This Neil’s on Fire: A Classic Cut Reborn

Neil Young, Garth Hudson and The Sadies
Photo by Kevin James

Since last month's release of Canadian Celebration of the Band, there's been a lot of buzz around the cover track "This Wheel's on Fire" with Neil Young and The Sadies. (Listen to sample tracks on Amazon.com.)

From The Star | This Neil’s on Fire: A classic cut reborn by Greg Quill:

“They had intended to record it with acoustic instruments,” Producer Peter J. Moore says. “And Neil was supposed to record his bit four months earlier, but performance schedules and a sore throat kept pushing it back.”

“There’s a knock at the door, and Larry Cragg, Neil’s guitar technician, is standing there, asking how he can get ‘the rig’ into the studio,” Moore says.

Young’s guitar rig — a famously mystical contraption made up of a battered, modified vintage Fender amplifier boosted by several custom-made sound-processing devices, distortion effects and a number of reverb plates, linked together and gaffer-taped to an assembly that rests in a huge black box — can’t be turned sideways, for fear of displacing loose but vital objects, Moore was told.

“So we had about six guys lift it over the driveway fence and into the backyard, where it was unpacked, and the rig was rolled into the studio’s piano room through patio doors that had to be removed.”

“Then Neil left, and went back into the piano room where his amp was, and closed the door. I could hear him practicing scales in there with the piano, warming up his voice . . . then things got very quiet.”

“Suddenly, the piano room door flew open, and without a word, Neil rushed into the studio, picked up his guitar and whacked out this enormous chord. He was going for it.”

“That was a killer take. Luckily the recorder was still running.”

Part fury, part ecstasy, “This Wheel’s On Fire” by The Sadies, Hudson and Young is a defining event on A Canadian Celebration of The Band, a three-minute explosion that captures all six musicians at their best, and delivers a heart-stopping wallop. It sounds extemporaneous, immediate, too big for the room – it’s as good as rock ‘n’ roll gets.

For more on sessions, see The Star | This Neil’s on Fire: A classic cut reborn.

Canadian Celebration of the Band
(Click to Zoom Cover)


Also, for complete track listing, sample tracks, and more, see Amazon.com: Canadian Celebration of the Band.

(fyi - orders will Help Support Thrasher's Wheat. Thanks!)

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Comment of the Moment: Neil Young's Le Noise Grammy Nomination

Illustration by Tim O'Brien - Rolling Stone Magazine

Yesterday, came word that Neil Young's Le Noise received 3 Grammy nominations.

The news was not entirely unsurprising given the reviews which verged on over the top, ecstatic raves which we did find somewhat amusing. We went into this a bit in our Le Noise review at the time about how critics now we're falling all over themselves for Le Noise today, when they could not even barely listen to the "Be The Change" Trilogy of Greendale, Living With War, and Fork in the Road upon their initial release.

While so many have come around on the "Be The Change" Trilogy, even to this day, many are still quite dismissive of Neil Young's early 21st century works.

All of which brings us to our Comment of the Moment on Review: Neil Young's "Le Noise" by Dan1:

I keep listening to the album and it keeps getting better and better ... I'm already blown away by the one-two punch of [other's] analysis, so what's left to say?

After a bunch of spins the album feels very cohesive, like one long production weaving a narrative with multiple threads - one that accutely describes the times, another the evolution of American History and another detailing Neil's 40+ year journey of being a musical artist, activist, rock star, and family man ... the sonics reverberate, recoil, return, and echo ... just as the themes of the album, expressed through the music and songs, come in and out -- Walk with Me opens and Neil's sitting alone in an old mansion, continuing his long journey, shreddin notes all by himself because he's lost so many friends along the way, and because of it he expresses his vulnerabilities and fears, and perhaps some sadness:

'If you just walk with me and let me walk with you
I'm on this journey I don't wanna walk alone'

Is he talking to Pegi, his hard core fans, the muse? All of the above?

Sign of Love returns to the theme of longevity and the realization that the journey won't last forever:

'When we both have silver hair,
And a little less time,
But there still are roses on the vine'

But the essence of the song is optimistic and loving ...

Someone's gonna rescue you goes quickly to a dark place:

'Somewhere in the ray of sunshine
you find the dark'

'Someone's gonna rescue you
Before you fall'

But the song takes the album outside of Neil and his inner world ... the song expresses the angst of the times, the uncertainty, the fear of falling away, and Neil's there in the song suggesting that all is not lost cause 'someone's gonna rescue you' but his encouragement might be enough to hold on a little longer but doesn't arouse much more comfort

In Love and War, Neil ties the subject of Love and War back to his beginnings ('I sang songs about War from the back streets of Toronto') ... here he his in the autumn of his 40+ year career and we're back in two wars and Neil's alone singing about the scrouge of war ('Daddy won't ever come home') and now Neil's inner fears and vulnerabilities are mixed in with those of a society mixed up in war and death .. the songs is now both about Neil and society returning to the same themes, nothing's changed, all the hope of the 60s and the activism long gone, all the fellow activists burned out and long gone, and Neil's alone on his stool, acoustic guitar in hand harping on the same old ills and nothing's changed (I guess 'singing a song won't change the world') ... he contrasts that with breaking the heart of his lover, a destruction of sorts within his inner world, and the inner world and outer world again swirling together, the same self destruction, society and the individual,

'I made a mistake and I did it again
And we struggled to recover
Then I sang in anger hit another bad cord'

again and again, the sonics and the self destructiveness, society and the individual ...

Then Angry World, which I agree feels like the nexus of the album ... the American dream lost ... a future that feels bleak-

'Some see life as a broken promise
Some see life as an endless fight'

Everybody struggling and getting nowhere, the promise of materialism and self indulgence imploding ... everybody is angry about where we've come to as a country ...

But Neil's not seeing the negativity, standing outside of it all he insists that 'everything is gonna be alright' and somehow he - and especially the reverb sonics, capture the uneasy mood of in the land - but this time Neil's reassurance is more convincing

Then Hitchhiker, takes us through his personal inner journey through rock and roll, his struggles and fears, high and low points, all the while never quite on solid and ground ... he's a hitchiker, dependant on others, vulnerable, he's broke ('didn't have the cash'), he's searching for meaning in all the wrong places, he get's to California which seems so hopeful but fame with BS and the anxiety eventually leads him to paranoia and to escape the scene, he finds personal pain and anguish ... but in the end he makes it through in one piece and where it really counts -- family -- he's together with his wonderful kids and faithful wife ... he's really not alone -- the journey ends on a high note

Then comes Peaceful Valley, a song I've come to love so deeply, I can say its as good as any song I've heard him play on an acoustic guitar ... he re-tells the history of the settling of America ... the song is as pessimistic as any I've heard him write ... he laments the destruction of mother nature and the centuries of its exploitation that have taken us to this place in history ... Here's Neil again, alone on a stool, decades later, the activist still singing about environmental destruction ... the activists of yester year are no longer, but Neil's still singing about it ... he's somehow made it through and he still cares deeply and he's lamenting the political inaction, the cars idling, the same environmental destruction now painted over a 300 year canvas, its the history of America, the battle between man and mother earth and nothing has really changes only Neil's no longer the lanky 25 year old with long hair, he's an old man now on a stool, alone, the activist, the same sins war and environmental destruction reverberating ...

And then Rumblin' - Neil feels the rumblin... it can't keep going like this ... we're at a breaking point ... even the one whose made it through realizes we're on the wrong path ... everyone feels it, everyone feels the angst of our times ... but Neil's back to reassure:

'I can feel the weather changing
I can feel it all around'

And he closes the album asking himself how can he give back ... the true activist, he's no longer the singer looking from outside in, now he's the singer looking inside out, part of this society, a man with courage, conviction, strength, whose outlasted them all, whose shown integrity and thoughtfulness throughout, has used his station in life to speak out about what's wrong and help those who are needy, he's ruminating on the ills and the angst and he's wondering what can he do to give back and make the world a better place ... how to help us out of this slump ...

alas the album ends on a high note, albeit, a restless one -- the weather's changin (for the better) and Neil's not giving up

Dan

Thanks Dan! Totally excellent and spot on!


Le Noise by Neil Young
(Click to Zoom Cover)
Release Date: September 28, 2010

Also, see Review: Neil Young's "Le Noise".

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3 Grammy Nominations for Neil Young

Jenice Heo, Neil Young, and Gary Burden
2009 Grammy Award for Best Boxset Design
Photo by Matt Sayles/Associated Press

Neil Young has received 3 Grammy nominations: one for Best Rock Album (Le Noise) and two for “Angry World,” for Best Rock Song and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.

Last year, Neil Young won his first-ever Grammy Award for the Archives Box. After approximately a dozen or more nominations (he did not receive his first Grammy nomination until 1989, for the video for “This Note’s For You”), next year may be Neil's first Grammy for actual music.

Now we have to admit that we've been a bit cynical about Grammy Awards in the past. Year after year after year, we've have blogged on the injustice of the Grammy Awards handed out by industry elites, so none of any of this should come as a surprise to anyone.


Jonathan Demme, Peggy Young, Neil Young
48th Annual Grammy Awards - 8 Feb 2006
Getty Images Entertainment photo by Stephen Shugerman


"Angry World" by Neil Young

Also, see Neil Young News: Reflections on Grammy Weekend.

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Neil Young Tribute at Carnegie Hall: Patti Smith, The Roots, Cowboy Junkies, Bettye LaVette, & others

A tribute to the music of Neil Young will be held at Carnegie Hall, New York City on February 10th, 2011.

Presented by Michael Dorf, entrepreneur and impresario, the tribute will feature 20 artists benefiting music & arts programs for underprivileged youth. Confirmed so far, include: Patti Smith, The Roots, Cowboy Junkies, Bettye LaVette, Aimee Mann, Shawn Colvin, Bebel Gilberto, Keller Williams, Joan Osborne, Mason Jennings, J Mascis, Pete Yorn, DeVotchKa, Joe Purdy and featuring Larry Cambell in the house band.

100% of the net proceeds from this event to benefit: Fixing Instruments for Kids in Schools, Church Street School for Music & Art, The Pinwheel Project, Music Unites, The American Symphony Orchestra and Young Audiences New York.

For more info, see The Music of Neil Young at Carnegie Hall.

UPDATE:
As previously reported, Larry Campbell will lead the house band at The Music of Neil Young benefit show held at New York’s Carnegie Hall on February 10.

The night before the Carnegie Hall benefit, Larry Campbell and his band will present The Music of Neil Young, Live Rehearsal show at New York’s City Winery. Campbell will work through a variety of Young’s songs with the help of several featured Carnegie Hall performers. City Winery owner Michael Dorf is the driving force behind The Music of Neil Young benefit show.

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Neil Young to Headline The Concert for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

The Concert for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital will feature Neil Young on Wednesday, December 8, at the Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom will open the show, which is being underwritten by the Salesforce.com Foundation.

“This is sure to be an unforgettable evening, and we’re so very grateful to the Salesforce.com Foundation and Neil Young for their incredible support of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital,” said Mark Laret, CEO, UCSF Medical Center. “UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital is recognized as one of the leading children’s hospitals in the world, largely due to the ongoing support of our community.”

Funds raised through ticket sales will go toward building a new home for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, one of the nation’s best children’s medical facilities. Located at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus near downtown San Francisco, the new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital at Mission Bay will be part of a 289-bed integrated hospital complex for children, women and cancer patients. Upon completion in 2014, the 183-bed children’s hospital will set a new world-class standard for patient- and family-centered health care, safety, sustainability and translational medicine.

“The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital is a vital resource for the entire Bay Area community,” said Suzanne DiBianca, executive director, Salesforce.com Foundation. “We are honored to have Neil Young inspire us and others to join in the effort to advance health care for the youngest patients in our community and throughout the world.”

A two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, co-founder of Farm Aid and co-organizer of the Bay Area’s beloved Bridge School Benefit concerts, the prolific Young is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of his generation. He has created a musical catalog that includes more than 30 albums that represent only a portion of his work, ranging from genre-defining country rock and gentle folk to blues and rockabilly. An awe-inspiring live performer, Young shines as both a solo artist and a collaborator in some of the most legendary bands in rock and folk music, including Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and Pearl Jam.

Tickets are available at http://www.theconcertforucsfbch.com.

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Photo: Crazy Horse @ MusiCares Honors Neil Young 1/29/10

Crazy Horse
Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot & Frank Sampedro
MusiCares Honors Neil Young - Los Angeles, CA - 1/29/10
Photo by Joni Milken-Noah

A wonderful shot of Crazy Horse's Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot & Frank Sampedro at MusiCares Honors Neil Young - Los Angeles, CA - 1/29/10 by Joni Milken-Noah | Facebook.

Thanks Joni!

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Willie Nelson Nobel Peace Prize Campaign: Update

Willie Nelson - Patriot
Art by Jeff Nichol

Some have recently asked whether Willie Nelson's arrest last week would put an end to hopes for a Nobel Peace Prize for Willie Nelson campaign.

And we say no, last week's events will not de-rail the effort. On the contrary, we have seen a significant surge in interest and support of Willie.

Furthermore, as just a historical reminder, Nobel winner Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested and jailed multiple time during the civil rights struggles in the 1960's. Nelson Mandela served 27 years in prison for his South Africa anti-apartheid activities.

In reaction to Willie's arrest and the ensuing outrage, there has also been the formation of a National Teapot Party. The Facebook page already has over 15,000 members since forming this weekend.

When millions of gallons of oil and can be released in the Gulf of Mexico without a single arrest being made or the wealthy elite members of international financial cartels which can grift, swindle and destroy life savings with impunity, then it is no wonder that many are speaking out at the miscarriage of justice and treatment of an American icon and national treasure over a "victim-less crime".




Willie Nelson's work on sustainable agriculture, alternative fuels, and world peace initiatives deserve a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Thanks everybody for liking Willie Nelson for Nobel Peace Prize page on Facebook!

So if you haven't already, "LIKE" Willie today!

"I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?"
~~ Willie Nelson

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UPDATE:

Willie Nelson Fans Launch Nobel Peace Prize Campaign » News » Willie Nelson

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Eleven bands, One Neil Young Night: Austin, TX, 12/3/10

Eleven bands, one Neil Young Night | Facebook

This Friday, December 3 at The Parish, Austin, TX, The Midgetmen present a night of their favorite bands playing the songs of Neil Young.

The bands:

01:30 - Smoke & Feathers
01:00 - La Snacks
12:30 - The Gary
12:00 - The Midgetmen
11:30 - Sour Notes
11:00 - The Pons
10:30 - Whiskey Priest
10:00 - When In Rome (members of East Cameron Folkcore/Oh No Oh My/The Bread/Burgess Meredith/Mike and The Moonpies)
09:30 - Through The Trees
09:00 - Blue Kabuki
08:30 - Distant Seconds

Albums that are definitely represented in the current song list include:

After The Gold Rush, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Freedom, Harvest, Harvest Moon, Life, Mirrorball, On The Beach, Ragged Glory, Rust Never Sleeps, Tonight's The Night, and Zuma

For more details, see Eleven bands, one Neil Young Night | Facebook.

Thanks Marc!

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UPDATE:
From bigwesternflavor: Tonight's the Night:

This NY night isn't just a device to give established listeners a reason to come see the band again. It's also another step in the Midgetmen's continuing effort to get themselves and some of their favorite other Austin bands attention from area music fans who might not normally pay attention to any of them, or local music in general. The lineup, and the venue, have been worked out carefully to appeal to both younger fans who are followers of the Austin scene and older listeners who will be attending due to their devotion to Neil Young. 'It was originally going to be four or five bands,' Marc explains, but after rounding up some of the more obvious choices 'we decided to reach out to really weird bands.

Not obvious bar rock, bands that no one would expect to cover Neil Young.' Of the eleven-strong roster, the bands that have me most curious to hear their Young interpretations are The Sour Notes, La Snacks, and The Distant Seconds... younger bands who are two or three degrees of influence removed from Neil and could take his songs in unexpected directions. When in Rome are an all-star collection of hardened vets who have formed especially for this show. 'Trey from The Gary insisted on being involved because he loves 'Powderfinger,'' Marc says. (Well, that answers Dave's question.)

For the Midgetmen, the experience of learning their songs for the show was enlightening. Music lovers for generations have marveled at Neil Young's ability to create songs that are unmistakably his own using the simplest chord changes imaginable, 'the four chords that have been used forever' in Marc's words. 'It will be interesting to find out from the other bands whether they've had the same experience. Having to learn a few Neil Young songs forced everyone in the band to learn how those things translate.'

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Thank You for Supporting Thrasher's Wheat

We would just like to take a moment to express our deep appreciation to all of those of you who have supported Thrasher's Wheat over the past few days -- as well as, those of you who have supported us over the years.

In response to our semi-irregular begging fund-raising effort we also received some nice notes from our beloved readership. And -- as we are fond of saying in these tough times -- it is your words which really keep us going with our little Neil Young blog thing.

Words, such as these, by the oh-so delightfully handled ShittyHorse:

Thrasher, what you provide to us Neil Fanatics is truly invaluable.

I visit other "Neil Sites", and Thrasher's Wheat is by far my favorite, not to diminish others, just my personal preference. You've created a strong community here, where Neil fans can talk everything Neil- from news and events to albums, songs, concerts, personal experiences and feelings, band members and other musicians, but most of all you give us a place to gather, to show our numbers, and be with others who truly understand why Neil's music touches us in such a profound and meaningful way.

I think it's safe to say that we all, even the most critical fans, appreciate the hard work and dedication that you and Thrashette put into this site. Times are tough, which is why your site and others like it become more and more important- it provides a much needed escape at times, entertainment, information and always puts a smile on my face. Even Neil Young himself has recognized the importance of Thrasher's Wheat.

You are part of Neil history and, in turn, Rock n' Roll History.

From here on I'd say any definitive book written on Neil's life and career would be lacking if missing a Thrasher's Wheat reference- you've been a liaison between the fans and the man himself. What you do is important and appreciated. Never loose heart.

I've made a large purchase this morning on Amazon through this site, as I always try to do, which I hope helps out. Of course it is a small thing, but if all your readers did this same, one small thing I'm sure it would help out a lot.

Again, thank you for your hard work, and devotion, not only to Neil but also his fans.

Happy Holidays to you and Thrashette!

Thanks SH! And Happy Holidays to you as well. We appreciate your kind words of support. Always and sincerely.

And thanks again to all of you who support what we do here at Thrasher's Wheat ... separating the wheat from the chaff so that you don't have to... ;)

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