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Wednesday, December 02, 2015

The Story Behind Neil Young Joining R.E.M. On Stunning 'Country Feedback'

R.E.M.'s Micheal Stipe w/ Neil Young on "Country Feedback" @ Bridge School Benefit - 1998


Here's a favorite memory we've highlighted before -- .



This performance is -- without a doubt -- one of R.E.M's finest of one their most loved songs.

Which -- naturally -- would also make this one of our favorite tracks on the Bridge School Concert 25th Anniversary package set.

Also, one of our all time favorite Bridge moments occurs at about ~1:10. Watch it and feel the sheer awe of Michael Stipe as he takes in the moment.  Stipe sits down on the stage, in an awe-like reverence  while literally gnawing his fingers.


Then when Stipe sings, his voice cracks with emotion.

Magic.

Breathless.

Michael said it best, "I need this, I need this!"

Neil Young's acoustic lead on the song is just so simply stunning in his most achingly acoustic, hauntingly-beautiful-spook-in-the-muse transcendence.

The DVD playing through the ol' hi-fi stereo at "11" is well... in the parlance of our times... just freakin' awesome.

Also, don't you just love the smile from Peter Buck. Then the way Neil gives Pete a nice quick hug right at the end. And how about Neil's beard from back then? Grizzly. :)

Here's the backstory on the video above from rollingstone.com by Gavin Edwards:

The personnel at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, on October 18th, 1998 were somewhat different: With Berry having left R.E.M., Joey Waronker was playing percussion and Ken Stringfellow handled bass, while Scott McCaughey (on piano) hid in the shadows, like Mills. Lurching around the stage in sneakers and a fedora, with a thick mountain-man beard, was Neil Young, soloing on acoustic guitar. Young lost himself in the song, spending long minutes exploring its bittersweet tang, and playing a chiming, melancholy solo. Slightly over four minutes on record, here the song stretched on for nine glorious minutes.

As "Country Feedback" began, Stipe sat down on the stage, gazing up at Young, absorbed in the mood he was creating, chewing on his knuckle. When he stood up, he poured his heart out until his voice cracked, holding notes until he appeared to be in physical pain. "It's a love song, but it's certainly from the uglier side," Stipe has said. "It's pretty much about having given up on a relationship."

R.E.M. greatly revered Neil Young: Their final album, 2011's Collapse into Now, included the song "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I," which was more about Neil Young's "Pocahontas" than it was about Brando. "It's about me going to Neil Young for advice," Stipe said – not that he ever actually had, but he was confident that if he ever had to, Young would have stepped up to the occasion.

During this performance of "Country Feedback," Young gave the best advice possible. He didn't say a word or sing a note, but he played guitar with such authority that it seemed to provide moral clarity. By the end, lost in the music, Stipe could only shake his head.

Bridge School Concert 25th Anniversary package set.

More on 25th Anniversary 2011 Bridge School Benefit Concert.

ps - "Ambulance Blues" the same night wasn't bad either.



btw, be sure to check the camera transition @ ~1:30. Sheer brilliance and beauty.

Labels: , , ,


7 Comments:

At 12/03/2015 12:27:00 AM, Blogger Andy Walters said...

Where's the video? Shakey Feedback? Not so free world?

 
At 12/03/2015 12:49:00 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 12/03/2015 12:52:00 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Search for it and it still plays at rollingstone.com Awesome Michael Stipes

 
At 12/03/2015 09:30:00 AM, Blogger thrasher said...

Ooops. Thanks guys. The vid was there ... and then it wasn't... and now it is back.

Country Feedback is back!

 
At 12/03/2015 10:25:00 AM, Blogger Pocahontas said...

Great way to start the day. Love to watch Neil in the zone. Thanks Thrasher

 
At 12/03/2015 11:07:00 PM, Blogger Greg Mantho said...

The first time I heard this a few years back, I knew instantly before the performance was even over, that it was one of the great recordings anyone will ever hear. This is a moment in time when all the musicians knew how special the moment was while it was happening. If there is a better proof of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, I'd like to see it. Not that there isn't, I'm sure there are many, I just want to see it/them. There are precious few times I've experienced this kind of thing- the cut off the Journey Through The Past soundtrack of "Soldier" (not the one off Decade), "Expecting To Fly", Jimmy Buffet's cover of "Pacing The Cage", Tony Bennett's "Who Can I Turn To?" (and his cover of "For Once In My Life"), about 35 seconds of unified sound that came out of the center of the instruments with me about 20 feet away from Dylan and the G.E. Smith band, the old black and white television recording of Joni Mitchell performing "Urge For Going"- given a little more time I could come up with some more, and so could everyone else, but yeah, magic. Can't get enough of watching the impact these nine minutes were having on the guys, and never tire of replaying it a few times whenever I come across it, like tonight. Thanks, Thrash.

A Friend Of Yours

 
At 12/04/2015 11:58:00 AM, Blogger thrasher said...

@Pocahontas - the zone is a good place to be...

@Greg 'AFOY' - Great rundown of memories of the moment from the true heart.

Now that's the zone.

Isn't amazing how we can find that zone?

If only. We see lots of folks operating outside of the zone and it can be distressing for us.

how can you run when you know?

Cuing up Tony Bennett's "Who Can I Turn To?" right now...

Then maybe some “Silent Night” from last night...
http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2015/12/today-crosby-stills-nash-perform-at.html
peace



The first time I heard this a few years back, I knew instantly before the performance was even over, that it was one of the great record

 

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