Comment of the Moment: Neil Young and Producer Daniel Lanois Interview

The recent CBC Interview with Neil Young and Producer Daniel Lanois provided an insightful look into the making of the album Le Noise.

The Comment of the Moment is from Complete CBC Neil Young and Daniel Lanois Interview by Greg M.:

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.

Greg
A Friend Of Yours

Thanks Greg!

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