"You got too many secrets.
Bob Dylan said that.
Somethin' like that." ~
~Neil Young's "Bandit"
via frame from "RETURN TO GREENDALE" | NYA
The solo acoustic song "Bandit" is a riveting moment of pure Neil Young, tinged with lost dreams and a highlight -- for many -- of the Greendale set.
The song "Bandit" from "RETURN TO GREENDALE" film is scheduled to premiere today in Hearse Theater Screen #2 | Neil Young Archives.
Directed by L.A. Johnson and Bernard Shakey, RETURN TO GREENDALE is performed live in Toronto with full cast. A premiere screening of the film RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse was held at Balboa Theater in San Francisco, CA on Jan 28, 2020, where much of the cast and crew attended, as we reported. Each Monday features a chapter from Greendale on NYA.
Neil Young writes on "RETURN TO GREENDALE" | NYA:
The Return To Greendale series continues . . . . . this chapter focusing on Sun Green’s dad Earl Green, the great psychedelic artist no one has ever heard about.(More on "The devil’s in the details" @ "Devil's Sidewalk" from Neil Young's RETURN TO GREENDALE | NYA . Also, see the question in this recent tweet about "The devil’s in the details" and Trump suggesting a connection between Neil Young's song “Devil’s Sidewalk” and "The Invisible Enemy.)
Earl Green is played by MAZZEO. The devil’s in the details.
Is Trump suggesting a connection between Neil Young's song “Devil’s Sidewalk” and "The Invisible Enemy"?
— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) May 24, 2020
See https://t.co/SW74jSX8hS
☮️♥️@NeilYoungNYA #NeilYoung #CrazyHorse4HOF#DontSpookTheHorse #MoreBarn #MayTheHorseBeWithYou #BeTheRain pic.twitter.com/v94BR6s5qp
Back in 2004, we revealed that artist Jim Mazzeo was the subject of Neil's Greendale song "Bandit" according to a Metroactive newspaper article by Rebecca Patt.
Alexey Butirskiy, Jim Mazzeo and Neil Young by Gabreal Franklin
Greendale Artist Jim Mazzeo is "The Bandit"
The lyrics: "You're hard to reach, no one can reach you, but I can reach you" apparently refer to Mazzeo's relationship with Young.
- "And he can reach me, 'cause he's like my best friend, and he knows he can," says Mazzeo.
Mazzeo also worked on over 140 pen-and-ink illustrations for the book of Greendale. In the interview Mazzeo said:
- "In the back, there is a really nice supplement all about me and my artwork and my biography, which is really going to be a feather in my cap when it comes out."
Jim Mazzeo is well known for the cover art for the album "Zuma", as well as, the Greendale artwork for the album and tour backdrop projections.
"Deju Blue"
w/ James "Bandit" Mazzeo, ZUMA & Greendale Album Cover Artist - 2015
Remembering The Warmth & Love of Bridge School Concerts
w/ James "Bandit" Mazzeo, ZUMA & Greendale Album Cover Artist - 2015
Remembering The Warmth & Love of Bridge School Concerts
"Carmichael was a good cop. Everybody missed him."
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
via frame from "Greendale" | NYA
(More on "Carmichael" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse | NYA )
"Are Protesters Terrorists?" - 2003
[Then: "War on Terror" - Now: "War on Germs"]
"Leave The Driving" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
via "Return To Greendale" World Premiere | NYA
(More on "Leave The Driving" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse | NYA )
"Devil's Sidewalk"
Neil Young's Greendale (2003)
(More on Going Back to Greendale #4: "Devil's Sidewalk" from Neil Young's RETURN TO GREENDALE | NYA )
Also, see Chapter I: "Falling From Above" from "Greendale" | Neil Young Archives and Chapter II: "Double E" from "Return To Greendale" | Neil Young Archives .
"Everything You're Looking For" - Bandit
LEAVING GREENDALE
POP. 25,810
Neil Young News: Premiere; RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ Balboa Theater, San Francisco, CA - Jan 28, 2020
— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) February 2, 2020
See https://t.co/hTt0IDeLud
---#CrazyHorse4HOF @NeilYoungNYA @CrazyHorse4HoF pic.twitter.com/UdjixWOKSy
Greta, Julia Butterfly & Sun Green
— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) February 10, 2020
Neil Young's Prophetic Greendale: Sun Green + Julia Butterfly
See https://t.co/7iH6U4aIMC
"Be a goddess in the planet wars" #BeTheRain @NeilYoungNYA @CrazyHorse4HOF @dhlovelife pic.twitter.com/g6qv5TFPoN
Neil Young writes on "RETURN TO GREENDALE" | NYA:
Greendale, the story of Sun Green coming of age in the world, and seeing all of the threats against the Earth, is one of my favorite films in the Shakey Pictures library. Sun Green was played by one of my daughter Amber’s friends, Sara White. I discovered her at a school play we went to see when Amber was in high school.
Larry Johnson and I shot Greendale on super 8 film cameras. I wlll never forget it. Getting up before dawn and heading to nearby Half Moon Bay from my ranch everyday, driving in Grandpa’s big white eldorado with a cup of coffee, I would meet Larry and we would plan and shoot the day. So many of my friends are in Greendale; Gary Burden as the Captain, Eric Johnson as the Devil, Mazzeo as Earl Green, Sun Green’s dad. Pegi Young as her mom Edith. Larry Johnson was the cop. Erik Markegard was Earth Brown. Erik was the son of my foreman at the ranch, Larry Markegard. Karin Markegard, Erik’s mother, played a part as well.
These folks were all my friends. I will never forget Greendale, one of the biggest highlights of my filming life.
"Support Our War"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Greendale at Radio City Music Hall, New York City - March 18, 2004
photo by thrasher
Neil Young in Greendale - Massachusetts 2003
Photo by Brian Babineau
Broken Arrow Issue Number 91, August, 2003
w/ Artist James Mazzeo
Bridge 2011 - International Rust Festival
On The Beach in Santa Cruz, CA
(note TW Anniversary Button on Mazz's left lapel -
Button Design and Production by Rusties Geoff, Dee & Tim A. Thanks!)
OMG! That is the most heart felt beautiful thing I have heard in a long long time. ty!
ReplyDeleteYes. Just yes. I need a place to share my reaction to the video and music I just heard via NYA. I feel so moved by the sound, the lyrics, the longing. “Some day, you’ll find, what you’re looking for” - Neil’s voice moves up the scale, note by note, and echoes the meaning of hope ascending. Such a glimpse into the ache we are all feeling. Wow. Just wow. So moved. Tears welling up. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI saw NY & CH in Atlanta on the Greendale tour. It was like the 2nd or 3rd show on the tour and Greendale hadn't came out yet. My buddy and I were able to score front row seats from the box office hours before the show! Neil ended up throwing me 3 pages of Greendale lyrics from his teleprompter!... Anyways, he aborted "Bandit" about halfway through at this show...He said, "I once played a solo show in Las Vegas and everyone talked through the whole show...good to see there's a little Vegas her in Atlanta." Then the band came back and they went to the next song, which was Grandpa's Interview I believe...Greatest concert experience I ever had.
ReplyDeleteHa! I was at that show. Chastain park. It rained halfway through and I went up front. Like you said, the album hasn’t come out yet and people wanted to hear only the hits, and thats exactly what he said.
DeleteVery nice. I could do without the film clips though...they're taking up half the song! Just show me what's happening on stage. We can always watch the movie if we want to see it acted out
ReplyDeleteMatt & J: I think Return To Greendale will work far better as an album than as a film focused on the theatrics.
DeleteI can see why Neil wanted to document it, with his friends and crew as actors, but the stage production which was a bit of fun in the venue is (when focused on so directly in the film) simply a distraction in hindsight.
A distraction from what? From the mental movie playing in your own head. I'm assuming you've all got one: if not then getting one should be a priority.
These songs are powerful and deep enough that any one bright enough to be listening to this album/film doesn't need every scene spelled out to them, reducing it to 2D simplicity. The many subtleties to the songs simply get lost. Shut your eyes and imagine your own scenes, dream your own dream, and it's a far more powerful work.
Scotsman.
I have been making a point of watching these each week and it is really upping my appreciation for the Greendale project as a whole. I always liked a few of the songs and have listened to Vicar St but this latest version of Bandit was super impressive.
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to get a download of this audio I wonder? Wish I would have had time to do that last night, as now it's gone from NYA.
@Devin: The whole show is coming out later this year on DVD (apparently Neil has given up on Blu Ray unfortunately), CD, Vinyl, and download. Hang in there....it’s coming.
ReplyDeletePeace 🙏
We saw Greendale in Toronto at the ACC.
ReplyDeleteAMAZING. One of my favorite concert experiences of all time. Emmylou Harris is a absolute vision on stage and still sounds like an angel singing and playing. Magic. Then after Greendale they did the entire Rust Never Sleeps album.
We will never forget that night. Thank you so much.
Thanks all on the Greendale comments.
ReplyDelete@ Scotsman - good point -- as usual -- on G-dale as a mental movie.
"Shut your eyes and imagine your own scenes, dream your own dream, and it's a far more powerful work." << LIKED
@ Unknown - Emmylou Harris opened for Greendale? huh. quite a show & lucky you. We had lots of Lucinda Williams opening at the shows we caught. Lucinda was great as well.