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Rocking in the treehouse #NeilYoung #BSTHydePark pic.twitter.com/eoIUPXOfcg
— Nathan Kosky (@nathsky) July 12, 2014At http://t.co/H4sa1dhoHn -- Keep on rocking in the free world #neilyoung #hydepark pic.twitter.com/IsBD4YkIqb
— Scenes of London (@scenesoflondon) July 12, 2014100 feet up in hyde park just waiting for Neil Young to do his thing.. pic.twitter.com/3sbSp8DCsy
— jon harding (@jonnylambretta) July 12, 2014Getting ready for Neil Young in Hyde Park ... nice to have the Croft-Morland's with us! pic.twitter.com/JH3AWelarC
— Rich Stainthorpe (@RichStainthorpe) July 12, 2014And the last time Neil was in Hyde Park, Paul showed up...
Hyde Park, London, UK - June 27, 2009
Photo by Lzbth Corinthians (via Bernie B. Shakey)
(Click photo to enlarge)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse will be performing tonight at Hyde Park, London, England.
Got a report? Drop us a comment below.
Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates and Chronological Grid, Recording Summary, Statistics and Extras.
Also, see Neil Young & Crazy Horse 2014 Concert Tour Dates for reviews, photos, videos and more.
That EKTIN stage set up is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!
ReplyDeleteSpectacular show last night. I've already had good things to say about this tour, based on the recordings, and the show I actually attended was no exception. Sound quality was a little poorly balanced to start, which seemed to be affecting Neil as well: a few heated exchanges with his monitor engineer (who in response threw his hands in the air in apparent exasperation) changed that pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteTop highlights (in no particular order): Goin' Home was extraordinarily performed by men who are now in their 60s and 70s. At times Neil sounded a good 20 years younger, if not 30 years. Throughout, Neil was jumping and weaving around the stage, putting so much effort into getting the higher vocals out. You could tell he was really working hard; and yet at times it sounded effortless. Masterful.
Down By The River (dedicated with good audience response to "our brother Billy") seemed to go on forever, in a hallucinogenic fashion, and was a very moving performance: after a typical Crazy Horse intro as guitars and drums tumbled into sync. This song in particular really sounded like a mix of Crazy Horse and the Lost Dogs, which of course it is. Rick did very well. A jazzy Neil/Poncho jam towards the end reminded me of Germany 2002. A perfect encore. I was glad the show ended there, on a really high point.
Poncho's guitar was relatively quiet throughout, incidentally. At least from the left hand side of the stage. Poncho is hugely important to Neil's sound, in my opinion, and I'd have liked to hear him just a bit louder!
I like the arrangement of the new song. The band left the stage for the encore after Free World; Neil changed his mind, started Save The Earth, and they came hurrying back! Barstool Blues was good fun, and it's very brave of Neil to try and sing it that high, in the original key. He just about pulled it off. Free World was powerful. Gold Rush really works well on electric guitar.
Lowlights: Unfortunately Seperate Ways (and one or two others), despite being commendably performed, were stifled by the uncaring, sad drunken idiots who are regrettably found in every crowd. We need to find a way of dealing with these people that doesn't involve a jail sentence. Perhaps some sort of super virus that only attacks them.
"When Neil Young is playing you shut the f*!k up!".
As Neil has said before, some his fans are "very rude" and a day's worth of alcohol only exaggerates this. Fortunately they were again drowned out before too long. Although, alas, not actually drowned.
Love To Burn: a good song, well performed, but just a bit long winded here. Too soon after Love And Only Love, which it of course sounds very similar too.
Psych Pill is a lot of fun; it's not a great song, but it was performed enthusiastically. Cinnamon Girl was chosen right on the spot, and sounded it. Poncho's guitar wasn't working for that song, Neil forgot he wasn't playing Psych Pill again, and overall the song was a bit of a (enjoyable) shambles.
Overall Neil sounded more inspired here than he did when I last saw him in Birmingham and London last year, which were good shows too. But the 2012/2013 tour peaked long before he even arrived in Europe. No such complaints this time. This show was looser, more varied and dynamic. The addition of the backing singers has given him a burst of inspiration, I would say.
Memory plays tricks, but I think I enjoyed this show just as much as Hyde Park 2009, probably even more so. Thank you to everyone involved.
The Flying Scotsman.
Thanks The Flying Scotsman! Nice rundown.
ReplyDeleteSo, a mix of Crazy Horse and the Lost Dogs??
Maybe we'll call this band Crazy Dogs? Or Lost Horses??
Thanks Thrasher. Rick's bass on Down By The River was excellent, reminded me of both the 1989 versions and the Crazy Horse studio version. A great tribute to Billy.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stood out was just how much effort Neil still puts into his music. I love Bob Dylan as much as anybody, but he opens most shows now with "(I used to care, but) Things Have Changed". It's a good song, but not the most inspiring of mantras.
So it's refreshing to hear someone like Neil still putting so much effort into his performances, and to keep writing new meaningful songs. And it shouldn't be underestimated just how much effort it takes to sing some of his old songs, especially for a 68 year old with a diminished vocal range! That didn't stop him yesterday. Neil does still care, he still makes the effort, and that put him far ahead of so many others, in my opinion.
THnks for the review flying scotsman.
ReplyDeletecan almost hear those drunks!!!
I really like love and only love but put on the shelf for a while. it wont go anywhere. its there when you want it. swap in Sedan Delivery another worthy show opener. I guess Im rarely happy. thanks for review Scotch on the Rocks.
ReplyDeleteNothing much to add to flyingscotzman's excellent review of the Hyde Park show. I think we can forgive Neil the occasional missed high note and band timing issue. Initially I stood seven rows back and slightly centre-left of the stage. Then, after being pestered by a drunk for 10 minutes, I moved to dead centre and all was fine with the world. As all Neil fans know. a Neil Young concert is not best suited for drunks and/or speed freaks. Generally speaking, folks' who go to see Neil tend to act respectfully in his presence. But you always seem to get a tiny minority of drunken idiots at his shows, most of whom appear to make a bee-line for me. I agree with FS that Saturday's Hyde Park show was inspired. Neil seemed to have taken criticism of his decision to play in Israel to heart which set the tone for the ensuing performance. Neil's on-stage plea for Palestinian justice was extremely welcome. I for one, was happy to subsequently read on Thrashers Wheat that the show in Tel Aviv had been cancelled. My only criticism was the decision to include both Love To Burn and Love and Only Love in the same set. But this is a minor quibble in what was another highly emotional and gripping Neil Young and Crazy Horse performance.
ReplyDelete