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or YOUR COUNTRY's FLAG. Thank you!!!)
An unofficial news blog for Neil Young fans from Thrasher's Wheat with concert and album updates, reviews, analysis, and other Rock & Roll ramblings. Separating the wheat from the chaff since 1996.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/17/2011 11:11:00 PM
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The author of an upcoming book on Neil Young is looking for memorabilia from fans for use in the book.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/17/2011 10:14:00 PM
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by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/16/2011 02:16:00 PM
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by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/16/2011 07:26:00 AM
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The area covered by Arctic sea ice reached its lowest point this week since the start of satellite observations in 1972, German researchers announced on Saturday….
“This is a new historic minimum,” said Georg Heygster, head of the Physical Analysis of Remote Sensing Images unit at the University of Bremen.
The Arctic death spiral continues. We are reaching the climax of the Arctic sea ice melt season.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/16/2011 04:58:00 AM
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Neil Young fans are a uniquely passionate breed of people. They're genuinely devoted to the elder statesman of rock' n' roll, often obsessive about his catalogue, and they've been known to take things like sound quality and volume very seriously.
Jonathan Demme, recalls a run-in with one such fan when he was promoting 'Neil Young Trunk Show,' his previous film with the singer.
"We had a premier in New York and about 20 minutes into it, there was a voice in the audience that was just like 'Turn up the volume! Turn up the volume!' again and again. He never stopped railing. The audience was shushing him and the management came to me and said, 'Should we throw this guy out?' And I was like, 'I don't think so because he's right. It should be louder. I wish he'd shut up, but he's not wrong.' Then we did a Q&A and the guy got up and said 'This is an outrage! Neil Young himself would be horrified if he could hear the volume level tonight!'"
Inebriated sound junkie in New York notwithstanding, though, the Young faithful are usually a very happy bunch when it comes to Demme's Neil Young concert films: 2006's 'Heart of Gold,' 2009's 'Trunk Show' and the brand new 'Journeys.' The filmmaker knows exactly what the fanatics want and how to give it to them, because he's one himself.
"I am such a Neil Young geek/nerd/crazed fan myself and the people I team up with are all obsessive Neil fans. I think we want to make sure -- and we know -- that we're at the heart of the matter and we don't really risk too much criticism from the Neilsters."
Demme even remembers the exact moment that he first heard Young's music. It was a life-changing experience for him.
"First Buffalo Springfield record. It was like suddenly our continent had our own Beatles. We had great bands, we had Love from L.A., we had Jefferson Airplane, we had the Grateful Dead, we had the Byrds, all of these wonderful bands. But Buffalo Springfield, and Neil's songs in particular, took it to a whole other level," he says.
"I almost feel like, had Neil Young not done 'Broken Arrow,' would John Lennon have done 'A Day in the Life'? It was an instant passion for me, his music, and it's never abated. Album by album. Year after year. Film after film."
"It's the third piece we've done together and I guess the physics of threes, certainly in film or in books, you become an instant trilogy whether you like it or not. And if you've joked a little bit because you want to do another one after you've done, then you're stuck with the whole trilogy thing. But this is a stand-alone piece and I hope that we will turn it into a quadrilogy as soon as possible."
"I would love to collaborate with Neil on a film that didn't have any music. I'd love to produce a film he directed. I think he's such a brilliant guy. His creativity never gets turned off, and the idea of being anywhere with him and some cameras just thrills me to death."
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/15/2011 05:29:00 PM
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by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/14/2011 08:37:00 PM
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TORONTO (AP) — Neil Young's latest concert film is so up close and personal it leaves the audience viewing the rocker through his own spit.
"Neil Young Journeys" premiered Monday night at the Toronto International Film Festival. Afterward, Young joked with the audience that a tiny camera mounted on his microphone for the concerts "scared the hell out of me."
The camera was so close that it caught a glob of the singer's spittle, creating a blotch on the lens that gives the footage a bit of a psychedelic tinge.
Director Jonathan Demme told the audience he decided to include that sequence in the film, quipping that it was like a "hundred-thousand-dollar special effect."
TORONTO - Neil Young received multiple standing ovations as his new concert film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, but after the screening he reminisced on a time when the city was considerably less friendly to him.
Young was born in Toronto and spent much of his early life in Ontario before moving to Winnipeg. He returned in the mid-60s as a fledgling folk musician, and found a frigid reception.
"You know, I was a complete failure," Young said during a Q-and-A session following the screening of "Neil Young Journeys," after claiming that he originally wound up in Toronto because his car broke down.
"We just tried and tried, but we couldn't get work here. I got some really terrible reviews."
"But I knew I was good. I was just in the wrong place."
He was in the right place Monday, as an adoring audience packed the Princess of Wales Theatre to watch his latest collaboration with Jonathan Demme, the Academy Award-winning director of "Silence of the Lambs" and "Rachel Getting Married."
Anecdotes about pet chickens and youthful misdemeanors will only prove compelling for the most avid fans, but the genial scenes make a relevant backdrop for the introspective, backward-looking material in the set list.
Stage footage is almost evenly split between songs from 2010's Le Noise and older favorites, highlights of which include a lacerating "Ohio" and piercing "Hey Hey, My My." Young's distinctive voice is almost startlingly clear, the instrumental sound strong and well mixed.
Young performs on a smartly decorated stage, with crinkled backdrops evoking stained glass, a wooden Indian standing beside an organ, and a couple of acoustic pianos to alternate with Young's guitars. There's nothing in the production concept as bold as, say, Demme's Stop Making Sense, though the director shoots two songs with a camera affixed below the microphone -- let's call it the GrizzleCam -- that offers an extreme close-up of Young's whiskers and, during "Hitchhiker," is obscured by a large drop of his spit.
One of the questions we asked when we were making the film is: Will we be able to deliver the visceral element of the sound?" Demme said.
To help deliver that impact, Young insisted on presenting the doc with a level of sound quality never before seen in the film world. While sound for movies is usually 48 kHz, Young insisted on 96 kHz. With the help of TIFF and his friends at Meyers speakers, the notoriously meticulous singer was able to install a soundsystem at the Princess of Wales Theatre that would support his vision.
"This is the first time a movie has ever been seen with that sound system," Demme announced.
Continuing with the "I Am A Child" theme, one of Neil's ex-classmates from Grade 4 at an elementary school in Toronto was selected to speak during the Q&A
session. Mary Ellen B. introduced herself and Neil's face immediately lit up. He recognized her name right away. He said that Mary Ellen was his "first girlfriend." I had interviewed Mary Ellen for "A Shakey Education" and she had called me earlier in the day to let me know that she planned to attend. (We were able to meet face to face -- for the first time! -- after the screening.)
Neil relayed an amusing story about winning a prize at a game at a community fair. He thought he had won a beautiful piece of jewellery. He had a bit of a crush on Mary Ellen so he decided to present her with a token of his affection. He went to her house but she wasn't there. He gave the gift to Mary Ellen's mother with instructions to give it to Mary Ellen. It turned out that the "golden necklace" was really a fancy dog collar choker chain. It was crafted in a chain-link fashion with little golden medallians hanging from it. Mary Ellen didn't have the heart to tell Neil that his lovely gift ended up on the neck of their pet boxer.
Neil is admittedly in great form here, but the star of the movie is definitely director Jonathan Demme.
Only one filmmaker has ever been able to capture live performance as brilliantly as Demme - Martin Scorsese. But not even Marty has delivered as MANY great live performance documentaries as Demme. Will anyone ever forget their first screening of The Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense? This was truly one of the most exciting and visually gorgeous concert films imaginable (save, perhaps, for Scorsese's The Last Waltz). Demme managed to outdo even himself with the astounding Swimming To Cambodia wherein he captured the genius of the late Spaulding Gray delivering one of his outstanding monologues.
Demme's crowning glory, however, must surely be the trilogy of Our Lord's concert films Neil Young Heart of Gold, Neil Young Trunk Show and now Neil Young Life.
The best of the three is still Heart of Gold - it had the most clearly defined aesthetic approach of the three films, but there are plenty stunning moments in Life; a heartbreaking "Down By the River", numerous great renderings of material off His "Le Noise" album and finally, a truly powerful sequence in honour of those slain during the Kent State Massacre.
The sequence begins with Neil driving around his old hometown of Omemee and admitting that the only time he listens to music these days is when he is driving in cars - this statement leads into the sweetest cut imaginable as Neil launches into one of the most soulful renderings of "Ohio" I have ever experienced. Neil is in exquisite form here - his passion and intensity is pitched so acutely that one could close one's eyes and just listen and be forced to open them to allow a flood of tears to pour out.
What pushes us over the top emotionally during this sequence is the beautifully edited newsreel footage of the Kent State Massacre, a roll call of those innocent young people murdered by the National Guard and finally, a collage of the victims' photos accompanied by their dates of birth and death - all the more gut wrenching as the photographs reveal such brightness and promise in the eyes of those who were slaughtered like pigs by their own government - and for no reason.
If this were the only sequence worth watching in the film, then the entire picture would still be worth seeing. In fact, while Neil Young Life - as a film - falls a bit short of Heart of Gold, the Kent State sequence renders some of the entire trilogy's greatest moments.
"I wanted to be able to pull the viewer into the narratives of Neil's songs, to really be there onstage," Demme told Rolling Stone the day after the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. "Performance films can try their hardest to compete with a live performance — which we can't — but we can go in close and we can get a more emotional version of what he's doing."
For Journeys – the first movie ever to be recorded at 96 kHz (twice the sound data) – director of photography Declan Quinn employed six human-operated cameras and five icon cameras ("the size of a cigarette box") to capture this one-man show. The concerts were the last stop on Young's tour for 2010's Le Noise album, produced by Daniel Lanois. The tiny cameras were also attached to an organ and a piano for "After The Gold Rush" and lilting new song "Leia," so that the shot is through those instruments pointed at Young.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/13/2011 10:15:00 AM
22 comments
When Young walked onto the stage, it was as if the ACC roof was going to give way, with the crowd bursting into thunderous ovation.
Mike McCready ran side stage and handed his guitar to Neil, who came out during the extended solo section, and Neil joined the guys by bouncing around and throwing lead licks off every corner of the building. McCready ran and snagged another guitar so he could re-join the fun, and fun it was – ear-to-ear smiles from everyone in the room, including all PJ members.
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/12/2011 08:02:00 PM
10 comments
The Harvest Full Moon rises over the horizon illuminating the landscape with a soft glow and long shadows. It is enough light to bring in the crops, night fish, mountain bike or play beach volleyball into the wee hours. The Harvest Moon casts a surreal light upon whatever it touches. We find our selves navigating a dream world with clarity and an adeptness that is not unlike our participation in a lucid dream. There is a fine line between the two and this comes into focus as we experience the energy of this Full Moon in Pisces where deep, dark and flowing waters carry us out into unfamiliar territory. It is silent. Our every thought is exaggerated in the stillness, eventually rising up in surround sound to remind us there is something that we haven’t paid attention to.
Dylan LeBlanc- "Harvest Moon" [COVER]
Some instructions for best viewing (also from NASA): "Keep an eye on the Moon as it creeps above the eastern skyline. The golden orb may appear strangely inflated. This is the Moon illusion at work. For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, a low-hanging Moon appears much wider than it really is. A Harvest Moon inflated by the moon illusion is simply gorgeous."
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/12/2011 05:33:00 PM
2 comments
It was -- without a shred of doubt whatsoever -- Neil Young's finest hour...ever. On September 21, 2001, just days after the 9-11 terror attack on the United States, Neil Young performed John Lennon's "Imagine" on the worldwide broadcast musical benefit telethon "America: A Tribute to Heroes". Simulcast live from London, New York and Los Angeles on the four major TV networks, international networks and globally streaming via the Internet, the program was seen by an estimated 89 million viewers and netted roughly $230 million in donations.
For many, Young's performance was emotionally wrenching and heart felt. Surrounded by burning candles, performing on a grand piano and accompanied by a small orchestra of violins, Young's rendition of Lennon's "Imagine" spoke to many of us who were suffering from the terrible tragedies in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Notably, Young changed the lyrics from "imagine no possessions, to "I wonder if *I* can". (thanks Marilyn)
Those in the studio that night, reported that Young appeared to be on the verge of tears upon completing the song. Pulse Magazine wrote that Young's performance of "Imagine" on the Benefit telecast was "one of those moments you never forget."
From an interview (Pulse Magazine, April 2002) with Neil Young in which he was asked about "Imagine" and the night of "A Tribute to Heroes":
Neil Young: Well, first of all, I guess it was the night before that we first practiced it. So we ran through it about 10 times, until finally it started to gel and we knew what we were doing. We used the original charts from the original record, and did everything we could to do justice to the original version--we weren't trying to do anything other than that. Just trying to make it like John Lennon, basically. It was just such a great song for the moment. Pegi, my wife, got an email from a friend of hers after the 11th with the words to "Imagine" on it. And it was at the same time as I was trying to figure out what to play, because we only had two-and-a-half, three days' notice to do the show. And that seemed to be a good sign to me. So we went ahead and got the lyrics, the ones I couldn't remember, and I just learned it, practiced it, and when we did it that night everything just came together. And obviously, those are the nuts and bolts, but the real emotional part ... Well, it's just so obvious why it was the way it was. That's one of the things about being a musician or a singer or a songwriter--when these things come up, it's a chance to do your job, to do what you do and have it really be what it's supposed to be.Sadly -- and ironically -- the song "Imagine was banned from most American radio stations by Clear Channel Communications following the attacks on 9/11.
Neil Young: Obviously, watching the whole thing unfold on television, I'm doing what everybody else is doing. Then I heard the wife of one of the passengers --Lisa Beamer--talking about the phone call that her husband made to the operator, and the operator relaying that he said "Let's roll." And she was talking about how he always used to say that with the kids when they'd go out and do something, that it's what he said a lot when he had a job to do. And it's just so poignant, and there's no more of a legendary, heroic act than what those people did. With no promise of martyrdom, no promise of any reward anywhere for this, other than just knowing that you did the right thing. And not even having a chance to think about it or plan it or do anything--just a gut reaction that was heroic and ultimately cost them all their lives. What more can you say? It was just so obvious that somebody had to write something or do something. I think it's a legendary story that's gonna go down through the ages--it'll never be forgotten. So I was very surprised that I didn't hear any songs. And I'm thinking, "I can hear this song in my head, nobody else has written it when I thought everybody was gonna write it." So I just wrote it. I couldn't stop it anymore.
As Neil Young alluded in “Rockin’ In The Free World,” to some, America is Satan. That notion rankles. All the same, resolving to no longer participate in “wars of choice” and to not be so ravenous with the world’s resources can only improve America’s image. Therefore, it’s a good time to realize that our feelings of pride, joy and love of country are not best displayed in gatherings that seem like boisterous frat parties. Along with our joy, there should be moments of reverence as we again honor the courageous actions of those who died saving others on 9-11: the first responders in New York City and the brave passengers of Flight 93. Their faith, courage and selfless bearing reflected the qualities free people hold dear. In the long run, America’s new-found exhilaration can make the greatest impact as we celebrate the stirrings of democracy in the Mideast, the region where the now-vanquished terrorist first conjured his deadly games. He [OBL] can no longer exploit those he claimed to be his people. Let us look forward to the day that they too are rockin’ in the free world.
From "Imagine": 2001 to Today by Greg "A Friend Of Yours":
Call me a "dreamer", but I have faith that the truth of the song "Imagine" will come to pass, not through the efforts of any wolf in sheep's clothing secular or non-secular world organization, but by the earth itself, by Life protecting Itself, and by Creation being true to It's eternal promise. Another conversation, I know, but that's my faith. In the meantime, songs and performances like this, and the fact that "I'm not the only one", help to sustain me.
From John Lennon's "Imagine", 9/11 and Neil by Angela:
It's a perfect message for all the world and all peoples. It is pro-spiritualism...beyond religious confinements. Freedom = love, truth and beauty. A vision of an ultimate utopian idea of where we should be striving for.
Neil Young News: "Imagine": 2001 to Today by SH:
I remember watching this live then and it blew me away-the fact that Neil wanted to contribute by performing and instead of using the platform to play one of his own compositions he played Imagine- perhaps the MOST appropriate of songs for the occasion, at a time when we were being inundated with little American flag stickers and cries of bloodshed in the name of patriotism. Not to open a can of worms but in the weeks and months following 9-11 it seemed even the most staunch of Doves became blood thirsty Hawks (myself included). We were pissed man- and with good reason. This was a terrible tragedy for the people, but I believe our sorrow, anger and confusion was taken advantage of (my opinion). Imagine receiving radio air-play did not go along with the required post-911 mindset, but I think this performance was a simple gesture reminding us to not lose sight of that idyllic promised land that is always within reach- if we want it.
namaste
ps - What's so funny about peace, love, & understanding anyways?
by thrasher@PermaLink: 9/11/2011 12:11:00 AM
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