Discipline and Restraint: The Genius of Neil Young

Neil Young
Sarah McLachlan Foundation Concert, Vancouver 9/12/09
Photo by Darryl Dyck

The Comment of the Moment is from Elton John's "Unforgettable Moments" with Neil Young by BIGCHIEF:

The genius of Neil Young is discipline and restraint.

With Neil, the whole package beginning with his songwriting, his vocals, and whatever instrument he chooses to express himself, is 'hardwired' directly to his soul. Although his vocal technique would no doubt make a professional trainers eye twitch, any attempt to polish it would surely be at the expense of that raw, honest, emotion-drenched expression of feelings that evokes similar emotions from the listener with an intensity far greater than most singers who merely recite lyrics.

With Rap Music as a possible exception, the success of a song isn't measured by how many words you can fit into a given verse. The same can be said as far as how many notes can one fit into a guitar solo. By Neil's own admission, he never claimed to be one who blistered the fretboard of a guitar. If anything, he's more likely to be known more for his 'one note solo' as heard in the classic stomper 'Cinnamon Girl'.

Once again, his ability to exercise restraint further proved his successful formula that 'less is more'. This same successful formula is not unique to his vocals and guitar playing but extends to his piano playing abilities as well as in his signature harmonica playing style. On whatever instrument he may choose to accompany a particular song, The method that is typical in the structure of the majority of Neil's records is restraint. Whatever it takes to compliment the song. No 'one' instrument should overwhelm, dominate, or become the focal point of the song.

Thanks, as always, BIGCHIEF!

More on the genius of Neil Young.

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"Four Strong Winds": Neil Young & Willie Nelson @ Farm Aid 1995 on YouTube

"Four Strong Winds" written by Ian Tyson and performed by Neil Young & Willie Nelson at Farm Aid in 1995 on YouTube.

Thanks RustedTelevision!

And, just a reminder on the Nobel Peace Prize for Willie Nelson campaign for his work on sustainable agriculture, alternative fuels, and world peace initiatives.




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

Willie Nelson - Patriot
Art by Jeff Nichol

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

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The Neil Young Tribute, Live and on YouTube

Here's a quite amusing entry into The Music of Neil Young You Tube Contest. It's by Suktankawin of “Hitchhiker” from Le Noise and using model horses on a little ranch. Pretty cool. (More on the making of video at Little Shakey's Production Disaster | Rockin’ In A Small World).

A tribute to the music of Neil Young will be held at Carnegie Hall, New York City on February 10th, 2011. As we reported last year, tribute artists include: Patti Smith, The Roots, Cowboy Junkies, Bettye LaVette, & others.

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.



In addition, a contest has been announced -- Rockin' in the YouTube World: The Music of Neil Young You Tube Contest :

"Tonight's the Night to show your musical talents.

Do you Dance Dance Dance when you hear a Neil Young tune? Is Rockin' in the Free World not just a song, but your personal mantra? Do you believe that Rock and Roll is Here to Stay?

Want to see all your favorite Neil Young songs brought to life at one huge tribute event, and stick around for the after-party with some other very special VIP guests?

For the ultimate Neil Young fan who has spent years mastering Heart of Gold, this is your moment.

Create an original Neil Young Tribute video and upload your video to our YouTube Channel HERE of you performing/playing/interpreting an original Neil Young song.

We will assess all valid entries and the individual whose entry we decide is most creative and entertaining will win two VIP tickets to the Neil Young tribute concert at Carnegie Hall (www.neilyoungcarnegie.com) on February 10th, 2011 in New York City, and then party it up at the VIP after-party at City Winery in Soho (www.citywinery.com).

Full contest details at City Winery.

Some interesting entries:

Then there’s this animated, synth pop version of “Cinnamon Girl” by LewTeller. But there are also some straight covers very well done, like this cover of “Sugar Mountain” sung by Randy Haddock, a Brooklyn singer near Sugar Mountain in North Carolina. And this cover of “Don’t Let You Down” by Quermann1 is almost eerie. Quermann1 is actually Olaf Lange, from Ruggen, Germany, a gardener in the cover band Forever Young.

Keep on YouTube'n in free the World!

Entries can be viewed here: YouTube - CityWineryNYC's Channel:

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.

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.

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Elton John's "Unforgettable Moments" with Neil Young

Elton John
Rolling Stone - February 2011

Elton John on the cover of the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone Magazine with some thoughts on "unforgettable moments" including first meeting with Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Elton John: There’s nothing like when your heroes rubber-stamp what you’re doing. In 1970, Neil Young came to my apartment and played the whole After the Gold Rush album on my piano until three in the morning.

How are you ever going to forget that?

Thanks Harold at National Bob Dylan | Examiner.com!

Also, see Elton John Performs for Neil Young as MusiCares Person Of The Year.


Elton John and Neil Young
1973 - Backstage at Roxy Theater before Neil's performance

More on Elton John & Neil Young.

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Egypt: Rockin' In The Free World

Revolution in Tahrir Square
Cairo, Egypt - February 1, 2011

Once again, people are in the streets and rockin' in the free world.

We're seeing a lot of tweets on the Egyptian revolution referencing the immortal lyrics of Neil Young.


Twitter / @RepStones
More RITFW Tweets - "neil young" #egypt - Twitter Search

Just weeks ago, on New Years Day, we posted on Freedom in a New Year and traced the song "Rockin' In The Free World" as a soundtrack for revolution. Little did we realize how prescient the post would become.


Freedom (1989) by Neil Young -
"The rock and roll coda of the Cold War"

Neil Young's album Freedom -- which was released in 1989 just as the Berlin Wall fell -- has been called "the rock and roll coda of the Cold War".

The album contains the song "Rockin' In The Free World" and is one of Young's most popular, important and prophetic songs of his vast catalog.

The song has become an iconic anthem and it's status continues to rise as more and more artists cover the song. Young's lyrics are considered to be an indictment of the politics of the 1980's. In today's post-9/11 world, the lyrics seem prophetic and even more meaningful than when originally written on the eve of the '90's as the Berlin Wall fell.

Twenty years on, the song "Rockin' In The Free World" has become a set closer for bands,as well as, a coda for an era.


"There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue"

Pearl Jam covers "Rockin' in the Free World"
Final Philadelphia Spectrum Concert - 10/31/2009

In 2009, Pearl Jam concluded their tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum with "Rockin' in the Free World" amidst an avalanche of balloons and confetti to commemorate the final concert at the historic venue before it's demolition.


"We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man"
Freedom: Berlin Wall, Germany - 1989

There are those who have argued that "Rockin' in the Free World" espouses anti-freedom ideals, to which we have taken serious issue with in the past.


"We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand"
Freedom: Tiananmen Square, China - 1989

Yet the song is often misunderstood and attacked on false interpretations and misplaced understandings. Witness some of the near violent comments that have been left on this blog over the years in reaction to some of our previous postings on the song's lyrical analysis (see comments here and here.)


"But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forget it, any way I can."
Freedom: Kent State University, Ohio - 1970

As always, we live in dangerous times where those who stand for freedom are often accused of treason and worse. Such times are now and the struggle for freedom -- even among those who feel they are actually free -- is more paramount than ever. The right to live and speak freely is an inalienably human right that can never be assumed nor taken for granted.


Freedom: Sunset Strip, Los Angeles, CA - November 1966

So, for what it's worth...

From a Comment of the Moment on our New Year's Day post on Freedom in a New Year by Greg "A Friend Of Yours":

Like so many of Neil’s songs, RITFW can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.

For me a few things stand out, but as an overall picture James Lane’s comment comes very close to summarizing the song: "The tune warns us of the complacency of our own lives and the lack of empathy we express for people who are not blessed with the benefits and cushy lifestyle the majority of Americans enjoy. The song is a musical signpost telling us not to lose sight of the problems our society and its less fortunate members face. It is a song of insight attempting to awaken us to the reality of a culture seen on a wider screen…”

As Gil Scott Heron once said in 1970, "The revolution will not be televised". Today he might say it will be blogged, streamed, tweeted, shared and liked.

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Neil's Nephews: Indie-Rock's Brightest Young Acolytes

Vetiver

Over the years, we've attempted to chronicle Neil Young's vast influence on other bands and entire genres. Eddie Vedder at times has referred to Young as "Uncle Neil" and himself as a "nephew".

Now comes another variation on Neil's influence on Indie-Rock. From Rocks Off | Neil's Nephews: Indie-Rock's Brightest Young Acolytes by Allison Wagoner:

Neil Young has spawned many children in the indie/folk-rock community, many of whom have directly constructed their style based on the Canadian humanitarian's more acoustic oeurve rather than the ragged-glory feedback cues that goosed grunge gods like Pearl Jam a generation ago.

The blog goes onto document Neil Young's influence on indie-rockers such as The Fleet Foxes, J. Tillman, Castanets, Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band, Vetiver and A.A. Bondy.

More from Rocks Off.

Also, see Neil Young's influences on other bands.

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Greendale News: Unprecedented Temperatures in North Atlantic

Despite today's earlier Winterlong Alert, climate patterns continue to trend along the lines of Sun Green's earlier projections.

It seems as if whenever we point out the established scientific evidence of the obvious, we inevitably hear howls of protest.

So here's some of the latest data from the indispensable Climate Progress | Temperatures of North Atlantic “are unprecedented over the past 2000 years and are presumably linked to the Arctic amplification of global warming”:

This astonishing warming in the past century is clearly not, as the anti-science crowd likes to say, some sort of recovery from the so-called Little Ice Age (see “A detailed look at the Little Ice Age“), which, in any case, is barely noticeable in this data.   The lead author, Robert Spielhagen of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences said, “Such a warming of the Atlantic water in the Fram Strait is significantly different from all climate variations in the last 2,000 years.”  The fact is, over 90% of human-caused warming is going into the oceans — and it is melting ice whereever it goes (see “Deep ocean heat is rapidly melting Antarctic ice“).

More on The Inconvenient Truth of Greendale.

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Winterlong ... Again

Neil Young - Boston circa 1971
Photo by Elliot Blinder on SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE
Well, it seems to be "Winterlong" time.

Stay warm!



Neil Young & Crazy Horse Live At The Filmore East in 1970.

WINTERLONG

I waited for you, Winterlong
You seem to be where I belong.
It's all illusion anyway.

If things should ever turn out wrong
And all the love we have is gone,
It won't be easy on that day.

Waiting to follow
Through the dreamlight of your way
Is not so easy for me now.

Half the time has passed away
Things we thought of yesterday
Come back now, come back now.

Waiting to follow
Through the dreamlight of your way
Is not so easy for me now.

Half the time has passed away
Things we thought of yesterday
Come back now, come back now.

I waited for you Winterlong
You seem to be where I belong.

Thanks Tom over on The Reelife Blog!

You know, sometimes it's NOT "all illusion anyway." Sometimes it is actually REAL... sooner or later...


Painting by Eric Johnson
Whether illusion or not, Here Comes "The Big Shift". Be ready for disclosure and transparency. Free will and personal sovereignty will prevail on the other side...

peace & love

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Neil Young To Induct at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

Neil Young Inducting The Pretenders
2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony
Neil Young, along with Elton John, Paul Simon, Bette Midler and John Legend will be among the presenters at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 26th annual induction ceremony Monday, March 14, at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

The incoming Hall of Famers include Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Darlene Love, Tom Waits and Leon Russell.

Our bet? Neil Young will induct Tom Waits.

This marks at least Neil Young's fifth sixth time as an inductor of a Hall of Famer:

• The Everly Brothers in 1986
• Woody Guthrie in 1988 (Thanks Greg M!)
• Jimi Hendrix in 1992
• Paul McCartney in 1999
• The Pretenders 2005

Paul McCartney inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Neil Young - March 1999


Everly Brothers and Neil Young - 1988

On January 15, 1992, Neil Young inducted Jimi Hendrix into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In his induction speech for Jimi, Neil said:

Young: Guitar -- you can play it or transcend it. Jimi showed me that. He was at one with his instrument. I just looked at it, heard it, and felt it and wanted to do it.

Hendrix threw a Molotov cocktail onto rock & roll."

Later that night, Young would pay tribute to Hendrix's guitar legacy by performing "Purple Haze" with Keith Richards.


Jimi Hendrix (and Neil Young)

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“Harvest Moon” - Saturday Night Live, December 5th, 1992

Neil Young - Harvest Moon - Live - SNL - New York


Neil Young performing “Harvest Moon” on Saturday Night Live on December 5th, 1992.

Neil Young's 1992 "Harvest Moon" is the followup to his most commercially successful album "Harvest" - some 20 years later.

"Harvest Moon" was recorded with many of the same original musicians who appeared on "Harvest", such as Ben Keith, on pedal steel guitar, and Linda Rondstadt and James Taylor on backing vocals. The intentional sequel nature of "Harvest Moon" created high expectations which for the most part were fulfilled. The album was accompanied with music videos and extensive interviews. All indicators of both the record label Reprise's support and even the normally reticent Young himself.

On a Canadian radio interview, Young demurred that 'Harvest Moon' was a sequel to 'Harvest':

"The whole idea of following up the 'Harvest' album is something that's contrived more from the standpoint of record companies, and mostly questions. You know, people see the correlation between the two, and it's kind of a plus to be able to refer back 20 years and see the same people and do that. But the thrust of the albums is different, even though the subject matter is similar, so I tend to shy away more from comparisons between them - they're reference points for one another.

I mean, people who have never heard of 'Harvest' may really like Harvest Moon and
may end up referring back to 'Harvest' because of all this conversation about how the two of them go together..."

More on the critical reaction to Harvest Moon (reviews).

And, harvest moon miracles can happen, as we've seen before.


But there's a full moon risin'
Let's go dancin' in the light
We know where the music's playin'
Let's go out and feel the night.

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Songfacts Interview with Pegi Young

Pegi & Neil Young
Farm Aid 2009 Concert - St. Louis, Missouri, 10/4/09:

An enlightening interview with Pegi Young on Songfacts by Carl Wiser.

Pegi discusses a range of topics including the losses in 2010, her songwriting craft, and working with her husband.

Songfacts: When you have a couple that both do the same thing, it's always been a very interesting dynamic for me. Because some people can do that. They can run a bed and breakfast together and they're happy as clams. But if I did the same thing as my wife, we would kill each other. So I'm wondering how it is that you can do the same profession and not drive each other crazy.

Pegi Young: Well, that's an interesting question, I guess. We didn't always do the same profession. I mean, for many years I put away music and focused on raising our kids and starting the Bridge School and keeping the home scene going. And then when I started touring with him, I get treated pretty much like any other band member. He certainly doesn't cut me any more slack than anybody else. If he wants to hear something a certain way, he's the clear boss, leader of the band.

When we got together, I was playing and writing. And we would just sit around and play some stuff from time to time just for fun. But it wasn't in front of people. It wasn't professional. It was just sitting around in our living room. It's just never been a problem. He is very clear about what he hears in his music and how he wants it to sound, and I am, too. So when he comes and sits in with us in the studio, he becomes one of the band members.

Complete interview on Songfacts. Thanks Carl!

More on Pegi Young's recent tour with Bert Jansch.

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MTV Video of the Year (1989) Award: Neil Young "This Notes For You"

Earlier this month, we posted on the MTV interview with Neil Young by Kurt Loder in 1990 which referenced the infamous "This Notes For You" video.

So here's a YouTube clip of Neil Young winning the MTV Video of the Year in 1989.

After banning 'This Notes For You' video, MTV turns the other cheek and awards Neil with a Video of the Year honor. Presenters include Daryl Hannah, Chevy Chase & Tim Martin. And that's Arsenio Hall at the end.

Thanks RustedTelevision! Good stuff. namaste

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