Randomly Blogged: Helpless Covers, Greendale Graphic Novel, NYPS, Stills Interview

Patti Smith Covers Neil Young's "Helpless"
Paris 20 juin 2008 - Fondation Cartier, Les Soirée Nomades, Summer Solstice

Over on Hidden Track, there's a poll for favorite cover of Neil Young's "Helpless".

There really are an astonishing array of nominees:

Buffy Sainte-Marie
Cowboy Junkies
Fareed Haque Group
k.d. lang
Nick Cave
Outformation
Patti Smith
Perpetual Groove
Reid Genauer & Jamie Masefield
Ryan Adams & Gillian Welch
YARN

Tough call but we think it's Patti Smith all the way. Check out the other "Helpless" covers on Hidden Track.

Thanks Scott B.!

Neil Young’s Live Performance Series: What Should Come Next? « Heartbreak Trail



From Vertigo: Graphic Content » Blog Archive » From the Editor’s Desk: Karen Berger discusses what she’s excited about for 2010, Greendale graphic novel by Joshua Dysart and Cliff Chiang with color by Dave Stewart is scheduled for 2010 release.

Classic Rock Magazine (February 2010 Issue) has an interview with Stephen Stills.

STILLS: And as the British are always reminding me Neil Young came along & stole my thunder'-- But who wants to talk about him.

CRM: I guess you would.

STILLS: Obviously I love Neil.I saw him recently in the finest car builders shop in the world in South San Francisco. He's been working on an electric/hybrid engine which he's put into this 19 foot long 1958 Lincoln Continental.He's got it running on practically nothing.

It's funny seeing it next to all these gorgeous gas-guzzling hot-rods. You know Neil once he gets his teeth into something.

As a guitarist I love his weirdness. Ironically, in Buffalo Springfield he'd be the one who stood still and played while I was the madman. Now he's got all the goddamn energy and I got too many cuts and bruises from life. I was a lot more athletic back then and I'm paying the price. But I still love it when he and I get unleashed occasionally. We've always been a good team'.

Thanks John "eldo" on Rust!

In other Stephen Stills news: Stephen Stills Promises 'Startling' Finds From His Archives - Spinner. New Stills-Young archival tapes discovered. (Merci Purple Words on a Grey Background!)

Nice photo of Neil Young, Malahide Castle, 2008 by Maria Roche.

Another musician influenced by Neil Young -- Justin Sullivan from New Model Army. From Altsounds.com:

[altsounds] I think people just generally like a band they can follow and grow up with. You always seem to progress. You haven’t reverted back to an old successful period which is what a lot of eighties bands tend to do.

[Justin] I think that’s what everybody else is forced to. I think it also has to do with some kind of arrogance or something?

You know, the whole Neil Young thing? Neil Young is someone I’ve always been a fan of. But out of all the people from the sixties he’s the one still standing and that’s because he never gave a shit of what the audience wanted. He did what he wanted and it’s always been his thing, he’s going to do what he thinks is good and nevermind what anybody else wants for him.

Suddenly, forty-fifty years later he’s the one out of all that sixties generation who’s still relevant, brilliant and inspiring. I think that’s the way to do it and I think that’s the reason why we’re still here because we always had the same attitude: “This is what WE are doing.” This means a lot to us and if some people don’t like it... you know like “if they don’t play that song I’m gonna stop coming!” I don’t mind, that’s fine. Maybe they’ll come back, maybe they won't. We’re not here to please people, we’re here to try and make something that we think is great.

Some interesting collages of "Sun Green" on Flickr: vanderlindenjelmer's Photostream.