"Words" by Neil Young + Promise of the Real in concert in London, UK on June 11, 2016.
enjoy!
Also, a Comment of the Moment on Neil Young's guitar "technique" from RichieCruz on Dublin, Ireland concert:
[An] interesting subject for discussion, Neil's interaction with his fellow guitarists, and how it affects his playing.Thanks Richie! An interesting discussion indeed as 3 guitar assault hits the European continent this summer.
Neil with Stills- flat out war between two caged lions. Both of whom want to be king of the jungle, so you've got pure dueling leads. Sometimes that could be exhilarating, sometimes it can be a chaotic mess. Much more effective for me in Buffalo Springfield than CSNY, which was a more crowded sound.
Neil/Danny Whitten- the perfect match, as far as I'm concerned. Whitten was the perfect compliment for Neil, dishing out ever-changing but always perfect rhythm, yet also being able to come up with tasty leads. Shame it was such a short partnership.
Neil/Poncho- Neil's most durable and perhaps most important partner in crime. Maybe not blessed with Whitten's talent, but strong enough to steer the Horse and allow Neil to play his greatest leads. Neil's playing was never better than 1976, 1991, and 1997, and Poncho had everything to do with that.
Neil/the Nelson boys- this really is an interesting combination. Lucas can truly be like what Danny Whitten was, but as Scotzman has been saying, it's better to let Neil handle most of the leads. Lucas is a very good soloist, though, so he should be able to take a lead here and there, especially on the longer tunes. I really like the versatility of what Mikah brings to the table, especially with his bow and steel guitar sounds, but when he's just on electric, he can crowd the sound. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind him playing some more piano on some of the songs. He has a good sound on the keys.
Sorry for rambling, and not mentioning guys like Nils Lofgren, Ben Keith, Steve Cropper, and the Pearl Jam boys. Maybe save those for another day.
I often find Richie's comments resonating with me, and this is no exception.
ReplyDeleteScotsman.
Danny Whitten also had a great voice but I don't wanna talk about it.
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ReplyDeleteAnyone who's been to any Eu gig could say at what time the concert started and ended? I might go to Belgium but time is an issue to me.
ReplyDeleteBtw, anyone from Netherlands going to the Belgian gig?
Anyone who's been to any Eu gig could say at what time the concert started and ended? I might go to Belgium but time is an issue to me.
ReplyDeleteBtw, anyone from Netherlands going to the Belgian gig?
Leeds and London were both approx 2035 start and 2305 end.
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DeleteWow, Thrasher! I got a Comment of the Moment? Right on, I feel honored!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the nice comment as well, Scotzman, I'm always happy to discuss Neil and his music all day long.
That video posted above of "Words" is a great example of how good POTR can be with Neil.....Lukas played a couple of tasty lead runs, but didn't overwhelm and held steady rhythm while Neil did his thing....you got Mikah playing tasteful piano....and the rhythm section rode the ebbs and flows in an expert manner.....really nice version.
So, I've got two questions for you all. First, do you think Neil ever looks up at Lukas and think that he's seeing Danny Whitten? The two kind of look alike, and Lukas is filling in that Whitten slot better and better with every show.
And secondly, can anyone tell me how to get "If I Could Have Her Tonight' out of my head?? I've been constantly singing it to myself for the last few days. Time for me to relearn it on the guitar. I know I've played it in the past, but that would have been many moons ago.
Have you listened to the first Crazy Horse record ? he's no Danny Whitten.
ReplyDeleteI think Neil definitely sees some similarites in Danny and Lukas, but at the same time, you don't want to overstate that. Danny and Poncho were well suited to being rhythm guitar players; the role of second guitarist fit them like a glove. Whereas Lukas is primarily a talented band leader trying to fit into a secondary role that is already overcrowded by two other guitar players. Fair dues to him, he's managed to do it, but it's involved more work. It's less of a natural fit.
ReplyDeletePOTR has been great for Neil at this point in his life, but if you want to hear flawless musical chemistry, 1969-1996 Crazy Horse is the gold standard.
I'd put Lukas in the same catergory as Nils Lofgren and Anthony Crawford. People who can play anything, rather specializing in one particular area.
But for me, Poncho remains the main man. He's on just about all of Neil's very best records, including whole albums. Ragged Glory, Weld, Rust, Sleeps With Angels, Zuma, Bluenote Cafe, Freedom, Stars 'n' Bars, Psychedelic Pill. It's not coincidence. Even the 2002 version of the MGs sounded far superior to the 1993 Poncho-less version (and that's with no disrespect to the awesome Steve Cropper).
And all post-1975 records and tours done without him feel like they are missing something important; they feel slightly inferior. As Niko Bolas said: "(without Poncho) it falls apart". Even when he's not playing, he has an influence on what's going on around him. He's a shrewd guy. He's got that hardcore rock 'n' roll attitude. He pushes Neil, and Neil listens to him.
I'd say Poncho is the one guy who is just as important to Neil's electric music as David Briggs.
Scotsman.
it would be interesting to have Micah playing 'Old Black' and Neil playing the White Falcon.......
ReplyDeleteit would be interesting to have Micah playing 'Old Black' and Neil playing the White Falcon.......
ReplyDeleteI also think Micah on guitar crowds the scene. The guitars are so loud I have a hard time hearing him and the bongos. I liked him on piano but again hard to hear but maybe from bad quality you tube tapes.
ReplyDeleteNice analysis. Personally I can't get enough of Stills and Young up in each other's faces! And I love Poncho for literally kicking Neil in the ass. Hope to see POTR ASAP.
ReplyDeleteI know this is an old thread but I just have to share something eerie. I was working outside and streaming my Neil channel on I ❤ radio app when randomly "I Don't Want to Talk About It" started streaming. I've seen Neil and Potr together and alone 5 times in the last 5 years or so at Farm Aid, Bethel Woods, Brooklyn Bowl and two Outlaw Fests. Plus my wife is a huge Lukas fan and plays them alllllll the time.
ReplyDeleteMy initial thought was "wow, Lukas is covering a Crazy Horse / Danny Whitten song, sounds great" Tonight, I asked my wife to listen to the original in a blind test and asked her "who do you think is singing this song?". She immediately said : "Lukas Nelson" So, two big Neil / Crazy Horse / Potr fans hear the similarity , and above, people are saying Lukas even looks like Danny. Coincidence or planned ?
Or are we just crazy (horse)?