Video of opener "Love and Only Love" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Laugardalshöllin, Reykjavík, Iceland - July 7, 2014.
From a comment on Neil Young & Crazy Horse concert in Reykjavík, Iceland - July 7, 2014 by MrHornsby:
Hey hey, this is my first comment on TW, but I'm a regular reader.Thanks MrHornsby!
I was there in Reykjavik, so this seems like a good time to break my silence. I travelled from the UK to go and see it.
It was a good gig. I've seen NY seven times, and I'd place this performance at number three, below the Fleadh in London (2001) and Glastonbury (2009), but above his last show in London with the Horse (2013) (where Neil admitted that 'frankly, we kinda sucked at times tonight). They didn't suck at all on Monday. They took a great big bow at the end of the show, and looked like they'd had a great time.
It was a great venue to see him in - the most intimate venue you could hope to see the Horse play. (Thanks to ATP for that - that is their touch, I'm sure). That, and the fact that it was his first gig in Iceland, made it special.
Billy's absence was notable (get well soon Billy). Rick has a different aura about him, playing the bass so very calmly. It changes the interplay between them. But he fits into the Billy-shaped hole like no-one else could, in my humble opinion.
The excitement built throughout the night. The crowd were loudly appreciative at the start, and mad for it by the end of the show. We wanted more (damn you, house lights).
We chatted to the receptionist at our hotel afterwards (an Icelander who'd seen Bowie and Zappa in the 70s) who said he thought it was a really special gig. But not many young folks in the crowd. We agreed.
Hearing some of the rare songs was a real treat. It was a buzz to realise, after a few bars, that we were going to hear Going Home again. And I'm not sure if I've ever heard him play "Only Love..". It was a great version - the high notes were handled.
As with the last tour, Neil's acoustic session was outstanding.
The set list has been nicely mixed up since the last tour, though the format of Horse - acoustic - Horse is clearly still there. My companion and I came away with a renewed realisation of just how many great songs Neil has to draw on.
Hope you all enjoy this tour, wherever you may see it.
Sounds like a great start to the tour. More on Neil Young & Crazy Horse concert in Reykjavík, Iceland - July 7, 2014 with reviews, setlist, photos, videos, interview, poster, discussion, etc.
Is there anyone else in the universe that opens a tour/show with a 4 1/2 minute free jam before uttering the opening lyrics of the first song? I think not!
ReplyDeleteRock and Roll is here to stay! As long as Neil Young is bringin' it!
And the backup vocals add some nice variety, too.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Thrasher, the backing singers are good: subtle but effective. So far I've heard LAOL, Hurricane. Free World and they all sound great.
ReplyDeleteThe setlist is a good one, would be happy with that in London (with the addition of Cortez The Killer in an ideal world!), but my prediction is we will see more variation this tour than we did last year.
FS
two days to Hyde Park, goosebumps thinking about it, Neil concert no. 25-30, first one Wembley 1974, yee ha !!!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry to keep banging on about it, but I am amazed at just how good this Iceland show is, considering it's the first show of the tour. Just heard Goin' Home. A little shaky (as you'd expect as it hasn't been played for over 10 years), but some superb guitar work once they get into it. Better than just about anything from 2013. I hope they keep getting better as the tour progresses. If so, it will be something to behold.
ReplyDeleteScotsman
@Unknown - enjoy and looking forward to reports from the rail. :)
ReplyDelete@Scotsman - bang away. You can't beat a dead horse here but you can sure smell The Horse.
I hope NY does another album with Crazy Horse next! I love the two from 2012 but they don't quit measure up to Ragged Glory which I just listened to today. He obviously likes that album a lot too so he should do Ragged Glory 2 or something. I love it when he rocks out even more than all his other styles of making music. Go Neil!
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