As noted recently, a rather significant announcement, PBS American Masters Archive Releases 1,000+ Hours of Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interviews: Patti Smith, David Bowie, Neil Young & More.
David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil YoungFrame from 'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters
In December 2012, PBS | American Masters broadcast the documentary film "Inventing David Geffen. American Masters: Inventing David Geffen is "an unflinching portrait of Geffen, who narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews."
Interviewees include Neil Young, Elliot Roberts, David Crosby, Henry Diltz, Gary Burden and many others.
From the unaired interview with David Crosby on working with Geffen and his clients, Neil Young and his manager Elliot Roberts. (Ed. note, unedited raw transcript)
David Crosby: At some point, he [Geffen] and Elliott [Roberts] parted ways and we went with Elliott and and I don't even remember if there was a specific issue or if it was just a drift in directions.
We certainly were no party. We were not easy to handle.
And we would periodically, you know, argue with ourselves and Neil. Neil was a lot like David.
Neil came in to see us and was planning to leave. We were a vehicle. We made that record. He knew what that record would do and he had every intention of making a solid record right afterwards and going on.
And Elliott managed him extremely well, very diligently, and still does.
Elliott handles Neil extremely well. It's that thing of building something with the intention of, you know, leapfrogging it. That was always there in their plan, you know. And on one level, here he was building a community, was building something that they could be proud of, it was building, you know, the most successful artists and the best singer songwriters. On another level, he was building something he could sell.
David, multi-level guy.
More on Neil Young & David Crosby and their tangled relationship.
Neil Young & David Crosby
David Crosby is an asshole.
ReplyDeleteAgreed
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Cros is a total prick. SNY won't talk with him due to his nasty disposition and horrible comments. Piss off Cros!
ReplyDeleteI let myself go again and for that I am sorry- we are made from crooked timber. Every time I read anything that comes straight out of Crosby's mouth it is usually pretty sharp but also tinged with resentment and competition. He really wants to be regarded at the same level as Neil. He also says things that are overtly antagonistic in almost every interview. Perhaps this constitutes being an asshole? The fact is, however, that he just isn't at the same level as Neil.
ReplyDelete@ Abner - sure, got it.
ReplyDeleteto be clear here, we didn't post Crosby for folks to just take shots.
Crosby is the 4th or Geffen interview we posted. And we're still planning to run the Diltz & Ostin interview clips as well we get a chance. maybe this weekend?
The greater point here is really Geffen himself and his approach to music and artist mgt.
Because to understand the Geffen approach, is to understand Elliot and his mgt of Neil.
Sure Elliot handled Neil was different than Geffen.
But listen to the terms that are used to describe Geffen: shark, ruthless, take no prisoners, etc.
And Crosby confirms again what Elliot and Neil were up to w/ CSNY. That's a significant story. Name call Crosby all you want, but remember all of these guys were more business savvy than the music and image reflect.
for better or worse, music is a business. sadly, even more today than ever.
btw, did you catch NY's musings on Elliot this week? we can't help but think that neil watched the raw Elliot footage that we linked.
"Well, the artist looked at the producer
The producer sat back
He said
What we have got here
Is a pretty good track
But we don't have a vocal
And we still don't have a song
If we could get this thing accomplished
Nothin' else could go wrong
So he balanced the ashtray
And he picked up the phone
And said
Send me a songwriter
Who's drifted far from home
And make sure that he's hungry
And make sure he's alone
And send me a cheeseburger
And a new Rolling Stone"
I knew a MD who worked with Cros, I kind of borrowed his quote. But Cros did write “Love the one you’re with” right? And he is Anti War, & he was in a band with NY, so he has a few good points, at least. Best part of Cros is Neil Young. I know it’s a mean biz, but there is only one Neil Young. Alan In Seattle
ReplyDelete@ Alan : Stills wrote “Love the One Your With” not Crosby.
ReplyDeletePeace 🙏
Crosby made some beautiful music and provided some beautiful harmony. Wrote some great songs too. He was over the edge with himself and his behavior, and of course his mouth. But it takes all four to make CSNY, which Neil wanted to call SYNC. Maybe that way things would have balanced better. Crosby at the front made his hat fit too tight. The record/s speak/s for itself, positive and negative, on Crosby. Neil was no picnic as he has also admitted. Cynics and critics are we all. But MAN they made good music!
ReplyDelete~SONY
Sorry Thrasher, did not mean to ruin the purpose. I am going to listen to the interviews and watch the american masters segment.
ReplyDelete@ SONY - lots of good points on Crosby and the united forces of CSNY.
ReplyDeletefor a brief moment, CSNY was on their way to possibly approaching Beatles magnitude. but then the wooden ships capsized in excess....
@ Abner - no apologies @ TW.
if we had to do it every time we f'd up, we'd be on here all day w/ apologies.
mistakes and forgiveness. life. to err is human while on the highway.
travel on...
peace
Dan Swan, thanks for pointing out what should have been very obvious to me, that Stills wrote Love the One You're With! That is a great song and even I can hear Stills is clearly the singer, now that you point it out. And here I thought that song was the best thing about Crosby! I am sorry to come here and leave negativity. Negativity doesn't help. Crosby should know that best.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the song Hippie Dream is better than CSN in its entirity (live Trocadero version!). CSNY had some great songs. CSN sang some good harmonies with Neil in the studio. I thought Silver and Gold tracks would have been better if Neil didn't give CSN those 3 songs to pour syrup on, as I said before. I think maybe the greatest thing CSN did was join Neil for Living with War live, a tour I missed in WA state and regret missing. Knowing me, I might have gotten into an altercation with someone who was angry with CSNY for opposing the war. Maybe that is the cosmic reason I missed it. I am an aggressive pacifist. Slowly changing into an assertive pacifist as I age, a young man in an old guy's body. Riding on hills with my bicycle to fight Entropy.
I am one of those odd Neil Young fans that doesn't give a crap about CSN. I don't think they could have stood up past the ankles of the Beatles. But Neil, yes. McCartney loves Neil's tunes because there is plenty to love.
So here I am, talking shit again. On a lighter note, I have been starting to make (temporary) playlists on NYA to help me hear the unreleased tracks, NYA2, and various favorites. As I added songs to a playlist I was reminded of how much I love the NYPotR song Carnival. I still have the idea it was about life with DT in the white house, a surreal nightmare of a Carny Fun House (Shit Show!). I don't really believe in asking Artists what a song meåns, but I am tempted to send Neil a letter and ask him to give us a hint. "Too much time was spent in in the tent of the Elephant of Enlightenment. My thoughts were pure....."
I go to the front page to look at the Times Contrarian and I can't seem to figure out how to simply READ the thing. I look for the side bar to move the page down and it isn't there. Hmm. I drop the mouse on the line and it moves radically far from where I want to be. Anyone got a tip for me? Alan in Seattle, as "I'm The Ocean" throbs on my computer speakers!
@ Alan : I personally like CSN more than you and I totally respect your feelings about them. Particularly in comparison with Neil , your comment “ . I don't think they could have stood up past the ankles of the Beatles”. Provided me with a really good laugh. I wish I had written it, it’s that good. So thanks for helping me through my day. Sincerely.
ReplyDeletePeace 🙏
Another flower child goes to seed in an ether filled room of meat hooks.
ReplyDeleteTo me that's Neil's take on the Music Biz in one lyric.
Through these interviews it really becomes apparent the divide between the
music making and the money making, and what commodities these folks became.
It's great that there were some at the top that championed the art/ists. But
it sounds like most didn't even know what they were selling, other than sales.
It's so ugly......so ugly......
~SONY
Does anyone know the name of the last song in the documentary sung by CSNY?
ReplyDelete