Complete CBC Neil Young and Daniel Lanois Interview
Last week, we blogged on the CBC Interview with Neil Young and Daniel Lanois, which was relatively insightful into the making of the album Le Noise.
Here is the full 30 minute unedited interview by CBC Q's Jian Ghomeshi.
Some observations on "Angry World" and the recording process. Neil discusses arranging Daniel Lanois's medical care after his near fatal motorcycle crash. And composer Franz Schubert's approach to making music, too.
Today's the day!!!
(Click to Zoom Cover)
Release Date: September 28, 2010
More on Neil Young's New Album 'Le Noise'. Also, see:
- Critics Go GaGa Over New Neil Young Album Le Noise
- Comment of the Moment: Le Noise
- Neil Young's Le Noise "Weaving sonic tapestries"
- CBC Interview With Neil Young and Daniel Lanois
- Vinyl Review of Le Noise: TONEAudio MAGAZINE
- NEW LE NOISE VIDEO: Neil Young's "Love And War" on YouTube
-Le Noise: "It's a keeper" Tweets Critic Greg Kot
-Neil Young and Daniel Lanois click on 'Le Noise' - latimes.com
-NEW LE NOISE VIDEO: "Hitchhiker"
-Comment of the Moment: Le Noise's "Sonics"
-Neil Young Interview on Le Noise: "It sounded like God"
- Producer Daniel Lanois Discusses Making of "Walk With Me" + UNCUT Review (UPDATED)
- Video of Neil Young's "Angry World" from Le Noise
- Neil Young's Le Noise: "Just a man on a stool"
- "Imagination never sleeps": Neil Young's Le Noise
- NPR Previews Neil Young's Le Noise's "Walk With Me"
- Dead Man Soundtrack: Preview of Le Noise?
- Anticipating Neil Young's album Le Noise
-Stream Neil Young's Entire Album Le Noise on NPR
Also, see all of Neil Young's Solo Electric Concert Tour Dates and Reviews.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/28/2010 08:25:00 AM
32 comments
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32 Comments:
Le Noise:
"His best album since Rust Never Sleeps more than 30 years ago".
From: express.co.uk
I love what Neil says about thinking. I'd heard him say it before, but he's particularly adamant in this interview. What I hadn't known is that he's got some songs that he actually thought very hard about while writing, that he thinks are terrible, and that he's meticulously, carefully hidden from the public.
I want to hear these terrible, horrible songs that Neil thought too hard about.
Personally, I find I have the same problem. The initial genesis of a song is great, it comes out and it sounds good - but the more I work on it, the worse it seems to get.
A few days ago I was very excited about a new song I was working on, and I worked on it all day. By the end of the day I'd decided it was a terrible song.
This could be because one of two things:
1) I just got too close to it and heard it too many times, so it stopped making sense (like if you repeat a word to yourself over and over again), and is actually good.
2) I thought about it too much and "worked on it" until it sucked.
Hm.
Anyway, Neil's thoughts on the process are at once funny and illuminating.
a more critical review:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/neil-young-le-noise,45675/
Thanks Kevin for sharing.
And where do you stand?
Agree with that review? Why? Disagree? Why?
Great interview. I am trying to figure out what Jian is apologizing for right at the very end - after the the interview portion is over, and Young keeps saying "Don't worry about it".
I just read the critical review. And all I can say is the critic should look in the mirror and ask if the very things he accuses Neil of - simplicity and superficiality - apply to his review.
He also misses the point on the idea that 'its all one song' which Neil (and most fans) think is a good thing but he pans the album for that.
Bottom line, its easy to be cynical because "its an angry world" and he's taking the cynical route ... we should send him a clip of Conan's last show, maybe it'll turn him around and encourage him to look at Neil and the record a little beneath the surface.
Dan
Nice interview.
Did I hear Neil say: "...jump back on the horse..." ?
Yes, I think he said it. He really said this.
Magic words when they come from Neil.
"...jump back on the horse..."
Le Noise is now no. 2 on Amazon!!!
“It’s kind of like a horror movie,” Mr. Young said. “Le Noise, this monster, lives in this house.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/arts/music/
27young.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=
Just got an e-mail this afternoon from Amazon.ca telling me that my pre-order of 'Le Noise' is delayed and won't be shipping until October 5th. Needless to say, not too pleased.
Ditto ^ Why oh why can't they release the vinyl the same day as the CD?
Yeah I should have added that it was for the vinyl LP. Not sure, usually I thought that was the case, unless there was a delay in making them I guess.
@Dan - thanks for that "non-cynical" comment. :)
But I do hope Kevin replies here on why of all the dozens and dozens of reviews that are universally positive, he manages to post really the only negative review i've seen?
odd.
Like you say, it wasn't even really that compelling or perceptive either.
Kevin? your move....
It seemed to me Kevin was mearly pointing out a more critical review. Its pretty tough to grow when you are fed the same substance over and over and over. The review did have some merit, though for the most part it was pretty week.
Played it for the wife and she was not a big fan of it all (she has a non neil freak perspective, she is kind of a gauge I use when subjecting non-neil fans to his music), I still think the songs are strong, just wish it was a horse album. maybe they will grow more on me. The songs definatly stick in your head, he has some good material there. can't get WWM out of my head.
Is it just me or does anyone else feel this forum has swung too far to the neil right. I mean I like the guy, but geeze.
Nope. I've been visiting this site for awhile (albeit never posted until today) and it is still exactly what I expect it to be: a place where the creators provide as much Neil Young news as they can, as well as other additional bits of info, in the manner that they, as the creators, see fit to do it.
Good to see dissent is still not so alive and well at the new Wheat. For what it's worth, while the critical response has been generally favorable, there have been other less than totally glowing reviews from the likes of Entertainment Weekly (a lukewarm B), the Canadian Press (" 'Le Noise' seems destined to fall into the same category of other ambitious Young projects that get high marks for distinctiveness, like 'Greendale' and 'Trans,' but that won't get many repeat plays") and The Guardian ("Often ... you wonder whether this record should have been called 'L'Annoys' "). And since anyone who dares to mention this diversity of opinion has their own challenged, as if they were personally responsible for some reviewers questioning Neil's sainthood, here's my personal take: Though the Lanois-isms do get a bit repetetive after a while, I find it really strong as a whole up until "Rumblin," which to my taste pales considerably compared to the live version and provides a rather anticlimactic, unsatisfying finish. OK, off now to get struck by a lightning bolt.
Babs
Well I have actually heard many comments from folks whose respect for the man is not questioned, for example Big Chief, Matt, that were not positive about different aspects of Le Noise, but were done in a way that maintains the integrity of the site. Maybe Kevin was singled out because he has a tendency not to just give a valid opinion which might not be positive, but to personally attack others on the site(plese keep in mind this is just a guess on my part.) He didn't this time but has several times in the past.
If I am wrong, then I truly apologize. That is just how it came across to me. Typically when I see his name, I know it is going to be something negative. Just sayin...
AND..... this is a fan site!! We are fans!! Believe me I have heard all the negative stuff throughout the years, from friends, critics, etc. Sorry if I don't want to come here to hear it.
What is it with all these Neil interviewers?..that they try to get all over analysed and sophisticated with their questions?
Neil's approach to music and his lyrics to me, is raw and simplistic
his best work as he intimated in the interview, is when it is spontaneous and rather impulsive.
What's funny is no matter how sophisticated and deep a question that the interviewer asks, you always know that Neil's response is one of "Well that's just what we did or thats how we done it"nothin' too rocket science about it!""..I think that's what I luv about the guy... he never lets them go away thinkin'..."Well, I blitzed that interview, I really got him on some truly insightful questions"..
I don't think he'll ever let'm feel that they have asked the ultimate deep and insightful question..it always amuses me how in the end they nearly always feel uncomfortable or intimidated just interviewing him..egos always left at the door no matter who the interviewer is!! lol
Just my opinion
doc
Lots of interesting things in the interview, but a few things stuck out for me. One was another take on recording live, staying as close to the source and vibe as possible. That it doesn't get better the more you do it, maybe technically, but not the spirit of it. Also, his example of Schubert remembering the music that came to him, and that there is a window of time that has to be respected after the song shows up.
Another thing I found very revealing was that he said Hitchhiker was the only autobiographical song, and at that, at least in part a metaphor for change. The other songs then have to be viewed in the same vein as much of his work- impressionistic, adopted persona's, a survey of the subject matter that stakes out the various aspects of it, rather than a concrete black and white he said, she said approach, and time and space travel. I think this is a distinction that gets lost a lot of times, people being critical of a seeming stance, as opposed to an adopted stance which serves to draw out peoples feelings and opinions. In Peaceful Valley Boulevard, we experience with equal anguish the cry of a white mother, who along with her family is about to perish at the hands of native Americans, as we do the specter of white men encroaching on unspoiled land, shooting buffalo from trains, and everything that implies.
I was also fascinated by his description of the context of war in the songs, that it is war in general that is being discussed. Who knows why and when it all started, it's FUBAR (f'd up beyond all recognition), Hatfield's and McCoy's time- it's just something that people do. Cavemen were fighting cavemen, Indians were fighting Indians, white people were fighting Indians, innocents and scoundrels have been lost on all sides. Many times it just came down to whose side you were on.
I've been reading some great comments about the songs and lyrics maybe being too simple, but also comments about the genius of simplicity. It's an angry world (It's An Angry World)- really how so? Tell me how that might be so, what would lead to that conclusion? An angry fisherman calling attention to the fact that there are a lot of people who have noticed a lot of things, or whatever, fill in the blank. It's a statement, an observation, a wake up call, it's grist for the mill, it's world weary, it's asking the question when will it all end, and who or Who is going to get us out of this mess, it's calling attention to a sign that says "People can make a difference"- it's, it's... an interesting interview, and another great Neil Young record.
A Friend Of Yours
Lots of interesting things in the interview, but a few things stuck out for me. One was another take on recording live, staying as close to the source and vibe as possible. That it doesn't get better the more you do it, maybe technically, but not the spirit of it. Also, his example of Schubert remembering the music that came to him, and that there is a window of time that has to be respected after the song shows up.
Another thing I found very revealing was that he said Hitchhiker was the only autobiographical song, and at that, at least in part a metaphor for change. The other songs then have to be viewed in the same vein as much of his work- impressionistic, adopted persona's, a survey of the subject matter that stakes out the various aspects of it, rather than a concrete black and white he said, she said approach, and time and space travel. I think this is a distinction that gets lost a lot of times, people being critical of a seeming stance, as opposed to an adopted stance which serves to draw out peoples feelings and opinions. In Peaceful Valley Boulevard, we experience with equal anguish the cry of a white mother, who along with her family is about to perish at the hands of native Americans, as we do the specter of white men encroaching on unspoiled land, shooting buffalo from trains, and everything that implies.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I though the interviewer did an excellent job and I really enjoyed watching the interplay between Neil and Lanois. It seems Lanois has really won Neil's confidence evidenced by their chemistry, the joint interview, Neil's comment about letting Lanois mix the record, and especially the fact that Neil sort of named the album after him. Neil's comment about Briggs was really cool too. He seemed at one point to suggest he's done teaching people music (a veiled comment about the Horse I think) but he pulled back at the last minute as to avoid making the (I'll never teach people again) statement so definitive.
One of the things that I've been taken by with this album is that I've been experiencing it as an internet based multi media exploration of the album ... the songs streamed on NPR, the videos which are poignant and intimate, the fact that they're live adds such a richness to the experience, then the interviews, the interactive comments on TW ... its not so much a new phenomenon as he's put out other stuff in the internet age, but the quantity and quality of related multi-media content out even before you can hold the record in your hand -- its led me to have a new, new album experience and the multi-media feels like it brings you so close to the source, almost like experiencing the process as close to real time as possible.
Beyond the sonics which add richness and verve, the songs are excellent ... somehow I keep coming back to love and war which for me feels like an enduring classic ... we're as originally I thought he'd put out a dark album to mourn the losses of LA and Ben, I've come around to thinking he's left that sadness off the album and instead, both on the album and in the interviews, is expressing, among other things, themes of resiliency and continuity, and within that he seems as vibrant, relevant, and fresh as he ever has. He also seems relaxed, at peace, and comfortable with himself and his scene. Good stuff...
Dan
good comments Dan.
One gets the feeling of a sense of continual inspiration and longevity in Neil whether it continues in this collaboration with lanois or not..I get the feeling that Neil will put these losses of lifelong friends behind him and reach out to new horizons in his music. whether you like Lanois's input or not..i think the songs are strong ..his voice is sublime on some songs, with a new emotion and overall i think le noise will stand the test of time.
what excites me more than ever is the potential to play these songs not only in the context that Neil has presented on the album, but also to play them with a band live which would give a whole different feel and interpretation.
yeah ,ok some of the lyrics might seem simplistic but that is the beauty of Neil..the melodies that coincide seem to boost those songs to another level.there are dedinitely some memorable guitar riffs on this new album and sometimes lanoir's echo slant to a song might, in my opinion be a bit overdone,on the whole, the more I play it the more i enjoy it..definitely will be in heavy rotation at home and in the car
thanks Neil
just my opinion
doc
What an interview! I found it entertaining and enlightening. I'm forever fascinated in Neil's take on art and creation (obviously). The fact that you don't want to think too much, you don't want to do something over and over because it just gets worse. The best things just come to you, and believe me, its true. By total coincidence my favorite artists all echo these same sentiments and these are learned things. These practices or guidelines,if you will, on writing, Neil has been practicing and believing in for a long time now- and it works. If its worked for forty-some-odd-years for an artist such as Neil Young, then take it as gospel brother.
Le Noise is, in my opinion, Neil's best in a long time...exceptional. If he sticks with Lanois like he did Briggs I'm cool with that. We can expect some interesting things down the road if so; Lanois meets the Horse...eh?
As for the question of criticisms on the Wheat, like Sandy said, its a fan site! I too, don't want to come one here to see Neil bashed. Neil is misunderstood and bashed everywhere outside of here by haters who really don't know anything about the man except, they hate is voice, etc. etc. It bothers me because I follow Neil like guys my age follow the Yankees or the Red Sox, as misunderstood as that is everywhere else, here, on Thrashers Wheat, I feel at home and usually in good company.
I believe in Neil, I trust him. I look to Neil, above all other creative heroes because he's the genuine artifact- no bullshit there, he's all about the art- the music, the creation, which is like a breath of fresh air given the present state of rock n' roll and just the throwaway society today. Also he's still here, doing what he does best, grinding out intense, brutal, spirit-stirring notes from his long suffering guitars and writing emotional words that stoke the fires of the heart, and forever speaking the truth as he knows best, whether it be in an interview, on a record, a stage or up in the hills of southern California.
Le Noise, for me, was a promise made good and a belief reaffirmed.
Thanks Neil!
I'm still a bit ticked off that there is no CD/DVD deluxe package. I love the album, and have downloaded some of the videos from YouTube, which look awesome, but as much as I like this album, his best effort since Greendale (or if you are less generous Ragged Glory) I don't like spending money twice. Then again, who knows what the Blu-Ray will offer, probably the same videos and hi-def sound, but who knows there will be BD-Live stuff as well (Leia or You Never Call perhaps?)
oh geez, sorry i didn't get back to ya thrasher. i had to work all day. gotta look busy...getting laid off in a few months.
anywho, i have shared my views on "le noise" before but i'll retread. i think the songs are, for the most part, minor. the lyrics are obvious with little mystery, and downright cheesy in some cases. i think the album is WAY overproduced. all the reverb and echo and processing is distracting. it IS a very interesting and intriguing project, but i think ultimately it will be an album that doesn't make a lasting impression.
there is just not that much here to get excited about. i guess that i need to state that this is all MY OPINION, because if you have a critical take on anything the MAN does you have to state that or else people jump down your throats. and sandy, i am truly sorry if you feel that i have attacked people. maybe it's a generational thing....i tease people like shitty for writing novel-length posts, but i don't really mean any harm. i expect people on the internets to have thicker skin i guess. maybe i have spent too much time on message boards.
as for the review i posted, well i don't really agree with it. if i had to give the album a letter grade i'd probably give it a solid "B". the avclub reviewer gave a recent neil concert a bad review too which i disagreed with. at the same time i don't really get all the gushing praise from other reviewers about this album. they must be hearing something that i'm not. i hate, HATE, when people compare the new album with past glories, but i can't help thinking sometimes that "le noise" can't hang with the big boys in neil's canon. i think someone, maybe matt, said this is on par with "tonight's the night". i just don't see how anybody could think that.
in the end i guess this IS a classic neil young album. some people love it and some people hate it. and some are in the middle.
@Kevin - Thank you very much for coming back & clarifying.
Really, that's all we're trying to do here @ TW. i consider your opinion valid because you've backed it up with reasonable arguments.
Just to re-iterate, this is not about right or wrong. Or good or bad album.
We don't really care whether you like or dislike stuff per se. It's the why. The understanding. The soundness of argument.
The wheat.
peace
Well, I'm glad we can all basically get along.
Past glories... Yes, I think this adds up. And I'm not just fawning.
For qualification - I love FITR, but I submit that it's not really comparable to his past glories. But then again, neither is RE-AC-TOR, which I also love, and which came out 30 years ago.
Le Noise is better than RE-AC-TOR, and closes in more on TTN and RNS territory. Is it AS good? I don't know. That's a hard one.
HOWEVER, I don't see how one can say that Peaceful Valley Boulevard is not an incredibly strong song that quite easily stacks up with other really strong Neil Young songs written throughout his career without being just a little negative for negative's sake.
Someone said something about the 'polar bear drifting on an ice flow' line ruining the song, and I just can't for the life of me see how that line is bad. In fact, it sends shivers down my spine when he gets to that image.
It's not "corny" or "simplistic" or "clunky" or anything. It's just a nicely framed image, and a very meaningful one at that.
Back to the simplicity thing: There's an element of cynicism for its own sake in calling his lyrics on this album overly simplistic or weak without even bothering to peek under the surface at the plainly obvious rich subtext of what is being said....
...or calling the songs "all the same" without examining how they all coalesce into one complex integrated, detailed "song", the elements of which all work together like a giant machine.
This is an album, not a collection of songs.
Some of the "songs" aren't even constructed as whole songs, IMO - they're lead-ins to the next thought, and I think it's purposeful. Each is a constituent part of a larger whole, and converge into the overarching theme and message of Le Noise.
Funny how people who call out Neil for simple lyrics (and even brazenly refer to them as shallow!), don't bother to examine the vast historical document of deceptively simple poetry and lyrical styles that are out there.
I again say many of these lyrics (Angry World, Walk With Me, and a few other songs) are comparable to some beautifully simple poetry, and I don't mean in that you have to like them...
I only mean that one probably ought to admit that they are respectably poetic and meaningful, whether they 'do it for you' or not.
I direct that last comment at the 'negative' reviewer, who is just beating the same nauseating dead horse that people have been beating about Neil's lyrics since the dawn of time.
I don't mean to sound abrasive here, but I have a hard time understanding how people, supposed professional music writers even, can go on and on criticizing Neil's lyrics the way they do.
He's been writing simple lyrics for decades. DECADES! See: once again - RE-AC-TOR, a fantastic album (IMO) that contains some very simple lyrics.
And then there's PVB, which is ANYTHING BUT simple, and harkens back to Neil Young the Imagist Writer of Ghost Stories. It's a cascade of images that *echoes* backward into a beginning that led us to where we are today, and examines the violence and decay that has grown out of it.
I find it breathtaking, and absolutely on par with Pocahontas, which is possibly the best acoustic rock song ever written.
Not to mention that it's a continuation of the same thought process - casting the ghost of now on a story of the past, in both cases using the plight of the American Indian as a starting point...
But I digress, ramble, and go on a bunch of tangents here. Please pardon the long ramble. I hope it makes sense.
(Re-affixes headset, puts on Le Noise, nearly dies from the onslaught of WOWness!)
See, this guy GETS it:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/131382-neil-young-le-noise/
I mean that he gets the DEPTH of the album, and the imagery, the "aching" majesty of PVB, etc.
Also, something of note here is that the reviewer also recognizes that Neil front-loads albums with the "least incredible" songs.
IMO, he did the same thing with Silver and Gold. The songs get better and better after the first two or three, and the last couple are awesome.
Here's the very nice Rolling Stone review:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/reviews/album/45342/211053#a
and Uncut will have an interview in the upcoming issue:
"We were also in San Francisco in mid–September to meet Neil Young and Daniel Lanois to talk about Neil's amazing new album, Le Noise, which Lanois has produced, without too much recourse to the kind of voodoo murk he sometimes brings to things. I've reviewed it as our Album Of The Month...."
and
Le Noise is No. 1 on Amazon UK
Le Noise is No. 1 on Amazon Canada
Le Noise is No. 2 on Amazon USA
Great!
From Indian wars to electric cars.
In the way that I find the Pacific Ocean or Yosemite to be awe-inspiring, I also find Le Noise to be awe-inspiring. The same threads that run through Zuma, Rust Never Sleeps, Ragged Glory, Harvest Moon, Sleeps With Angels, and Broken Arrow also run through Le Noise.
I hear what he is doing.
Neil is an effing genius, that’s what he is.
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