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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.
Tonight, Saturday, Nov 10 at 9:00 PM EST, (in about 9 hours) the Thrashers Wheat Radio Hour will begin streaming on WBKM.org.
Feedback will be back and we'll ride the rusty human highway to bring you the best Neil Young news and reviews, rumors and musings....plus rare and unreleased tracks that will help keep you rockin' in the free world.
Thrashers Wheat Radio Hour is presented and produced each week by WBKM.org in the heart of Burlington, Vermont.
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Neil Young's Hippie Dreams: "Status-quo-disturbing visions" | The Kingston Whig-Standard
Neil Young
Illustration by Paul Lachine
(Click photo to enlarge)
For those who have read Neil Young's new memoir Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream, you know that it is "filled with reminiscences, ideas, idle thoughts and big, status-quo-disturbing visions."
Instead of giving us the standard tale of excess (sex, drugs and ... you know the rest), or having his story told by a ghostwriter (like Keith Richards), Young opts for telling his own tale, by himself, in his own special way.
Like a man who often looks onstage like he doesn't quite know how to play guitar but somehow pulls it off, the author of Waging Heavy Peace seems at times oddly ill-equipped to write a book. But what a book it is. Filled with reminiscences, ideas, idle thoughts and big, status-quo-disturbing visions, you'll swear you're watching a movie instead of reading a book - which is hardly surprising, given Young's affinity and genuine enthusiasm for film.
...
The book ends with two unforgettable, uplifting chapters. In one, the author describes how he came to write and record one of his most endearing and enduring songs, Will to Love. Suffice to say that if you ever wanted to know how an artist creates a work of art, then you need to read this.
The other chapter - the 68th and last in the book - is as moving a piece of writing as you'll ever encounter. The last paragraph, in particular, is almost Joycean in its reach, and ranks with any song Neil Young has ever written. Rip Van Winkle meets Back to the Future.
Thanks to Tom over on Sugar Mountain, we can get a pretty good idea of what to expect... unless we get the unexpected.
There have been 22 different songs performed with most shows averaging about 13 total songs. The following songs have been played at almost every 2012 concert:
Before last Thursday, when ol' Shakey and his golden garage band Crazy Horse stomped through my local amphitheater, the last thing I'd thought I'd be excited about was a bunch of guys hovering around 70, playing loud rock and roll into the night. I knew I'd love the Crazy Horse set — it was getting great reviews, the new album Psychedelic Pill is cool, and Young's the tinkering type who never stops challenging himself. But later, I found myself thinking about how Young's impressive vigor doesn't separate him from his peers — it's actually characteristic of the very acts that walked like giants in the 1960s, and whom you'd expect to be delivering little but nostalgia now.
...
Yet as Crazy Horse leaned in close and pushed forward, resonances from every previous Neil Young era floated through the music's distortion. I laughed when Young theatrically donned a flannel shirt before initiating "F*!#in' Up," an album track from his twentieth studio release — but I also thought, it's true, this dude did invent the 1990s (rockwise at least). Not only his pals Pearl Jam but Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth and Nirvana wouldn't have done what they did without his example. By focusing on new material and then juxtaposing the few old faves included with less familiar songs that share their main qualities, Young's current set lists make such insights more accessible.
At this point, we'll reserve judgement on Schneider's comments and let them speak for themself. But hey, don't let that stop anyone from commenting below on whether they liked Waging Heavy Peace.
Waging Heavy Peace: Capturing The Spirit of the Artist
Neil Young
In The Redwoods
(Click photo to enlarge)
A rather definitive review of Neil Young's book Waging Heavy Peace in All About Jazz by Lloyd N. Peterson Jr.
Here's the opening and the whole review is well worth clicking through and reading in its entirety:
An argument can be made that the three greatest artists in the history of contemporary rock music are Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Neil Young, in no particular order. The most controversial amongst the three would be Young.
This of course comes from the fact that Young seems to almost purposely take the path that defies commercial success but it's also a significant part of the reason why he remains so relevant. Where as most rock musicians reflect the time they create in by focusing on making hits, they also become dated when contemporary culture moves into the future and the next generation wants their own identity, their own statement and, yes, their own music. Though rare in rock music, every now and then an artist comes along that creates from a deeper well. And that well is so deeply personal in a creative spiritual sense, that the creativity produced does not reflect a style or genre as much as it does the spirit of the artist.
Waging Heavy Peace is a shining example of just what that means.
There may be no other biography that is so closely in tune with the artist, nor an artist that is this in tune with his muse and has the ability to write about it in such a detailed and expressive way. This is not only an inside look into the life of Young but critically important, what is inside the genius of one of the greatest minds in the world of modern art. And at this level, the genre and concept of art disappears. It is the artistic mind in collaboration with the spiritual soul that becomes much greater than the styles that were more than likely identified by record business executives anyway.
NEIL YOUNG WITH CRAZY HORSE ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND TOUR
There have been a few whispers lately…the words ‘Neil Young’ and ‘Crazy Horse’, have been coupled tantalisingly with the word ‘tour’. In the know fans have seen news about shows overseas and waited with growing anticipation for the official word.
So it is with no small amount of delight that The Frontier Touring Company and A Day On The Green confirm the return of Neil Young with Crazy Horse for a series of arena and A Day On The Green winery shows in March 2013. With one show only in each location, the tour is one of Neil Young’s most extensive yet with shows in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Hunter Valley, Surf Coast Geelong, Wellington and Auckland.
The tour will be Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s first headline tour since 2003’s critically acclaimed Greendale shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Crazy Horse, comprised of Billy Talbot (bass), Ralph Molina (drums) and Frank “Poncho” Sampedro (guitar), was recently described by Neil Young in his autobiography as “a vehicle to cosmic areas that I am unable to traverse with others."
The March 2013 shows promise to showcase both new material from their recently released album ‘Psychedelic Pill’ (out now through Warner) and the classic hits that helped make Neil Young a household name. Without a doubt the critical acclaim surrounding the tour dates so far illustrates just how Neil Young continues to pull massive crowds five decades into his impressive career.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote of Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s October Hollywood Bowl concert; “The made-for-each other singer and band seamlessly meld old and new amid a relentless, outstanding torrent of beautiful noise” while the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted “this tour serves as a reminder of how [Neil] became the Godfather of Grunge, and going on 67, he will still out-grunge anyone who gets in his path.”
The LA Times’ glowing review painted vivid pictures, including that of Neil Young “hunched over his Gibson electric guitar – known affectionately as “Old Black” – strangling notes out of its neck while standing in front of a Fender amp as big as the Ritz.”
Don’t miss out on seeing Neil Young with Crazy Horse live in concert this March 2013.
TODAY: Rock the Vote! Or Still Looking For A Leader?
"Every American President has left an impact on his country and the World. This musical history lesson from Neil Young takes a look at the past, present and future of US leadership."
With the U.S. Presidential Election today, on Tuesday, 11/6, here is "Lookin' for a Leader" by Neil Young from Living with War and some useful information to have on election day.
Lookin' for a Leader
To bring our country home
Re-unite the red white and blue
Before it turns to stone
Lookin' for somebody
Young enough to take it on
Clean up the corruption
And make the country strong
Walkin' among our people
There's someone who's straight and strong
To lead us from desolation
And a broken world gone wrong
Someone walks among us
And I hope he hears the call
And maybe it's a woman
Or a black man after all
Yeah maybe it's Obama
But he thinks that he's too young
Maybe it's Colin Powell
To right what he's done wrong
America has a leader
But he's not in the house
He's waling here among us
And we've got to seek him out
Yeah we've got our election
But corruption has a chance
We got to have a clean win
To regain confidence
AMERICA is beautiful
But she has an ugly side
We're lookin' for a leader
In this country far and wide
We're lookin' for a leader
With the great spirit on his side
Someone walks among us
And I hope he hears the call
And maybe it's a woman
Or a black man after all.
Recall in 2004, Neil Young and Pearl Jam were a few of the seventeen musicians who took part in the Vote for Change tour - caravanning through battleground states to Get Out The Vote.
From a Time Magazine interview with Neil Young in 2005:
"I'm a Canadian. I'd like to vote in the U.S. election because I feel like I've got just as much right to vote in them as anybody else. I've lived here for so long, paid taxes for so long and my kids have to register for selective service. I guess I could be a dual citizen, but if I ever had to give up my Canadian citizenship to become American I wouldn't do it, because I wouldn't want to hurt Canada. I love Canada."
Peter Frampton, Pearl Jam & Neil
Toledo, OH - October 2004
photo by Jayson Teig
The man who once sang he "wouldn't sing for politicians" did just so in 2004.
Neil Young, wearing a T-shirt with "Canadians for Kerry" joined the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Vote for Change Concert Tour on Oct 3, 2004 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, MI.
Dave Matthews introduced Young by saying "a good friend of ours," before launching into a 15 minute electric performance of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower."
Young said to the audience of more than 13,000:
"Some of you may know I'm a Canadian, and I'm here representing Canadians for Kerry. The rest of the world couldn't be here, but they say hi."
Neil Young , Dixie Chicks & James Taylor
“Harvest Moon” and “Heart of Gold"
Fox Theatre - Detroit, MI - Oct. 4, 2004
Photo by Brandy Baker/The Detroit News
With the U.S. Presidential Election today, on Tuesday, 11/6, here is some useful information to have on election day:
- If you have problems at the polls, call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Program this # into your cell now. Also, if you have a cell camera be prepared to use. Photograph any problems at polls and call # to upload.
Identification Required at the Polls. Acceptable Forms of ID include:
- Photo ID, such as Driver's license, state ID card, student ID card or tribal ID card
- Voter Registration Card
- Utility Bill
- Bank Statement
- Paycheck Stub
- Government Check or Other Government Document
(*Note: Voter without ID may vote a provisional ballot.)
You Have the Right to Vote
Here is what you can do to safeguard your vote.
- Find Out Who is in Charge - Make a list of your county and state election officials.
- Verify Your Registration - Verify your vote and your polling station BEFORE you head to the polls. Visit www.vote.wa.gov to check.
- Vote Early - Beat the lines and free up your time to help others get to the polls.
- Document and Report - If you witness any problems at the polling place, call your election officials or 1-866-Our-Vote for election protection information. Make sure to keep a detailed record of the facts including location, names and the problem.
- Plan Ahead for Long Lines - Go with friends or bring phones, iPods, snacks or reading materials. Make it fun and encourage others to stay in line too.
- Verify Your Vote - If using an electronic voting machine, check your screen and make sure it produces a paper record. Check to see everything is correct.
- Ask for Provisional Ballots - If for any reason you are turned away at the polls, be sure to ask for a Provisional Ballot (i.e. no I.D., wrong polling location, not on the voter rolls, etc.. Your vote will be counted if you are eligible.
- Spread the Word - Make sure your friends and family know these rights and they too encourage others to get to the polls. Visit www.ivoteyouvote.com to help others make that important voting connection
- Don't Believe the Polls - Be sure to make your vote heard. Don't be persuaded by polling numbers to not cast your vote. Polls can be wrong. Every vote needs to be cast and counted.
[Voters who experience problems voting are advised to not leave your polling station but to call a hotline 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) instead to get advice. The hotline will be staffed with legal experts who can help you determine your voting rights. The Election Protection group running the hotline will also have legal experts in the field monitoring situations at the polls. If you don't have a legal question but simply want to report a problem you had, you can call a separate hotline 866-MYVOTE1 (866-698-6831) and leave a recorded message. Be sure to leave your name and phone number on the recording if you want someone to investigate your problem.]
Here is the latest downloadable podcasts for the Thrashers Wheat Radio Hour. [To download, right click on link, save target as, pick destination folder: the podcast will download. Select your preferred MP3 audio player and play file.]
Interesting story: I finally got 'Psychedelic Pill' today.
(Thing is, it was considerably more difficult than I thought. I ended up getting my copy from a local book and music store. I'm still very attached to the physical product, rather than mp3s. I was trying to get it through Barnes and Noble. They had it available for order online, but when I tried to find it in-store by entering my postal (zip) code, it was listed as "out of stock" at all stores with a 100 hundred mile radius! (Of course, I wasn't going to drive 100 miles even for Neil Young, but I extended my search that far just out of curiosity.)
And all of this happened to me just today, so it sounds like there are definitely some problems with retail delivery for this item at the moment. The street date was right when Hurricane Sandy hit, so that was crappy timing for sure. Although with online shopping these days, it doesn't seem to be getting in the way of sales, interestingly enough. I just wonder how long before some of the poor people in New York get to hear it. The last I heard, there were people out there still without power. Without iTunes and online stores, I suspect this album wouldn't sell as well. Say what you will about mp3s, but it means that people can buy the album without ever having to leave their house or relying on any kind of courier service.
I know the album's been pretty well-received by the critics and the fans so far, and it looks like it is selling well.)
Anyway, 'Psychedelic Pill' is interesting so far, although I've yet to listen fully. As such, I need some more time before expecting any great reflections. When the first track is twenty-seven minutes long, it takes time to work through things. "Driftin' Back" is a little nuts, it has to be said. I like it musically, especially the introduction--which I thought was a clever, engaging switch-up for Neil. It sounds cool and has its groove. The lyrics are on the bizarre side, although some of the earlier comments had me worried that they would be worse than they are. The form and structure are simple if not simplistic, but to be honest, I find it hard to take issue with "Hey, hey, now, now" without also taking issue with "Hey, hey, my, my."
"Driftin' Back" is evidently meant to drift a little, or at least, I doubt that the title is any coincidence knowing Neil. I get the impression it's also meant to sound like a mantra: "Blocking out my anger". It seems to be about the search for something soulful or spiritually genuine in a world where many things are commercialized, superficial, phony, and purely profit-driven, whether the issue is mp3s or organized religion.
"Driftin' Back" seems to be an experiment, lyrically in particular, and I'm glad he did it even though it may have its strengths and weaknesses. By the way, I'm not one of those who finds a twenty-seven minute piece to be especially "self-indulgent" or arrogant. Not when Neil is asking us to devote time to an 85-minute album in the first place.
I'm not going to give up on Driftin' Back like some others have, either.
Whatever Poncho or anyone else was aware of at the time, I don't think Neil wrote the lyrics like that by accident. Just like he wrote 'Fork in the Road' (the song) that way on purpose. Driftin' Back sounds like part mantra and, sometimes, part send-up of rap and other overly simplistic popular music. In the latter regard, it vaguely reminds of Cough up the Bucks. It's a little nuts (not least of all on account of its being twenty-seven minutes long), but it has potential. Neil openly states in the lyric that he's blocking out thoughts and letting feelings through, so it's not going to be one of his most prosaic or lyrically ornate numbers.
I made the mistake of leafing through the booklet while Driftin' Back was playing, and in the process saw a bunch of lyrics without the music, some of which didn't seem very impressive on their own. So I wasn't sure 'Psychedelic Pill', the song, was going to be that great based on lyrics alone, but when I heard the song, it clicked. It was all in what they did with it--the music and concept/arrangement. I love the sound. It reminds me a little of 'Opera Star', but at the same time, I think it's one of the most effective psychedelic throwback songs Neil and the Horse have ever done, which is saying something considering the amount of nostalgia for old times that the relatively recent albums ('Ragged Glory' onwards) have displayed. So, stupid me: I prejudiced myself by looking at lyrics I should have known didn't represent a complete piece of music.
'Psychedelic Pill', the title track, is remarkable just because of how well it evokes the sound and feeling of rock music circa 1970. (I"m talking about the first version here, not the bonus alternate mix, which I have yet to give the attention it's due). 'Ramada Inn' also has its appeal.
Overall, I love the musical sound of the album and it seems to have a groove, but based even on the partial impressions I've been able to gather so far, I'm hesitating to call it five stars yet. Four might be fair, but I really have to give the second disc more attention before I'm in any position to judge. So far, I will say it's not making the same immediate impression that on me that 'Le Noise' did.
Then again, my tastes may be odd.
I prefer 'Sleeps with Angels' over 'Ragged Glory', can actually bear to play 'Are You Passionate?' all the way through now and then, and I'm not one of those who's spent the last ten years saying Neil needed to get back together with Crazy Horse.
Thanks, Neil, for reminding this book worm that there's sometimes more to it than words.
Thanks D.I.! We'll just add that we're really loving PP. DB, RI, & WLAG are wonderful jams by the guys. We think we'll be listening to RI for decades to come it seems to have that timeless feel to it.
>> Pre-Order on Amazon.com << 
Human Highway
Concert Review of the Moment
This Land is My Land
FREEDOM In A New Year
*Thanks Neil!*
![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.thrasherswheat.org/gifs/free-speech.gif)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young
Pardon My Heart
"We're The Ones 
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