UPDATED - Joni Mitchell Joins Neil Young In Removing Her Music from Spotify
Joni Mitchell and Neil Young - December, 1969
Heathrow Airport, England
UPDATED BELOW
In solidarity with Neil Young, Joni Mitchell has also requested that her music be removed from Spotify.
As we often say: sooner or later, it all gets SURREAL.
What started off in the mainstream as "an aging rocker yelling get off my lawn", has now mushroomed into an international media firestorm with calls ranging from #BoycottSpotify to #BoycottNeilYoung to #istandwithneilyoung.
Neil Young wants Spotify to remove popular podcast 'The Joe Rogan Experience'| KARE 11
Spotify shuts down their customer service lines. Thousands of listeners complain and cancel subscriptions over Spotify’s decision to support Joe Rogan and the misinformation he broadcasts, over Neil Young’s music.
SPOTIFY - IN THE NAME OF TRUTH / THANKS FOR STANDING WITH ME
For us here at Thrasher's Wheat, one of the most troubling aspects of this episode has been Neil Young's shifting positions on supporting free speech while calling for the deplatforming of those exercising that freedom. Furthermore, the man runs an online newspaper called Times-Contrarian?! Irony alert.
Even civil libertarian columnist Glenn Greenwald faults Neil Young's incoherent logic, writing "Pressure Campaign To Remove Joe Rogan From Spotify Reveals Liberal Religion Of Censorship."
On Tuesday, musician Neil Young demanded that Spotify either remove Rogan from its platform or cease featuring Young's music, claiming Rogan spreads COVID disinformation. Spotify predictably sided with Rogan, their most popular podcaster in whose show they invested $100 million, by removing Young's music and keeping Rogan. The pressure on Spotify mildly intensified on Friday when singer Joni Mitchell issued a similar demand. All sorts of censorship-mad liberals celebrated this effort to remove Rogan, then vowed to cancel their Spotify subscription in protest of Spotify's refusal to capitulate for now; a hashtag urging the deletion of Spotify's app trended for days. Many bizarrely urged that everyone buy music from Apple instead; apparently, handing over your cash to one of history's largest and richest corporations, repeatedly linked to the use of slave labor, is the liberal version of subversive social justice. [ed; emphasis added]
In addition to Apple, Neil Young encourages "folks looking for my music can easily head to AMAZON MUSIC and click here https://bit.ly/NYA_AmazonMusic - all new listeners will get four months free."
All folks looking for my music can easily head to AMAZON MUSIC and click here https://t.co/xvhKGMkA36 - all new listeners will get four months free. pic.twitter.com/a66GaGUKEk
— Neil Young Archives (@NeilYoungNYA) January 28, 2022
And Sirius XM has re-launched the Neil Young Channel.
Furthermore, as Adam Carolla said recently:
"Their [artists] job is to push back against the man and Neil Young should know the man isn’t Joe Rogan, the man is Dr. Fauci, the man is Governor Gavin Newsom, the man is the CDC, the man is the WHO, the man is Biden," said Carolla.
And, oddly, both Young and Mitchell now support Big Pharma?
This has been rationalized by the observation that both Young and Mitchell suffered with Polio as children, took vaccines, and subsequently recovered. (For details, see Broken Arrow "Neil Young - Polio Case - The 1951 Ontario Polio Outbreak" by Chris Rutty, Issue #36, page #14. Next, read "The Moth in the Iron Lung: A Biography of Polio" by Forrest Maready.)
Also, in 2015, Neil Young released the album Monsanto Years which was heavily critical of Big Ag and GMOs. And why the inconsistency of being critical of Big Ag and supportive of Big Pharma? (See Strange Bedfellows: GMO and Vaccine Partnerships)
The Monsanto Years by Neil Young + Promise Of The Real
Art by Micah Nelson
(Zoom Cover)
Does Rogan give space to some crackers views about the Covid vaccines? Yep. So what?And I ask that as someone who is very pro-vaccination.If you dislike what Rogan says, then set up your own podcast to counter him. How about doing that, Neil Young? You could be pro-science for a change.
Here’s the thing about Rogan: his success is the least mysterious thing in the 21st-century media landscape. It is the colonisation of the mainstream media by woke elites who all think in the exact same way, and who will hound you off their turf if you don’t, that created the conditions in which a questioning, dissenting pod like Rogan’s could become a global phenomenon. It is the mainstream media’s failures that birthed the success of Rogan and others; it is the stifling of free, frank, deep discussion in the old media that created the space for new media to emerge and flourish.
The old hippy Neil Young would have understood that; the newly square Neil Young clearly doesn’t.
Some thoughts at the end of the week.The hype and loudest headlines and click bait now seems mostly based on the can't have both, "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." which I read as an aside after Neil's decision to not be affiliated with Spotify. Media headline click bait focus was misleading, and the short letter was removed and replaced by the long piece a day or two later restating intentions and reasons more completely.I don't see a censorship advocacy at all. I see a person that doesn't like the direction of an organization he has a contract with, and wants out. It was Neil's decision to leave. Spotify still states they want him back. I see it like a Manager of a baseball team not liking the direction of the Front Office, that it doesn't fit with his MO, so he leaves. I respect that. No censorship is really a part or was requested.Neil doesn't want to be on the same team as Rogan. There are many other Rogan shows on the subject other than the one with Malone, which was very informative and interesting, and I recommend people who have not heard it to hear it, to be aware and have it part of your circle of awareness. (Malone seemed a bit bitter about his current role in the progression, but that was maybe my take, and not the takeaway from the episode). Rogan admits he is prone to saying shit that is not vetted and not factual and true. So I don't buy the sensational accusations of "Censorship" headline bait here. I have left jobs that I decided I was a bad fit for. My decisions. Not theirs. I get it.
Musicians are collectively getting shorted in payments for their art, while subsidizing the Rogan contract.... but that is another whole discussion of the streaming situation. This discussion... should not be about censorship, but a man that doesn't fit on the team, is not the biggest $ maker for them, and doesn't want to be affiliated anymore for reasons clearly stated. Not stopping free speech, not wanting to stop free speech, just separating from the same platform. I respect and understand that. I bet we see others (Joni Mitchell already has) follow.It doesn't seem like a fit to me to have Neil guest on a JRE episode, but it would be interesting for them to be the panel on a third party show like Real Time with Bill Maher.
“I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his own opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it.”
― The Age of Reason
The fact is you are either for politicians, elites, and large technology companies dictating what you can and can not have the right to consider when making decisions, or you support the idea of being able to consider opinions from all ends of the spectrum in order to make your personal decisions.
You are either an advocate for stifling one entire half of an argument - which admittedly may contain the boogeyman disguised as some actual misinformation - or you are pro freedom of speech and an individual’s right to decide for themselves.
And most importantly, you either have the wherewithal to understand that the official narrative has, and will, continue to get things wrong (vaccines would wipe out Covid, for example) and that opinions labeled as “misinformation” and “conspiracy theories” can sometimes turn out to be the objective truth (like the lab leak ‘theory’), or you don’t.
If your intentions are only to seek out objective truths, why would you turn away anyone’s opinion before sifting away at all available information before trying to arrive at the facts?These are questions and concepts that Spotify needs to be asking itself very carefully.
While, from a monetary standpoint, canceling Joe Rogan may, at some point, look like it makes sense on paper, the music giant needs to ask itself at the end of the day: are they the battleground for something even more important than money?
We have yet to see a mainstream big tech company take a serious stand against censorship. Spotify: are you prepared to be the first?
In an unrelated -- but related -- side note, recall ...
In early 2021, Hipgnosis buys 50% of Neil Young catalog. And here is the prospectus for Hipgnosis. Then in October 2021, The Blackstone Group, an alternative investment management company, announced that it would partner with Hipgnosis to invest $1bn US to acquire song catalogs and music rights. It also announced that Blackstone would take an ownership stake in Hipgnosis Song Management.” [60]
Footnote 60: "Blackstone Unveils Music Investment Deal With Merck Mercuriadis". Bloomberg.com. 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2021-10-15. "Blackstone announces appointment of Jeffrey B. Kindler, Former Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, as Senior Advisor"
Lastly, “Spotify lost $4 billion in market value this week after rock icon Neil Young called out the company for allowing comedian Joe Rogan to use its service to spread misinformation about the COVID vaccine on his popular podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience,’” is how The San Francisco Chronicle put it (that Spotify's stock price dropped rather precipitously contemporaneously with this controversy is clear; less so is the causal connection, though it seems unlikely to be entire coincidental).
"On Jan. 27, Spotify stock hit a 19-month low.
Spotify has lost $4 billion in market value over past few months"
— jinx (@crackconnoisser) January 28, 2022
sooner or later, it all gets SURREAL...
More on Neil Young's "The COVID Years", Joe Rogan, Spotify and Vaccine Disinformation.
UPDATE - Jan 31: From comment by Dan below:
A load of new letters to the editor on NYA and they are all Spotify related.
Some in support of Neil and some have canceled their subscription. Neil states that they have had more subscribers sign up than ever before in the last week. The whole free speech argument is why this blew up, but as far as I can see….. it’s clearly not an viable issue as both sides are getting what they want. If someone is publicly giving false and potentially dangerous information to millions of people, then someone needs to hold them accountable. Everyone is free to speak their mind about anything, but when it is potentially dangerous to others then we all need to know.
Free speech requires us not to endanger others lives in the process.
Here at Thrasher's Wheat, we would also like to apologize for some of our coverage and comments around de-platforming and censorship. While we found the entire episode confusing initially because Neil Young's Spotify letter was pulled down before we read it (and then the internet went wild with speculation), Neil's statement above is very clear on subject.
Spotify has agreed to post "content advisory" labels on podcasts. Also, on Instagram below, Joe Rogan discusses Spotify controversy and tells story about working Security at a Neil Young concert @ ~5:00.
Joe Rogan Discusses Neil Young @ ~5:00
Labels: #disCERNment, music, neil young
by thrasher@PermaLink: 1/30/2022 02:50:00 PM
42 comments
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42 Comments:
So Blackstone owns 50% of Neil's catalogue - and Pfizer's former CEO is chairman of Blackrock. Yikes
This Note's For You
exactly medward. There's more to the pictures than meets the eyes ...
And here you can witness the birth of a new conspiracy theory in a nutshell...
I suggest the following further steps:
When challenged about the meaningful connection between the two facts not being meaningful at all simply claim you didn't make the connection, but the reader did.
When proven otherwise then claim that there is some behind the scenes knowledge, that unfortunately nobody has (oops - you did that already), sorry.
Proceed to step three: Say that somebody else insinuated the connection and you did not intend yourself to promote anything.
Step 4: Point out the evil record of the accused which somehow gives some credibility to the allegedly meaningful connection made up.
Step 5 When all this fails retreat quietly, saying something about having been misunderstood and that the quotes were stripped of their context ... and use the herring next time around: "I've always said so...."
That is absolutely not to say that Blackrock and their CEO or Pfizer are harmless, obviously they are not. But maybe it occurred to the benign reader that moving a couple of billion vaccine doses is nothing you leave to the VFD and that Blackrock thanks to their shareholders is swimming in money they don't know where to put.
Oh, and I hail from Germany and the pharmazeutical company that invented the mRNA-vaccine run under the name Pfizer is Biontech, a German company. Get the connection?
Dear thrasher,
Here’s a thought exercise: let’s say I’ve had enough. I share your passion for Neil Young. There have been many fruitful, exciting conversations here down the years. I’ve talked with some wonderful people and enjoyed an excellent wellspring of Neil News. Nonetheless, I occasionally find your editorial perspective lacking in balance or nuance (discernment, if you prefer). So let’s say, having decided that I find certain parts of the discourse on your forum counterproductive, I decide I am no longer interested in having a conversation on your terms.
Actually, this is barely hypothetical. I’ve flirted before with the idea of permanently leaving. But let’s say I follow through on it. Am I now guilty of censorship because I don’t want to patronize or associate with your forum?
Unless folks think Neil should be compelled to remain on Spotify as some sort of symbolic gesture toward free speech, the only alternative is, he has the right to leave. Few things in life are black and white, but whether or not NY’s catalogue is available on Spotify is one of them. He’s either in or out—and he has a moral right to make that decision, regardless of the reasons. Again, there is no solution that doesn’t involve either demanding that he stay or letting him make a decision.
The system is far from perfect. Navigating free expression online can get messy. But blaming NY or Joni Mitchell for making decisions about their own IP strikes me as misplaced frustration. The problem is with tech giants monopolizing cyberspace. Until ww solve that problem, you’re going to feel insecure/threatened as an independent content creator. However, infringing on or potentially questioning the (legal or ethical) right of artists to make determinations about the distribution of their own content is the the opposite of solving the problem. If we start deciding it’s “wrong” for Neil or Joni to leave Spotify, that just concentrates more power with Spotify. Same if we were talking about any other company.
Thrash, I know you understand divide and conquer. And that, in my opinion, is what happens when it becomes creators vs fans—or creators vs creators—instead of artists maintaining gaining and maintaining leverage with tech giants, recording labels, etc. I think most people, in NY’s position, would you want to have the freedom he has exercised. Moreover, the suggestion of NY combatting Rogan with his own podcast is somewhat preposterous. Even setting aside that NY has clearly established his music as his primary forum, no one is ever under an obligation to speak out.
The hypothetical solution to protect one person’s free speech is to compel the speech of another? That is radically out of whack. And I question the intellectual honesty of anyone who doesn’t at least acknowledge NY’s (or JM’s) moral right here. Unless you’re willing to forfeit control of things you create… live with it.
So returning to my initial question, if I left TW, would you consider me to be betraying your right to free speech? I am genuinely curious to look at the reasoning and, perhaps, inject a modicum of nuance into the conversation.
Wonder if Neil has anything to say about the trucker convoy for freedom happening up in Canada as we speak.
I've been listening to Neil hardcore since around 1987, and for about 34 of those years I was pretty sure who's side Neil would be taking in this conflict......
But unfortunately I think things have most definitely changed.
# Ian
Please don't, I come here to read your thoughts (and the comments of other fans guided by reason).
@ Dionys - ok, we get it here. absolutely. facts and speculation. dot connecting.
very risky business these days
@ Ian/MR - same. ok, we get it. risky business
1st, to your question, no. Everyone of course is free to come and go as they like.
Based on your comments, we're afraid that maybe we have not been clear here.
As best we could try above and one more time.
Going to Aer's points about the mis-interpretation of free speech. Where we think this has really gone off the rails, is that we are NOT saying that Neil doesn't have a right to leave Spotify. Of course he can take his music where he pleases. And he can what he wants, as well.
And certainly, Neil & Joni do have a moral right as to where they want their music streamed.
This all started w/ Neil demanding that Spotify either remove Joe Rogan or him. So Neil called for the de-platforming of Rogan. And we truly understand the pain of de-platforming.
That's where this whole debate started.
As for TW. We are trying to chart a very difficult path here. This is one of the most complex topics we've ever dealt with cutting across art, technology, business, rights/freedoms, info/disinfo, and medical science. Because of the level of emotion, you may have noticed that aside from a March 2020 article, TW has not said much on the topic du jour.
For the most part, we do try and play things straight by presenting multiple perspectives and letting readers and comments sort it out. And maybe we haven't done a great job this week? Off our game after the sabbatical in 2021 maybe?
So? What would you suggest here? Only cover Neil's view? Ignore Rogan or Spotify's positions? Last we checked, Neil's T-C's has a Viewpoints page where Neil showcases opposing opinions. We have high respect for T-C in that regard.
As noted above, the man runs an online newspaper called Times-Contrarian. And what could be more contrarian than posting on these conflicting opinions.
No one has ever said we all must agree. Or we all must have our views align w/ all things Neil. Or -- God forbid -- everyone here needs to align w/ TW.
we think we've got a great group of folks here tossing out a range of thinking.
we do not want TW to be a mere fan echo chamber of hero worship.
hopefully you're not departing because we're not 100% in lockstep on our editorial views. Seriously, where would one ever go to find everything align's with one's thinking? Afterall, isn't that a dangerous place? Trapped in an echo chamber, preaching to the choir.
As mentioned elsewhere w/ Alan & Jonathan, if 2 Neil fans w/ similar backgrounds but different perspectives are at each other's throats, that doesn't bode well for our futures. Hence the divide and conquer, which you get.
So dear Ian (and probably others), do as you please. Come or go. Know that if you leave, you will be deeply missed. And if you someday return, we will welcome you back with open arms.
peace
ps - Defense of the freedom of others is self-defense. Voltaire stated this fact as a genius can: “I wholly disagree with what you say and will defend to the death for your right to say it.”
Absolute freedom of speech corrupts every dialogue if one side is wary of the consequences of and the resposibility for that absolute free speech and the other side does not give a flying flamingo for the consequences and responsibilities.
Also one should be very careful about quoting 18th century thinkers who set up a then radical and most modern constitution which today appears to be an out-dated rigid leftover curently shot to pieces by exactly those who constantly claim to own it's only true and legit interpretation.
Voltaire did give no quarter either and he did not say what you quoted. The famous words are a creation by Evelyn Beatrice Hall (* 28. September 1868 in Shooter’s Hill, Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich; † 13. April 1956 in Wadhurst, East Sussex) who was an English authoress writing under the pseudonym S. G. Tallentyre.
Paine, Jefferson, Voltaire and even Kafka did not have the slightest imagination of our 21st century experience. That does not say they are worthless, but it still leaves our generation with the burden to deal with the mess we created.
Please take my advice: don't be so bible thumping puritan about free speech. When in class I have to stop students all the time from airing their bubbles and I don't think they will become lesser democrats.
Contradicting myself I close with a Kant quotation: "... the private use of reason may frequently be narrowly restricted without especially hindering the progress of enlightenment. By "public use of one's reason" I mean that use which a man, as scholar, makes of it before the reading public." That is exactly what the Rogan problem is about, he is no scholar, he is not making use of reason, but he is going public. Neil Young being a Kantian, who would ever have tought that?
Thanks, dionys! And thrasher, I should perhaps clarify my question was hypothetical…. I have been feeling the need for a breather, however, for the past few days.
I have refrained a lot on this topic, because I suspected it would cause undue aggravation. Not so much from the topic itself, as some of the nastiness that has indeed come out of it.
On de-platforming, I can certainly understand your concerns and how this might be coloring your response. However, I think my point boils down to: you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. There’s no solution here to satisfy all parties.
Once NY has made up his mind, to say that spotify can have either Rogan or Young is just stating the logical possibilities.
If you really do endorse artistic freedom, I don’t know what other outcome you’d be looking for, so I’m not sure about the point of the conversation unless people just want to vent.
Grousing is fine— but I’ve been trying to make the conversation constructive, and with this topic, it’s been hard to see the constructiveness. I find a lot of frustration in people’s responses but few reasonable solutions. And that is why I struggle to engage.
Spotify's Ek on his Blog:
"We are working to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19. This advisory will direct listeners to our dedicated COVID-19 Hub, a resource that provides easy access to data-driven facts, up-to-date information as shared by scientists, physicians, academics and public health authorities around the world, as well as links to trusted sources. This new effort to combat misinformation will roll out to countries around the world in the coming days. To our knowledge, this content advisory is the first of its kind by a major podcast platform."
That would have been due before they published the Rogan stuff. But better late than never.
@Ian Kurtis: I largely agree with you, BUT "...to say that Spotify can have either Rogan or Young is just stating the logical possibilities" - (As a first step) NY had the possibility to demand from Spotify to delete the Rogan podcast EPISODE with Robert Malone (and then to escalate if necessary). This would have made it clear that he is opposed to (systematic) disinformation in connection with corona vaccinations (and nothing else). His statements in https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/1/article?id=Spotify-More-Songs-Less-Sound and his advertising for Amazon (because of Hi-Res) leave me with a stale aftertaste, that "corona disinformation" was just a welcome pretext to leave Spotify (and get support for it from e.g. his record label and the public)
@ Dionys - thanks for input.
re Voltaire mis-attribution. Funny, but we've mis-attributed this quote before. Think we attributed to Jefferson.
But we did check quote again this time and discovered that the quote has been attributed to dozens over the centuries. We did learn that Voltaire was the nom de plume of François-Marie Arouet.
regarding quoting across centuries, sure, of course. But strong ideas survive across centuries. Point taken tho.
regarding "bible thumping puritan about free speech". well, we do have strong feelings that we simply define as a 1st Amendment supporter.
And thanks on Spotify update.
@ Ian - understood. we feel like needing a breather also. kind of amusing that as soon as we come off of sabbatical that an issue of such note and import would arise immediately in 2022.
A load of new letters to the editor on NYA and they are all Spotify related. Some in support of Neil and some have canceled their subscription. Neil states that they have had more subscribers sign up than ever before in the last week. The whole free speech argument is why this blew up, but as far as I can see….. it’s clearly not an viable issue as both sides are getting what they want. If someone is publicly giving false and potentially dangerous information to millions of people, then someone needs to hold them accountable. Everyone is free to speak their mind about anything, but when it is potentially dangerous to others then we all need to know. Free speech requires us not to endanger others lives in the process.
Peace 🙏
Joe Rogan just posted a 12 minute video at Spotify.
He apologizes for not doing a better job and not having more differing voices when talking about certain subjects.
He books the shows himself and realizes he needs to do a better job at it.
He's not mad at Neil Young or Joni Mitchell. He says he loves their music and doesn't have any hard feelings against them. He even tells an anecdote about Neil.
He's as bewildered as others are as to his fame and the success of his show.
He reiterates that he just has conversations and doesn't claim to be an expert on anything except comedy and MMA/Martial arts.
THIS IS TOTALLY IN LINE WITH THE PERSONALITY IVE BEEN WATCHING NOW FOR NEARLY A DECADE (although not that much lately).
Joe's a bit of a dumb "bro" at times but he consistently shows that he's a sensible and aware person and has apologized every single time in the past when bad info is shared on is show.
I love Neil Young. To see so much anger aimed towards him in the last week has broken my heart.
Seeing the ecstatic and rumour-mongering, dishonest and fearful state of mind so many people who identify as "LIBERALS" has been one of the most sobering things about being a citizen in North America in the 21st century, for me.
I see the effect of what social media on everything and everyone now, the world has changed for the worst.
Neil has made so much beautiful art that he is assured a place in the hearts and minds of the people of the world. That he is a low-info, gut-level artist makes for great music and, often, very poor thoughts and comments. I don't hate him for it but I don't go to him for guidance on such things.
Neil will not go on Rogan because Neil just doesn't know much about anything except his beautiful music. It's what it is.
I'm team Neil . . . and so is Joe Rogan.
@ Dan - Thanks. updated post to include your comment on LTE's. Also, included:
"Here at Thrasher's Wheat, we would also like to apologize for some of our coverage and comments around de-platforming and censorship. Neil Young's statement here is very clear on subject."
@ Mick - we're aligned on "I love Neil Young. To see so much anger aimed towards him in the last week has broken my heart."
actually, we've been thru this sort of thing before and had our hearts broken many times by some of the hate and anger.
also, update above includes Joe's Instagram where he tells story about working Security at a Neil Young concert @ ~5:00.
He tells a anecdotal story about NY but its just how he walked out on a security job at one of Neils shows. Not much of a story. The jist is when the going gets rough I get steppin. He walks off the job.to me nothing in the last weeks news has changed anything in how I feel towards NY. I see it as expected behavior. Hes going his own way again. My advice to those whos opinions towards the Old Man have changed are lightin up.
A rock star bucks an exploitative music platform...or a rock star sides with big pharma...or a rock star ain't shilling for Pepsi/Amazon...or a rock star has a slightly cheaper muddled idea when it comes to the freedom of speech...or, well ain't it good to see the contrary ol' bugger make the headlines...
how nice that Neil has declared himself Grand Marshal of the hypocrisy parade
just like when he had no issues with Donald Trump - for years - so friendly with him...taking pictures, etc. - hat-in-hand- asking for Mr. Trump's money to invest in Pono
but then all of a sudden in 2015 or so -
why all of a sudden Trump is the personification of evil - shazaam!!
'never have ever heard Rogan. Just read a letter from hundreds of doctors...'
I know we should all listen to creepy Fauci & do what he says...or how about that Bolshevik Bernie Sanders? He knows what's best, eh?
credibility = gone
the music remains
don't forget you're a racist unless you agree with Neil regarding COVID-19
Neil & your team - please continue to fuck off
ps - I don't stream music & don't listen to podcasts including JR
hang in there, Thrasher - thanks for the forum
Thanks again, thrasher. Like Mick Funz, “Heartbroken” does just about sum up my feelings on hostility from any quarter. I hope I am always honest and heartfelt, never hostile.
Thanks, also, to Dan for updates. Glad NYA is picking up steam. To reiterate, I think NY acted fully within his rights. At the same time, I don’t think spotify did anything wrong in making their own determination.
If anything, the publicity is actually helping to curb mis/disinformation, as spotify has announced new features in response to the conflict. So in a sense, this is “mission accomplished” in terms of drawing focus to the issue, even if it comes at the cost of Neil’s catalogue being withdrawn.
Yea Alan. Was that you I saw speeding thru a crosswalk w children waiting at the curb ? Feel better now Jonathan. Throw that hatred down.
There was a time, not that long ago, when Neil would have been busy organizing a fund-raising series of concerts to support a group like the Canadian Truckers Against Mandates...
Just sayin'..
Gordon Hobs—almost missed your post. Your points are well founded. It’s possible less drastic steps could have been chosen at some point. NY leaving any platform? Not ideal, but it may well have been the best possible choice under circumstances.
And just a note to all: we are living through unusual times. Freedom matters. Safety matters. We need a balance. “Don’t forget love.”
Over the past several years I have noticed that anger, rage, and hostility towards others has sadly become far more prevalent than it used to be. Or so it seems. Perhaps it’s due to social media that it feels more prevalent, and humans have always been cruel and aggressive towards others. Maybe thanks to social media we’re closer to seeing our true nature better than ever before. If that’s the case then I’m at a loss to understand why. Perhaps this is why we keep repeating history with conflict after conflict.
I’ve been seeing flags lately that say f@”k Biden, and bumper stickers that say f@:k cancer. When I was a kid those people would have been pulled over by the police for public profanity. Now it’s okay….so I’m assuming, that it’s just become socially acceptable. This intense feeling of anger and hostility is continuing to grow throughout the world, and frankly,I feel like an alien on my own planet. What has happened to us ???? Are we really okay with this??? Is this just the way we’ve always been????
Maybe I’m just old fashion, but it seems like this acceptance is a symptom of a much bigger problem, and it doesn’t bode well for our future. I can’t be the only person who finds this trend disturbing. My concern is genuine, and I think it’s time we start to reevaluate how we would like our future to look. Because at the rate we’re going, it doesn’t look all that great.
Peace 🙏
Hallo.......
I am a big Neil Young fan, long time member from NYAS, flew in 2004 to New York to watch his Greendale Tour, have all the books about Neil in either Dutch, German or English. Saw him in Hyde Park the last time...... etc etc bla bla bla ...
When Neil announced his statement regarding Spotify/ Joe Rogan, Dr Malone ..i watched that day his documentary Barn...., which was briljant . Love and only love !!
But......yes.... { love and only love --- < "we break it down" > }
BUT.....Neil s comments about " Covid misinformation" is absolutely ridiculous .... and there fore choosing the side of the Mainstream Media, the Government and Fauci , who do nothing else than spreading misinfo about covid. ??
"Not advising" children to vaccinate is < Misinfo> ????????
Neil, have you lost your mind or are you so badly influenced by D Hannah ??
First of all i listened to that Podcast with Dr Malone, and it was not very briljant that interview. What Malone said was correct, ok , but , it was just the "tip of the Iceberg". ..and because he took 2 vaccines himself i dont think thats very clever....because its all based on fake germ theory L Pasteur and The rockefellar "medicine" and i prefer experts like Dr Stephan Lanka and read books like the Contagion Myth, R Steiner, etc etc ( i had every vaccine, since birth, detoxed by homeopathIC doctors .....i really cant believe what some people saying "that they listen to the CDC or Dutch equivalent "RIVM " and they getting their 3 vaccines . You know what misinformation is , Neil ? NOT TALKING ABOUT VACCINE DAMAGE : yes < THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE> ......wake up people , Why are people dying ? Because of "covid"?
no of course not ...people die from the Protocoll....yes ....Iatrogenics !
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/undercover-epicenter-nurse-erin-marie-olszewski/1137213051
And for an artist who fought against Monsanto, wrote OHIO, Lets impeach the President and was fighting Big Oil , tar sands Fracking in Canada. Etc
Neil Young was named the Musicares person of the year in 2010 for his "influential artistic accomplishments and philanthropic work". Of course he deserved that !!
And now ? Selling the rights to his music to a investment company.
In which a former Pfizer CEO happens to be involved. ???? WTF ????
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80uRb_4gDdQ
YOU REMEMBER THE SONG < NO WONDER > ? here some lyrics :
Somewhere a senator sits in a leather chair
Behind a big wooden desk
The caribou we killed mean nothing to him
He took his money just like all the rest
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kind of interesting how the mainstream media is still yapping how Spotify has lost 2 billion of it's market value, even though THE STOCK WENT BACK UP WITHIN 24 HOURS, and is currently going up by the hour and doing better than it was before this whole debacle.
...now that the knee-jerk reactions are over.
Of course this will be thought of as misinformation, too, by people unwilling to check any facts that go against their beliefs.
Arto
Dan, I just want to validate your sentiment. Incivility, spite, and cruelty are discouraging under any circumstances. The world needs more people more willing to communicate and understand one another. We need more patience. We need compassion. I don't have unlimited patience, but I try my best.
If change comes, I don't think it will come quickly. The need to nurture a culture of acceptance, understanding, and all those other worn (but warm) cliches is why I've begun including my new signature, which I will try to be consistent about from here on. Of course, it's also a tip of the hat to the new album. The last song on Barn, in my opinion, really is about the need Dan is speaking to.
"Don't forget love."
Over the weekend I had to go and pick up some Neil Young vinyl, filling in that big Geffen-shaped gap in the collection. I’ve had a copy of Trans for years, no problem there. But I snagged the rest of them including This Note’s For You, a record that isn’t on Geffen but thinks it is. (Note: both it and Everybody’s Rockin’ sound awesome at -10 pitch on the turntable. You haven’t heard the studio version of Twilight til you’ve played it 10% slower.) The only one from the era I couldn’t find in town was Old Ways. But I have faith it’ll appear on the used shelves in time, its natural habitat. While I’ve been loving the madness of Landing On Water for a while now, the big find was Life, an album I never knew I wanted until I heard it on the original LP. The live quality really shines and some of it started reminding me of a more time-ravaged variation on Zuma and Rust tracks. The Horse sound genuinely unhinged in a way that only the late 80s could incite. It is some cacophony, but I can hear what Briggs and Young were going for and I appreciate it. Those synths are bad, but in a certain weird punk rock Crazy Horse way. The sentiment is brutish and keen, the resonance metallic. It’s not what anyone wanted/wants to hear. As a follow up to Re•Ac•Tor and precursor to the chaos of Muddy Track, it makes perfect sense. Keep this one at 33 1/3 and crank it to 11 if your eardrums can handle it. This comment post goes out to all the Neil Young haters on the blog today. THIS NOTE’S FOR YOU
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@Tomatron
Finally a post about Neil Young’s music. Thanks - very much appreciated.
All these posts about politics, Trump, vaccines, COVID… Haven’t we soon had enough of that?
The 1987 album "Life" maybe really is underrated. I remember the ill-fated 1987 tour in Munich, after endless days of rain (you can see some of that in "Muddy Track" from the perspective of the tour bus, being totally lost on the backroads of Southern Germany). Neil Young in his Lionel T-Shirt working-out on the frustrations of this tour in a small venue, that hurriedly was booked, after ticket sales didN#t go well enough to fill the huge Olympiahalle.
The concert was the most violent thing that I had seen up to this time - not this spectacular violence that one can see as part of a stage act nowadays, but a more real and authentic thing. At the end of the show when he angrily threw Old Black against his stage amp, all strings shredded - phew. "I did not treat her well", Neil Young later would later re-call that time.
Still I left the concert somehow with the notion violence could be a good idea, sometimes. Being 22 years old I was easy to impress. To me the concert was ample compensation for the damage done by the 1982 tour, which I did not understand at the time, expecting a "Live Rust" show as advertised. In Europe 1987 the fans saw the resurrection of the Horse.
Just listened to lucky thirteen, which holds together damn well..... Methinks the geffen years get a somewhat unfair pummeling...
If Neil will ever be back on Spotify, I will demand his censorship because of spreading weird climate theorys in his songs. That must be ok too then for neil himself.
The caravan moved on. And left the barking dog behind.
Arabian proverb sort of.
How about this... boycott no one. We as living humans should be able to express ourselves authentically without fear of being ostracized and without fear of being "cancelled." It is a wonderful thing to be able to freely and openly discuss a multitude of topics, with varying opinions, without someone trying to spin it into some kind of narrative. We should have the freedom to share our perspectives with others, and challenge things that don't resonate with our being. The beauty of life is that we all have our own perspectives, experiences, opinions, beliefs, etc. and those differences should be celebrated, not "banned". Imagine if every single person thought the same, acted the same, spoke the same, etc.; it would be a pretty dull and boring existence. Consequently, it appears that may be the direction we are headed in... if you don't agree with the majority then you will be attacked.
As an addendum: Imagine being able to engage in open discourse with a group of people and freely share information without any conditions placed on that; no "right or wrong" nor "good vs. evil". I think this realm would be a much better place for all.
Im glad im not burdened w the choices NY made recently. I cant imagine wearing that disappointment like a leaded coat. Makes 0 difference to me. You go Ol Neil. Keep it stirring. If it feels like the right thing to do. Go do it. And give Fauci a break too. It is a novel corona virus. He cant tell the future so his recommendations will change. That doesn't make him a liar. I trust him
All my hereos are not rock stars except for Neil and Joni. The Beatles. Bob. Okay. Throw David Crosby in there. I will always remember his name. Always.
Ah.. There You go Neil! German news is presenting a connection Neil to hygnosis and Pfizer. Now I understand!
NEIL THE HYPOKRIT
This troubles me. Greatly. Elliot would NEVER have let this happen!
@WBKM - you mean Elliot wouldn't have wanted Neil to participate in celebrity group-think & advocate for censorship of free-thinking all while claiming racism where none exists? huh - weird...
What happened to free speech, I like Neil's music but do not support him or listen anymore, what makes him the expert on vaccines, I will not put that poison in my body, and that's my right, but he has to be a damn crybaby, see ya Neil
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