As noted earlier -- not surprisingly -- the initial early reviews of Neil Young's latest album 'Storytone' are all over the map.
Here's a comment on First Listen: Neil Young, 'Storytone' : NPR by Mikkelrev:
Yes, this is a beautiful record. It has been a long time since I played a record over and over, and still wanting one more time.Thanks Mikkelrev for the thoughts. Yes, we too are amazed and surprised, by our fellow Neil fans at times. But never sick and tired because we've got faith in the ordinary rusties.
What amazes me when reading TW, is all the holy moralists we have got here these days.
People seem to know everything about Neil and Pegi, about Hannah, about everyone's relationship, and most of all they seem to be justified to make a judgment. And, even more interesting, they evaluate Neil's records and songs from their own moral judgment about his life, his decisions and his relationships. "Oh no, this song is no good because I know this is about Pegi which he left!", "this performance is no good because he made it in front of Pegi!", "this record is a piece of crap because Neil didn't find a girl when he was young, a girl which he should have married and lived together with his whole life, and he should never have thought of another woman, ever!". That is a strange way of evaluating his songs and records. Do you have the same standard when judging a Bob Dylan-song or a Leonard Cohen-song? In that case, all the fantastic Dylan-songs now seems to be pieces of crap all of them, because Dylan was probably not a holy angel all the time. And if you are not a holy angel - and we know! We know everything, always! - then your songs and records are no good.
I'm amazed and surprised, but most of all quite sick and tired, of all these holy angels and moralists that seems to know everything about Neil, and that are justified to make a moral judgment, and evaluate his songs from their own holy moralist judgments.
Keep on, Neil, this record is a gem!
And -- most importantly -- it's nice to hear you're enjoying the sounds of man not ready to go quietly into the night.
We know this is a delicate topic and have trusted folks to handle sensitively -- which they have for the most part here at TW. As esteemed rustie HarryO remarked on the song "I'm Glad I Found You...":
"the most significant lines in the song are the first two, not the refrain. "So many people don't understand what it's like to be like me, but I'm not different from anyone else." I generally feel like he chooses to express his current state of mind at his shows. I thought it was fine for him to play it, just like it was fine for Pegi to sing "Starting Over" -- bold artistry is great stuff!"And what else might be going on in Neil world these days? Well, we'll have a bit more to say on all of this tonight, Saturday, November 1 at 9:00 PM EST, on the Thrasher's Wheat Radio Hour from WBKM.org.
Tonight's edition will feature concert highlights from last weekend's annual Bridge School concert, discussion and news.
Tune in details and podcast info @ Thrashers Wheat Radio Hour.
Tune in on WBKM.org, Saturdays @ 9P EST
regrets for being off topic ... very cool gov't mule w Jackie Greene set from Halloween 29 Neil Young cover tunes ...
ReplyDeletea few cool videos incl a rocking tonights the night:
http://www.jambase.com/Articles/123194/Govt-Mule-Delivers-29-Neil-Young-Covers-With-Jackie-Greene
set list has some nice obscurities:
Set Two: Cinnamon Girl, Tonight's The Night, Revolution Blues, Heart Of Gold, For The Turnstiles, Scenery, Crime In The City, Fuckin' Up, Mr Soul, Sleeps With Angels, Comes A Time, Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown, World On A String, Old Man, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Cowgirl In The Sand, Danger Bird, Helpless, Downtown, After The Gold Rush, Prime Of Life, Ohio, Southern Man, Hey Hey My My (Into The Black), Down By The River, Blue Eden, Rocking In The Free World
Agree with Mikkelrev 100 percent.
ReplyDeleteWe can't know and it's not for us to judge.
But Storytone is for us and we can listen and enjoy something heartfelt and beautiful.
Gov't Mule With Jackie Greene On Guitar & vocals
ReplyDelete10/31/14 Cincinnati,Ohio
They Had The Rust Never Sleeps Large Speakers Set Up.
Complete Setlist.
Mule
Thorazine Shuffle
Funny Little Tragedy
Scared To Live
Kind Of Bird
Gameface W/Birdland Tease
Whisper In Your Soul
Time To Confess
Cinnamon Girl
Tonights The Night
Revolution Blues
Heart Of Gold
For The Turnstiles
Scenery
Crime In The City (Sixty To Zero Pt. 1)
Fuckin Up
Mr. Soul
Sleeps With Angels
Comes A Time
Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown
World On A String
Old Man
Don't Let It Bring You Down
Cowgirl In The Sand
Dangerbird
Helpless
Downtown
After The Goldrush
Prime Of Life
Ohio
Southern Man
Hey Hey My My
Down By The River
Blue Eden
Rockin' In The Free World W/ Sleeps With Angels & Machine Gun Teases
Piece Of Crap
Cortez The Killer
Gov't Mule
ReplyDelete11/1/14
Madison,Wisconsin
World Boss
Rockin' Horse
Thelonius Beck
Devil Likes It Slow
Lively Up Yourself
Trane->Eternitys Breathe Jam-,>St. Stephen Jam
Neil Set With Jackie Greene On Guitar & Vocals
Cinnamon Girl
Tonights The Night
Revolution Blues
Heart Of Gold
For The Turnstiles
Scenery
Crime In The City (Sixty To Zero Pt. 1)
Mr. Soul
Sleeps With Angels
Comes A Time
Old Man
Don't Let It Bring You Down
Cowgirl In The Sand
Dangerbird
Helpless
After The Goldrush
Down By The River
Rockin' Free World W/ Machine Gun Tease
Piece Of Crap
Hey Hey,My My
Shorter Show Than The Cincinnati Show On Halloween But I Bet It Was Another Classic Mule Show. They Do A Tribute Show Every Halloween & New Yrs. Past Years Have Been Zeppelin,Floyd,stones,Who,Hendrix,Doors With Robby Krieger On Guitar,this Year Neil. Stage Props Were Rust Never Sleeps Large Fake Speakers.Both Shows Will Be Released On MP3 Or Flac download In The Next Few Days.And A Possible CD/Dvd Release Down The Road? The Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy Show From '07 Was Released On CD. And Coming In Early December The Pink Floyd Show From '08. Their Was A 200 Limited Edition (Woody) Neils Stage Prop Poster For Sale At Both Shows Numbered And signed. Their Is Pictures At Www.Mule.Net And Gov't Mule Facebook. Looking Forward To Listening To The Shows. Long Live The Mule & The Horse. Steve
When an artist writes a song it is often culled from their life experiences. Through these songs we do get some insight into how an artist is feeling. We rejoice with them when they are up and cry with them when they are down. Most fans realize that this is just a very slight view into their lives. We've heard many love songs written for Pegi and now, if you listen to Storytone, he's telling us why the mutual attraction has faded. That's probably more than we need to know, but it's what Neil has deigned worthy of sharing with us. Enjoy the music and let Neil live his life as he sees fit. If it bothers you, stop listening to his records. It's really that simple. (Wow! I don't usually do soapboxes. Getting off now.)
ReplyDeleteNew Storytone video:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/neil-young-storeytone-when-i-watch-you-sleeping-20141103
When I Watch You Sleeping
Love this song!!
As a 35 year fan, I feel as though I have earned my right to say something. So this is it:
ReplyDeleteThis is the worst album Neil Young has ever made. Absolutely horrid. The only song worthy of his name is "Say Hello To Chicago" --and then, barely.
Tuneless, hookless, and lyrically embarrassing.
Neil's problem is that since his aneurism scare in 2005, he seems obsessed with getting as much music out of his system as possible before he dies, and lots of it simply doesn't cut it. And his voice on this record -- I've never heard him sing so badly, so weakly. I really am starting to wonder if he has lost it. We write him off at our peril but, to my ears, the last good record he made was Prairie Wind in 2005. Le Noise had its moments. Everything else since then has been half-baked. I just wish he'd follow Dylan's lead and take 3 or 4 years to accumulate some strong material, and then record an album, instead of adopting this "I'll throw everything that comes into my head at the wall and hopefully some of it will stick" approach.
I wonder what David Briggs would make of this? I suspect he'd give Shakey a damn good shaking.
Well, I've said my piece. I take no pleasure in saying these things, believe me.