Psychedelic Pill: What Will The Magic Ingredients Be?
(Click photo to enlarge)
So now that we know the title of the new Neil Young & Crazy Horse album is "Psychedelic Pill" based on interview comments by Poncho in Rolling Stone, there's been much speculation on what the album will contain.
Here's some very interesting wishful thinking by Lone Red Rider on Rust:
Here are some ramblings on what may be on the forthcoming CD.
There was a BBC Interview where Neil mentions this might be a double CD. One song, the longest, is 26 min long. Then there are 3 other "quite long" songs and a bunch more of "normal length". There will be a lot of excursions.
Poncho also mentions that the new sessions kicked off with a "2 chord jam" that lasted "almost 30 minutes" which started as a "sketch" and Neil went back in and "filled in the gaps". Following this, Neil came in with more realized songs. He also mentioned that "Walk Like A Giant" was recorded in 1 take and then they went back for overdubs. The result surprised everyone in terms of it's "hugeness".
Then there was the "Horseback" Jam Which was about 17minutes long before they broke into an equally long Cortez.
One might assume that the songs we are getting live are about as long or longer than their studio versions (with the feedback codas, etc). That tends to happen a lot. And they are clearly more than "2 chord Jams".
So I am guessing we have the following long songs on PP:
1) The 26 minute 2-chord Jam song that Neil filled in.
2) Walk Like A Giant
3) Ramada Inn
4) ??? Maybe Neil did something with the Horseback Jam and turned it into a song. Or perhaps there is something else here.
Then:
5) Ontario
6) Twisted Road
7) For the Love of Man
8) Psychedelic Pill
One can't even guess what else may have been recorded during these sessions.
"For the Love of Man" was recorded for LeNoise, I believe. "Twisted Road" may have been, as well. So Maybe Neil will put "You Never Call" and "Leia" on PP.
Figure if he can go back for "I Wonder Why" he could also pull other very personal songs out from his past.
Hard to believe we could be getting another Crazy Horse CD in about 2 months time. Can't wait until the real info starts rolling in. Meanwhile, I wonder if the lads are getting in any more studio time...Hopefully this is another fertile and creative period for Neil!
Until then, I have a great taping of Red Rocks 8/6 I am listening to in the car right now thanks to RideMyLlama!
LRR
Thanks Lone Red Rider! Sounds like some good hunches. A double album would be such a trip. It would be like 3 Crazy Horses albums in one year. Lucky us.
Labels: album, crazy horse, neil young, psychedelic pill
17 Comments:
Ramada Inn, is for me a return to what I love best. Sketched out lyrics, as opposed to the literal ones featured on Fork in the Road/ Le Noise. And the kind of chords, slightly country inflected chords, similar to periods like Silver and Gold.
I've been told, and observed that when a man gets older, he tends to open up some. He doesn't have time for petty conflicts, or self doubt. You notice this all the time with senior men. They seem to befriend each other in seconds. They seem engaged with the world in a very open and laid back way.
I have a feeling this is where Neil is getting to. Some of his most loved, insightful, and transcendent stuff, came from a place of real pain. Struggling with insecurity, immaturity, searching for love. Looking inward. I think despite how good it is for his art, he's less likely to travel there because of what it can do to his life.
PSYCHEDELIC PILL VINYL EDITION SETLIST
SIDE 1 BORN IN ONTARIO
TWISTED ROAD RAMADA INN
SIDE 2 PSYCHELIC PILL FOR THE
LOVE OF MAN WALK LIKE A GIANT
VERY SIMILAR IN SEQUENCING TO EKNTN
RMoon - we think that you've got it just about right on where Neil's at these days.
Here's what sharry posted on rust recently:
From UNCUT (August 2012), the Neil interview by Jaan Uhelszki, Jonathan Demme is quoted on p. 43.
"Before Neil had the aneurysm [in 2005], in told me he used to feel like a giant, and now he feels like a leaf in the stream," says film director Jonathan Demme, a regular Young collaborator. "It's something that you see in people who arrive at moment in their life, often by having a car wreck becaue they were driving drunk, or who have a horrendous drug overdose experience but survive.
It's called the 'Lucky To Be Alive Club'. We know people like that, people who just like change. It was a giant watershed moment. It's allowed him to take bigger risks."
can't say much more than 'amen' to all previous posts. Neil's just sharing whatever moves him thru all of the changes in his life.
Today, not for the first time, I thought about how it dawned upon me, years ago, how often the word 'change' appeared in his lyrics. It has since meant so much to me, his usage of this word. There's a message in it, consciously or not, that life is not about repeating, not about holding on to a good thing, not about trying to keep what you got.
Not. Definitely not.
Life'ss about change.
Thanks Neil for sharing your changes with us, up until now. May there be a lot of changes to come...
Also time.
these albums mention time:
After the gold rush
Harvet
Time Fades away
Tonight's the night
Comes a time
Rust never sleeps
Old Ways
Harvest Moon
s
the photo would (in the olden days)have made a nice picture sleeve for the single IMO
I am gonna bet that neither Leia or You Never Call will be on the album. I doubt that Twisted Road will be either.
Also, by the time the record comes out, it will not be called Psychedelic Pill.
Even though I think that's a great name for it.
I could be wrong on all counts, but I'm gonna stick by that prediction.
Matthew, I agree I don't believe Twisted Road or some of the more overtly personal songs will be on the next album. I traveled to see both shows in RR and was amazed by WLAG and Ramada Inn. For me most of the new stuff had a EKTN vibe. Ontario reminds me of the EKTN title track and Pychedelic Pill an updated Cinnamon Girl ( although it's Sign of Love on steroids). WLAG anchors one side similar to Cowgirl and Ramada Inn similar to DBTR is the slow burn on side 2. Just the feel of it all for me. I am sure he will bring out more new stuff for the next leg of the tour. What great time to be following this band. Did I say WLAG and Ramada Inn are the new classics? Worth repeating- monumental NY & CH.
Electrocrusier2010
Off the subject, but it was great to see The Bridge School on our PBS channel Sunday evening in Northeast Ohio for the donation drive. It caught my wife & I off gaurd flipping through channels. Hoping others call in & find out what we already know! Watching Neil jam Crime in the city on PBS was pretty cool.
A 26min track isn't consistent with Vinyl based on some recent knowledge posted to rust. At least not audiophile quality vinyl. It's too long for a side. It will be interesting to see how #PsychPill ultimately gets deployed.
The guess posted by Joe looks possible. That could conceivably work and be a compelling 6 track album assuming the longer tracks, as studio versions, do not exceed 14 minutes or so.
How ironic is it with all of the controversy that 'Americana' generated among the faithful, whether good or bad, that it came and went and now here we are already talking about the upcoming record. The process of recording and delivering a record to the marketplace today is so different then in the past with the technology thats available which seems to work well for an artist such as Neil who can get his art out to us on a whim like a snapshot of where he's at during that moment in time. I can recall people writing how disappointed they were with Neil for releasing an album of covers. 100 year old folk songs none the less. Neil was "washed up" they said. I mean, after waiting 8 yrs for a Crazy Horse record this was the best he could offer? Now just a few months later here we are talking about the upcoming 'Psychedelic Pill' and Americana has come and gone without any of the songs even included in the set list of the concerts, except for 'Jesus Chariot' once or twice. 'Living With War' came and went as did 'Greendale', but I think when the dust settles, Americana is going to go down as a blip in Neil's catalog. I really do believe that Neil's greatest work is yet to come but most of us won't recognize it when it arrives because were looking for a repeat of Zuma or EKTIN or RNS's, even though when those arrived they were different then anything he had done previously. It's just a dilemma of being a reluctant to change fan of an ever evolving artist.
Speak for yourself, Big Chief. I think Americana was much appreciated. We can't help that he chose not to play it live. The new songs are also well received. One or two comments comparing to previous work does not a trend make. Neil fans are bigger and broader-minded than you credit. But I do also hope the best is yet to come.
For a guy who wrights a lot about change, he sure likes to lay his head down on the same pillow next to the same nice gal in the same bed in the same no-Cal house, getting up the next day to wright the another verse to the same song he's been writing for 40 years using the same 5 chords - ha ha. Count how many times Poncho goes G D C F and Am in various orders - gotta luv it - cause I can play it!!!
and on a complete 180, just to remind us that, no matter who neil is playing with, whether it is the the Horse, or Rick and brother Ben, he is and will always be the all-mighty grand poobah of rock and roll, here is my favorite 10 minutes of raw live Neil footage of all time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-muDHxj7G7Q
Unlikely that all of those songs will be on the record. Also, a normal CD or vinyl wouldn't be able to capture all of those songs, playing-length wise. I actually suppose that For The Love Of Man and Twisted Road might be left off, the album might have a lot of those long Crazy Horse songs on it, and Twisted Road, Leia ect. might be kept for the next solo record.
"Also, a normal CD or vinyl wouldn't be able to capture all of those songs, playing-length wise"
maybe it will be released on abnormal vinyl and mutant CD.
But where is my Toast?!?
Anon 4:14, Speaking for myself I am rather fond of Americana for what it is. The context of my post was just to reflect on all of the controversy that was generated upon it's release and how so many 'so called fans' were so quick to criticize Neil for releasing an album of covers after waiting so long for a new record from Crazy Horse. Just another perfect example of the dilemma of being a Neil Young fan and how if you just hold on to your shorts something that suits your fancy is just around the next corner ...
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