Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Outside Lands Festival, August 10, 2012
Outside Lands Music Festival, San Francisco, CA., Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
Photo Gallery by Josh Withers - Outside Lands - 2012
(Click photo to enlarge)
From The Music Mix | EW.com by Leah Greenblatt:
But for all of that, what Outside Lands is mostly about is the music – more than 60 bands over the course of 3 days — and on Day 1, the music was all about Neil Young.
You could hear Neil’s influence in Two Gallants, a powerful two piece who played early on Friday (and even though there’s no Neil in L.A.’s Fitz and the Tantrums, it was hard not to think the latter were booked to provide angst-free modern-soul diversity). Beck covered “After The Gold Rush” mid-way through a typically brilliant set, and Dave Grohl started talking about Neil three songs into the Foos show. “We’ve got a lot of songs to play, and the quicker we play them, the faster I get to see Neil fu*king Young,” he said. The crowd cheered, which was slightly surprising – for a lot of people at the festival, Grohl & Co. were the big ticket, and an abbreviated set wasn’t what they were looking for.
Not surprisingly, the crowd went berserk again when Crazy Horse hit the stage. They’ve been playing together off and on for 43 years, and they’ve probably played every possible permutation of every note of every song, yet somehow they’re still able wring out sounds both unexpected and new. There’s an almost umbilical connection between Neil, guitarist Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, bassist Billy Talbot, and drummer Ralph Molina, and it’s never more apparent than when they’re on stage.
Outside Lands saw them run the full gamut of Young’s catalog – Neil did an acoustic version of “Needle and the Damage Done,” and the band powered through a 13 minute take on “Love and Only Love.” But it almost didn’t matter what songs they played; as extraordinary as they may be, what makes Crazy Horse exceptional is the subtext, and the subtext is pure heart.
Neil Young may not be a better guitarist now than he was 30 years ago, but he’s a deeper guitarist, and playing with Crazy Horse seemed to give him the room he needs to go all the way to his core. One of the newer songs – possibly called “Giant” – ended with at least four minutes of the same note played over and over again, and it never let up. Neil and Poncho — playing in the pocket of Ralph and Billy — somehow made playing one note for four minutes feel exquisite.
(Thanks Unknown!)
Outside Lands Music Festival, San Francisco, CA., Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
Photo by Anda Chu/Staff
(Click photo to enlarge)
From contracostatimes.com by Jim Harrington:
I'd spend the last two hours of the night with Neil Young and (by far) his best band, Crazy Horse. It'd been so long since the last time I'd seen the Bay Area rock legend perform with the Horse that I'd almost forgotten just how powerful an experience it can be.
The group played a number of fan favorites, including "Powderfinger" and "Cinnamon Girl," but mostly it jammed. And then jammed some more. A Crazy Horse jam isn't for everyone. It can include some tiresome passages, which would even make a String Cheese Incident set seem interesting, but it always builds to something meaningful. At times, it can even be transcendent -- and those moments were in no short supply during Friday's set.
It was strong ending to Day One. Yet, the best news of all was that the party was just getting started.
From Neil Young and Crazy Horse Mix the Old and New at S.F.'s Outside Lands Festival - San Francisco - Music - All Shook Down by Ian S. Port:
Most bands giving a headlining performance at a major festival would keep their set list to the greatest hits side of things. Or perhaps play a bunch of songs off the record they just released. Not Neil Young and Crazy Horse. They spent nearly half of their two hours last night trying out new tunes from their upcoming album -- songs no one except Young obsessives have heard yet. "Ontario" and "Walk Like a Giant" both sounded like classic, dirty Crazy Horse dirges, but our favorite was the new acoustic song about hearing Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" for the first time. There wasn't a single selection from the album of Americana covers Young and Crazy Horse put out this year.
...
Young and his mates aired a towering version of "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" that nearly keeled us over with its power. The song -- which has Young laying down a guttural riff and insisting, "Rock and Roll will never die" -- confirmed the larger theme of the set. When he sang, it's "Better to burn out/ than to f-f-f-f-fade away," dragging it out and leaning over to taunt the crowd, it felt like all of Golden Gate Park was on the receiving end of some very rare and hard-earned wisdom. Here, with his snarling visage and snarling guitars, Young's age was a trump card, an exalted status only he and his bandmates possessed.
They may not have done what most fans would've wanted. But they'd certainly earned the right not to.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Neil Young & Crazy Horse will be performing tonight at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse (Lands End Stage) 8:10pm – 9:55pm
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Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates and Chronological Grid, Recording Summary, Statistics and Extras.
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Don't Be Denied!
Labels: 2012, concert, crazy horse, neil young, outside lands festival, review, san francisco
42 Comments:
They really shredded the place to pieces with so much fierce guitars! Very extended jams and multiple false endings in most songs. :-)
The audience coped pretty good with it thou a few left after the +10 false endings in Like a giant...
You guys in America and Canada don't know how lucky you are. I wish this tour would come to the UK.
Thos
@Unknown - why would anyone leave like 4 songs into the show?
Maybe they wandered over to Andrew Bird's set on the other stage.
Crazy People
1 - Love And Only Love
2 - Powderfinger
3 - Born In Ontario
4 - Walk Like A Giant
5 - The Needle And The Damage Done
6 - Twisted Road
7 - Ramada Inn
8 - Cinnamon Girl
9 - F*!#in' Up
10 - Psychedelic Pill
11 - Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)
------------
12 - Mr. Soul
13 - Roll Another Number
Agree with Thos,we need a horse fix in the UK.Nottingham seems so long ago but he did not bring the horse
That "review" by Jim Harrington was published by several outlets. All of his comments on performers were somewhat perfunctory, as he seemed to be trying to cover the entire festival in a cursory way. In this case I think he mentioned the two songs he recognized, and just ascribed the rest to "jamming." What a nitwit.
Leaving the show? Really? Wow..must not realize the significance of this show. Will Crazy Horse ever unite again? Not a chance I'm taking. Plan on attending the Oct.25th show in Tuscaloosa Al. I can only hope Neil would add Cortez to the list!!
I'm listening to the Red Rocks shows and I too agree with Thos.
The UK will appreciate such Walking Giants! Anyhow that's me done and dusted I'm not reading anymore Neg-Head Net noodlings again.(See below)
It's the music I like, not all this crap and I apologise for adding to it. It's the first and last time
Here's a 'fans' comment from heyreverb, kinda ironic!!! You get to hear the rebirth of The Horse and this is what you actually think!
http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2012/08/07/neil-young-red-rocks-monday-photos/53845/?source=ARK_reverb#7
Zoob3 days ago
I have seen Neil Young 3 times...This Note's for You, Rockin the Free World (Red Rocks acoustic), and whatever this one was called. This was some HORRIBLE battle of the garage bands concert with the opening band just as bad. Neil Young has obviously lost it since his last big hit with Rockin the Free World tour. Why was this show reserved seating only? Reserved seating is just that...reserved because you don't want to lose your seat when a famous person is performing. This was hardly the case as it was the WORST CONCERT I have ever attended. I saved up for a few months and was ripped off for $125 for 2 tickets and these were the cheap seats. I definitely want my money back. I used to be a huge fan because he wrote good music once. Now, like many ageing artists, they can't write a popular song to save their lives. Neil has discovered he sells out concerts with his name only. I really feel sorry for Crazy Horse having to play that crap for the rest of the summer but like most musicians, they need the money. I recognized 5 songs and the rest was total jam-out grunge. I also noticed many women at the concert. They were not enjoying themselves at all and, like me, were in shock with all the heavy-metal garbage. Keep in mind Neil is a 66 year old writing music for 12 year olds. Having taken my wife, I was actually embarassed to have attended. I also noticed many vacant seats about half-way thru the show. I told my wife after the show as thousands walked quietly to their cars that I hope she didn't think I actually liked that crap. It was like some kids got their first electric guitars and had learned 3 chords. When we got to the car, it was the only one left in the whole area. The others had left hours ago. They are still scraping the crap off the walls of Red Rocks. I WILL NEVER GO TO ANOTHER NEIL YOUNG CONCERT.
That show was one of the best things I've ever experienced. Was about 30 people back, almost dead center. Walk Like A Giant melted my mind. It was Change Your Mind on steroids.
Can't wait to do this again at ACL Fest and then MSG.
Nice review of the whole first day of Outside Lands
http://music-mix.ew.com/2012/08/11/outside-lands-san-francisco-neil-young-foo-bec/
Ha, that's a pretty accurate observation from Anon 12:51:00 PM: "Walk Like A Giant melted my mind. It was Change Your Mind on steroids".
Best Crazy Horse song ever!
Alright, the flannel is back! That's a spiffy one, too! I dig the colors.
Zoob3 is another faker. Probably wasn't even there, and just wants to trash Neil Young out of jealousy. Too bad Zoob's life sucks that bad. I feel sorry for him.
I think it's somebody who does not understand the phenom we understand as Crazy Horse. He's never going back no matter what we want to hear. He's burning down the barn and raising up a new one all at once. That's what he does best. I really don't know what these people expect at a Crazy Horse concert .... the point is that you can expect to hear Neil go off and do what does best with his guitars....
For what it's worth, from Glide magazine online (http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/58745/outside-lands-music-and-arts-festival-friday.html):
Neil Young and Crazy Horse began their set ten minutes earlier at 8 PM than originally scheduled, and so many were still coming to see them around 8:15. Surprising, though, was how many people were leaving the main stage area to head to the Twin Peaks stage to see Justice. Mass exodus would be too strong a phrase, but the crowd at the main stage was surprisingly modest around 8:30. Definitely the smallest audience for any headliner over the past two years, Neil Young and Crazy Horse seemed pretty uninterested in whether or not they connected with this already meager audience, which further exacerbated the disconnect. While festivals usually bring out a more “greatest hits” hyped setlist, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that a major artistic legend delves into back material, or even new songs, but Young and his band really didn’t tailor their set away from what they’ve been touring to try and satisfy themselves and the audience, so instead of getting massive sing-a-longs to “Heart of Gold,” “Down By The Water,” “Rockin’ in the Free World” or “Helpless,” we were treated to epic 20-minute long distortion guitar jams with little dynamic swoop or build. The few concessions you might claim were a shortened acoustic take on “Needle and the Damage Done,” a gripping “Cinnamon Girl” and a pretty fantastic “My My, Hey, Hey,” but other than that, it was a pretty bewildering set, that seemed to even not be what die-hards would enjoy. Four new songs had the audience left a bit in the dark, and the huge guitar jams lacked the fun and jovial nature of Phish from last year. In fact, the majority of the audience left before the encores, opting to see what was left of Justice’s set before leaving for the night. A truly missed opportunity, because Neil Young (and Crazy Horse) has so much talent, has done so much for rock music and deserves so much more than he got last night, but it requires meeting halfway with an audience, and rather than make a killer set that people would talk about for years, Young really dropped the ball.
Before folks jump all over it, yes, the writer got the title of "Down By the River" wrong. But if the observations about the crowd are correct, it says something about the general public's perception of the new stuff, whether we agree with that or not.
The videos of NY and CH on YouTube from last night show what looks to me like a massive audience. Can anyone who was there comment?
Neil's deep into creating art on this minitour. Alot of the art's in the words, but a whole lot of it is in the soloing. Not for the faint of heart but not to be missed.For me, Tahoe was the best NY show since 99 solo. To get to see the genius at work in full artistic flow is one of the thrills of a lifetime. See it while you can.
This article has a very different take on crowd size. I don't think Neil has to worry.
http://blogcritics.org/music/article/outside-lands-music-and-arts-festival/
He's the only musician I know that can continue playing to sold out crowds even though half the people don't know the words to his songs.
Neil's not catering to the masses ... he's doing his thing and come along if you want to or don't if you don't ... the notion that he would play some silly CH greatest hits set shows total lack of understanding of how he has operated for 50 years ... dropped the ball?? sounds like the reviewer dropped the ball for trying to superimpose an approach onto Neil that Neil doesn't care about ... The reason why every NY show I've ever seen has moved me (and most die hards) to the core is because he plays what he's feeling and its always deeply moving ... the notion of tailoring to some audience is anathema to his whole approach .... the new stuff is where the real passion lives ... thats why Neil is relevant and not on an oldies tour ... the proof is that Neil didn't veer off his set list at all except maybe to withhold over and over again because the usidence wasn't worthy
I could imagine a review like that posted above in 1973.
"He finally played his smash #1 hit 'Heart of Gold', but only after subjecting the audience to an album's worth of new material nobody had ever heard before."
Neil doesn't care about the reviews, he doesn't even care about what the fans want - he has to get what HE wants out of the music or else it's not going to work for him.
Neil Young:
“It was good for me to realize how completely fuckin' out of touch with the audience I was. I went out there and played all new stuff - songs that really meant somethin' to me - and they were still lookin' at fifteen, twenty years ago, even though they were teenagers. These young people who wanted me to do my hits. Wanted me to do Ragged Glory, wanted me to do 'Rockin' In The Free World'. They wanted me to get out there, get real intense. They didn't understand that I don't always do that.
They didn't get what they wanted - but I got what I wanted.
Because I went out and did the songs and got in touch with what its like to play and communicate to an audience just with guitar, with songs they don't know that well. That's really where it lives. To get out there with new songs that no one knows and make them known, make them hear them. That's the challenge."
I have no worries whatsover about what Neil and the Horse are bringing to the table this tour...I'm 28, goin on 29, and I'm proud to say that my father and my aunt are very big Neil Young fans. I first saw Neil on the Freedom Of Speech tour w/ CSNY in Atlanta with my pops and my aunt...many walk outs due to the political nature of the songs, (one guy even yelled for Neil to shut the f*!# up and go back to Canada! while they were sing Let's Impeach The President...my father, a retired Marine, who happened to be singing along EVERY word, turned and told the guy to shut the f' up or go home...so the guy left!). My father and I also saw Neil at the Fox Theater in Atlanta on the Twisted Road solo tour,(the last time my dad saw Neil at the Fox in Atlanta was with the Horse in '76, oh how I envy him, LoL). It was so odd, b/c I seemed to know all the words to the songs that would later be released on Le Noise. Both of those shows brought tears to my eyes, as his music brings so much emotion outta me. From what I've heard of the new tunes that Neil and the Horse are unveiling, all I can say is monumental...you would think most Neil Young fans would expect the unexpected, but I guess that's the difference from a casual fan and a Rustie,(heck, I prob wouldn't enjoy a NY show as much if he didn't have his usual batch of new material! of course I'd still go, haha)...Keep on rockin' Neil, as you and Dylan are among the small handful of artists from the 60's still making original relavant music these days! Can't wait for the new Neil Young & Crazy LP and Dylan's "Tempest" LP to drop!Peace & Love from Alabama...can't wait for Neil and the Horse to wreak havoc in Tuscaloosa! Oh, and this Southern Man needs Neil around anyhow!(no disrespect to Ronnie and the boys in Skynyrd, as I'm a huge fan myself, it's just that so many people don't understand the joke/friendship behind the song and condemn Neil...ugh, rednecks are entitled to their opinions as well tho!
Golden Gate Park was the first of at least five CH show i plan on attending on this run..
i thought the set was fantastic- but agree that adding one or two classic rippers would've bridged the gap between the Crazy Horse fans and the greatest hits/general festival type fans..
winterlong/dbtr/everybody knows.. just one of these would have taken the set from fucking brilliant to unreal.. and deep down we all want to see an 'unreal' show..
New songs-- Born in Ontairio is here to stay.. same with Walk like a Giant and everyone loves twisted road in part because it could be a hidden gem from way back.. wouldn't be surprised if either Ramada Inn or Psychedelic Pill get dropped out at somepoint.
somewhat concerned that the sets will only vary slightly over the next few months.. fingers crossed we get a few surprises over the tour.. and one more big banger in there for good measure.
also-- some good merch for sale.. black hoodie w/ Crazy Horse on the back.. also the Rust Never Sleeps art on a black shirt.. white CH shirt with dates but the dates are kinda plain/boring-- not like the ragged glory era merch.. guessing when the tour really starts- the merch will be much better/more complete..
LAST but not least.. Cinnamon Girl and Fuckin Up were as locked in as ever.. absolutely ripped.. and the ending to CG was as perfect it gets..
enjoy thrashers. x.
-lazy feather
To the reviewer who said that people were drifting away after a few numbers, here's a video from the far periphery of the crowd during the final, "Hey Hey My My." The stage looks to be about 100 yards away and the crowd appears pretty well crammed in beyond this view, especially considering the chill and damp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFknYxWZ5WI
I think he's stretched out his incredible repertoire of sound to reach across the universe. I don't think we can expect any more than that...
I think Neil is giving a big 'F you' to the people who are going expecting a greatest hits set list.
Look at the videos of Hey Hey My My: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG5JEtt7W-Y
At the part where he sings "They give you this but you pay for that", right after Neil goes "HA HA HA" and looks to point at the crowd.
Maybe just looking too far into something he could've done spontaneously or for another reason, but it's my fun interpretation of Neil laughing at those upset with his set lists.
http://soundcheck.ocregister.com/2012/08/11/outside-lands-2012-neil-young-foo-fighters-beck-kick-off-what-may-be-the-best-fest-of-the-year/97030/
"Granted, not everyone jibed with Crazy Horse. Given that the group chose not to stick strictly to staples and instead focus on unfurling new (and long) songs from a still-untitled studio album – their second this year, after June’s amped-up folk standards collection Americana – it made sense that people began dispersing in throngs little more than three 10-plus-minute jams into their set.
Of those, highlights included the folksy “Born in Ontario,” the nostalgic “Twisted Road” (which garnered massive cheers for its mention of “listening to the Dead on the radio”) and the epic-long and distorted “Walk Like a Giant,” spotlighting Young’s incomparable ability to transition seamlessly from mind-blowingly intricate finger-picking to walls of hard, Nine Inch Nails-heavy riffs and unearthly feedback forays.
The latter, only four songs in but after nearly an hour of elapsed time, strategically weeded out the casual Neil Young fans, leaving mostly die-hards. For their loyalty, they were rewarded with much-loved classics: first a galvanizing take on “The Needle and the Damage Done,” later with richly toned runs of “Cinnamon Girl” and “(Hey Hey, My My) Into the Black,” and finally with an encore of the Buffalo Springfield stormer “Mr. Soul.”
yeah, weed out the casual Neil fans, and leave the die-hards.
awesome. makes it easier to score tix day of show. that's my plan so i can catch more than one show in Boston.
see ya on the rails Thrashers!
Carlster
I sure hope he doesn't drop Psychedelic Pill. I'm reeeeeally diggin that song. It's a CH classic keeper. It's not gettin the love yet, but it'll come.
SD said...
Love your explanation! whether its really true or not we'll never know but I'd like to think that's exactly what Neil was saying...
Check out Psychedelic Pill here. Just hilarious. Poncho's "Oh, Yeah's" and the anticipation of them is really tickling Neil. Hilfrigginlarious.
Oops. Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dkgNkFjE2Q
The Chronicle attributes people leaving Neil's set to concert attendees being ill-prepared for the cold weather, many coming in shorts and tank tops. Apparently 75% of the attendees are visitors to the city and not aware that it can be quite cool and foggy in the summer. I can see people having enough after being cold all day.
you can almost always tell the casual fan from the die-hards...It's NOT (IMO) about how many recordings, t-shirts or ticket stubs ya have...*I* think the die-hards know Neil follows the Muse...except, maybe...when people try to predict what he's gonna do...it seems like he's back with the Horse,almost everybody's deliriously happy...so *I* think his next record will be a solo acoustic record...unless he makes a record with Stephen and Richie LOL
@SD
great observation. Almost 100% sure that's what he meant.
He also sings: it's better to burn out JOHN
Greatly enjoyed the reviews and many of the Comments, especially the one from Matt Nelson. Always a joy to hear about the honest joy of another Neil fan. Matt I'm sure that you and your dad will have another great time when Neil and the Horse get to 'Bama. I'd also love to see the show when they get to Tuscaloosa, the place where my mom and dad met during WWII. Who knows, maybe I will. My mom grew up in Hank Williams country and never forgot it... me neither. Roll Tide!
"It is at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys."
--Emil Zatopek
I was at Red Rocks, and also went to Outside Lands ... as much to see San Francisco as anything. The playing seemed comparable (i.e. awesome), though I much preferred Red Rocks due to the closer proximity I had to the stage.
I was a bit in front of the soundboard at Outside Lands, and it was reasonably packed up there, but still quite a bit of room all things considered.
To "The Zuma band" who posted that youtube link ... the main stage field is enormous, and Neil's periphery is not even close to being near the back end of the field. Judging by the extra speaker stacks that were down the centre of the field (that you can't see), that video shows the crowd was indeed very much thinned out compared to other acts during the day.
Just because the crowd isn't as big, doesn't take away from the performance. There are lots of idiots in this world, and these mainstream festivals have huge amounts of mostly young people who think Skrillex is good.
And leaving in droves happens for all the headliners. I left while Metallica were playing ... there was a mass exodus of people with me. Same for Stevie Wonder. People just want to go home after a long day, especially if nothing more than casual fans.
It was also freezing cold in the Park, another excuse for people to go home. Well, for myself from Texas anyway. Does San Francisco even have a "summer"?! I was wearing a thick jacket, beanie, jeans, and I was still cold.
Wait until ACL when Jack White (who is actually good, unlike said Skrillex) is directly up against Neil Young. I can guarantee that is a massive clusterfuck from ACL organisers, with White on a smaller stage that will have many more people wanting to see him over Neil Young.
I might also add that most people who go to big festivals seem to be casual music fans in general ... i.e. they would rarely go out and see bands play shows week in, week out. Much of the crowd is just there to hang out. If they see a few songs from a few bands, drink some beers with their friends and talk loudly over the "background music" ... then that's what they think is a good time.
There isn't much compelling viewing about someone playing on a tiny stage a few hundred yards away. No matter how good they are. I arrived a bit late on the Sunday, just when Jack White started. I assumed a position a fair way back, enjoyed it enough for 30-40 minutes ... but it was also easy enough for me to walk away and find a good spot for Bloc Party. And I love Jack White. I would go apeshit if he played in a small club.
But miles away in a field during the day? That isn't my idea of an awesome gig, no matter who is playing. It is quite understandable to leave any festival show unless you are close. Maybe some of the acts with the massive stage show/lights would keep you interested, but Neil is about the music ... not lasers and pyrotechnics.
Dave Grohl running out to the soundboard to get momentarily closer to the tens of thousands of fans in back. "I don't have a lot of time to talk," he told the crowd. "We've got a short time to play and a lot of fucking songs . . . but I'm going to be honest – the faster we get done, the quicker I get to see Neil fucking Young."
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/metallica-neil-young-jack-white-rock-outside-lands-20120813
I doubt Neil Young is worried about competing with Jack White for a audience. Im sure its white that should be worried, especially in Austin. Outside Lands is obviously a very young crowd with a large part not even Bay Area people. Im cold. Well no shit ? Summer is our foggiest time. Otherwise I generally agree with your review.
I think, well hope, the Horse will get to the UK next year, Nottingham would be good, I was right at the front for the last one there, lost count of how many times I've seen Neil with and without the Horse - first time was 1973, Wembley, London with Crosby, Stills & Nash - but hey! yee ha! I'm not waiting! I've got a plane ticket to San Francisco, a hire car booked and tickets for Seattle and Vancoouver!
Last time I saw Neil 'over there' it was 2007 - Massey Hall, Toronto, awesome, I am one very, very lucky man!
luckypaul
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