Here is a new video by Pegi Young & The Survivors titled "Too Little Too Late" from her new album RAW (See more on Pegi's album RAW and here).
From interview with Pegi Young in Pegi Young Premieres 'Too Little Too Late' Video, Talks Learning 'To Live In New World Order' After Divorce | BILLBOARD by Gary Graff:
"I think people can read into this record and think one side should get all the blame, and that's not my intention at all," Young -- whose video for her original song "Too Little Too Late" premieres exclusively below -- tells Billboard. "I'm not blameless, and there were some issues that were going through the marriage. There's always two sides. What I really don't want is for people to read into this record as some sort of indictment of the woman been done wrong. It's not that clear-cut. It never is."Full interview @ Pegi Young Premieres 'Too Little Too Late' Video, Talks Learning 'To Live In New World Order' After Divorce | BILLBOARD by Gary Graff.
...
[On "Why'd You Have To Ruin My Life", Pegi says] "That was written pretty early on, when I was [in] my anger phase…but also really hurt, and that song takes you on that journey," Young recalls. "It's pretty pointed, but it was representative of where I was at at that time. There was a lot of emotion swirling around inside this little heart of mine. But there's a lot of other songs on the record, like 'Too Little Too Late,' and there's songs that didn't go on the record where I think it's clear there's blame to go around."
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"I would say ('Tryin' To Live My Life Without You') came around midway in the overall recovery process," Young recalls. "I had to get out of bed, first, to start this record; I did suffer some pretty significant depression initially. We'd been doing some of the songs, and my keyboard player Spooner (Oldham), after a while he says, 'Y'know, Pegi, you're doin' a lot of po' po' pitiful me songs...' I just love him. I said, 'Y'know what? You're so right. I've got to get off my pity pot here and turn a corner' and adjust to learn to live in this new world order, in my early 60s.
"There's that process of discovery of, 'Well, who am I now that I'm not doing what I did for so many years?' That's been my process, but it's also a universal experience, whether it's a late in life divorce or a divorce at any stage of the game or a death or any significant loss. You've got to learn how to function in the new world order -- and that's what I'm doing."
Young says she and her ex-husband "don't communicate very often," though they both remain committed to the Bridge School that Pegi Young started in 1986 for children with severe special needs, and to the annual concerts that provide most of the operation's funding. "I think we got joint custody of Bridge School," she says. "Bridge School's bigger than the both of us." And she was gratified by the outspoken support from David Crosby, though his criticisms of Neil Young seemed to be part of the reason Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young are in dry dock at the moment.
"My dear friend David -- Y'know, he said what he said when he said it. I don't know that he expected what came in the aftermath and... things have been spinning out of control a little bit," she says. "But, y'know, music transcends. Like Neil and Stephen (Stills); They've had all kinds of spats and this and that over the years 'cause they've known each other since they were kids, but the music takes you above and beyond those issues. So I hope that's what happens in this case 'cause those guys made some great music, and I'd hate to see the whole thing implode."
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"I came into my own, you might say, in terms of putting out my first record quite late in life," Young says. "And yet there's some authors and photographers and even probably recording artists that didn't really hit their stride until their mid-50s. Some people write a lot more and put out a lot more product than I do, but I'm pleased with what I've been able to do in the last decade, and I don't see this as my last record by any stretch.
In some ways it's like a new beginning, even."
Pegi Young & The Survivors will be touring Raw this spring at SXSW.
Also, see more on Pegi's new album RAW here and here.
I usual dont like Pegi's music/voice, but this song kind of surprised me. Its catchy. Good for her.
ReplyDeleteSimon Buck
Definitely not bad. It's a nice, relaxing sound, actually reminding me a little of Neil's own softer country-rock moments. Witness, for instance, the early version of Everybody Knows This is Nowhere from the Archives. The music and sound remind me somewhat of the gentler moments from Neil's first, self-titled record, but there's certainly Pegi's own imprint on this as well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Spooner Oldham on keys--an asset to any recording he's on, and nice to see him still doing his thing.
As to Pegi's perspective on personal stories we can never know in full, I find it refreshing and balanced--more so, in fact, than some of the responses fans have had. It's sounding like Pegi has had some time to reach this stage of recovery, which is thoroughly understandable, and there's definitely more nuance in this song than the title might suggest. The phrase, "Too little, too late" is often said in anger and condemnation, but that's not the message this song sends at all. I may yet sample the enjoy the entire CD, if the perspective described by Pegi in the interview comes across in the songs.
The bottom line is that Neil has given us his perspective through his recent albums (especially Storyone), and now we get Pegi's take on what happened. They're both sharing what they're willing to share, which seems fair to me.
I'd have to say that most people on here are in the point of no return in their lives...meaning there's more in the past than there will probably be in the future. I was bummed NY and Pegi had split, they seemed like Paul & LInda - destined to be together until the end/or one of their ends. I can't make a comment on NY's choice it's his alone, but I think it's really cool you guys posted this. Of course she's going to be upset, but that turned to a positive? Jeez, not too many break-up LP's ever came as close (did you ever listen to Beck's masterpiece 'Sea Change'?) to turning a positive corner as hers. And most of the people here seem to support her music career. Good on ya' for sticking to your guns and still supporting her. Just b/c NY falls out w/ her doesn't mean we all have to right?
ReplyDelete@Michael1984, As far as I can see there's no reason on earth any of us should have an issue with Pegi. Whether you like the music or not is a separate issue, but I certainly don't think there's any ill will at a personal level.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad/surprising at the time to read about their split. It's the kind of thing that's always sad no matter who it happens to and in this case, theirs did--from outward appearances--seem to be an enduring relationship. I can only try to imagine how it feels to the people actually involved in such a thing, but most of all, I just hope both Neil and Pegi can find happiness moving forward in their respective lives. As to the music, creative expression is a great outlet for all kinds feelings. Like anyone who writes, paints, sings, dances, etc., I think it's wonderful that Pegi has the outlet of art in her life.
One thing that does interest me a bit, in reading Pegi's comments more closely, is how she refers to David Crosby as a good friend. I know of his public comments at the time, but was unaware of any particular friendship between those two. There could be a coy, dry humor in Pegi's comments that doesn't quite come across in text. Personally, I found Crosby's comments to be inflammatory and ill-considered, especially insofar as they were mad in a very public manner. No matter how much he cares for his friends(s), it just wasn't tactful or compassionate.
@(D.) Ian Kertis, I think the General was disappointed by the way Neil handled the situation. It's possible he felt the hurt, abandonment, and betrayal that Pegi was feeling at the time. He's seen Pegi stick by him through thick and thin. I think everyone around them knew how much she loved and supported Neil throughout the years. Maybe David's words brought her comfort in her time of abandonment, betrayal, and sorrow.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't tactful or compassionate of Neil to enter into a relationship with Darryl without first considering how this would impact Pegi. I think most of us looking in from the outside saw their relationship through Demme's eyes and through Neil's own words and music, you know? He found his heart of gold.
Pegi has spoken many times about the rough patches they were going through (without giving away any of the details) but she never thought her relationship with Neil would have ended in divorce. So, Neil wasn't being honest with her or himself which makes the betrayal even harder.
I hope Pegi uses her fortitude and wisdom to carve out a life that is dignified, purposeful, and meaningful to her. It surprises me only that she would chose a pathway into the biggest phoney baloney industry in the world.
@Mother Nature, Your points are well-taken. We were certainly presented, over the years, with an idealized view of the Neil-Pegi union. Not least through Neil's own songs and, more recently, her inclusion on a few albums as a backup singer and musician. On Storyone ("When I Watch You Sleeping"), he seems to present the separation in terms of setting Pegi free of his own issues and entanglements, which seems self-serving but maybe there's some truth to it. In other words, I appreciate that it was rather galling to read/hear about at the time--I remember that first hand.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there's Glass Accident. You have to wonder how many pieces are "too many" for Neil/the narrator to pick up after, but at the same time, if Pegi's the glass and he's the floor ("Glass fell in love with the floor"), he's not flattering himself, either.
In the bigger picture, I've been trying to avoid "taking sides" in a matter we just don't know that much about. Maybe that's weak-livered or namby-pamby on my part, but I've consistently found it the healthiest approach here. People do fall in and out of love, for better and for worse, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker in our enjoyment of the music or our appreciation for the individuals involved.
Edit: My criticism of Crosby's comments, which I also leveled at the time, was not meant to be a criticism or blaming of Pegi. As she said, "He said what he said when he said it", and things tend to spiral out of control. We're all human and I'm certainly capable of opening my mouth when I shouldn't. I'm just slightly curious about his being a "dear friend", as I wasn't aware of his comments being precipitated by anything other than his anger with Neil and Neil's new choice of partner. More broadly, I didn't realize Pegi had particular connections with any members of CSN, so it sparked my interest to hear her referring to Crosby in those terms. Apologies if my curiosity came across as judgmental in any way.
ReplyDeleteI think most of us understood that no relationship is ever perfect. On the other hand, its hard not to take sides when one side says, "hey, I thought we could work this out." And the other side is being photographed with his girlfriend before the divorce is even filed.
ReplyDeleteSay what you will about his music, talents, and legendary status, but what he did to her is really cowardly, rock star or not. She needed closure and he robbed her of her dignity by deserting her in the most selfish way a spouse can do.
I think she made a mistake by going into the music business. I don't think she'll find her true happiness there. We'll see.
Nice talking to you. See ya around.
NO one ever knows what actually goes on in any marriage and that is as it should be because it's no one's business.
ReplyDelete“Without Pegi, I'm an island without an ocean” ~ Neil Young, "Waging Heavy Peace."
ReplyDelete@Tom, have you read his autobiography? His profession of love and admiration is very public and it sounds sincere. No wonder she was so shocked. I'm just including a few paragraphs but there are plenty more:
ReplyDelete“Pegi just recorded "I Don't Want to Talk About," written by Danny Whitten, the original Crazy Horse guitar player and singer who's all over Early Daze, an album of songs from the beginning of Crazy Horse that I have been working on compiling recently. Danny was every bit the artist I am, but he died of a heroin OD in the early seventies. Every time I hear Pegi sing that song, it makes me tremendously sad. She sings it so beautifully, phrasing it to break my heart. She does it justice. You can see I have some unfinished business with Danny.” ` Neil Young, "Waging Heavy Peace"
"Eventually Pegi and I, wanting to have another child after Ben, went to se an expert of the subject. That was Pegi's idea. Always organized and methodical in her approach to problems, Pegi planned an approach to our dilemma with her very high intelligence. We both loved children but were a little gun-shy about having another, to say the least. After evaluating our situation and our children, the doctor told us that probably Zeke dis not actually have CP-he likely had suffered a stroke in utero. The symptoms are very similar. Pegi and I weighed this information. To know someone like her and to make a decision about a subject as important as this with her was a gift beyond anything I have ever experienced. It was her idea, and she had guided us to this point. We made a decision together to go forward and have another child.”
"I can see the turning of the key
ReplyDeleteI've been deceived by the clown inside of me
I thought that he was righteous but he's vain
Oh, something's a-telling me I wear the ball and chain
My patron saint is a-fighting with a ghost
He's always off somewhere when I need him most
The Spanish moon is rising on the hill
But my heart is a-tellin' me I love you still
I come back to the town from the flaming moon
I see you in the streets, I begin to swoon
I love to see you dress before the mirror
Won't you let me in your room one time before I finally disappear?
Everybody's wearing a disguise
To hide what they've got left behind their eyes
But me, I can't cover what I am
Wherever the children go I'll follow them
I march in the parade of liberty
But as long as I love you I'm not free
How long must I suffer such abuse?
Won't you let me see your smile before I turn you loose?
I've given up the game, I've got to leave
The pot of gold is only make-believe
The treasure can't be found by men who search
Whose gods are dead and whose queens are in the church
We sat in an empty theater and we kissed
I asked ya please to cross me off your list
My head tells me it's time to make a change
But my heart is telling me I love ya but you're strange
So one more time at midnight, near the wall
Take off your heavy make-up and your shawl
Won't you descend from the throne, from where you sit?
Let me feel your love one more time before I abandon it" ~ Bob Dylan
I do driver alertness course
ReplyDeleteI do husband alertness course
I do mermaid alertness course
I watch them out on the rocks
They wave at me
They wave at me
They wave and slip
Back into the sea
All the ones who come
And all the ones who go
Down to the water
All the ones who come
And all the ones who go
Down to the sea
--Nick Cave...Mermaids
"The finest hour that I have seen
ReplyDeleteIs the one that comes between
The edge of night and the break of day
It's when the darkness rolls away.."
~ The late great Kate Wolf
"What's worse, lookin' jealous or crazy, jealous and crazy?
ReplyDeleteOr like being walked all over lately, walked all over lately
I'd rather be crazy" Beyonce Knowles from "Hold Up"
"Hold up, they don't love you like I love you
ReplyDeleteSlow down, they don't love you like I love you
Back up, they don't love you like I love you
Step down, they don't love you like I love you
Can't you see there's no other man above you?
What a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you
Hold up, they don't love you like I love you
Oh, down, they don't love you like I love you"
- Beyonce "Hold Up" from "Lemonade"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65lYw7zJi6k
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeonBmeFR8o
"Hold up, they don't love you like I love you
Slow down, they don't love you like I love you
Back up, they don't love you like I love you
Step down, they don't love you like I love you
Can't you see there's no other man above you?
What a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you
Hold up, they don't love you like I love you
Oh, down, they don't love you like I love you"
- Beyonce "Hold Up" from "Lemonade"
As a longtime student of feminist art, I see an interesting juxtaposition in the many ways women responded to the ultimate betrayal and how often they were written off as crazy, mentally ill, or not strong enough to survive. Beyonce's response is that she'd rather be be seen as crazy. Pegi's response to her betrayal is small by comparison, but it is her masterpiece, a triumph, that can't be overlooked or written off out of respect for her humanity.
ReplyDelete"Words" by Sylvia Plath
Axes
After whose stroke the wood rings,
And the echoes!
Echoes traveling
Off from the center like horses.
The sap
Wells like tears, like the
Water striving
To re-establish its mirror
Over the rock
That drops and turns,
A white skull,
Eaten by weedy greens.
Years later I
Encounter them on the road—-
Words dry and riderless,
The indefatigable hoof-taps.
While
From the bottom of the pool, fixed stars
Govern a life.
I use Plath here because she and brilliant women artists like her were treated (and often diagnosed) for being crazy anytime they brought their feelings to the surface in art form. While men, on the other hand, were given accolades, awards, and honors for doing the same thing.
ReplyDeleteThis is all informative but it still boils
ReplyDeletedown to a couple of things. We don't know
the entire story so to make judgements
is foolish. And even if we knew the entire
Story who are we to make judgements of
others. Last it is none of our business
Omg another aging rock star trades old model for used one! Who the f cares? Nobody bc if it smells like shit, it probably is.
ReplyDelete@ Mother Nature - thanks for the comments. They are invaluable and we appreciate your balanced perspective.
ReplyDeleteWe'[re certainly glad you keep coming back. Hope you're not feeling too lonely as TW comments seem to lean way too heavily male. Last we checked Neil fans are 60-40, M-F, but our comments don't seem to reflect our demographic traffic data.
http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2012/01/getting-wisdom-from-neil-young-fans.html
Run... but not too far...
Pegi has been so much a part of his life, it's just crazy to think that he could live without her. His biggest achievement for me will be creating his amazing family defying all the odds in Vegas. Her biggest achievement is being the glue that kept it all together for him for so long. He was going from one ditch to another and she pulled him out so many times, revived him, brushed him off, and sent him back out again. And out of all that came some really charged and beautiful music.
ReplyDeleteI hope they can cherish the memories and somehow find a way to be a comfort for each other.
"You fly out as your smile wears thin.
ReplyDeleteI sigh, knowing the mess you're in.
And you know that you can't get away.
And you know that you can't hide it from yourself.
Lonely days; blue guitar
It's no escape; can only run so far".
--George Harrison, "Run So Far"