Neil Young performs ~ Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show
Louis C.K., Neil Young, Jack White, Jimmy Fallon
"Crazy" vinyl single booth recording from The Tonight Show
Jimmy Fallon, Neil Young and Jack White
Jack White and Neil Young
(*Note - composite image)
Making history tonight - Neil Young is going to perform and press a vinyl with the help of Jack White live on the show. One take. Fun.
— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) May 12, 2014From Inside Neil Young & Jack White's 'Crazy' Night on 'Fallon | Billboard by Gary Graff:
"You only get one shot," Young told Billboard about the process the day before his "Tonight" appearance. "So when you do it, you've got to do it. There's no fixing it. You really have to be prepared, which is really good for the music instead of going in and patching it together with little pieces of digital gaffer's tape and stuff. The whole idea of a performance is where you feel a song when you sing it, and you've got a great song that somebody wrote, or maybe you wrote it yourself, and it really means something to you and you know it and you sing it and you feel it with all your hearing while you're singing it. And when you're done you don't even have to listen to it, 'cause you know it is what it is. It's done, and when everybody listens to it, they should feel it, too."broadcastarchive-umd.tumblr.com | fallontonight: Neil Young performs “Crazy” in...
Young said he was already thinking about doing an album of songs that were part of his "musical roots" when White showed him the Voice-O-Graph machine. "I tried making a record in there, I can't remember what, and I liked the way it sounded," Young recalls. "I said, 'Well, I can make an album in this thing.' And (White) looked at me, and I said, 'Yeah, I can make a whole album in this. We'll figure out a way to do it. Let's do it together. You can help me and we'll reproduce it together and we'll do the whole thing."
"It has a real timeless quality," Young said. "If you didn't know what it was, you wouldn't know when it was made. You wouldn't know if this was an old record of mine or if it was somebody else...which I found to be very fascinating and really refreshing." What he doesn't like, however, is people calling it a covers album. "That's a term I really don't like, covers," Young explained. "That misses the point of what the record is. It's actually more of a piece of performance art. It's actual songs. It's actually the performance of a song and the essence of a song. That's what it's about."
He says his next musical project will likely be a set of original material, which he acknowledged has been influenced by what he recorded for "A Letter Home."
"Oh, yes, you can't learn the masters' songs without having a little of it rub off on you," he said. "I'm writing right now. I'm writing songs, and I'm going to do justice to these songs one way or another. And life has changed; a lot of the people I used to make records with are not on the planet anymore. And I write these songs and I can hear their parts in my head and I don't want anybody else to be imitating them. So I have a little quandary there. I'm gonna have to work that out inside my own soul and figure out how to deal with that, but nonetheless I feel very confident I'm gonna be able to communicate those songs and they will live. I'm having a really good time in my life, and that's all I really need. As long as all those things are lined up, I feel very optimistic about the future. As far as the sales of records go and the commerciality and the success, I have no idea about that. As far as I am, as an artist, going to be feeling good about what I do and feel like I'm really on what I'm doing, I've got, like, a 90% chance of that happening."
Jack White and Neil Young will perform together on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 12 in addition to sitting down with the host for an interview. This appearance will mark Young’s first-ever live appearance on either of Fallon’s late night shows.
While White gears up for the release of his own Lazaretto, this appearance will be in support of Neil Young’s new covers album A Letter Home which was recorded at White’s Third Man Records studios. White is featured on two tracks.
Additional guests on May 12 include Louis C.K. and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.
So, Jack, Jimmy P. & Neil maybe jam together?
Actually, let's hope Jimmy F. just let's the whole night roll and keeps himself low key. Stay in the moment of awe and anticipation. We dread a Jimmy impression or lord forbid - a walk on - where he tries to join in a Jack & neil (& Jimmy) jam. That would be a travesty.
And look what happened last time "Neil Young" was on Jimmy Fallon's show? "Whip My Hair"?! “Party in the USA”?! Oh, the horror, the horror...
Jimmy Fallon seems to be making a career out of his Neil Young impressions. Last year, it all started with Jimmy Fallon impersonating Neil Young covering "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" which went totally viral. Then followed by "Pants On The Ground"
Which led to a viral video of a viral video of Neil Young's Emotional 'Double Rainbow' Ballad (VIDEO).
Graham Nash, David Crosby & "Neil Young" - “Party in the USA”
Is it too much to ask that Young and White ask Page to join them onstage?
ReplyDeletesetlistthief - yes, it probably is too much to ask.
ReplyDeleteBut if Jack, Jimmy & Neil jammed it would be epic.
But given its Fallon, he'll jump in and it'll just be a silly goof like everything else.
But here's hoping...
Jimmy Fallon was funny on SNL and Tolerable as the late show host.
ReplyDeleteBut he is UNWATCHABLE as the host of the tonight show. way too much cheese and has a VERY difficult time just sitting back and being a fan when a talented musical guest shows up. sadly that is becoming a rarity. I guess halfway decent acts don't want/like to have their music mauled by his over the top cheese. He should just learn when to shut the F up.
all that being said I can't imagine Neil allowing ANY fallon shenanigans during his performance, and while a three-way with Page & White sounds great on paper (anyone remember "It Might Get Loud"?)I'd rathe see Neil & Jack duet. their voices compliment each others, IMHO.
Very cool, thanks for letting us know about this! Can't imagine that they could all be together on the same show at the same time and then not play together...we will see.
ReplyDeleteAnd could it get any better than that? Yes, actually it can, and I'll be there that same night when Television returns to Boston after much too long a time. Neil is beyond compare, and Jack and Jimmy are up there in the Stratosphere...but if you've ever had the privilege of seeing Tom Verlaine play guitar, then you know what music God listens too. And when you add in Richard Lloyd? If it's half as good and half as wonderful as before, it will still be one of the best shows I've ever seen. And then I can come home and watch Neil, Jimmy and Jack on the DVR...wow!
"How much history can be transmitted by pressure on a guitar string? The thought of generations, the history of every human being who's ever felt the blues come down like showers of rain."
--Robert Palmer
Yep, Thrasher, it would be epic. It could also be an unmitigated disaster...but that's what's great about live music.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm going to keep expectations realistic and figure Jack and Neil will just do a song off the album and that will be that. But...I would not be surprised if White shows up at a few Crazy Horse gigs this summer. Jack could have worse mentors...
Hopefully Jack's not bringing the phone booth! Paige isn't on. Someone's mistaken. Too bad.
ReplyDeleteNeg
Lighten up about the Fallon as Neil thing. His "Neil Young" bits are hilarious, and its a spot on impression to boot. I'd also venture to guess that more than a few younger people have become aware of Neil through these bits.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I think a collision between Fallon's "Neil" and the real Neil will be hilarious, and its also probably inevitable.
@Mr Henry - Yes, history shows that it can get any better! And Monday should be really good. :)
ReplyDelete@Nate42 - Not to analyze Fallon too much, esp given he just started hosting The Tonight Show, but he is a comedian 1st and foremost. So they tend to draw lots of attention to themselves. Fine for comedy but as a major TV host, we just hope he allows his guests to shine in the spotlight.
That's all.
I really hope they perform I Wonder If I Care as Much; That was my favorite track on the album! Also Louis CK?! The best working comedian along with 2 of the best working musicians in the industry?!? I'm quite down for this!
ReplyDeleteReally loved "I Wonder If I Care as Much" too. After listening to this song it wasn't that hard to imagine a full electric Neil and Jack album. But it looks they will take the recording booth to Fallon. Ha, that's cool.
ReplyDeleteToday's Soundcheck My Hometown
ReplyDeleteWell, Bruce did a duet with Fallon one night, Crosby & Nash too, so there is always the possibility that egos are checked in the coat room and frivolity prevails. After all, it is a comedy show.
ReplyDeleteThe safe bet is a cut off the letter home album, and Jimmy Paige doing something on his own. Maybe Neil and Jack join HIM rather than the other way. Who cares, Tune in, Turn on and Drop by. Should be good whatever it is.
I don't think Jimmy Page is on tonight. Even if he was, it would presumably be to promote the new Zeppelin reissues, not to perform.
ReplyDeleteEven better, more time with Neil and Louis CK.
DAVID CROSBY IS FOND OF THIS SAYING
ReplyDeleteYOU CAN GO INTO A STUDIO AND DO THIS AND ADD THAT WITH THE BEST PRODUCER BUT IF YOU DONT HAVE A
SONG TO BEGIN WITH IT WONT MATTER
TAKING THAT THAT THEORY YOU CAN PROMOTE THE HELL OUT OF A RECORD HAVE SOME KIND OF GIMMICK,GO ON NATIONAL TV BUT IF THE RECORD IS NOT GOOD IT WONT MATTER
SEEMS TO BE THE CASE HERE WITH A LETTER HOME GETTING TERRIBLE BUYER
REVIEWS THE WORD IS SPREADING THE
ALBUM SUCKS. ALL THE PROMOTION IN THE WORLD WONT CHANGE THAT. SO FAR SALES FOR A LETTER HOME HAVE BEEN TEPID
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN NEIL YOUNG MADE GREAT AND GOOD RECORDS, RARELY DID INTERVIEWS AND STAYED OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT UNFORTUNATLY
THOSE ARE THE DAYS THAT USED TO BE
NOW NEIL IS ALL OVER THE MEDIA USING
GIMMICKS TO SELL RECORDS BECAUSE HE CHOOSES NOT TO SPEND THE TIME TO MAKE THEM GOOD. THINGS HAVE TURNED 180 DEGREES REMEMBER THE LONER WHERE IS HE NOW
"THERE WAS A TIME WHEN NEIL YOUNG MADE GREAT AND GOOD RECORDS, RARELY DID INTERVIEWS AND STAYED OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT UNFORTUNATLY
ReplyDeleteTHOSE ARE THE DAYS THAT USED TO BE"
I guess by "there was a time" you mean 2012. "Psychedelic Pill" was the #34 rated album on Rate Your Music for 2012. And for good measure "Americana" was named album of the year by Robert Christgau.
No Page. Neil did "Crazy" in the booth.
ReplyDeleteI hope he tours with the booth. Fuck the doubters!!
ReplyDeleteGod I feel old
Neg
My brother told me that what Neil played last night would be for sale today. Any truth or info on that?
ReplyDeleteGreat to see Neil looking good and healthy.
ReplyDeleteIn truth, I'm still largely unimpressed by the record booth - it sounds awful and adds nothing to the performance. It genuninely has no redeeming features. It's destracting and smothering. Neil's demeanour on the show hints that even he isn't convinced it was a good idea.
I'm so much looking forward to the Crazy Horse (hopefully the booth will have been kicked into touch by then, along with Jack White). Get back to some seriously expressive music, rather than cheap gimmickery that is clearly inappropriate for an artist of Neil Young's calibre.
I'm glad Neil recorded Walk Like A Giant and Ramada Inn in 2012, because those songs amply demonstrated that (when undestracted) he is still capable of making truly outstanding art. In comparison, A Letter Home feels like a step backwards, a half-hearted effort. I'm hoping Crazy Horse will continue to bring out the best in him for the rest of the year.
The Flying Scotsman.
Please excuse the spelling miiiiskktaes and general grumpiness! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Flying Scotsman.
a momentary lapse of reason Neil, leave the past in the past. Its all about evolution AND THE MASSES WILL DECIDE, whats good or bad in the moment. Art is like fashion it will come back but on its own terms not forced down our throats by late nite or fancy packaging.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the Scotsman bring back the horse, Psychedelic Pill was awesome but so was CD2 without the horse but they would do justice to No Hidden Path, Spirit Road and Dirty Old Man.
The past was beautiful but timing is everthing
Thanks to all for comments (even ALL CAPS man).
ReplyDeleteAs we discussed this past weekend on TW Radio ( podcast), we find the exercise remarkable.
And we see it as an exercise like ARC or Dead Man or Shocking Pinks or any of his other many experiments. Some work, some don't. Sometimes it takes awhile for an evaluation to stabilize. Exhibit A being Tonight's The Night or TRANS, for example, which were very misunderstood upon release.
Also, see the new Rolling Stone interview with David Fricke where he refers to ALH as a "covers album" and Neil gets nearly angry and says : "I resent the album being labeled a covers album".
The guy is on journey through the past and he's just gone somewhere we've never been. relax. enjoy the ride. it's just a ride, you that, right?
Go to NBC.com and you'll see that he also played a bonus "Since I met you". Neil is old, but these songs have a place in his catalog and career. I'd rather have these songs than all crap that is on the radio today. I don't see this project as a gimmick at all, and I look forward to whatever he does next. I am thankful that he is still around and part of my life.
ReplyDeleteI dig what Neil does for the environment & I think what he does with Crazy Horse is FANTASTIC. I like a lot of his solo work & he will always be my favorite musician. I understand he has earned the right to pretty much do whatever he wants but it saddens me that I can no longer just buy the new album. I didn't find anything nostalgic about the sound & was very disappointed.
ReplyDeleteTW allot respect for you and what you have brought us.
ReplyDeleteI mostly agree with you that Neil does go outside the box, but unlike Trans, Rockin, Greendale, this is a record of covers. Don't get me wrong I appreciate & respect what he has done.I know the sound will grow on people, At the moment I'm listening to Hank Williams, sounds just like it.
I just don't get the marketing he has been up to lately. So unlike Neil more like Justin Bieber
He should just do shows that's what got him here. I guess now time is of essence!!!!!
I love Neil. But this stuff - well, it kind of bores me. Man, I get the Journey Through the Past and all and I have enjoyed many of the journeys with Neil but this one is not connecting with me. I respect that he is an artist and following his muse. And I'm sure he would respect my right to not care very much about what he's up to. We owe it to him and to us to sometimes just turn the channel or lift the needle.
ReplyDeleteNot all that glitters is gold.
This whole business strikes me as a classic NY novelty fad for the moment, soon to left aside for whatever is next. It's cute, but certainly just a passing fancy. But it does, I assume, allow him to do some perverse Pono promotion at the same time. I also wouldn't mind if it led to a real collaboration between him and Jack White, perhaps with White producing something more substantial.
ReplyDeleteps- I'm with Old Black- it is boring. But the novelty did get him on national TV and a lot of coverage. But it is just that, a gimmick. The snap-crackle-pop stuff is like all the reverb he drowned "Everybody's Rockin'" with. A little bit goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteAwesome new interview in RS! Kinda helps put things in perspective. Archives II will be finished by summer. He didn't say it would be released. Just said the music would be done. I can't remember where I read it but he's writing new songs too!
ReplyDeleteNeg
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/alternate-take/neil-young-on-jack-white-archives-ii-and-his-special-message-to-mom-20140513?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
I shared in Fallons excitement to have one of his idols on the show. Good for him! Like him he or not, his love of music past & present, is obvious.
ReplyDeleteThey were all very stocked to show off the old booth. I really expected more on the historical factor of the booth itself on the show & here. Didn't even know such a thing existed. If it inspired Neil to perform songs from his youth, imagine what it did to folks that could put themselves on a record way back then.
I found Jacks pride in his restoration infectious & justified. Someone at The Smithsonian is probably drooling right now. How many of these are even fixable?
Anyway, I enjoyed the step back,but are we really moving forward so fast that nostalgia as this can't be reflected on for just a moment? Setz
Great! now I'm old too!
....Neil has developed the same skill as Dylan: giving interviews that are more rich than the album he is promoting!
ReplyDelete"There's an "audiophile" vinyl without the crackling" - ha ha ha! He's taking the p*ss!
The Flying Scotsman
...Did I mention I can't believe he released this album and not a cut-down live album of the last Hollywood show instead? Think I might have mentioned it once or twice.
ReplyDeleteThe Flying Scotsman.
Well said Setz and F'n Scotsman, I like your thinking!!
ReplyDeleteReally Old Negative Man (trying to see the bright side)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletealways great seeing old neil on the tube he obviously enjoys fallon and putting this ode to america back to the future out there in the galaxy. jack a fan like all of us last night of our known legend. hope to hear a jam from them someday. jambands.com better lay of the hooch everyone knows pagey is pretty much nowhere near a stage for years
ReplyDeleteFor my money Neil has earned the right to do whatever he pleases ... that said, the coolest thing I've read here on TW was that the process of making this album caused some of the masters to rub off on him and he's writing new material ... someone in thread alluded to this and it reminds me a little of Americana ... there were all these doubters complaining about it and then PP showed up on the back end ... same thing here, I haven't had the time to focus on listening to it (was it ever streaming on NPR?) or buying it (although I listen to 'Changes' and Needle of Death' from Carnegie Hall incessantly) but if you end up with new material on the back end its pure gold ... anyhow, I thought Americana would be a throw away and granted I only listened to it a few times but it was excellent and as with most things Neil these albums age beautifully and in time they somehow make total sense ... one of the things I love about Neil is that the whole trip around the music is art too ... and he's saying lots of things ... too easy to be negative and dismiss it as a gimmick ... Neil's too busy to do gimmicks and he ain't doing it to just sell records ...
ReplyDeleteLoved it. Why not? Whats not to love? Neil playing and doing his thing.
ReplyDeletePeople expect everything to be (played) at 11 all the time?
If Neil wanted to sit around your campfire and play your beater would you say NO, that's too gimmicky?
If we could just get him to focus and reschedule the Rye NY show, then we would be getting somewhere!
TomCrac.
..."you feel a song when you sing it, and you've got a great song that somebody wrote, or maybe you wrote it yourself, and it really means something to you and you know it and you sing it and you feel it with all your hearing while you're singing it"
ReplyDeleteThere it is, the live muse boiled down to one quote. That's the journey he's on every time he laces up those strings and lays it out. Past. Present and Future.
The rest is just the delivery system
If it's not a gimmick, then what is it? If Neil made a record standing in his chimney dressed as Superman it would be less of a gimmick.
ReplyDeleteThe use of the booth doesn't add anything to the experience (unless you are an incredibly dull person). If you really want to hear a crackle, then put a record on and sit next to the fire.
The most unfortunate thing is that some of the songs he's chosen are actually pretty good, and the performances are very acceptable: but the box thing disguises that. If anyone else took Neil's albums and ran them through that thing and put them on the youtube, they'd be crucified (by the same people applauding Neil for doing exactly the same thing).
The idea of an audiophile version without the crackling is hilarious, particularly so because fans seem so oblivious to the joke. You have to applaud the man's audacity.
Lastly, anyone who prefers the album versions of "Changes" or "...Read My Mind" to the live Hollywood versions is clearly a nutter.
The FS.
"There's no point in writing a song with a message if you're going to distract everybody with the racket the music makes"
ReplyDelete-Rassy Young
"I just don't get the marketing he has been up to lately. So unlike Neil more like Justin Bieber
ReplyDeleteHe should just do shows that's what got him here. I guess now time is of essence!!!!!"
So, you'd rather he didn't do interviews or live performances on tv? Weird. I don't understand the comparison with Bieber, either.