Photo by The New Yorker
UPDATE:
Neil Young and Patti Smith! #BEA12 #bookexpo twitter.com/penguinusa/sta…
— Penguin Books USA (@penguinusa) June 6, 2012
Penguin Books USA (penguinusa) on Twitter:
Penguin Books USA @penguinusa
Live tweeting from the Neil Young lunch. Beginning soon! #BEA12 #bookexpo
"What I love about the book is there is no barrier between you and your reader. It felt like you were talking to me." Patti to Neil #BEA12
— Penguin Books USA (@penguinusa) June 6, 2012
From BEA 2012: Neil Young and Patti Smith Perform for Booksellers by Claire Kirch:
But like every rock concert, things got started a little later than advertised: Smith and Young came on stage at 12:20 and bonded for the next hour in front of a packed hall of more than 1,100 booksellers and other fans, as they discussed their music, their books, dreams; the impact of technology upon their art; life itself, and even their love of trains.
It was no surprise that Smith and Young would immediately launch into a discussion about his music, beginning with Young’s latest album, Americana, which was released yesterday.
“We’ll move on,” Smith at one point assured her audience, after questioning Young about his original intent in writing the song, “Jesus Chariot.” “But I just can’t resist talking about the record.”
As the conversation segued into a discussion of his memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, scheduled for release by Blue Rider Press in October, Young described it as more of a diary than a memoir. “I would write what I was thinking,” he told Smith, who agreed with him, adding, “There’s no barrier between the reader and you. I really felt you were talking to me. You were, right?”
Smith also praised Waging Heavy Peace for its nonlinear narrative structure, telling Young, “It’s not chronological, but memory is not chronological.”
The conversation veered back to music, with a discussion of one of Crosby, Still, Nash & Young’s most seminal songs, “Ohio,” written and composed by Young in 1970. Asked by Smith about the backstory to the song, Young disclosed that “Ohio” was written far from the Midwest, while he was staying with fellow singer David Crosby at a cabin in northern California. The song was sparked in response to a Life magazine cover, the iconic photo of the young woman kneeling over the prone body of a young man shot at Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard.
“When were you aware of the impact that the song made?” Smith asked, referring to the Viet Nam protesters of that era who took up “Ohio” as their anthem. The question prompted Young to reveal his discomfort that he had profited financially from the upheaval, declaring, “You didn’t want to become that which you were separating yourself from.” Smith, who recalled working at a New York City bookstore at the time the song was released, praised him for “translating that picture,” and for “making us more aware of what was going on in our world.”
Although she wasn’t always successful, Smith did try at various points to turn the conversation back to books, in between her questions about Young’s music and his songwriting process. Her question to Young on his reading preferences revealed that he is reading Smith’s memoir about her relationship to Robert Mapplethorpe, Just Kids. “I’m the highway and landscapes. You are cities,” Young said, praising her book as effusively as she had previously praised his. “We’re on similar paths, but in different geographic places. Our [books] represent that.”
From Neil Young's book is more a diary than a memoir, he says – USATODAY.com by Bob Minzesheimer:
Young said he and David Crosby (then part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) were visiting friends in the Redwoods in Northern California where he saw a magazine cover — either Time or Newsweek— and "the photo of the girl bent over a dead student. It was unbelievable. I still get chills just thinking about it."
He picked up a guitar and a song came to him. "It took about a minute."
His lyrics begin: "Tin solders and Nixon coming … Four dead in Ohio."
Young said Crosby said " 'OK. Let's go.' And we got in a car and drove to a recording plant in L.A. The next day, we recorded it."
But later, Young told Smith, "I didn't want to do it anymore. I didn't want to take advantage. I didn't want to make money from something like that. It gets complicated on a consciousness level."
Go Kent? RT @penguinusa: Neil Young wrote "Ohio" in "about a minute." Immediately after hearing about Kent State. Unbelievable. #BEA12
— jen_k (@jen_k) June 6, 2012
Writing a song is like catching a rabbit. You hang out by the rabbit hole, waiting for it to come. - Neil Young #BEA12 #bookexpo
— Penguin Books USA (@penguinusa) June 6, 2012
"Guitars talk. If you really want to write a song, ask a guitar." -Neil Young #BEA12 #bookexpo
— Penguin Books USA (@penguinusa) June 6, 2012
"We will embrace technology so long as we can maintain feeling. We don't want our work to be reduced to information." -Patti Smith #BEA12
— Penguin Books USA (@penguinusa) June 6, 2012
Patti Smith: "What do you read?" Neil Young: "Right now I'm reading you. I'm reading Just Kids and I love it." #BEA12
— nationalbook (@nationalbook) June 6, 2012
Neil Young's dad called him Windy because he always had so many ideas! Can't wait to read his memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, in October! #BEA12
— NatGeo Books (@NatGeoBooks) June 6, 2012
Neil Young and Patti Smith at #BEA12 instagr.am/p/Lin0EeiAnx/
— Jason Boucher (@Bouchermedia) June 6, 2012
Patti Smith & Neil YoungDate: ?
Today, Patti Smith will host a lunchtime interview of Neil Young at BookExpo America in New York City and discuss his upcoming book 'Waging Heavy Peace'.
In the video above, Patti Smith discusses recording a cover of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" for her new album Banga.
"The last song on the record, I performed live with my son, Jackson, and my daughter, Jesse," says Smith. "I wanted the album to end like dawn breaking, and I thought of the type of song that I wanted to write. But then I was in a café and I happened to hear Neil Young's 'After the Gold Rush,' and I thought, 'Neil's already written it.'"
More on “Waging Heavy Peace”: Neil Young's Upcoming Book.
More on Patti Smith and Neil Young.
For some reason hearing other people sing Neil's songs according to their original interpretations highlights to me the incredible power and beauty of his songs ... true Patti Smith here sings the song beautifully but its the song itself that blows me away ...
ReplyDeleteDon't know if this has been posted anywhere but Neil did a brief interview with Reuters:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/06/entertainment-us-neilyoung-idUSBRE8550BS20120606
Mick
Needle and the Damage Done currently playing at Neil Young lunch. What's your favorite Neil song?
ReplyDeleteBesides wishing I had a father like Scott Young, I'd like to be what Patti Smith is drinking.
ReplyDelete"We will embrace technology so long as we can maintain feeling. We don't want our work to be reduced to information." -Patti Smith
ReplyDeleteGreat interview today. Good chemistry btw Patti and Neil ... Neil seemed to imply during the talk that he started writing the book and it got him thinking about old folk songs he sang with the squires and also got him thinking about THe Horse implying that the book is what led him toward Americana and also to regroup with The Horse ... very cool, overall an event well worth attending, it seemed that Neil was wearing the same poncho as he was wearing in his Americana film ...
ReplyDeleteI've been fortunate to see Patti perform with both of her children. Jesse played beautiful piano accompaniment while her mom sang Only A Dream at last year's Carnegie Hall tribute. That was the highest highlight of a show which had many of them.
ReplyDeleteBack in the mid 90's, I saw Patti four times during the first year she came out of retirement. One of these was at the old WBCN River Rave. During her performance there, she brought Jackson on stage to play guitar as she performed one of his favorite songs...Smoke On The Water! He was only thirteen at the time, if I recall correctly, and did a great job. Patti sang her heart out and there wasn't the slightest bit of irony in her version.
As much as I admire Patti and Neil for their music and artistry, I have even more respect for the job they've done as parents. And the fact that they do both jobs with such pleasure and ease...well that's just the way they are.
Can't wait for the tour!!! Check the link below from Patti's site for a great picture of her and Neil back in the day; boy does he look happy.
http://www.pattismith.net/news.html
Thanks for the report, Dan. Sounds like a great time; glad that you could make it.
ReplyDeleteWondering if any mention made of Ray Bradbury's passing during this event or during the BookExpo? He was one of the true literary giants, that's for sure.
This is a great article! It is awesome to hear two legends sit down and talk with each other. Patti Smith's new record is incredible! She does a sweet cover of "After the Gold Rush"
ReplyDeleteMr. Wheat,
ReplyDeleteIf my biggest artistic inspirations were all in the same car, Neil would be driving and Patti would probably be in the passenger seat. Robyn Hitchcock and Michael Stipe would be taking weird photos in the backseat, and all would agree to play The Fabulous Style Of The Everly Brothers on the car stereo. They'd all sing along and only Michael would be close to being in key, but it would be beautiful.
Anyway, what an amazing moment when two of my artistic heroes connect. And thanks for helping to capture the moment.
Mr. Henry,
ReplyDeleteI was only at the lunchtime event with Neil and Patti and there was no mention of Ray Bradbury's passing.
Cheers,
Dan
"Young described it as more of a diary than a memoir. “I would write what I was thinking,” he told Smith, who agreed with him, adding, “There’s no barrier between the reader and you. I really felt you were talking to me...”
ReplyDeleteSmith also praised Waging Heavy Peace for its nonlinear narrative structure, telling Young, “It’s not chronological, but memory is not chronological.”
A Friend Of Yours
Neil, on Waging Heavy Peace, from Fresh Air interview: "It's not really a memoir, it's kind of a memoir, it's more like a diary..."
ReplyDeleteA Friend Of Yours
Neil, on CH, from Fresh Air interview: "Crazy Horse is not known for doing complicated arrangements..."
ReplyDeleteWould like to say that, as much as I was enthralled by the concept of Americana from the first news snippet we heard about it, I am very much looking forward to this book! It will be very satisfying, as it will be very Neil - all discussions that took place here cannot change the fact that here's a man with a vision that's as real as it can get.
ReplyDeleteA true blessing to live in his era.
“If you want to write a song, ask a guitar,” Young said. “Guitars have songs in them. Guitars have souls. Cars are the same way. Cars have souls. That’s why I love junkyards.”
ReplyDeleteThe New Yorker:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/cq24zlr
Nice picture in full color of Patti an Neil.
What idiot things to say. Cars having souls. Memory is not chronologic. It's was like watching two mentally ill people having a conversation about their psychosis.
ReplyDeleteThrasher! The photo of Patti and Neil is from 1979, taken in New York by Kate Simon :)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/photo/default.aspx?photographID=4728
And your comment, Anon? "It's was" meaningless, nasty and random...please go away. Have you ever actually dealt with anyone suffering psychosis? No, didn't think so. Is everything a clever joke to you? Yes, I thought so.
ReplyDelete"There's a fine line between clever and stupid."
--David St. Hubbins
RIP Bob Welch
ReplyDeleteSaw you with Fleetwood Mac almost 40 years ago now and I'm still singing some of those songs and hope I always will.
The Autumn Defense closed their set at Solid Sound last year with Sentimental Lady and it was great to see all the young folk transfixed by a timeless melody. Thanks Bob....
turn ourselves inside out
and a sum of us
will flicker
just a bit of dust, hardly noticed
but it fills the air with a substance.
The immortal dream...
--Patti Smith
You know, I always said if you want an Asshole at your party, invite an 'Anon' ....
ReplyDeleteNeil and Patti are my two favorite artists, so glad they will do some shows. Anyone know of audio or video of the interview? Don't see any on cspan, utube or google search. Thanks and please provide a link if you know.
ReplyDeleteTo BIGCHIEF..
ReplyDeleteAnons don't leave the basements. lol
I walk back my comments above a little bit, having re-listened to the Patti Smith version of 'Goldrush' on You Tube I'm pretty blown away ... the song itself is indeed astounding but her rendition is also hauntingly beautiful, I have never heard her before and don't know much other than she interviewed Neil but have to say I think her version is very moving as is her explanation above about how she came to use 'Goldrush' as the last song on her album ... also love the humility of saying she wanted a certain effect to close her album and then she heard Neil's Goldrush in a cafe and realized "Neil had already written the song" she wanted to complete her album ...
ReplyDelete