Neil Young Stole My Dog

After posting the video last month forNeil Young You're My Hero, we received all sorts of Neil tribute songs.

Here's another one we found pretty amusing, "Neil Young Stole My Dog".



Comedy musical parody of Neil Young's style of singing telling a story that is loosely based on true events.

Thanks OuthouseFilms's!

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Concert Review of the Moment: Neil Young @ Melbourne 2009 Big Day Out - 1/26/09

Photo by Tim O'Connor

The Concert Review of the Moment is from Neil Young at Big Day Out, Melbourne, Australia - 1/26/09 by Marcus on thevine.com.au:

All of the conjecture about whether Neil Young was the right choice for the country's biggest rockin' yoof festival is swept aside the second that guitar sound hits the air. Shit it's good. (I've even spent the last half an hour reading about how he gets it it's so good. And weird.) A big, majestic, sonic tunnel of apocalyptic sound that, unlike your run-of-the-mill pedal-heavy bands, sounds like no instrument. It sounds like mountains, thunder, a wave. Yeah, all that hippy shit. Am I making myself clear? It was BIG, and unlike anything I've ever heard before. Mogwai would wee themselves.

That he then 180s and throws in a trio of acoustic classics like 'Needle and the Damage Done', 'Old Man' and 'Heart of Gold' is goosebump stuff. I profess at this point, I'm not even a Neil fan. More a passing observer. But these songs are inside people through a lifetime of radio/car stereo/friend's party osmosis, and to suddenly have the harmonies of 'Old Man' ringing out over the showgrounds is otherworldly. Neil is on fire, and by the time he finishes with a cover of The Beatles 'A Day In The Life' that ends with a warped, feedback wig-out, I know exactly why he should be headlining the festival. It lacked the bug-eyed spectacle of last year's Rage Against the Machine madness, but exceeded it and maybe every other Big Day Out headline performance I've seen by sheer musicality and sonic wonder. Not to mention a glimpse into the songbook of Rock n Roll history itself. The groups of oiled up singlet wearing dudes now all standing motionless around the fringes with their arms folded, soaking it in, might quietly agree.

After Neil Young, The Prodigy seem - ironically - hilariously old hat. Where the execution of Young's songs are timeless, The Prodigy seem dated and tied to an era long gone.

More on Neil Young at 2009 Big Day Out, Melbourne, Australia - 1/26/09.

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"Warped Sister" : New Song by Booker T. w/ Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young

Here's a preview track of "Warped Sister" streaming on Pitchfork from upcoming CD POTATO HOLE by Booker T. with Drive-By Truckers & Neil Young.

We hear Booker T.'s organ quite distinctly chugging along in his unique style. Less obvious is the backing of Drive-By Truckers & Neil Young. We think we pick out a little Neil riffing but can't be sure.

Great tune and can't wait to hear the rest.

Thanks Luc, Jeffry & Jason in deadmonton!

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Song Titles on "Fork in the Road"

From Relix -The Magazine For Music:

"A spokesman for Neil Young has confirmed that the rock legend/electric car innovator's next album, Fork in the Road, is expected in late March. The loosely vehicular album, some of which Young has been performing on tour, includes 'Fork in the Road', 'Fuel Line', 'When Worlds Collide', 'Johnny Magic', 'Singing a Song', 'Light a Candle', and 'Sea Change.' The other five songs have not been definitively titled."

Hmm. Johnny Magic? An ode to Johnathan Goodwin on the Linc-Volt team?

Anyways, must be just another one of those damn new songs.

Thanks HwyCDRrev!

Video of "Fork in the Road", "Fork In the Road" goes viral and download MP3 of "Fork in the Road".

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Comment of the Moment: 1-20-09 - A Sea Change Begins

Our posts related to politics have a drawn a lot of heat here over the years. We've stated on numerous occasions why politics in music matters. Our post last week on 1-20-09: A Sea Change Begins generated the usual backlash and attacks.

But in the spirit of bi-partisanship we're offering a different perspective with the following comment. We post this not to say that we agree with the position but that they we agree with style of argument.

We'd like to encourage a healthy dialogue of varying viewpoints. More to the point, can't we just have respectful disagreements rather than the standard cut and paste diatribes?

From Roger:

Although Thrasher has the right to include whatever content he wishes on this site, political or otherwise, it's disheartening that anyone who questions the excessive Obama content is immediately assumed by some readers to be right-wing Bush supporters who are unwilling to embrace change. Many who criticize Obama do so because they believe, as I do, that no amount of good intentions are going to fundamentally alter U.S. policy and that Obama has already demonstrated by his words and his appointments that the world is in for more of the same, albeit with a nicer face.

As someone from a country outside the U.S., I can safely say that by world standards Obama is certainly not left of centre in his policies. But rather than write a long diatribe, I will just recommend that readers check out William Blum's blog at killinghope.org. Every month he releases what he calls an Anti-Empire Report, the latest of which should be required reading for all U.S. citizens (http://www.killinghope.org/bblum6/aer66.html).

One last thing: I can't help but agree with the comment above that referred to "Neil's kindergarten slogans." Despite Neil's good intentions, one thing that always bothered me about 'Living With War' is how little mention he made of Iraq or Iraqis in any of his songs. On his LWW site he has a tally of the number of U.S. soldiers who have died. What about the million+ Iraqis who have died, why is no attention paid to them? I know Neil's heart is in the right place, but it seems he so embraces the American view of the world that all his attention is focused on repairing the damage done to the U.S. Interestingly, the desire to "reclaim" their country that so many Americans are now expressing mirrors the Christian notion of redemption: as long as you repent your sins, everything will be okay. Unfortunately in the real world lost lives can never be reclaimed.

Peace to all!

Roger

Thanks Roger.

More on the Sea Change from business as usual, making a difference, the intersection of music and politics and what happens when musicians speak truth to power.

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New Thrasher's Wheat Logo

Logo graphic by Geoff Moore, Silver Moon Art & Design

And here it is!

To say that we're pleased with the way the artwork turned out for our new Thrasher's Wheat logo would be quite the understatement. In fact, we're downright ecstatic!

Just a huge, huge thanks to our contributing artist Geoff Moore of Silver Moon Art & Design in Maui, Hawaii.

The other day we recounted that our old logo -- John Barleycorn -- must die. The logo above is at long last a realization of a dream of ours 13 years ago that came on a smoke ring day when the wind blows. Previously, we were never able to get the graphic to work out right and do justice for a Neil Young fan site. That is until Geoff came along to help us out. Here's what Geoff has to say:

It's an honor to be a part of Thrasher's Wheat – such a wonderful and informative source for Neil Young fans – through my logo design as inspired by Thrasher himself. I appreciate Thrasher for allowing me to write this biography about my journey into being obsessed with Neil Young's music, and the man himself, as so many of us here are.

The first cassette I bought by Neil was Everybody Knows This is Nowhere in 1992. Apparently Cinnamon Girl had become a song I needed to have on tape after hearing it over and over again on Chicago classic rock stations, and I bought it specifically so I could blast it as I dropped my senior year homecoming date off at the dance. Hilarious. It was the first time I had a Cinnamon Girl of my own, so I guess I had to make sure my fellow classmates understood this.

I never did listen to the rest of that fine recording until later down the road. By the time I got to college, my girlfriend there was into Neil. I hooked up with her to the soundtrack of Harvest Moon and the Unplugged albums. At the time, I told her, I couldn't get into Neil because he was "too folky" for my taste. But the appreciation grew over those college years, and I finally did give EKTIN full listens, especially in my ceramics class as I remember it. I took my girlfriend to my first Neil and Crazy Horse show in 1996 at Deer Creek, IN. We had lawn seats, and most of the show went over my head as I was still not too versed in Neil's music at the time.

It was not until 1999 when I scored amazing seats to the St. Louis Fox Theater solo show that I got deep into Neil. I found Hyperrust and started seeing the set lists he was playing leading up to that St. Louis show. I didn't know many of the songs, so I started seeking out albums I didn't have so I could hear these unknown songs before the show. I found a bootleg copy of On the Beach on CD, bought "Buffalo Springfield", Tonight's the Night, After the Goldrush, and maybe some others trying to educate myself before the show. After seeing this show, I was absolutely blown away, and that was about it for me. Ever since, Neil Young has been bar none my favorite musician. I really relate to Neil's dark side, the "haunting" loner vibe of his early music, and the sharpness of the man himself… thoughtful, articulate, cynical, funny and honest.

I joined the Rustlist in 2000, and since then have seen Neil live many times (nothing has ever topped that '99 show though) and have attended two International Rust Festivals (IRF's). Rust has been an amazing venue for me. My first B&P was for the '99 St. Louis show, and I have traded with many folks over the years and built up a respectable but not overwhelming collection of unreleased material. I have learned so much about Neil, and made so many great connections with people on Rust. It was not until I attended my first IRF that the community became so tangible to me ... there are so many wonderful people and good friends I have made through the list. It's really a beautiful thing.

I still listen to Neil about everyday. There's no one who does it for me more, and I have never gotten tired of his music.

In addition to the honor of designing the new Thrasher's Wheat logo, I have had the honor of designing two IRF T-shirts. I am a graphic designer by trade, and really enjoy doing digital illustration, so these projects have been very rewarding for me. You can visit my web-site here: Silver Moon Art & Design

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Neil Young, Hyperrust, the Rustlist, and Thrasher's Wheat!

Keep on Rockin',

Geoff

Yes that was me with the doves

And thank you Geoff!!!

So if anyone is ever in need of graphic art work, we can tell you that working with Geoff is a very smooth and totally professional experience.


Click to Enlarge Geoff's IRF Posters

We still have a few more design changes that we'll be rolling out in the future, so stay tuned. In the meantime, let us know what you think of Geoff's art.

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Neil Young Doom-Ditch Trilogy Tribute

Celebrating the depths of winter, Neil Young's Doom-Ditch Trilogy was presented in it's entirety by some of Portland, Oregon's finest musicians last week. The Minus 5, Lewi Longmire Band, and The Don of Division Street Band paid tribute to Neil Young's mid-70's, dark masterpieces of rock and roll.

The Doom-Ditch Trilogy Tribute was held on Friday, 1/30/09, at Dante's in Portland, Oregon.

Time Fades Away, On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, collectively known to Young fans as the Doom or Ditch trilogy, were released in the wake of the deaths of two close friends of Neil and detail the madness and darkness of this time in his creative life. Musicians from REM, The Young Fresh Fellows, Fernando, Richmond Fontaine, Dr. Theopolis, and others were featured on this night of rock and roll tribute.

Thanks David!

More on Neil Young's Trilogy and why it's referred to as the "ditch period".

ps - and sign that release "Time Fades Away" on CD petition -- the missing link and holy grail -- if you haven't already!

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MP3 of "Fork In The Road": Quality Whether You Want It or Not

The MP3 for Neil Young's new Fork In The Road is now available for download on Amazon.com.

It'll be interesting to see how many folks download this MP3, especially since Neil challenges its quality with the line "it sounds like shit". Reverse marketing, maybe?

More on "Fork In the Road" going viral.

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1-20-09: A Sea Change Begins

1.20.09 - Inauguration Day


There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue


People shufflin' their feet (on the human highway)


People sleepin' in their shoes


But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead


Keep on rockin' in the free world


A Crowd of People Stood and Stared


Got a man of the people, says keep hope alive


You were only waiting for this moment to be free

On 1.20.09 we were part of history. It was a be the rain, be the change, sea change moment.

Almost 2 weeks later, we still feel the emotion of the moment. Imagine being in Times Square on New Year's eve. Multiply that by 1,000. Imagine your best Neil Young concert. Multiply that by 100.

It was our generation's Woodstock on the Potomac. 3 days of peace, love and music. Our helicopter day.

By the time we got to Washington we were nearly 2 million strong.

And everywhere there was song and celebration. And I dreamed I saw the bombers, riding shotgun in the sky. And they were turning into butterflies, above our nation.

Although we were nearly a mile away watching the Jumbotron when we heard "I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution" we could instantly feel a surge of electricity jolting down the Mall from the Capitol to the Washington Monument back to the Lincoln Memorial. All around us people hugged and cried and cheered.

It was truly a moment we'll never forget and we were honored to be there doing our small part in the name of freedom.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

Yes You Can!

Be the rain, be the change, be the wheat.

Thanks Kait, Kevin "Union Man", Brian "Keys Left Hangin'" & Thrashette!!!


The Original Linc-Volt

More photo galleries of the "We Are One" Inaugural Concert and Inauguration Day in Washington, DC.

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John Barleycorn Must Die

We've used the above logo since starting Thrasher's Wheat about 13 years ago and it has served us well.

Interestingly, in all this time, only one person has ever pointed out that this was from the cover of the Traffic album John Barleycorn Must Die. And so it comes with some reluctance -- but with great anticipation -- that the time for change is now. Thrasher's Wheat old logo must die.

We can not begin to tell you how excited we are to roll out the new look. We'll still be separating the Neil wheat from the chaff. As we continue to migrate from the static HTML days of TW 1.0 to the blog format of TW 2.0, we see this as another step to TW 3.0 evolution.

It's kinda funny how this all started back in 1996 as we tossed about ideas for what would eventually become Thrasher's Wheat. We were very into the whole concept of farming and wheat threshers. Here are a few of the early images we tried out until finally throwing up our hands and going with the Traffic album.







So in the coming days, we'll have a new look so stay tuned!

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Perth, Australia: Big Day Out Concert Reviews - 2/1/09

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Big Day Out 2009, Claremont Showgrounds, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Got a report? Drop a comment below. No registration required.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates and statistics. Also, see Grid Chart on Rust Radio.

Also, see Neil Young 2009 Australia & New Zealand Concert Tour & Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

Also, see giant BIG DAY OUT :: Neil F'g Young Thread.

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Photos and Reviews of Neil Young Down Under

Neil Young @ Big Day Out, Melbourne, Australia - 1-26-09
Photo Gallery by Robert

Here are a couple of recent Neil Young concert reviews.

On the 01-21-2009, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from ArtSmelter: Show case Review: Neil Young:

"Went to the Neil Young Concert in Brisbane last week and had a great time. From the very first sounds distorting from his guitar to the final experimental deconstruction of music in the last song, Neil played with energy and passion while the crowd sat as if mesmerised by some sort of arty music happening.

He gets some amazing primordial sounds from his old black guitar and gigantic Magnavox amp. - his guitar work is very trippy and Hendrix like but also like some ancient monster rising from the deep nether realms of Neil's subconscious.

His art teeters from hokey simplicity to insightful sophistication and finally reaching all the way up to total deconstruction - Neil is a very interesting artist who defies mediocrity but embraces normality, love and common sense."

From Neil Young, My Morning Jacket @ Myer Music Bowl (28/01/2009) on FasterLouder.com.au by Rajith:

At around 9pm, Neil Young and his picaresque band shuffled onto the stage, greeted by a huge cheer from the throng. This entrance was refreshingly laid-back as the pretention of being escorted out to rousing fanfare blasted across the PA system was absent. Neil Young was decked out in three-quarter length cargo shorts and light open collared shirt. His shaggy grey locks were blown about by a massive industrial strength fan sitting next to a wood carving of a red-Indian on the left of the stage.

I’ve always stood by the fact that performers who dress really flash (Nick Cave aside), sport foppish haircuts and generally seem to worry more about complementary colors than chord progressions are, more often than not, talentless hacks and do not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as any genuine musician. Scruffy Ol’ Neil stomping along like a kid crushing bugs while willing a litany of distorted chords from the guitar thrust against his tumid belly, added weight to my argument that when it comes to music the external superficialities are irrelevant.

As tiring as the day was due to the extreme heat, Neil Young managed to not only hold the attention but also raise the roof and propel chills into collective consciousness of this assembly. Delivering plenty of passion and craftsmanship with his catchy tunes and crazed freakouts Young proved he is still a consummate performer and a vital progenitor of contemporary music, one that remains relevant fifty-years from the time he started performing as a solo artist. If one person can beat the heat and rock out in a pair of cargo-shorts, that person would be Neil Young.

On the 01-28-2009, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from Tatersmama's take on things: The Concert:

"He still 'looks' the same, although it's been decades and he has aged a bit. But not in a bad way at all. He seems to have a 'patina' now that he didn't have 3+ decades ago, and if his classmates didn't know that he was a legendary musician, he would be instantly identifiable at his high school reunion - because he's mellowed a bit, maturity-wise and looks-wise, but he hasn't changed at all. The man is, and will always be 'the man'.

He was dignified, relevant and honest, just like he's always been... but wow, he threw in some doozies and arse-kickers on Wednesday night, that just took my breath away.

I've never in my life seen, or heard, him do any song less than exquisitely, and the concert the other night was no exception. I just love how he can slightly 'change' the delivery of a song, but the meaning and impact is always the same.

Neil Young, to me, is just one of those rare, enduring, musicians for whom the term “ music legend” is more of an under-statement, than it is an over-statement ...and I still love him to pieces."

More on Neil Young Tour of Australia, New Zealand - 2009 Concert Reviews.

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