Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Cortez the Killer [Live Melbourne 13/3/2013]
Epic.
That's what we're hearing over and over again, my friend, regarding last night's Neil Young & Crazy Horse concert in Melbourne, AUS. Clocking in at 3 hours, the longest Alchemy tour show so far with 18 songs. Dangerbird, Barstool Blues and Sedan Delivery are tour debuts with Cortez The Killer making first appearance of 2013.
An amazing night by all accounts.
The setlist breaks down as follows:
American Stars and Bars 1
Everybody Knows This is Nowhere 1
Harvest 1
Life 1
Psychedelic Pill 4
Ragged Glory 1
Rust Never Sleeps 3
Reactor 1
Unreleased 2
Zuma 3
Has there ever been a better set list than this one?! (Thanks Mr Henry!)
Alchemy Never Sleeps (in Melbourne)?
After some of the earlier doubter reviewers, we were wondering what was going on Down Under but it would seem that all of Australia has come to its senses and are now "believers".
Witness Blogger winterlong who said...
To quote Stevie Wonder,
"I'm too high, I'm too high, hope I never ever come down".
The Plenary gig was transcendent.
I don't expect the Horse to match it at Rod Laver, but really don't care.
To have been there, was to witness some of the most alive and truly live,performance moments. Neil was right out there, and the Horse did there best to follow. The guitar work was awesome's big daddy, and the Crazy horse harmonies, angelic.
Danger Bird...what a treat! It was so slow, the whole thing was in danger of stopping mid air, but somehow, miraculously, the bird flew, and soared. Incredible. Sedan delivery and Barstool blues, also unforgettable. It felt like we were carried into a timeless space, and honestly, I could have stayed all nite in that space. It was amazing to see the time at the end.
There was magic over the band, and magic for all with eyes to hear, see and feel.
I've been to many NY gigs over the years.
Nothing...nothing comes close to this gig.
Thank you Neil.
Thankyou Crazy Horse.
Godspeed to you and yours,
see you on Friday nite for more 'hit you in the heart' music.
I've thrown away all my medicine.
I've taken the cure. :-)
So glad you got a transcendent gig "Winterlong". Thanks for the comment.
Holy mackerel. They better release this concert on video. Holy macaroni. Bejeebus.
ReplyDelete... Perhaps the most incredible "Cortez..." EVER to mine own ears...
ReplyDelete-- Eric in sunny FLA
Geweldig.
ReplyDeleteIm sure it will be filmed and never released. Its what he does.
ReplyDeleteNeil has made a habit of turning in these once in a lifetime performances...except he tends to do it every few years. Consider the following:
ReplyDelete-In May 1974 he spontaneously performed the majority of "On the Beach" at The Bottom Line following a Ry Cooder gig. It is one of Neil's most intimate and perfect performances you'll ever hear.
-In November 1977, he gave a free concert in Miami Beach with the Gone with the Wind Orchestra (the only performance as I recall) where he played "Sweet Home Alabama" as a tribute to Ronnie and the boys.
-In November of 1990 he and Crazy Horse played a concert at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA that lasted 180 minutes (three sets) and included many rarely played songs.
-In June of 1996, Neil and CH debuted "Broken Arrow" at the Old Princeton Landing, a bar in Northern California, in a another sprawling 3 hour concert.
And over and over...
Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll and Michael was the King of Pop. If this Melbourne gig turns out to be anywhere close to those listed above, let it be known tht Neil is the King of Live Music.
"Live Music is Better" bumperstickers should be issued!
Indeed!
@setlistthief - lots of great memories of those "special performances". Imagine if videos existed? Or even just great audio tapes? The Bottom Line show is definitely a classic.
ReplyDeleteAnd to think that maybe Melbourne will be known as Alchemy Never Sleeps?
@TW-yeah, and those are just the ones I could think of off the top of my head. I'm sure many of us could come up with many more favorite classic Neil Young gigs.
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention great audio tapes...except for the Bicentennial Park show, Neil's probably got every one of those performances on disc sitting in a drawer up at the ranch. Just like the Dead, Neil's music will live on long after he (and the rest of us) burns out!
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH happy for you guys. and jealous. listen to that TONE no wonder they busted it out if the venue sounded that great
ReplyDeletehttp://www.human-highway.org/2013melbourne-review-by-zuman-james-m
ReplyDeletetoo long to post...
"Live Music are better bumper stickers should be issued"
ReplyDeleteWhat was that?
I'd put 1996-10-31 Hamilton and 2001-07-24 Rotterdam on that classic gigs list, off the top of my head. And while we don't have pro-quality audio (yet, anyway), there are pretty nice audience recordings of all except the '77 show, which is a little rough.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the shows that Neil played that week in late october of 1996 here in Ontario were pretty incredible, and the ottawa set list might compare favourably with this one except that I think the PP songs are even stronger than BA, but that is debatable. I seem to recall an encore at the ottawa show that week that included Hurricane, Danger Bird, and RITFW (sorry too lazy to check).
ReplyDeleteBut lets me honest: every show on this entire tour has been consistently good, which was pretty much the case with the 2007-2009 shows, and I love the phrase suggested above: Neil IS the king of live music. Ive been saying that for years to anyone who will listen. And second place isn't even close...
Imagine if there WASNT a euro tour planned yet: you euros would be sooooo envious: we have Neil AND healthy banks LOL.
There's a song called "American Stars And Bars"? Never heard of it. Love the album, though.
ReplyDeleteHi folks.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got something from the Plenary gig. ;-)
I haven't watched the video in case it didn't translate as well, and I don't want to lose the feeling. I'm sure you all know what I mean.
Anyway, not long until tonites gig at Rod Laver.
I hope my friends get to experience even a fraction of what happened on Wednesday, which of course they will!!
I had some Crazy Horse harmonies in my head all day..and finally realised they were from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (title song)
Hmm..pretty sure he won't deviate so far as to do that, or say..Pochahontas! :-D
I'm intrigued as to what will go down tonite, that's for sure.
Will be one of many in Melbourne, back to post about it soon.
Cortez - another view, just bliss...as was the full 3 hours...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f_VNeBKUWY
Sounds absolutely great! I hope the best for the Berlin show in June. Any bootlegs out already? Need to hear this concert!
ReplyDeleteHere is Dangerbird:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzwEoynZpr0
GREAT!!!!
One Of Favorite NEil Gigs Is 10/31/96 Copps Coliseum In Hamilton,Ontario.It Was My 3rd Of 4 Shows On The Broken Arrow '96 Tour. It Was The Longest Show Of The Tour And Neil Even Said BOO! At The Beginning Of The Show And Launched Into Cowgirl In The Sand.A Memorable Halloween Night.24 SOngs With 7,8 Encores. Another Mention Would Be The 6/13/03 Bonarroo Show. Twenty Minute Version Of Love To Burn.The 7/5/03 Austin,TX Show With Willlie NelsoN Jamming With The Horse On Down By The River.6/21/01 Rotterdam Show Of Cortez The Killer,Twenty MinutE Version.
ReplyDelete