the essence of what makes Neil Neil while failing to appreciate that in the end what he is doing (no matter how many times he says his motives are his and his alone) is trying to make a positive impact in a world led astray by the powers that be.
I wish more people in the world carried the set of balls Neil owns, I'm sure we'd all be better off.
More on the reaction to the new "Fork in the Road" video.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 3/05/2009 10:16:00 PM
14 comments
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14 Comments:
Aho to that !!!!
"...if you can't appreciate what he's doing (putting things he cares about ahead of his own legacy), there's something wrong with you."
Sorry, I don't think we can ask people to feel as impassioned as you about any musician or artist or anything for that matter.
I think there are a lot of people who own not a single drop of appreciation for artistic process or history. They are only interested in the end result, the product, and how it affects them personally.
I can point out several examples in human history where people who are highly revered now died as paupers because they were not appreciated when they were alive for their talent, foresight, ingenuity, and creativity.
I can also point out many more who were real jerks, too, and died with more money than you and I will ever see in lifetime.
With Neil as with any musician or band there are many, many people who just like the sound, the music, and can care less about their contribution.
Momma on the run.....
I will agree with that. However, isn't that the difference between the surface dwellers and those whose admiration for the 'end result' draws them into the deeper search for the source?
On the surface John Lennon's 'Mother' and 'My mommy's dead' are as or more compelling as Neil's 'Don't be Denied'. A little investigation draws the listener, "if engaged" to peak below the waves to the murky waters below.
Yes, Sony. You're absolutey right about the hook & line, but it'll only sink so far for some people. And others, it'll sink and drag'em down if the catch is too much.
Not everyone is going to be affected the same way or lured into the meaning or interpretation of the song.
A brother o'mine, whom I love more than life, thinks George W. Bush is the greatest person alive and Cheney is a hero.
He also loves Neil's stuff. I mean really, really loves his stuff.
That's liberty for ya.
Sometimes we don't know what we don't know. Different doesn't always mean right or wrong. Air and water are certainly different, and without both, we parish.
Oh, philosophers!... I love it when you two talk dirty!!..Mother and son(y)
well - based on prior exchanges....she loves me, she loves me not
Hey Thrasher-
Thanks for posting this, it's a nice surprise.
Mother Nature on the Run-
Gotta be honest with you, I'm not sure what you're getting at. I understand your points I think, but I have a feeling you missed mine.
My post had nothing to do with being "impassioned" by Neil or anything of the sort, it's about appreciation for someone choosing his own path, despite what the critics or fans have to say about it. I'm not asking everyone to embrace what he's doing, just to respect it.
There seems to be a lot of fans out there that think Neil owes them a setlist of classics, or that Neil isn't respecting himself by releasing material they don't think is up to par. I believe those fans are selfish.
Yeah, there's people who just like the sound of the music, good for them. They should thank Neil for providing putting out so much that they enjoy, but crucifying him because he's not sitting on stage playing what they want to hear is rejecting the artist Neil is.
Neil could live out the rest of his life pissing in the wind...instead he's decided to try to make a difference. If people can't appreciate that fact I simply don't understand.
-Big E
Big E.. That IS the answer my friend...just pissin in the wind...the answer is pissin in the wind!....How many (Forks in the) roads does Neil drive by before you can say your a fan?..the answer my friend is dissin' on your kin ..the answer is dissin' on your kin.
Sorry E, the mushies just kicked in!(this a piece of crap I've written)
Well, I agree that Neil is The Man, and I agree that he should be celebrated for doing his own thing. However, I disagree that for him to make the most impact, he should just release a bunch of songs that are hardly classics - and that many on this site, including me, find kinda wanting. This is not to say that I expect Neil to give me great songs on every album, but merely to point out that he would have a much larger impact if his songs on the topics of energy, etc., were more widely heard. When some of his most serious fans have a big problem with the lyrics and music, then I find it highly unlikely that the populace as a whole will embrace them - and that's a major opportunity lost in getting his message out.
Charlie
Hey Big E,
I get your point. I was just thinking it was wishful thinking to expect people to respect and appreciate Neil Young in the same way as you.
It's hard for me to show respect to our former President, for example, let alone appreciate anything he did.
Yet there are people who think I owe him my respect for his service, contribution, and love for his country.
Even when I try to draw from the deepest emotions, the only thing I can find is sympathy for his wife.
That makes sense Charlie. The songs themselves may not cause much impact, especially when his own fans may not be able to listen to them, you speak the truth.
But if I understand the whole LincVolt thing (and to be honest I haven't followed it closely) he's doing lots of other things with his time and money to help make a difference behind the scenes in a more concrete way. He's just using his new songs to increase awareness and garnish support however he can, despite the consequences with his fan base.
I agree that some new killer tunes on the topic might catch the attention of more people, but I don't know if he's really trying to reach out to the fans that only care about the quality of his songs. He's trying, in my opinion, to connect with like-minded fans who understand the dangerous path we're on concerning the environment. The ones that don't give a shit about the earth aren't going to start doing so because he puts out a better song...
Mother Nature on the Run, I don't know if comparing a legendary musician with the legendary disaster of a president is really fair, people who think you owe him any respect are clueless...
Let me just say this.I think that FITR the song is one of Neil's better if not best "Rockin'" songs in a while.Better than any of the "Rockers" on Chrome Dreams 2.That's Right!The song FITR F'n ROCKS HARD!!If the rest of the album's nearly as good that'll be SUPER SWEEET.!!And I'm gonna go on record right now and say that FITR will be Neil's best selling album since I don't know when.'Cause of the amount of complainers and praisers on this site alone.There seems to be a buttload.And don't tell me you ALL won't be buying it.You will.Me included.Later.
The Mugwump
I agree. Can't wait for it to come out...
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