Comment of the Moment: Defending Neil Young's 'Are You Passionate?'

Are You Passionate? by Neil Young
(Click photo to enlarge)
The Comment of the Moment posits the case for defending 'Are You Passionate?' from the post Neil Young's "Ditch Quadrilogy" Re-Re-Release Coming by Ian:

On the Beach is my favorite "ditch" record, particularly side 2, and particularly the title song and Motion Pictures).

Also, See the Sky About to Rain is incredibly overlooked in my opinion. Even so, Time Fades Away, which I have a good second hand vinyl LP of, has definite moments for me: Journey Through the Past, The Bridge, and Love in Mind are beautiful acoustic tracks. I've always liked the urgency and attitude of Yonder Stands the Sinner. I do think TFA has attained a mythical/legendary status partly due to its lack of consistent availability over the years, and it's possible that the reputation would be impossible for any album to live up to for some people. Nonetheless I'm glad to hear it's being made more widely available. I love vinyl myself and in any event, I think a petition to release anything on CD is a little out of date. Indeed, Neil may be choosing now to rerelease TFA on formats other than CD because CDs are finally becoming obsolete and he feels that the current formats, including both his Pono system and the resurgent vinyl, are the best showcase for the album.

@Joseph Werefelman: Good point about Le Noise. I'd have thought Fork in the Road would be a much likelier target, recalling the virtual rioting that took shape on this very blog back in 2009.

For most of the less-loved albums, I could point out at least a couple of worthy tracks. I'll probably go to my grave defending Are You Passionate?, which I find a really interesting experiment with soul and Motown sounds. A while ago, I called She's a Healer as soul-grunge, a description I still adhere to, and could point out a handful of others: the title number, Two Old Friends, Mr. Disappointment, Differently, and course, the Crazy Horse interlude Goin' Home, complete with Ralph Molina's impression of Native American battle drums. Add in a couple of highly textured numbers that seem tailor-made for lovemaking (When I Hold You in My Arms, Quit) and Be With You, a shot of soul almost straight out of Sam & Dave territory, with just the right seasoning of gospel to fit an album that I'm sure is partly Neil's ode to the legacy of African American musicians on popular music of the last century, and there's an album that covers an impressive breadth of feelings and themes.

I admit, I wish APY? weren't so overshadowed by Let's Roll. The song was likely an instantaneous response to events (particularly the tragedy of Flight 93) at the time, but understandably leaves mixed impressions years later in a world that is not only post-9/11, but also post-Iraq invasion and still deeply entangled in the Mideast. However, NY's performance of "Imagine" at a 9/11 benefit show, not to mention Greendale and the 2006 CSN+Y Freedom of Speech US tour, should reaffirm that our Neil's heart is in the right place. I like to think that the anguish of Are You Passionate? (the song) and the earnest peace-seeking of Two Old Friends are more nuanced, temperate counterpoints to the bombast and bellicosity of Let's Roll. It could even be that the specter of 9/11, as presented directly through Let's Roll, is part of what gives AYP? (the album) emotional thrust. It shows how harrowing things can get "in a world that never stops turning on you", and lends deep credence to the central, urgent insistence that "We've got hold onto something in this life".

It's really a shame that AYP? is often dismissed as A) Another simple genre exercise and B) A series of repetitive, sappy love songs interrupted by a brief outburst of uncharacteristic flag-waving, when it may actually be one of Neil Young's most emotionally honest and unrestrained albums since the psychological depths of the Ditch era this thread is celebration, while still managing to be a (mostly) entertaining and even fun tribute to the sounds of '60s soul.

Thanks for the memories Ian. Yes, you are passionate.

We recall on the 10th Anniversary of the release of Neil Young’s Are You Passionate? album your mentioining the alternate track listing on the post-it notes on back cover. You found that this re-ordering of tracks makes the album darker and heavier.

Intriguing and we need to try and re-shuffle the tracks sometime on our PONO.

In the critics' game of "Hits & Misses", Are You Passionate? often falls into the category of "Misses". But is it finally time for a re-evaluation, like much of Young's back catalog that is classified as "Misses"?

Over at Ultimate Classic Rock Matthew Wilkening thinks so with the article "Neil Young’s ‘Are You Passionate?’ Turns 10 Years Old".

As the camouflage, rose and romantic portrait on the cover art indicates, the lyrics on many of this album’s 11 songs deal with familiar themes of love and war.

Young had toured with the famous instrumental R&B group [Booker T & the M.G.’s] as his backing band way back in the early ’90s, but it was nearly a decade before they released a record together.

Just in case you’re not clear who he’s working with, Young works musical quotes from the band’s 1969 hit ‘Time is Tight‘ into two tracks on the record — ‘Be With You’ and album opener ‘You’re My Girl.’

The Memphis Soul legends’ tight grooves and inherent professionalism provide an interesting contrast to Young’s untamed guitar on many of the songs, even if his vocals seem oddly polished on a couple of tracks.

More of Ultimate Classic Rock | "Neil Young’s ‘Are You Passionate?’ Turns 10 Years Old" by Matthew Wilkening. Also, see Are You Passionate? by Neil Young:
Albums In Order Review Series by Mike "Expecting 2 Fly" Cordova.

As for trivia, the album's title is a homage to The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967 album "Are You Experienced?". Also, the back cover lists song titles, all of which appear on CD except for "Gateway of Love". Go figure.

Neil Young



Speaking of passion, see The (Dis)-Passion of A Neil Young Fan.

---

---

VIDEO: "Long Time Gone" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on This Is Tom Jones

Well, we've posted quite a variety of strange things over the years but this is one of the odder ones for sure.


We came across this back in 2012 but the upload has been pulled. But fortunately, another version has been re-posted.

The version of "Long Time Gone" aired was a edited combination of multiple takes. The CSNY harmonies soar on backup and Stephen's vocals hit all the highs.

We recall having a cassette tape of this but completely forgot about it. We seemed to recall that Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were on the This Is Tom Jones TV program but didn't realize that Tom Jones actually performed with CSNY on the song "Long Time Gone".

From our friend on Sugar Mountain come the details of the recording on 1969-09-06 at ABC Studios in Los Angeles, California. CSNY also performed "You Don't Have To Cry".

Recorded just weeks after their 2nd public performance at the Woodstock Festival, CSNY were a very hot act. And Tom Jones appears to have wanted to get in on the deal.

Supposedly, the taping included CSNY backing up Tom Jones on his song 'It's Not Unusual'.

So strange bedfellows indeed.

---

---

Photo of the Moment: Jerry Garcia, David Crosby, Phil Lesh and Neil Young - 1970

Jerry Garcia, David Crosby, Phil Lesh and Neil Young
Photo by Jim Marshall
(Click photo to enlarge)
The Photo of the Moment is of Jerry Garcia, David Crosby, Phil Lesh and Neil Young in 1970.

The photo is by legendary photographer Jim Marshall during a studio session to record Crosby’s debut solo album LP “If I Could Only Remember My Name”.

More on Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead and Neil Young.

---

---

Gov't Mule and Blackberry Smoke's Charlie Starr Cover Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer"

Gov't Mule and Blackberry Smoke's Charlie Starr cover Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer".

Video from Asbury Park, NJ’s Stone Pony Summerstage on August 12, 2016.


"Southern Man" - Gov't Mule @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion 8/13/16

---

---

Neil Young's "Ditch Quadrilogy" Re-Re-Release Coming

Neil Young's "Ditch Quadrilogy"


Back in 2014, Neil Young and Warner Bros. Records announced the release of Young's upcoming Neil Young Official Series 2 Vinyl Box Set, which was intended to come out on Record Store Day, but was delayed due to several other projects that Young has in the works that he wishes to focus on. In November 2014, the 4 classic albums Time Fades Away, On The Beach, Tonight's The Night and Zuma were released.

The four long-delayed Neil Young vinyl reissues, including the reprint of rare 1973 album Time Fades Away, will finally be released on September 6. (Time Fades Away was long exclusive to Young’s Pono service.)

So after 10 years or so, the Re-Release "Time Fades Away" Petition will finally be retired with over 150,000 visitors, we'll just to keep referring to Neil Young's elusive "Time Fades Away" album and it's hostage status as "It's like stashing Mona Lisa in the basement."

Time Fades Away -- it's been called the "missing link" of the "Ditch Trilogy".

Neil Young's 1973 Time Fades Away is one of the most remarkable live albums ever recorded. Certainly at the time of release, it was almost unprecedented for an artist to release a live concert recording of previously unreleased material. Long out of print on vinyl, still unavailable on CD in the early 21st century and widely bootlegged, the album is considered to be the "Holy Grail" of all Neil Young albums.

In an effort to gain wider distribution of this essential Neil Young recording, fans have started a petition requesting that the album be officially released. Those interested in obtaining a legal copy of Time Fades Away are urged to sign the petition today.

In 2003, it seemed that an official release was near when four of the "Missing 6" Neil Young albums surfaced. (On The Beach, one of the four albums released after a long hiatus, was also the subject of a fan's petition drive which would eventually gather over 5,000 signatures from the Neil Young Internet fan community Rust and Human Highway.)

---

---

INTERVIEW: Neil Young on Music, Authenticity, Innovation, Democracy and the Environment

Neil Young is interviewed by RSA's Matthew Taylor.

The interview takes place in Canterbury, UK after the London concert, June 11 with Promise Of The Real.

Recorded on a tour bus, Neil discusses music, authenticity, innovation, democracy and the environment.

---

---