Neil Young News: A Day At The Gallery: Shakey Pictures Americana Film Debut

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

A Day At The Gallery: Shakey Pictures Americana Film Debut

An astonishing, unprecedented and amazing 40 minute film titled "Americana - A Day At The Gallery" has just been posted on neilyoung.com.

See Bernard Shakey in all of his ragged black & white glory.

Bring popcorn.

Credits:
"A Day At The Gallery"
Directed By Bernard Shakey
Original Music by Neil Young and Crazy Horse - from the album "Americana"
Recorded and engineered at Audio Casa Blanca by John Hanlon with John Hausmann and Jeff Pinn
Mixed by John Hanlon at Redwood Digital's Analog Mixing Room
Additional Music from the motion picture "The General" (1927)
Art by Shepard Fairey
Camera by Ben Johnson
Guest Appearances: Eric Johnson, Hannah Johnson, Marcy Gensic

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84 Comments:

At 5/30/2012 04:27:00 PM, Anonymous said...: A- FREAKIN- A-MAZING!!!!
At 5/30/2012 05:03:00 PM, Thos said...: Oh my word!

No-one else rolls out albums like Neil Young!

The man's a genius!

Thos
At 5/30/2012 05:06:00 PM, Anonymous said...: happy to be alive in the days of Neil. Pure artistic love to share with us. Thanks Neil, you make living better!
At 5/30/2012 06:21:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Neil always amazes. Hey! I wonder if the gal with Neil in the short film is his daughter Amber?
At 5/30/2012 06:26:00 PM, Luc said...: H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. The slapstick elements, the black around the eyes, the spray, textboxes...
Where does he gets the idea ??
Where are all those critics now ?
At 5/30/2012 06:37:00 PM, SONY said...: The nearly non-silent film, A very cool ensemble and presentation. When your outta the blue and into the black (and white).

Maybe Bernard Shakey needs an alias, I suggest Art Form.

When contemplating Neils work of late, remember, he's giving love away for free here. Everybodys saying that music is love. Ya know it is.

and by the way, which one's Peg?
At 5/30/2012 07:17:00 PM, SONY said...: beg pardon, that was Art Forum on the suggestion. Stray typo there.
At 5/30/2012 07:25:00 PM, Phill said...: Ha! Neil's a crazy dude. I wanna be like Neil when I'm a little bit older...

Love the face make up.
At 5/30/2012 09:08:00 PM, The Zuma Band said...: hahahahaha!

"I don't know for the life of me where he comes up with that stuff!"

-Grandpa
At 5/30/2012 09:12:00 PM, Jack said...: Beats the hell outta The Artist.
At 5/30/2012 10:22:00 PM, duck said...: Not bad, the music goes well with the movie, or vice versa?
At 5/30/2012 11:34:00 PM, woodrow said...: Ya just gotta love Ole' Shakey Chaplin in a poncho!
At 5/30/2012 11:42:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Astonishing and unprecedented? You're joking, right? Even if he put a little effort into it it would still be sublime at best. Goes to show what money can buy these days when you're not on the golf course or shining your star singing words --words between the line of ages. Sorry, but Art has been nothing except a hound dog for this guy. Iits 40 minutes of self indulgence sort of like hearing the wife ask at 55, I think I wanna make an album, can I borrow your band, mate?
At 5/31/2012 12:04:00 AM, Anonymous said...: This Land is your land and Travel On (Gotta Travel On) should have been on Ragged Glory.
At 5/31/2012 03:49:00 AM, Mr Henry said...: Let it rain
Let it pour
Let it rain
A whole lot more

RIP Doc Watson
At 5/31/2012 05:27:00 AM, Dirty Young Man said...: I love it how much more political the album gets by the images, especially this land is your land (a land surrounded by barbed wire...)
At 5/31/2012 05:31:00 AM, Phill said...: Wow Anonymous! Sour grapes perhaps? All done in a bit of fun.
At 5/31/2012 07:30:00 AM, Babbo B. said...: Fun stuff - a little disappointed we didn't get to see the Fairey paintings for "Jesus' Chariot" or "Wayfarin' Stranger," but all in due time I suppose. BTW, Anon #3, Neil's assistant is played by Hannah Johnson, the late LA's daughter.
At 5/31/2012 09:24:00 AM, Old Black said...: Ha Ha Ha

It struck me that with the old B&W "shakey" pictures and the old-time make-up, Neil looks like a cross between Frankenstein's Monster (as portrayed by Karloff) and Rayman Massey.
At 5/31/2012 09:36:00 AM, Matthew L. said...: Ha ha ha!! This is beautiful. What a fun, creative way to showcase Fairey's paintings, while keeping in the context of Americana with the silent film motif.

The dialogue is hilarious, too, and I love the Shakey Pictures title cards.

Neil's makeup is great, check out those wacky circles around his eyes. And whoever the actress with him is overplays the uptight assistant role like perfectly stiff, overblown caricature.

Neil always has some fun way of going above and beyond. He applies some kind of creative flourish to everything he does. What a beautiful artist.

Thank you, Neil, for a fun 40 minutes.
At 5/31/2012 10:04:00 AM, Unknown said...: It's a great nostalgic piece of art.Hat's off!
At 5/31/2012 10:30:00 AM, MARIAN M. said...: Thrasher:

This is absolutely delightful!

Sure hope this will be available on DVD!!!!!!

Still waiting for Americana (June 5) and Neil Young and Jonathan Demme (June 8),

Marian M.
At 5/31/2012 11:28:00 AM, Mr Henry said...: Just watched the retirement announcement from the Neil Young of hockey. "I take a lot of pride in how hard I work" said Nicklas Lidstrom in a perfect hello and goodbye. See the link below for Nick, Mats and Peter when the world was a little younger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yphUl_FTSA
At 5/31/2012 11:35:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Mr Henry:

Neil is the Gordie Howe of music. Western Canadian boy who went on to fame and fortune for decades and decades with little or no concern for what anyone thinks.
At 5/31/2012 12:24:00 PM, Mr Henry said...: That's a good one...thanks! I'm looking at the picture on TW home page of Neil with Clapton and Dylan, and with the video clip I posted in mind, maybe I can take this sports link a bit further: I'm thinking Sundin is Clapton and of course Forsberg is Dylan.

Makes we remember the Eddie Vedder speech scene in the movie Walk Hard: "...and of course Neil Young is the wise prophet Ezekiel".
At 5/31/2012 12:25:00 PM, Thrasher Wheat said...: "Neil is the Gordie Howe of music. "

Great analogy Mr H! Guess that's much better than being the Marty McSorley of music. ;)

"You're cool and cred like Fogerty
I'm Elvis Presley in the 70s You're Chateauneuf, I'm Yellow Label
You're the buffet, I'm just the table

I'm a Ford Temple, you're a Maserati You're The Great One, I'm Marty McSorley
You're the Concord, I'm economy
I make the dough, but you get the glory."

~~ Kathleen Edwards
At 5/31/2012 12:40:00 PM, wiebo said...: I sprayed my coffee over the keyboard at the text: "You're a cheap fuck"

Don't ever change, Neil :)
At 5/31/2012 12:54:00 PM, Greg Mantho said...: We're in a state of mourning here in Detroit over Nick's retirement. I'm old enough to remember Gordie (once saw him grab Keith Magnuson by the front of his jersey, and lift him off the ice with his skates dangling), saw Nick grace the ice for twenty years, and have been a Neil fan for most of all that time, too. Pretty good company, any way you look at it.

A Friend Of Yours
At 5/31/2012 01:31:00 PM, Jill said...: SONY, I think you had it right the first time, Neil`s an `Art Form` in his own right!

Wow, Neil just keeps on pulling these surprises on us, the man`s a creative genius with a wonderful sense of humour, as if we didn`t know that already. And who would have dreamed we`d ever see him wearing heavy black eye make-up?!

I love the way this whole thing is fitting together, the music, the old video footage, the Fairey pictures and now this short film, all telling the story. This album is turning out to be so much more than I`d imagined it would be, I have to say. Joyful, sad, upbeat and funny, nostalgic, it`s all there. I wasn`t going to listen to any of it in advance, but who can resist Neil? Even GSQ is growing on me now!
At 5/31/2012 02:45:00 PM, Arthur said...: "Just say 'WHOA"!- Nancy Reagan
At 5/31/2012 02:48:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Not so amazing and not even creative unless you think it takes creativity to cross a spaghetti western with an old silent film. Is that post-syphilitic Renaldo mourning Clara or a cross between Josie Wales and Lon Chaney from his opera days?

There's one born every minute or enough to fuel a guy's one hit career into an enterprise.

Art for suckers.
At 5/31/2012 02:57:00 PM, MARIAN M. said...: Thrasher:

Please allow me to share that the New York City 92Y event has been changed to Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM.

There was no telephone call or E-mail to announce this.

My source is the 92Y website. Also, I called Customer Service to make sure that our tickets are still good.

They told me to show up a day earlier and to just use the same ticket.

Another change is that they're now giong to show the entire Neil Young Journeys film (instead of an excerpt as previously announced).

Since this is now schuedled for one day earlier, I didn't want anyone to miss out on this great event.

Still waiting....

Marian M.
At 5/31/2012 03:32:00 PM, Thrasher Wheat said...: Thanks Marian. We'll try and post something on that as well. We don't anyone missing out either.
At 5/31/2012 03:35:00 PM, Thrasher Wheat said...: @Anonymous 5/31/2012 02:48:00:
"Art for suckers."

we guess that you didn't get it. too bad..
At 5/31/2012 03:52:00 PM, Mr Henry said...: And you would be a fan of whom, Anon? It's nice to draw some comparisons when voicing your opinion, but of course always much easier not to and just slag away and keep it cute. Or would you prefer others not try to pull the same nonsense with your heroes? I wonder....

You must have been real fun in some of your classes at school!
At 5/31/2012 04:21:00 PM, Jonathan said...: ah yes - another anonymous toolbag takes the time to arrogantly put down the great Neil Young. Thanks for the laugh though...
At 5/31/2012 05:23:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Mr. H. Don't waste any more precious time on Earth on someone who describes Neil as a one hit career. Even a Kings/Devils final is more worthy of my attention. Now, those back-to-back Pens/Wings years was good hockey.
At 5/31/2012 05:34:00 PM, La Johnson said...: Mid July Blue Ray version with 11 videos & bonus material is released - so why release the cd 4 weeks earlier?

It's Neil having a laugh there is no political message here!
At 5/31/2012 10:15:00 PM, asg said...: I really LIKE the children's choir on GOD SAVE THE QUEEN...
At 5/31/2012 10:59:00 PM, Dan1 said...: Love it, totally love it!
At 5/31/2012 11:19:00 PM, Dan1 said...: Mariane M.,

Thanks!
I wasn't able to go until this date change and just bought tickets here:

http://www.92y.org/Uptown/Event/Neil-Young-with-Jonathan-Demme.aspx

Best,
Dan
At 6/01/2012 12:12:00 AM, Arthur said...: NY&CH shoulda covered this one:

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson
Down the mighty Mississip'

We took a little bacon
And we took a little beans
And we went to fight the BRITISH
In the town of New Orleans

We fired our guns
The BRITISH kept a comin'
There weren't quite as many
As there was a while ago

We fired once more and they
Began a runnin'
Down the Mississippi
To the Gulf of Mexico!

...or is this too pretentious?

CHEERS!
At 6/01/2012 12:30:00 AM, Anonymous said...: What a pretentious piece of crap is this video and album. Poor Neil's monstrous ego has finally completely devoured his judgement. Neil owes an apology to Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. Will they get an apology? Nah. No from this egomaniac.
At 6/01/2012 12:52:00 AM, Arthur said...: Eel pie is pretentious....
At 6/01/2012 03:18:00 AM, peter d. said...: @sony (and all anon's)

Let's not call it 'art'. Let's call it 'Neil'. That way everyone probably will be satisfied...

This movie is not 'art' with a big 'A'. Just like Waging Heavy Peace is not 'literature' aiming at the Nobel prize. Just like Americana is not the best crafted song cycle in history.
Neil is not a very good actor. In fact, he is a bad actor. Just like he is a 'bad' guitar player (yes, in every meaning of the word...).
Just like Neil's music is not very 'good' in terms of playing the right notes at the right time in the right order.

What makes most people mad is they don't understand it's not meant to be great. It's not meant to make you feel in awe of some genius. Neil is NO genius. He's just Neil and tries to stay Neil.

The only thing that makes him stand out is that he is capable of being himself and do what he wants to do all his life. Not being bothered by fans, critics, anon's, hell, not even by us.
So, it's just that capacity that I am in awe of. Just being yourself, and let it all out. Not holding back. Not being ashamed. Just do it. Be.

That's not art - so you can't put him or his work down on that level, you just got it all wrong if you do so - it's LIFE. Neil's work breathes LIFE to me.
Life worth living. He has his life, I have mine.

'There's a world you're living in...
No one else has your part.'
At 6/01/2012 07:18:00 AM, no one said...: So, if I understand your argument correctly, Neil is not very talented and not very bright, so he is therefore immune to criticism?
At 6/01/2012 08:10:00 AM, peter d. said...: @no one
You use your words, I used mine. They obviously are not the same words and do have different meanings.

If you wanna kill someone's life, go ahead. You can do that, but don't be surprised if you're gonna hurt your own at the same time. You'll probably notice in the long run. Or maybe never.

I know you don't know what I'm talking about, so I can already hear your criticism. Go ahead, and try to have some fun with it.
At 6/01/2012 08:19:00 AM, dean farinha said...: Okay... Videos, concerts, The Volt, The Bridge School, Writing, etc...etc... Neil has twenty five years on me and I'm tired thinking of how much he works. lol He has never slowed down. I have so much respect for you, my friend.
At 6/01/2012 08:23:00 AM, SONY said...: I rememebr the finger paintings of my children hanging on the frigerator door. We called that Art too. Big A. Beauty and the beholder. Does it have to be aimed at someone else's prize requirements to earn any staus of the definition?

yeah it's Neil, no doubt about that. But it's expression, and expression to me is Art. Wasn't that the art gallery they were in??

Whatever.
At 6/01/2012 09:55:00 AM, Dan1 said...: Peter D,
Interesting perspective. I appreciate the aspect in Neil that you're praising. There's a story out there about when Dylan first met Lennon and Lennon was telling Dylan how much he loved Dylan's songs and Dylan was talking about his lyrics and trying to get Lennon to comment on them and Lennon responded that he just loved the whole thing it made him feel great he wasnt interested in all the other deep analysis ... thats how I feel about Neil ... his music makes me feel great, it moves me, the americana video was a joy, it made me happy, for me Neil's guitar is amazing, i guess 'technical experts or critics' can opine about whether he's good or bad, ditto on his voice, ditto on CH's capability ... for me it all misses the point. Yes I do love him for his independent streak, but only because when he follows his muse almost always it moves me in a positive way. Once in a while it doesn't like FITR. For those who aren't moved by Neil or his work or angry or hateful about his artistic decisions I a) feel sorry for them, sincerely, and b) wonder why they'd want to hang out here at TW where folks congregate to share and discuss the joy of Neil's work.
At 6/01/2012 09:58:00 AM, Anonymous said...: p fork review:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16684-americana/

i have to agree with their overall assessment. most people have these song hard wired into their brains. i dig the sound of the horse, but i have to wonder why this matters. i think this album will have all the staying power of "living with war", and will ultimately just leave us wanting a real neil young and crazy horse album. hopefully neil and the boys have another good one in them, but time's getting short.
At 6/01/2012 10:23:00 AM, Matthew L. said...: Of course it's art. Whether it appeals to you or not is one thing, but I think it's disingenuous to deny that this is art.

Jackson Pollock flung paint at a canvas, and that was called art. People revere it, and philosophize about it at length, and call it art.

Art takes many forms, and uses many mediums and versatile methods.

Some people might not find this fun little movie to be to their liking; beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some may also decide that they don't think it's creative, or that it's self-indulgent. That doesn't make it not art. There's lots of self-indulgent art out there.

Personally, I think this film is a wonderful, creative way of showcasing the songs from Americana, as well as the paintings. Delivering it in a motif reflective of an earlier time - the silent film representing "Americana". Very few people take the release of an album to the next level, and it seems that Neil's been at the forefront of this kind of delivery for a few years now, with the videos and Blu Ray releases, and this is just an extension of that.

He's trying to give us more than just the songs (which are good enough as a stand-alone product), to make the whole thing a more multidimensional media experience, likely to fill the artistic void left by the unfortunate, slow demise of the album cover and elaborate packaging of yesteryear, and return the delivery of music itself to something less disposable and lacking than what we're given in today's oversaturated and somewhat shallow digital world.
At 6/01/2012 10:33:00 AM, SONY said...: didn't somebody say there's more to the picture than meets the eye?
At 6/01/2012 11:03:00 AM, Darth Malt said...: This is precious - ole Bernard just makes me smile! I'm heading up into the Arctic in a couple of weeks for the Midnight Sun Film Festival - where live orchestra accompanied silent classics are an annual staple - and I just know I'll be in the back row grinning and thinking how The Horse would just blow the roof off the tent! People who take the time to get up on a soap box to wave their finger and proclaim "People! This is Not Art" are seriously missing the point and need to get out more.
At 6/01/2012 11:25:00 AM, Matthew L. said...: @ Peter d... I really appreciate your comments, you have a way with turning the deprecation in on itself.

I would have to disagree, though. Neil IS a genius. And this IS art. I don't know if that's fact or opinion, but anyway, it's what I feel.

Of course, "great" is also in the eye of the beholder. If you see it as great, then it's great to you. Or to me, perhaps, more appropriately.

I absolutely concur with your assessment of Neil as an expression of himself. He is unbridled, untroubled by opinion or fad, and is, through his artistic expressions, the truest, most awesome expression of himself. And that, I agree, is what makes him "great".

Dan1 also said something about the general feeling that listening to and/or watching Neil gives him. Often this is the most overlooked aspect of art appreciation. I agree with Dan as well. Neil almost always elevates my mood, brings a smile to my face, and warms my soul. I feel as though I can identify so positively with his creative spirit. He has such an unabashed and gleeful, benign, affirmative way about him. I throw on some Neil Young and it brightens my day, and that in itself could be enough if there weren't a million other reasons that I dig him as well.
At 6/01/2012 11:45:00 AM, peter d. said...: @ matthew, @dan1, @sony:

I know and feel all of that what you all said and more. I love Neil. I love all of his work. Hell, I even love ER and play two songs of it for half of my life already.

I know Neil is a genius, but I just think he's not a genius like he's way above us. He's a genius at being himself in all possible ways and at all times, and against the pressure that comes with his position. In my perception, that's a lot harder than being a genius...

Furthermore, I don't think Neil is trying to be a genius, or making Art. He creates what he wants. He gives it his life, he brings it to life. And then it's just there and that's OK to him. He wanted it, he made it.

It's like that great comment on Bruce vs. Neil: "Neil makes you think he's really no better than you to begin with."

Neil's not a star. He's a man. It's just, he is SO bloody much himself that he's really, really great.
And we can be too...

That being said, and I could go on at length about it, I probably could have made the point I was trying to make a lot easier and shorter by changing Sony's suggestion a bit:
Let's not call Neil 'Art', let's call 'Art' Neil...
At 6/01/2012 11:55:00 AM, Thrasher Wheat said...: @ matthew, @dan1, @sony @peter d.:

"Let's not call Neil 'Art', let's call 'Art' Neil..."

exactly. Lots of great comments here. thnx folks.

On the LN tour we posted a review about how Neil has transcended being simply just a musician and how he had evolved into a performance artist. He's creating a new art form in and of itself by combining music, painting, film, writing and more into something wonderfully new and fun and exciting.

See Expecting to See Neil Young (or Man Without A Net).
At 6/01/2012 01:25:00 PM, dean farinha said...: It has everyone talking. Isn't that what "Art" is all about?
At 6/01/2012 04:00:00 PM, Arthur said...: "Love Art Blues"

Boy, do I got 'em!
At 6/01/2012 04:36:00 PM, Arthur said...: "LOVE ART BLUES"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmY4fNaXXgc&feature=related
At 6/01/2012 06:06:00 PM, Daddy Mike said...: Got the cd today. Yes 4 days ahead of release. It is great, I keep hearing the songs in my head over and over. I great album thru and thru. Long live Neil and music he chooses to do!!!
At 6/01/2012 06:24:00 PM, dean farinha said...: Someone likes Daddy Mike. My notice says the 24th of next month! I have to listen online... for now.
At 6/01/2012 08:30:00 PM, no one said...: The guy who lives next door to me works at a paper mill. For the last fifteen years he's worked the same schedule- eight days on one shift, a day off, eight days on second shift, a day off, eight days on third shift. Every six weeks his day off falls on a Friday and he gets a three day weekend. On his days off he mows the lawn and does his laundry. He's a very nice guy, unfailingly polite. He loves his dog.

Please, if nothing else, spare the talk about how hard Neil Young works. Nothing this extremely rich and worshipped man does bears any relation to work as most of the world sees it.

As to the criticism that most of you seem to dislike so intensely, I think there are two ways of relating to the gods. One group forgives or ignores their failings because, after all, they are gods. The other group holds them to far higher standards than we mere mortals because , after all, they are gods.

There seems to be room for both camps here, but the worshippers should maybe dial it down a notch. Or not - there's a certain perverse entertainment value in seeing the Matthews of the world get all fiery and self righteous. Americana is great listening either way.
At 6/01/2012 09:06:00 PM, dean farinha said...: I work seven days a week, sleep less than five hours a day. I have not had a vacation ever, I don't take days off. On the weekends I work up North. It's a four hour drive from home and when I get there I cut the grass, repair my home. In the winter I get water from a well at -20, wake up at 4am when the fire goes out. I have to shovel the drive way to get out to drive further North before returning home at 4am to wake up at 6am. I cared for my father for five years before he died. I know work. I still stand by what I said about how hard Neil works. I'm not rich, Neil is. Hard work made him rich.
At 6/01/2012 11:31:00 PM, Sandy Horne said...: There are those that build, and there are those that tear down what others build.
At 6/01/2012 11:37:00 PM, Arthur said...: This may seem like a place of worship to some, but really, the ones who get it know this is a place of APPRECIATION OF MUSIC. Nothing more, nothing less.

But there is a place I've been to many times called "The Church of Neil." ( "See! See! I told you!" - no one)

It's a place where musicians get together and cover Neil's music and the donations go to a wonderful organization.

These people were musicians first and have followed Neil and his muse pretty much since the start.

If you've ever written a song and played an instrument, you would realize how phenomenal Neil's muse really is when you play one of his songs.

When you finish a song of his, your heart is fulfilled in such a loving afterglow. Sounds like sex,eh? Well, Stills even said that playing rock music in front of a crowd is only second (sometimes) to sex,and he's right.

This is not worship, this is a form of channeling. It is reveling in something so beautiful and powerful that a great spirit is in no doubt playing a part.

Please go to www.youtube.com
Type in Church of Neil.
There are 12 videos.
Click on #10 to start.

This is music appreciation.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
At 6/01/2012 11:53:00 PM, Babbo B. said...: It all comes down to whether you approach this place like a church, where the faithful congregate for ritualized worship of a common deity, or a pub, where those from all walks of life gather for some good-natured give-and-take over the pressing issues of the day. Personally, I've always been partial to pubs.
At 6/02/2012 12:13:00 AM, Arthur said...: I'll drink to that!

...and The Catalyst

and The Princeton Landing

and Alex's.. (of Ashland)

and The Mountain House

and The Lost Weekend

and all the rest of 'em!
At 6/02/2012 12:17:00 AM, Darth Malt said...: At what point do you put a man up on such a pedestal that you won't allow him to have any fun?

So Neil has taken some time between finishing the album and the upcoming tour to goof off with his friends to make a fun promo film of the album and Fairey's work. Take a look at the look on Neil's face, striding around in a cape as The Author. Does it really look like he thinks he's making a Grand Statement of Art?

Overscrutinizing every single thing the man does for the purpose of rushing online to announce whether it is Groundbreaking Art On Par With His Greatest Achievements is another form of worship no different from gushing how outstanding every new output is. I'm just amazed at the overserious tone of the discussion around this amusing little promo flick. If you don't find it fun at all, that's fine - but spending the time to do artistic criticism of it displays a rather strange sense of proportion. Scrutinize the hell out of the album by all means, and tear it limb by limb - that I do get, though I do sometimes wonder about people's ability to enjoy life and take things for what they are.

Me, I hope the reason my blu-ray is delayed once again by Warner is that they're squeezing this little flick in. I watch a lot of the silent classics with my kids and this is a fun way to give them another little taste of All Things Neil.
At 6/02/2012 01:30:00 AM, Babbo B. said...: @Arthur - good to see the Church of Neil is in Bend, plenty of righteous pubs there! (Just be careful, folks - if you go on Facebook you might end up at the First Church of Neil, where they worship Neil Patrick Harris.)
At 6/02/2012 09:24:00 AM, dean farinha said...: @ Mr. "Darth Malt".
I have an old cabin in North Ontario and you are welcome to go fishing with me any time. Neil is also invited.

This flick added to the Blu-Ray would be amazing.
At 6/02/2012 10:05:00 AM, Matthew L. said...: Great comment, Sandy.

I'd add that the incessant drone of those who would condemn the rest of us for appreciating Neil and his muse, or his art, or his flights of fancy, reflects, in itself, a tendency to take things too seriously.

This is a fun, enjoyable promo video, people, why the need to criticize those of us who take pleasure in it, or discuss why we think it's cool?

Also, let's not mistake enthusiasm for mindless worship.

When you come here, you're going to bump into people who thoroughly enjoy Neil's current output, and take pleasure in what he delivers. Talking down to them, criticizing them for their enthusiasm, no matter how couched in intellectual sounding banter it is, is just so transparently insecure.
At 6/02/2012 10:35:00 AM, Mr Henry said...: This section has some really great Comments! Funny how that works sometimes? Especially enjoying the dialog and comments with Darth and Dean; that will be some helluva fishing trip. We have a picture somewhere of a friend who caught the largest pike I've ever seen back when she lived in Alaska; I'm thinking you'll each catch a couple of those.

I've really only watched this film once so far and think it's very cool. But I can also see how others wouldn't...I actually have really good friends who aren't Neil Young fans (OMG)! Seems to be some definite Dylan references going on (Neil's whiteface like Rolling Thunder era Bob; painting which looks very much like young folkie Bob). Also seems this is retro for a number of reasons, but the main point is to step back from the 21st Century to get some perspective. Especially true for music--you can better appreciate the old and the new together when you realize how intertwined they are.

I've seen live performances twice this week, one in a small club and one in a huge outdoor setting. Both were great and about as different as could be.

Sunday I caught The Incredible Casuals in what's becoming a rare live show. Parked at the beach and walked a mile along the shore, got to the club and saw Chandler and Johnny on the roof deck getting ready. Two long and rocking sets later, I walked back to my car happy and satiated with rock and roll, timeless and immediate as ever.

Tuesday night I caught Radiohead who played an hour forty five set and then another forty minute encore. Much new stuff along with familiar, incredible sound and the most amazing video and light show I've ever seen...like an Epcot Center closing show mixed with a Laurie Anderson video montage. Their upcoming show at Bonnaroo should be one for the ages. No one has ever done anything quite like this before; some love it and others don't.

Then I watched Neil's film and enjoyed that in a totally different way. Music from The General made me smile! It's great how old films are coming back (of course they never really went away) and the music soundtracks are getting so cool (e.g. Marc Ribot's live playing to Chaplin's The Kid). Maybe Neil thinks so as well.

So should be a great week with Americana coming out, Patti interviewing Neil, Neil and Jonathan at 92nd Street Y (have a great time Marian and others...I was going to be there but life kind of intervened).

The ticks are really bad this year...everyone says so. But it's June and the world is in bloom.

Oh...and Thom did sing the opening verse of After the Gold Rush to kick off Everything In It's Right Place. The crowd even started singing along right at the line "There were children singing"!!
At 6/02/2012 10:38:00 AM, Darth Malt said...: @ Dean,

Thanks for the invite - that sounds awesome. I hope I'll get to take you up on that one of these years!
At 6/02/2012 05:33:00 PM, no one said...: Ok. One more time and I'll be sure to use small words. When the artist publishes an excerpt from an upcoming memoir that is so badly written as to be embarrassing and when his "enthusiastic" followers are so incapable of even the most simple ( I almost said rudimentary but then I remembered to whom I was responding) critical response, you demonstrate once again that you are not capable of anything beyond mindless adoration. You swallow every glass of Koolaid. Which is fine. There's nothing inherently wrong with worshipping a god. What's wrong is lying to yourself about it.
At 6/02/2012 06:22:00 PM, Matthew L. said...: Aaaaaaand my point is proven.

Talking down to people, check. Criticizing them for having a different point of view, check. Bullying them with ad-hominem attacks. Check!

Utterly insecure.
At 6/02/2012 09:03:00 PM, LLS said...: You are spot on Matthew L.
such a shame that these communications turn this way.
At 6/02/2012 09:23:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Did I miss something I dont see the excerpt of memories?
At 6/02/2012 09:33:00 PM, dean farinha said...: It's funny how this video has caused more anger that the "Mapplethorpe Exhibit". lol Remember that line from the movie, "Enter The Dragon"?
"Don't think. FEEL. It's like a finger pointing at the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all of the heavenly glory!" I'm going to go watch the moon again.
At 6/03/2012 02:00:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Pretty sweet, Neil..Hope you do a few warm up shows here in SF
At 6/04/2012 05:45:00 AM, Anonymous said...: "High Flyin' Bird" is just great.
At 6/05/2012 01:46:00 AM, Kimball said...: I really enjoyed the film, very cool presentation of the flavor of the tunes.

I also would like to comment that I'm always very impressed with the general quality of discussion on TW here. There are some wildly inflamatory comments and even outright trolls trying to harsh our appreciation, but I really think that we have many, many articulate and deep thinking people amongst us. Its quite a fan base we hang out with here.

On the other hand, my local news channel, and national news channels for that matter, allow commenting on news stories and it never ceases to amaze me how shallow and idiotic that segment of the public can be. The general conversations and disagreements here on TW are way above the general internet fray when it comes to inteligence of thought. I'm proud to be amoungst all yous rusties. (sic)
At 6/05/2012 09:28:00 AM, Thrasher Wheat said...: Thanks Kimball. And thanks to all the others here at TW that day after day contribute to meaningful, civic dialogue.

We're all here to learn and share.

And if you see someone here that doesn't come in that spirit, please show them the hidden path...
At 6/05/2012 11:18:00 AM, dean farinha said...: You guys are the best!