Concert Review of the Moment: Neil Young in Worcester, MA, May 21, 2010

Neil Young - Worcester, MA, May 21, 2010
Photo by Steve Babineau/Sports Action Images

The Neil Young Concert Review of the Moment is from Worcester, MA, May 21, 2010 by Mr Henry:

Force Equals Mass Times Acceleration: Neil Young Charges On

Just as long as the guitar plays
Let it steal your heart away.

- Jagger/Richards Torn and Frayed

Where to begin?

One of the truly great shows that I have seen, definitely one of the best from Neil and maybe, just possibly the best one yet. I'll need to let the glow fade a bit and then get back to you on that one.

Hanover Theater is a wonderful place for music and performances. The size is just right, the sound is incredible and the people who work there and run the place could not be nicer if they tried. My seat was twenty three rows back, dead center with the sound board behind me. Would have been nice to be a few rows closer, but totally worth it for the sound quality (and that's what opera glasses are for). I consider myself very fortunate indeed to have attended this show.

Burt Jansch played a gorgeous set. His guitar playing is breathtaking at times and very moving, the epitome of "quietly majestic". Neil would later give the crowd a friendly reminder of just how lucky we all were to be seeing Burt, echoing a thought which I was already having. I honestly was torn in my desires, knowing that Neil was coming up next but not wanting this great experience to end, hoping that it won't be the only time I see Burt Jansch perform. He's like a separated-at-birth twin of the late, great John Fahey, one who decided to use more traditional tunings to explore the same new and uncharted territories.

Thank you so much Burt for giving us the chance to appreciate you live and up close.

In the lobby before Neil's set, I struck up a conversation with a couple who told me it was their first Neil Young concert. After chatting a bit, we were both surprised to find we live in the same town...and then that we live only a couple blocks from each other! They had only recently moved and I've been here for a couple decades. We talked a bit more and then said we'd see each other around town. Amazing things can happen, especially at a Neil Young show.

Scampered back to my seat just in time as the lights were going down. Neil came out and everyone was happy as kids on Christmas morning. If you are reading this, then most likely you're already familiar with the set list on this tour...so I won't go through the concert song-by-song. What I especially loved was how he would group the songs into meaningful segments and allow the songs enough breathing room for the music and poetry to build an intensity that would ebb and flow in just the right way. The first three got everyone's attention...and the crowd to me seemed very well behaved and respectful -- great job Neil fans! Next segment had two songs and both were new.

You Never Call is touching, poignant, funny, moving and beautiful, all in about equal measures. LA must be really loving this one from his dear friend. Peaceful Valley continues in this emotional vein, grabbing you without really trying. Then comes the masterpieces.

It's way too soon to say for sure, but right now I think that Love and War might be the best song that Neil has ever written.

Somehow he can write music that is very simple and also incredibly complex beneath the surface. It's a verse chorus song but not really; it's an old modal drone number, but not really either. The guy sitting next to me put it best when he said "it's really an ancient song". I replied yes, it certainly is. Makes me think of Robbie Robertson's comments about The Basement Tapes when he wondered if Dylan had written the songs or just found them under a rock somewhere. I know that Neil wrote this one, and I'm sure thankful that he did.

Down By The River was next and the perfect song to follow with. Hearing Neil playing this alone but with the electric guitar harmonics adding to his performance, I heard the song in a new and different way. I've seen solo acoustic versions and a thirty minute epic version but never one quite like this. Talk about your ancient songs...it's hard to imagine that this hasn't always been there.

Then came Hitchhiker. Everything that's been said so far is true...it's that good. How does Neil keep coming up with these? And how does he do this solo and make it even more powerful? Once again, I'm just thankful that he can and he does.

This four song segment ended with Ohio and it was a moving and towering version. I'm sure Neil was thinking of the 40th anniversary which recently passed, but made no mention of this -- if you have to ask, then he can't tell you.

A couple new love songs were next. Sign of Love and Leia both very pleasant and songs that will grow on you more and more. Then a couple old favorites, with After The Gold Rush and I Believe In You coming back-to-back. The woman sitting next to me was moved to tears during these and it added to my appreciation of these great songs.

The last segment of the regular set was three songs. Rumblin' is another good new one and then Cortez. After hearing many versions of this, it never gets old. This version gives it room to breathe, and that seems to be a large part of what Neil is doing with this tour, discovering the space between the notes. Wonderful version and then another great version of Cinnamon Girl, performed in just the right way for where Neil is at right now.

Walk With Me was a great first encore. Neil has really tightened this one up since the Albany version (way, way back 72 hours before!?) and it's a real keeper. Then Heart of Gold to end the show. I was happy for all the people who would have been disappointed without hearing this and it was a great version. Hoping for a third song and would have been great to hear an electric Out of the Blue to finish off with, but Neil was thinking something different and that was just fine.

So for anyone who is going to the upcoming shows, you're in for a real special performance. I'd like to see another one but this will be it for me, at least this part of the tour...it would be great if he continues on with this or returns to the solo acoustic/electric format again in the future. The record should be great when it comes out, and I bet that it will be his biggest seller in years. And if you haven't seen this version of Neil 2010, you really don't know what you're missing.

Thanks to Thrasher and the crew for making the show even more fun in all phases. Enjoyed speaking with you all and hope to see you again. Thanks for Andrew, a fellow fan of Sonic Youth, for the stories about Barcelona and the 1:30 a.m. show...I can just imagine. And thanks to Burt and Neil for doing what you do.

Mr Henry

ps- Apologies to Bert for misspelling his name...oops! Long night, short sleep.......but a great performance!!!

Thank you Mr Henry! Excellent. A pleasure meeting you last night. Reading your review was almost as fun as speaking with you about the days of Neil... ;)


Neil Young in Worcester, MA, May 21, 2010
Photo by Steve Babineau/Sports Action Images

More concert reviews of Neil Young in Worcester, MA, May 21, 2010. Also, see more "Twisted Road" Concert Tour Reviews.

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Neil Young Concert Reviews - Worcester, MA, May 21, 2010

Neil Young - Worcester, MA, May 21, 2010
Photo by Steve Lanava

From review in Worcester Telegram & Gazette "Forever Young!" by Craig S. Semon:

Not only will rock 'n' roll never die; if Neil Young's sold-out performance last night at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts is any indication, it gets better with age.

As part of his solo “Twisted Road Tour,” and following opener Bert Jansch, Young gave the lucky Neilophiles and Rusties who packed the place a no-frills, passionate performance that was one part retrospective, one part reinvention and one part relaxed rehearsal. His 18-song, one-hour-and-45-minute set (which included a two-song encore) consisted of seven new songs, eight gems from the '70s, two nuggets from the '60s and one unreleased song that before his current tour hasn't been played for 18 years.

There are few veteran rockers who can capture an audience with the sole grace of their words on intimate issues dealing with relationships, romance, personal redemptions, hopes and regrets, and Young is certainly one of them. This show was for Young's most loyal and dedicated fans who are patient for songs to unfold and reveal their genuine rock 'n' roll heart.

Review continues in Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

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Neil Young will be performing tonight at the Hanover Theatre Worcester, MA. Special guest Bert Jansch will open concert.

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

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Song Grid Chart.

Also, see Neil Young's "Twisted Road" Concert Tour Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

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Comment of the Moment: Following Neil Young's Muse

Already so far on the Twisted Road tour, Neil Young has managed to both delight and confound his audiences.

Reactions range from ecstasy over new songs and newly interpreted classics to bewilderment over new songs, missing classics and short sets.

So what are we to make of 2 nights into the tour?

Here's the Neil Young Comment of the Moment by ShittyHorse:

Man, some people just don't get it!

This is Neil Young we're talking about. I think at this point in the man's career so called "fans" would understand that Neil can do whatever he wants to do. After 40 years in music Neil knows that you MUST change in order to survive, to stay relevant. The man knows what he's doing! This is why we are seeing Neil at theaters and coliseums today and not concerts on the green and state fairs, like many his age who feel they can get by just playing greatest hits.

Neil challenges himself and the audience (just like he's always done)....I respect the HELL out of that!

I think Neil feels that because he is changing his format, doing something different and playing new songs that he must pepper in the hits. You must remember that not every person in attendance is a fanatic like many of us. I'd guarantee that most only own Harvest and Decade. Let not forget we are also hearing Cinnamon Girl, Cortez, and Down by the River like they've never been heard before. Neil, like Dylan needs to breath new life in these songs to play them every night. I don't want to go see a bored Neil Young, do you?

This is why after seeing the man 16times, it is ALWAYS fresh, always exciting and never a retro act.

As far as I am concerned, Neil can play all new songs if he wants and I'd still love it- your talking to a man who saw Greendale live four times.

As I said before, we are lucky and privileged to be able to pay to see Neil on this tour. I think the ticket prices were high in part because Neil wanted his hardcore fans there, but that doesn't always work out as is evident by all the rude chatty people in the audience.

Cant wait for SUNDAY! Mideast Vacation Neil! :)
Peace!

More concert reviews from Neil Young's "Twisted Road" Tour.

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Photos of the Moment: Neil Young Concert Albany, NY, May 18, 2010

Photo by Meta Nemegi


Photo by Palace Theatre's Audience Spotlight


Photo by Palace Theatre's Audience Spotlight

Thanks Renzo!

More Albany photos Palace Theatre's Audience Spotlight on Facebook.

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Comment of the Moment: A Roadtrip and Note from Neil

The Neil Young Comment of the Moment is something very special and helps explain why Neil's music means so much, to so many.

From the tour opener in Albany, we had a very heartfelt comment from Doug from Warsaw N.Y.:

I had great 4th row seats for Albany but was unable to attend because my wife (Barbara) passed away on 5/6/2010. I was back and forth about whether to go or not to go.

I decided not to because the 570 mile round trip would have been to much for me and I wanted to be sure to be rested for tonight's show at Shea's in Buffalo. The last time my wife saw Neil was at Shea's on 11/30/07. My wife had been on the liver transplant list for 5 years. She died waiting at age 56. Needless to say Her passing zapped my excitement for the concert and I didn't think I would get it back.

After reading about Hitchhiker I started to feel the excitement again. 13 hours and counting until I see Neil for the 33rd time. I have the best seat in the house. 15 seats in Front PIT Row AAA, I have seat number 8. That puts me about 2 feet from the stage, dead center. I paid 1200.00 for the Front row PIT tickets and drove up to ST. Cathrines Ontario to retrieve them.

Unlikely Neil will hear of my wife's passing but Her favorite song was Harvest Moon. We attended the 1992 Saratoga Springs Solo concert. Can't wait, I plan on discreetly getting some close up pics, hopefully it won't piss Neil or anyone else off.

Doug from Warsaw N.Y.

So what happened to Doug in Buffalo? Well, hang on, and keep on reading.

Here's Doug's report on Neil Young in concert in Buffalo:

Buffalo was a very special night for me.

I got there early hoping to see Neil's bus again. The 1948 Buick Roadmaster tops built into the roof line really make impress me. Not sure if I told you that my Dad had a Buick Dealership until 1971. My grandmother's last car was a 48 Roadmaster. I was hanging around the bus while Neil was doing the sound check.

I didn't think Neil would come out after the sound check but He did. There were a few fans holding there pens out and much to my surprise Neil signed 3 autographs. I asked Him if He could do 1 more and He said No that's it. I said Neil my wife passed away on 5/6/10 and I would really be grateful. He asked me, are you the guy who posted on the website, i said yes, thats me. He knew my name, He took my ticket envelope and wrote, To Doug, Love Neil Young.

I went back to my car and just cried.

I could feel the presence of "GOD". I don't know why my wife had to suffer so long or why "GOD" called Her home first instead of me. I am grateful for the good times we had, and the not so good. Some things are just humanly imposable, I couldn't bear the thought of losing Her, or GOD calling my number first and leaving Her behind.

It was a perfect concert from start to finish.

I was 2 feet from the stage directly in front of Neil's chair. I was close enough to see His eyes welling up with heart felt emotion. Out of respect I refrained from taking pics. I lost my resolve and took 1 pic just before the end of the last encore " Hey Hey , My, My (electric).

As a final touch Neil ripped the strings on "Old Black". And if by chance you read this Neil, I would just like to thank GOD for making you, and you for all the that you've given us for all these years.

Doug S. Warsaw N.Y.

Thanks Doug & bless you.

More concert reviews from Neil Young's "Twisted Road" Tour.

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Neil Young Concert Reviews - Buffalo, NY, May 19, 2010

Neil Young performs in Shea’s Performing Arts Center
Photo by Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News

*Albany* (same as Buffalo) Setlist for Neil Young
Photo by Ed S.

From Neil Young simply towering in solo gig : Music : The Buffalo News by Jeff Miers - NEWS POP MUSIC CRITIC:

Commanding the attention of a 3,000- seat theater with nothing but yourself and a collection of your favorite instruments is a tough gig.

Many have tried. Few have passed the yawn test. Neil Young has passed it repeatedly, however.

On Wednesday, he turned a sold-out Shea’s into his living room. It was as if he’d invited us over for a cookout and a round-the- campfire jam session. Of course, it’s not often that one finds oneself invited to a backyard party at the home of one of the rock era’s finest songwriters.

Acoustic one-man gigs can be boring. Young’s wasn’t. Part of the reason for that is the fact that Wednesday’s show—the second stop on the “Twisted Road: Neil Young Solo” tour, after Tuesday’s gig at the Palace Theater in Albany—was not a wholly acoustic affair.

In the Shea’s lobby, Young’s merchandise stand was selling T-shirts with the legend “I said solo— they said acoustic” emblazoned across their front. This was telling, partly because it revealed that time has done nothing to diminish Young’s irreverent streak, and partly because the arc of the show was thus defined.

Young played alone, but he also played electric guitar a-plenty, and trotted between upright piano, grand piano and a funky old pump organ whenever he wasn’t playing
acoustic guitar. A dull moment never made itself known. The set list was stellar, too, as it should have been for a show commanding such a healthy ticket price.

Rave review continues on Neil Young simply towering in solo gig : Music : The Buffalo News.



"My My Hey Hey" by Neil Young

Shea’s Performing Arts Center
Photo by Karen on streamland

Tour report #1 & #2 by Karen on streamland

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Neil Young will be performing tonight at Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY. Special guest Bert Jansch will open concert.

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

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates. Also, see Song Grid Chart.

Also, see Neil Young's "Twisted Road" Concert Tour Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

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Concert Review of the Moment: Neil Young in Albany, NY - May 18, 2010

The Neil Young Concert Review of the Moment is from Albany, NY, May 18, 2010 by Chris:

For those of you who still want to be surprised (as if anything else is expected at a Neil show), read no further. Consider this a "spoiler warning" if you will. I had the good fortune of seeing Neil on the first leg of the tour so, like every else in the audience, I was in a position of having absolutely no idea what to expect. This uncertainty lent even more excitement to some of the moments I'm about to describe.

Mine as well arrange this report in accordance with the chronology of the show. So, first let me confess to knowing very little about Bert Jansch, the opening act. I know he's one of Neil's biggest influences and I know that Neil essentially ripped (albeit subconsciously) the opening chords from Jansch's "Needle of Death" to Neil's own "Ambulance Blues." My unfamiliarity with Jansch's music probably doesn't make me the best person to judge his performance. All I could say was that the 7 or 8 songs he played (most of which were bluesy/folky acoustic numbers originating in Britain and Ireland) all had the feeling of a nice warm blanket (rendered even nicer by the dreary, rainy night here in Albany).

As unexciting and uninformative the following portrayal may be, one word kept coming into my head to describe Jansch's tunes: pleasant. That's not to say his songs were in any way simplistic or basic or boring. On the contrary, the guy can fucking play the acoustic guitar. And while Neil Young can stand up to him in terms of the emotional quality of his playing, Jansch runs circles around Neil technique-wise. The only real complaint I had with Jansch's set is that idiot audience members kept yelling "Neil" between songs. Someday I'll write an article about proper concert etiquette because I find it fucking appalling the amount of buffoonery at what should be an intimate performance. Anyway, Jansch played for about 40 minutes after starting right on time (8 PM).

After a brief intermission, I returned to my seat (which was located, by the way, in the 7th row. Cost me a pretty penny, but I spare no expense when Neil comes to town. Plus, this may be the last chance I get to see him. You just never know with Neil). To my surprise and delight, the stagehands were placing electric guitars in a semi-circle around the stage: I spotted what looked like a rusty Strat, his white Gretsch, and, of course, Old Black. I, too, was under the impression that it would all be acoustic so I was excited to see his axes at his disposal.

At about 9 PM, the lights darkened, and Neil nonchalantly walked across the stage to uproarious applause. He picked up his acoustic and his harm and got right down to business with "My My, Hey Hey." Well, he tried to anyway. He got through the opening riff and then hellacious feedback caused him to stop a few times. Once he finished the song, he plowed right ahead with "Tell Me Why" and "Helpless." Overall, a nice way to start a show. You just know he had to appease the asshole "fans" who would have demanded a refund if he didn't play at least a couple songs from his more commercially successful albums. Since he followed with a string of head-scratchers (which I happened to love), it was clear he was just getting the acoustic gems (all of which were nice) out of the way.

Because Neil is Neil he followed the three opening fan-favorites with three new songs, all on what looked like a strat that I had never seen him play: 4) "I'm Working(?)", a tongue-in-cheek, often ironic-seeming ballad about what we do on Earth (work) compared to what people do in heaven. I felt the song caved in under its own weight, but one of the last lines "And I know Ben's with you [in heaven?]" gave the song an emotional, serious, personal touch it badly needed. 5) "The Dusty Valley(?)", a Thrasher-esque epic of white westward expansion and colonization over Native Americans. Like many of Neil's historical-based songs, this one also fast-forwarded a couple hundred years to our current state. 6) "Love and War(?)," a commentary on religious fanaticism as it relates to both war and love. Neil's wordplay and observations make this number a great one. The chronological progression of the songs also happens to parallel that of their quality; that is, I think "Love and War" was the best sounding, tightest, most releaseable-ready song of the three.

Back to the hits. The 7th song played was "Down by the River" on Old Black. It was the tightest, shortest non-acoustic versions of the song that I've ever heard. He dropped the last verse and the jams between the remaining 2 verses were just simple variations--if not altogether repeats--of that wonderful Em/A opening chord riff. Hearing Old Black growl during the bridge made the song certainly worthwhile. After its conclusion, he played an unrecognizable, angry, foot-stomping riff that kept everybody in suspense as to the song's identity. And then: "When I was hitchhiker, on the road." I like to think he played the song for me personally because it was the last song that I played at my house before leaving for the show. Of course, he was really playing it for the diehards. Whatever his intended audience, though, is sort of besides the point. What's important is taht everyone seemed to love it and it was during "Hitchhiker" that Neil was at his most pissed off and at his best for the night. What was also cool was he added a verse at the end of the song that mentioned his family and his wife--an uplifting take on what is a somber song.

He then shelved Old Black for the Gretsch and went right into Ohio. Nothing remarkable here, but the crisp, precise guitar playing of Neil and his decision to replace the 2nd verse with "Oohs" and "Aahs" (a la Massey Hall's version), certainly made the song enjoyable. He played "Sign of Love (?)" next with the same Gretsch guitar. Don't really remember much about the song, what could very well say something about the song's enduring quality (or maybe more about the fact that it was dark as night in there and I could barely see my own hand as it tried to write).

The 11th song was a bubble-gum sounding piano ballad that went back and forth between two treble chords. It was dedicated to Leia (spelling?), a "new friend of Neil's." No, this won't be the next "After the Gold Rush" or "A Man Needs A Maid," but for what Neil was trying to do with the song, I think he succeeded, if only on a personal level.

Next came "After the Gold Rush" on an organ, updated so that mother nature is "on the run in the '21st Century'" as opposed to the "1970s." The organ was positioned up against the far wall so Neil's back was to the audience. I found this such a wonderful symbol of Neil's "I don't give a fuck" attitude (then again, maybe he just couldn't put the organ anywhere else, what with the two pianos and handful of guitars taking up the space on the small stage).

I was happy he stayed on the album "After the Gold Rush" with "I Believe in You," my personal favorite from the disc. Neil played this on a piano and his voice, while certainly lacking the reach and grab-you-by-the-soul falsetto of what we hear on "Massey Hall," is still in remarkable shape. Yes, he takes less chances with his singing (and, at his age, who could blame him?), but I didn't hear him screw up once.

He followed "I Believe in You" with an environmental epic on his Gretsch called "All Around(?)". What I remember most vividly from this song was that one of the lines keeps repeating the word "vibrate" or "vibration," and as Neil belted out the line, he would strum bass notes on his Gretsch, sending feedback-laced sound waves through the crowd, causing our bodies to literally vibrate. It was a nice, visceral touch on what seemed to me (on first listen, mind you) a fairly forgettable song.

At this point, someone from the audience yelled "Old Man!" Neil, sharp as ever, replies, "I know...64 and there's so much more," in his typical Canadian humor. This guy is just such a master that lines like these seem to just roll right through him.

For the last two songs of the regular set he brought back Old Black. First, he played "Cortez the Killer" and then "Cinnamon Girl." Like "Down by the River," both of these songs lacked the 20 minute guitar solos that peppered the versions of previous electric tours. Not that that's a bad thing. It was refreshing to hear versions of songs that I've never heard. Neil seemed to trust the natural artistic integrity of the sound of Old Black (which, in the days of digital, is wonderfully singular) rather than his own thrashing in communicating much of the ethos of the songs. Of course, letting the beast growl was especially neat to listen to in a small, intimate theater. It had the crisp, precise sound that was missing when I last saw him at Madison Square Garden.

Thanks Chris! Awesome job.

Also, see more concert reviews of Neil Young in Albany, NY, May 18, 2010 and Neil Young's "Twisted Road" Concert Tour Schedule and Reviews.

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Neil Young Concert Reviews - Albany, NY, May 18, 2010

"Walk With Me" - Thanks 8xMissOctober and BSM!

Setlist from Sugar Mountain. Thanks Tom!!!

2010-05-18
Palace Theatre, Albany, New York, USA
Solo

1. My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (acoustic guitar)
2. Tell Me Why (acoustic guitar)
3. Helpless (acoustic guitar)
4. You Never Call (acoustic guitar w/ pickup)
5. Peaceful Valley (acoustic guitar w/ pickup)
6. Love And War (acoustic guitar w/ pickup)
7. Down By The River (electric guitar - Old Black)
8. Hitchhiker (electric guitar - Old Black)
9. Ohio (electric guitar - white falcon)
10. Sign Of Love (electric guitar - white falcon)
11. Leia (upright piano)
12. After The Gold Rush (pump organ)
13. I Believe In You (grand piano)
14. Rumblin' (electric guitar - Old Black)
15. Cortez The Killer (electric guitar - Old Black)
16. Cinnamon Girl (electric guitar - Old Black)
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17. Walk With Me (
electric guitar - white falcon)
18. Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) (electric guitar - Old Black)

Tour: 2010 Twisted Road Tour
Band: Solo
Length: 98

From NEIL YOUNG @ THE PALACE THEATRE, 5/18/10 - You Review - Capital Region concert and performance reviews - timesunion.com - Albany NY by Michael Eck:

"It’s amazing how they’re all exactly the same,” he said late in his concert at The Palace Theatre on Tuesday night. “It’s the same song over and over again.”

“Well folks,” he said, before leaning into an unfamiliar rendition of the familiar “Cortez the Killer,” I don’t know where these songs come from. I think they come from you, but that’s me.”

Young was playing solo at the Palace, but it was far from an acoustic show.

As often as not he strapped on his faithful black Gibson Les Paul or the Gretsch White Falcon from his Buffalo Springfield days. And even when he did don an acoustic, it was often processed.

He also played songs on a trio of keyboards placed around the stage.

One of Young’s finest qualities is that he’s not afraid to fall on his own sword.

Thanks Dave M.!

Also, great review below in comments by Chris. Thanks Chris! Awesome review!

And -- hold on here -- entire concert is now streaming on Rust Radio!?! Thanks Roel and someone else....

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Twisted Road Tour Opens Tonight!

Neil Young will be performing tonight at The Palace Theater Albany, NY. Special guest Bert Jansch will open concert.

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

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates.

Also, see Neil Young's "Twisted Road" Concert Tour Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.

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Review and Contest - Long May You Run: The Illustrated History of Neil Young

A new book on Neil Young arrived a few weeks ago and we would like to share our impressions.

Long May You Run: The Illustrated History of Neil Young by veteran rock journalists Daniel Durchholz (Rolling Stone) and Gary Graff (New York Times) is -- without a doubt -- pretty much of an essential item for the Neil Young library.


Los Angles, CA - 11/4/76
Photo by Doug Allsop

The first impression one gets from leafing through the pages is the high quality of the printing and presentation by the publisher Voyageur Press. It's a coffee table type of book with 224 large pages, nice grade paper stock, and fine reproductions of photos and memorabilia.

It would seem that for even those Neil fans who've read everything from Jimmy McDonough's Shakey: A Neil Young Biography to the Neil Young Archives Journal book will find something new and eye catching in The Illustrated History.


Everybody's Rockin' - August, 1983

Young's long, storied career is lovingly assembled in this tome which covers five decades with accurate research and many never-before-seen photos. There are numerous photographs from the 1960s to the present, with concert posters, memorabilia and other assorted intriguing oddities and one-offs.

Also, there's an extensive discography, filmography, sideman listing, and many other resource indexes.

The book is organized into 8 chapters covering various segments of Neil's career, such as "Tired Eyes, 1972-1975" and "Freedom, 1988-1997". There are several other organizing themes which are put together quite nicely -- one of which we find to be particularly interesting surrounding Neil's focus on the "muse". The fact that the authors are able to recognize, distill, and capture this trait is noteworthy in that so much of what is written on Young often fails to coherently address this key distinguishing trait.


International Harvesters Tour, Costa Mesa, CA - 10/24/84
Photo by Robert Matheu

Another nice feature are the various sub-chapters on key events and themes. There's a nice little section titled "Cowgirls in the Sand" that details Young's music with Emmylou Harris, Nicolette Larson, Linda Ronstadt, Astrid Young and Pegi Young.

Other sub-chapters include "The Crazy Horse Story", "The Making of Ohio", and our favorite subject "Southern Man - Neil Young's Feud with Lynyrd Skynyrd".

Regular readers of Thrasher's Wheat have read about our analysis of Ronnie and Neil probably more than they ever care to. However, we are here to report that we found what has to be some of the most startlingly new information in the book. According to Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist) Ronnie Van Zant was actually buried in a "Tonight's The Night" t-shirt which Young had given to him prior to the band's fatal plane crash.

We have always been highly skeptical of the rumors that Van Zant was buried in a TTN t-shirt and it just seemed to be a myth to perpetuate a tragic legend. And maybe it still is just a myth but a mighty fine one indeed.


CSNY Tour, Oakland, CA - 7/13 or 14/74
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot

Which brings us to a criticism of the book, which is that it lacks footnotes, endnotes and other detailed documentation of such assertions as the TTN t-shirt legend.

Which is not to say that the book lacks factual integrity which it clearly does indicate it was written by authors with keen knowledge of Young's music. From an interview with author Daniel Durchholz in St. Louis Today BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON who asked what was the most challenging part of the book:

Durchholz: I think the main thing is we wanted to cram everything in there. There was so much material to deal with. What was cool about this is normally in my life as a freelancer, I'm writing about two or three different things every day. The ability to take a break from that and dive into one artist's catalog is a luxury, even when it's the rough parts, like his movies like "Journey Through the Past," which makes no sense whatsoever, or "Human Highway," a train wreck of a movie.

Being able to do that was really fun, but we still had to make sure we had all the bases covered, and that's a tall order.

Neil Young's got fans who are fans of every period he has done. He's got fans of just early Neil Young, just his acoustic music, and just the electric Neil. We wanted to pay attention to all of that.

Nevertheless, the book will certainly hold a lot of surprises and revelations for the more casual fan. In fact this is the type of book you hand someone who says "I just don't get Neil Young".


Ragged Glory Tour, Los Angeles, CA - 4/26/91
Photo by Robert Matheu

In the book's introduction authors Durchholz and Graff capture the essence of Neil Young and his music:

But what's certain is that almost no other popular musician--of Young's vintage or before or since--is as fascinating and fun to track. He's on a marathon of unpredictable terrain that seems far from over as of this writing. The story is ongoing, and it's still a great one to tell.

That tantalizing little morsel only serves to whet the appetite for what is about to unfold in the long run yet to come.

To view more page samples, see Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History on Amazon.com.

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CONTEST: Win a free copy of Long May You Run: The Illustrated History of Neil Young

Thanks to the publisher Voyageur Press, we are pleased to be able to announce that we have five (5) copies to give away in a contest.

To enter the contest for a free copy of Long May You Run: The Illustrated History of Neil Young, you must correctly provide the answer to following question: What albums comprise Neil Young's "Ditch Trilogy"?

As a bonus tie breaker, answer to following question: What is the specific derivation of the phrase "Ditch Trilogy"?

Entries must be emailed to: thrasher@thrasherswheat.org with SUBJECT line: Contest - Long May You Run: The Illustrated History of Neil Young

Include name, postal mailing address with country.

Voyageur Press and Thrasher's Wheat have agreed that winners will be selected from the entire planet earth including Canada, Europe, and countries other than the U.S.A. (CLARIFICATION: That last rule was not intended to mean that USA entries are ineligible. USA entries are eligible.)

Deadline: June 10, 2010

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Comment of the Moment: Time Fades Away as "The Greatest Lost Album"

Neil Young
Soundcheck - St. Petersburg, FL, February 1973
Photo by Joel Bernstein

The Neil Young Comment of the Moment is on Time Fades Away being called by Uncut Magazine "The Greatest Lost Album" by BigChief:

To resolve the T.F.A. dilemma, as Neil's first four albums were re-mastered and re-released in vinyl and C.D., wouldn't it be a timely decision at this point to release the 'Ditch Trilogy' in like manner?

It could be packaged in a triple L.P,C.D. box set titled 'The Ditch Trilogy' respectively. Include the original liner notes and all, right down to the glitter that was included in the first pressings of T.T.N. These recordings demand to be owned as a set together, like a chapter in a novel, to fully appreciate and understand their place in Neils body of work.

I highly doubt that it will happen, but wouldn't it be great if there were footage of the T.F.A. concerts included in the Archives Vol.2? Now that just might help to change my mind about an otherwise less than stellar recording. How about some video to accompany the T.T.N. era? Thats whats really missing here. We are fortunate to have the audio from these performances, however, this was an era prior to Neil having cameras documenting his every move as he did later in his career.

It seems there is very little footage prior to 1976, except for the Harvest stuff which I am grateful for.I know I'm getting a little off track here, but I was really disappointed when I found that the 'Vol#1 Archives' didn't include any live footage of Whitten era Crazy Horse! Something to think about, however, is the fact that with all of the information that is so readily available today via internet and such has inadvertantly over exposed Neil to his fans to the point that he has sacrificed a great deal of his mystique.

Neil has been an artist who obviously has been aware that when you talk about 'mystique', you no longer have it. Dylan had it as did Lennon to a degree, however, Neil built his entire career around it and he knew how to make it work for him. The 'lonely, stoner hippy' personna that characterized his image was the result of his fans perception of him based more on the lyrics of his songs than the reality of who he really is. Although he claims that he never even tried heroin, I know of people whom to this day believe he's a junky based on misinterpretation of the 'drug' lyrics of certain songs. "I love you baby can I have some more"? as if the addict in question is knocking on Neils cellar door for some more dope.

I've seen the needle and the damage done and believe me, no artist could possibly be as creative and enjoy the longevity and success of a career in anything as Neil has while enslaved to hard drugs ( see Curt Cobain).

Thanks Big Chief!

More on Time Fades Away being called by Uncut Magazine "The Greatest Lost Album".

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