Neil Young 2015 Year in Review: The Year of The REAL
Stephen Stills & Neil Young
Light Up The Blues Benefit Concert
Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA on 2015-04-25.
Photo by Jeff Allen
Neil Young + Promise of the Real
Photo by David Parias
Reflections on Red Rocks: Neil Young + Promise of the Real, July 8 & 9, 2015
Photo by thrashette
Neil Young + Promise of the Real
Staggering 3 hour, 15 minute Concert in Camden, NJ - July 16, 2015
Neil Young + Promise of the Real
Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY - July 21, 2015
Photo by Hounds That Howell
"L.A." in concert in Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 14, 2015
("L.A." first performance since 1973-04-01, Sacramento)
Farm Aid 2015 (30th Annual) in Chicago
Photo by Brooklyn Vegan
Neil Young Donates $100,000 to Blue Dot Environmental Campaign
JUNG NEIL: Love and Only Love from the Baghavad Gita (It’s All One Song)
Tim Drummond: 1940 – 2015 (Center rear)
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - London, Sept. 14, 1974
Photo by Joel Bernstein
Dallas Taylor: 1948 - 2015
Dallas Taylor, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Bruce Palmer, Neil Young, Graham Nash
Shady Oak Drive in Studio City.
Photo Henry Diltz, 1969
Rusties Ascend to Shoreline for International Rust Fest Bridge Concerts
Memories & Reflections on Our 2015 Bridge School Benefit Concerts Weekend
Neil, Pegi & Ben say "Good Night. Thanks for coming. We love you all."
Memories & Reflections on Our 2015 Bridge School Benefit Concerts Weekend
For those of you who have made the annual pilgrimage to the Bridge School Benefit Concerts, you know that it can be a life altering and transcendental experience.
Rusties Hanging Out with Lukas & Micah Nelson After Bridge Concerts
Memories & Reflections on Our 2015 Bridge School Benefit Concerts Weekend
Photo by Hounds That Howell
Unlike some of those years of Neil Young past -- 2015 was one of the most surprising years of all. 2015 was the year it all got REAL. We mean really REAL.
The man's productivity, resilience and sheer drive continues to be both amazing and inspiring.
We began 2015 with our sense of dread as the looming "Big Shift" rolled on, yet here we all are -- both irrevocably changed -- and yet still much the same as we ever were.
2015 had many amazing highlights as noted above for both Neil Young and Thrasher's Wheat.
Once again, we ponder that age old question: Is Neil burning out or fading away? We argue that he is neither. Neil Young is the quintessential survivor.
We had our moments here on TW in 2015. Like:
- Yes, There's Corruption on THE HIGHEST FLOOR: Yet More Inconvenient Truth in Greendale
- "Flags of Freedom" For Memorial Day: A Neil Young Idea
- Science, GMO's and Our Futures: Why We Need To Heed The Coming of Neil Young's The Monsanto Years
- "Got A Man of The People Says Keep Hope Alive": Neil Young’s "Rockin' In The Free World"
- Americana and The American Dream - This Land Is Our Land, This Land Is Your Land or Who's Really Going To Stand Up?
- The Inconvenient Truth of Neil Young Rolls On
But a friend told us that we hit a bad chord with our posting Fear Not! We'll Always Have Paris. Forever. . Maybe so... When we blog about love and war, we don't really know what we're saying...
So we must be doing something right here at TW. Afterall, Facebook suspended our account on the eve of the Rebel Content tour. Surely a coincidence...
Nonetheless, we celebrate the music, achievements and all the good folks at Shakey Pictures. Onwards to 2016!
As for us? Well, Thrasher's Wheat will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2016. So stay tuned for some hopefully exciting announcements in the months ahead as we celebrate our remarkable little milestone as the longest running music blog on the internet. So we'll see you down the road in 2016.
because it's not about me.
and it's not about you.
it's all about about us.
you & me.
peace & love,
thrasher & thrashette
ps - For all of you who help us wage heavy wheat and made contributions of support recently, thank you notes have been going out and we hope to get them all completed by the end of the year. Apologies on delay and we truly appreciate your support.
It means that much to us, to mean that much to you.
Labels: 2015, neil young, year of the REAL
by thrasher@PermaLink: 12/22/2015 04:35:00 PM
27 comments
>> Pre-Order on Amazon.com << 
Human Highway
Concert Review of the Moment
This Land is My Land
FREEDOM In A New Year
*Thanks Neil!*
![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.thrasherswheat.org/gifs/free-speech.gif)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young
Pardon My Heart
"We're The Ones 
Thanks for Supporting Thrasher's Wheat!
This blog 
(... he didn't kill himself either...)
#AaronDidntKillHimself
Neil Young's Moon Songs
Civic Duty Is Not Terrorism
Orwell (and Grandpa) Was Right
What's So Funny About 
27 Comments:
A busy year, wasn't it? Thanks for keeping us in the loop. Looking forward to another 12 months with NY coming to see us in Euroland. I have sent you a few dollars via the link above and hope others do likewise to ensure you keep blogging. Merry Christmas everyone!
Thanks for helping me stay current for another year Thrasher! It's hard for me to explain how much I appreciate Thrasher's Wheat but I'm truly grateful for what you do. I will keep mailing you $20 when I can but please don't waste time on my thank you note because I should be sending one to you.
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Right now I'm listening to WMWV (N. Conway, NH) and they're playing The Ronettes' version of Sleigh Ride. Just before that, they played a couple songs for Eddie Vedder, who is turning 51 today--Happy Birthday Eddie! First song was one from Into The Wild, and the second was the PJ version of Last Kiss, which I remember hearing them do way back when before it was recorded. I also vividly recall hearing Sha Na Na do Last Kiss at a big Summer Festival in 1974, and everyone in the crowd was singing along to the chorus. Rock and Roll Will Never Die! It's also the 75th Birthday of Jorma Kaukonen--thank you for so much great music.
I was reading a short column the other day (A Sporting View by Mark Vasto), and it listed the Rules for Success from the legendary John Wooden. They could just as easily be titled "Neil Young's Rules for Success", and I figured I'd share them with you all:
01. Be a gentleman at all times.
02. Be a team player always.
03. Be on time whenever time is involved.
04. Be enthusiastic, industrious, dependable, loyal and cooperative.
05. Be in the best possible condition--physically, mentally and morally.
06. Earn the right to be proud and confident.
07. Keep emotions under control without losing fight or aggressiveness.
08. Work constantly to improve without becoming satisfied.
09. Acquire peace of mind by becoming the best that you are capable of becoming.
All of these are great suggestions for good living, and it seems that the last six especially apply to Neil. It's been an incredible year for him and his fans.
I saw less live music this year and unfortunately didn't catch Neil and the boys on tour, but what I did see was choice. John Mellencamp was great, and Carlene Carter opened for him. I got to have a short chat with Carlene after her set, and got a very cool personalized CD for my daughter and son-in-law. Muck and the Mires rocked out on a Saturday night in June, and helped me forget that I was missing Solid Sound for the first time. They played Cocoa Beach and everyone was dancing, with the Atlantic Ocean only a few hundred feet away.
Mac Taylor and Mandy Patinkin completely blew me away with their two man show Last Two People On Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville. When they sang Patty Griffin's song "Making Pies", it was the musical highlight of my year. Cowboy and Lady were great, with Tyler James Kelly and Jess Powers doing some wonderful covers and originals. I'd seen them open for Pegi Young last November, and they were opening for Tyler's band The Silks at this show. As I've noted in earlier Comments, Dick Dale was beyond amazing when I saw him in mid August...Long May You Run.
I lost my BFF of almost 50 years back in early March...RIP Jim. He was so incredibly smart and such a great musician, the brother I never had. That's what I'll remember the most about 2015, along with all the great family memories and the walks with my dog down by the river.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, and Keep On Rocking In The Free World!
Some music links (thanks to You Tube!) to accompany my look back at 2015. Realized that I forgot to include the great Sleater Kinney reunion show in Boston, which I saw back in February. Would have done another update, but figured that one more "Delete" and redo might log me out (or something). Enjoy!
The Ronettes
Sleigh Ride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rDA2Czz0E
Eddie Vedder
Guaranteed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuDk8vL7FXE
Pearl Jam
Last Kiss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_K7JvYlb_4
Muck and the Mires
Cocoa Beach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyzNO9XNLcw
Patty Griffin
Making Pies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HC7KABegj0
Cowboy and Lady
Free Again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwZeSkqUBmQ
Dick Dale
Ghost Riders In The Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvHnBGfoTuI
84 Rooms
Stand Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKJTYi6RGHs
84 Rooms
Tell Me All About Her
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgbeVuSPqxA
Keta Bill and Joe Goldmark
Can't Find My Way Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgsRmSmqnGQ
Sleater Kinney
Not What You Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3oOXUjnFJs
Neil Young
Someday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Uj-xiRJ9M
For me, this has been the toughest year to be a Neil Young fan. I’ve been a die-hard fan for 35 years, seeing every tour since 1983 solo trans. Always ranked Neil #1 in my book.
Problem is, I’m also a fan of another Neil – Neil Degrasse Tyson. I have learned so much from him, along with other science icons as Bill Nye the Science Guy, Steve Novella, and all those who work tirelessly for science education. I’m not a scientist, but I love reading about the scientific process, and know how important it is to have accurate scientific information out in the world.
Sometimes worlds collide, and in this case not in a great way. I was shocked to find myself on Neil Young’s facebook page most of the year disagreeing with just about everything that my main man was posting. I found myself getting into online debates with Lukas Nelson, who was accusing everybody who disagreed with him of being a paid shill of Monsanto.
There are so many problems in the world. So many wrongs to right. Climate change.Questionable foreign policy. Concentration of wealth among the few. Corporate greed. Gmo’s does not appear to be one of these problems based on current science.
If anybody has two hours to spare, I recommend a talk and q&a recently done by a Monsanto scientist last June with a group of Boston skeptics.
https://vimeo.com/132447651
Anyways, I am thankful for all the great music that Mr. Young has provided over the years, and I’m hoping for a great 2016.
Thanks to TW for tireless work on this blog, which I have read for years for better or worse. And year annual summary reminded me that there were good non-gmo related moments in 2015. I know we agree on little with respect to Gmo’s, the Food Babe, and the evils of Monsanto, but I know you are sincere.
http://www.crediblehulk.org/index.php/2015/11/22/the-international-scientific-consensus-on-genetically-engineered-food-safety/
Why would a Monsanto scientist would be an impartial source of information? If he says anything negative about Monsanto he becomes an unemployed ex-Monsanto scientist.
of course, yes. but watch all 2 hours and see if doesn't change your perspective a bit. takes 90 minutes of questions from skeptics.
I had predicted an incredible year for NY but other than his tour it was a humongous letdown. Let's hope next year NY releases a "real" album with that awesome young band TPOTR(don't let this opportunity go to waste NY). Maybe now that he is into the 70's he can release the "real" Archives 1973-1979 I have long been waiting for. Listening Archives Guy.
Great memories!! Let's do it all again in 2016!!!
Peace, love and Neil!!!
Happy Holidays to all and thanks for being with us as we wrap up 2015.
@growl - thanks for all the support and hope to see you over in Europe next year!
@Peacelover Doc - No worries, the least we can do is try and mind our manners.
@Mr Henry - a very busy year. Nice wrap up. Your tastes are so eclectic and we always enjoy your sharing the memories.
The rules for success are a nice reference. If only more were so enlightened....
@johnnyutensils - A fan of 2 Neils?! Isn't one enough?? :)
Thanks for hanging in there with us.
@timothy - we knbow you've been here with us at TW for a long time now. No one ever said it was going to be easy being a Neil fan. Thus far, we've always found each year to be as surprising and pleasing as the last. Quite a track record in our book.
@Dizize - we will!
Happy holi"daze" to all. Thanks Thrasher for all you do maintaining this site and providing us all a place to learn, share and enjoy.
It's hard to believe Neil is now seventy, but thankfully he's filled with as much or more passion than ever. My expectations and passion aren't what they once were, but they're still high. I'm grateful Neil's still vital and able to confound us, shock us, amuse us, irritate us, thrill us, and most importantly keep us engaged.
Thrasher used the word eclectic to describe Mr. Henry's tastes/posts, and I feel that word aptly describes our hero and to a large extent this community too. As time marches on here, I'm amazed at the varying viewpoints shared, some of which I initially agree, some of which I initially disagree and some of which I eventually come around to.
Lefting and then righting, it's not a crime you know; you gotta tell your story boy before it's time to go.
Here's hoping Neil continues to share his stories with us, and may 2016 bring us all closer to our wishes...as long as they're peaceful.
Take my advice
don't listen to me
Sooner or later it all gets real!
Thanks to Neil for another great year. The tour was a huge success and a great surprise full of great songs and great energy. The album was in your face and rockinroll like the old standards. 70 must be the new 40 if he can continue on with business as usual as he does. Glad to be a fan and to feel the muse of one sincere human being. Thank you Thrasher for your excellent work and efforts to keep us all informed on the trip. And here's to the Wheaties family whose comments and diatribes continue to inspire me and confound me, but the passion never ceases to amaze me. Shine on you crazy diamonds!
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Thank you so very much for your kind words. We are a unique bunch; I send my high fives and hugs to you all! But I'm feeling pretty fucking sad right now, because I just heard the news that Joey Spampinato has cancer.
https://www.youcaring.com/joey-spampinato-460793
Do you know Joey? Man, I sure hope so. He is one of the greatest examples of the beauty and wonder of Rock and Roll that you might ever be blessed to see and hear. He and Tommy Ardolino were the most amazing rhythm section you have ever seen, with Big Al Anderson rocking out and Terry Adams on the piano.. And Joey and Johnny playing their guitars together is something that I can never, ever, ever get enough of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-k-LAoG3MQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRBEoksaYVo
And with Big Al Anderson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d5Hdqyjj5o
When i saw the Spampinato Brothers open for The Baseball Project awhile back, both Scott McCaughey and Mike Mills were standing in awe as Johnny and Joey worked their magic. Mike talked about influence and respect and what Joey meant to him...it was beautiful.
I could say more, but this is just a moment that we all have and I'll just say goodbye for now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-e8LGMPTtE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTNjX7l7-go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOWX2-l788A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COt6S8K-Cis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7uDjgQxRwM
@SONY - always good to hear from you as well. It's been awhile and we missed you along with our other semi-regular contributors.
@ mr H. - we always learn something new with your postings. Another artist to check out. It's wonderful to know the pipeline is always filled with unexplored possibilities.
It's great to be alive... as they say.
ps - as we mentioned in the 2015 Review post, we're looking ahead to '16 with eye to some freshness of wheat.
As we all know, the level of chaff just keeps going up & up, making our job of harvesting the wheat that much tougher. But we've got a job to do now, our friends.
We'll have more on all of this in the new year. But in the meantime, those of you regular TW supporters and readers, think about what sorts of adjustments you might like to see here.
Primarily, it would seem that the dreaded Facebook effect is in full swing here and across small, independent media. So we're considering how best to evolve through this social media revolution and remain a relevant resource for Neil news and our assorted meanderings.
For example, is there much point in posting YouTube videos here anymore?
Does anyone have the attention span to read more than a paragraph any longer?
On the one hand, we sort of fell like just staying old blog school because what's old becomes the new new. And why change just for the sake of change?
Well, think about what you might do if you were the editor of TW and let us know.
Happy New Year to all!
peace in 2016!
Thrasher, I enjoy the youtube videos & am more than okay with lengthy posts/articles about Neil.
It ain't broke, don't fix it....
I don't know how it could be accomplished, and I don't like censorship, but to me the trolls damn near ruined this site and need to be dealt with going forward. It seems better in general in this respect, but I suspect the site lost a lot of momentum due to the trolls, and is still feeling the accumulated weight of people staying away, or opting for silence because they just don't want to put up with it anymore. I couldn't care less if someone doesn't like Neil, his music, or his stands, but I do care when someone who does not appreciate him comes here with the express purpose of wrecking the experience of those who do. I wouldn't want to be in your position when it comes to dealing with the trolls, Thrasher. I think the content in whatever forms you have delivered them are fine, and length is no obstacle for me- if it's coming from the right place. It's just a bummer to have to weed through the trolls (as distinct from actual fans who voice their displeasure at this or that thing).
Thanks for another year of great effort on our behalf Thrasher, Long May You Run.
A Friend Of Yours
Thrash,
If nothing changes, it will remain one of my favorite sites and you'll never hear a complaint from me related to format, etc., but since you asked:
*Maybe the site could be divided into two main sections:
Neil/music related posts
Political/ecological posts
I know that sometimes the two are innerwoven due to Neil's recordings and thoughts and actions, and I'd put those in the music section, but there have been more than a few posts that are quite political without regard to Neil and/or music. Personally I'm fine with political discussion, but it would be ideal to me if those posts were contained in a specific section.
*A global comments section for ease of use.
I may be the only one, but sometimes I find it a little cumbersome to navigate back and forth to read various posts. After reading comments for a specific post, I then have to go back to the main page and select comments from another post. Personally, I'd find it easier if there was one comment section with various threads that could be accessed without needing further navigation.
Thanks again for all you do.
Take my advice
don't listen to me
(though you did ask for feedback)!
I like that idea, TopangaDaze.
A Friend Of Yours
@Greg - ahh those trolls.... the bane of our existence. We've toyed with the idea of another comment system but it would be a big effort to integrate another system into this blog.
As odd as this seems, there's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear.
But we do have our hunches as we've examined at length Comments Policy. It is remarkable the effort that has been put in to disrupt what is a seemly insignificant blog regarding some old hippie guy's music.
@TDaze - good suggestion about the format. Like the commenting system, we've considered TW 4.0.
But after the time and effort put into TW 3.0 of moving around and renaming 1000's & 1000's of files, we find it very hard to justify. Not that we've ever been in this for the $'s, but now that the advertising accounts have been cancelled and Amazon commissions plummeting to practically zero, it certainly makes no sense at all to re-engineer TW.
As much as we would like to provide a better layout to categorize topics better, it requires a complete site re-design and many, many hours which we just simply do not have. As many of you know, we do this in our spare time. Which usually means trading off sleep and blogging. Not exactly a great situation.
But anyways, we love what we have here in our little TW world and love all of you so much to take the time and effort to make suggestions. You can't conceive of the pleasure in our smile.
Truly, it means that much to us, to mean that much to you.
Quite an exciting year. I'm so glad I managed to catch a show this summer in Cincinnati. It will never fade from my mind, even as time fades away. Here's to hoping for another great tour next year, and if Neil is feeling generous, maybe an announcement regarding the Archives Vol. 2...
Thrasher,
Thanks again for all the great work you do on behalf of all the hard core Neil fans!!
My donation is still forthcoming, hopefully in the next few weeks.
In the category of you can't make this up, an amazing article on the WSJ.com about Diana Nyad, the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without shark-cage protection, and how in her darkest moments she sang Needle and The Damage Done to herself to keep her going ...
http://www.wsj.com/articles/swimmer-diana-nyad-on-neil-young-1451406902
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