Still Living With War... Deja Vu Yet Again?! - UPDATED

Living With War by Neil Young - 2006

Sadly, we're still living with war.

And judging by the beat of the war drums, it looks like we'll soon have another kinetic war front open up in Ukraine, eastern Europe and likely elsewhere, very, very sadly.

If there was ever an artist to which the label anti-war sticks, it would be Neil Young. Over 50 years since "Ohio" and Kent State, the tin soldiers are still marching onwards toward war.  Except this time, not just some random regional conflict to keep the War Machine primed, but full on discussion and encouragement to get a full blown World War #3 going.

 

Military madness, indeed.

Last month, as the war drums started beating, Neil Young penned an editorial on  Neil Young Archives: VIEWPOINT: The Apotheosis of War.

 

“The Apotheosis of War” by Vasily Vereshchagin(Click photo to enlarge)

 

In a followup, Neil Young writes "Streets are the Stage for Change" and asks:

"THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP FOR HUMANITY and let the whole world know who they really are."

With military madness continuing to kill our countries, what's the average citizen of the world to do?

Obviously, we're Still Living With War -- both in our minds and hearts -- because it's all just deja vu, all over again and again and again ...

 

In a 2008 article on Who Got Iraq Right? by Greg Mitchell and Tom Engelhardt, they include Neil Young and his album Living With War as an alternative voice for:

"... exposing the criminal nature of, and the many costs of, the Iraq war that have emerged from an "alternative" universe that includes former war correspondents, reporters for small newspapers or news services, comedians, aging rock 'n rollers, and bloggers, among others. "

As Neil Young has stated: "History is a cruel judge of overconfidence."

 

Neil Young Signs "PEACE"

More "Shock And Awe" coming our way.

Once completing the album Living With War in 2007, Neil Young played the album for his label Reprise and than immediately gave a live interview to CNN. For many fans, this was Neil at his finest -- speaking truth to power.


Neil Rocks on CNN 
(This is still an amazing clip some 15+ years later)


So did "Living With War" become the rock equivalent to the film "Fahrenheit 9/11"? For critics, it seemed to be the case.

 "CSNY DEJA VU" Film Poster - 2008

 

Part performance, part documentary and commentary, the film CSNY Déjà Vu is a call to peace and remains relevant today. Because if we ignore the lessons of history, we do so at our peril.

 

From album "Living With War", the title track's lyrics continue their prescient revelations on today's times. so, carry on.

 

 

[Try to remember peace (visualize) ]

"I join the multitudes
I raise my hand in peace
I never bow to the laws of the thought police
I take a holy vow
To never kill again
To never kill again

I'm living with war in my heart
I'm living with war in my heart and my mind
I'm living with war right now"

Despite what the critics wrote negatively about the album -- if nothing else -- Living With War was the most courageous album of 2006.

No War
Greendale Film still

 

More on CSNY: Deja Vu Film.

Also, see:
- Premiere of 'CSNY Deja Vu' at 2008 Sundance Film Festival
- Deja Vu Preview Footage on YouTube
- Interview at Sundance: Bernard Shakey Explains CSNY Deja Vu
- Concert film 'Deja Vu' polarizes Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fans
- 2006 Crosby Stills Nash & Young Freedom of Speech Tour

Crosby Stills Nash & Young - 7/6/2006 - Camden, NJ2006 Freedom of Speech Tour
photo by Buzz Person (via CSNY.net)

Also, see Crosby Stills Nash & Young Freedom of Speech tour comments. More at Commentary on Politics of CSNY Freedom of Speech Tour.  (Ah, those were the days.  If you think you're stressed today, you should've been here back in 2006. or is just deja vu all over yet again!?) 

And we'll probably do this again in 2032 ... if only ... at the least, for our "Families".

peace 

UPDATE:  This week's Thrasher's Wheat Radio episode features our Special Guest Davy from Scotland who discusses the connections between albums Deja Vu and Living With War amidst the backdrop of ongoing global unrest.

 

   

Thrasher's Wheat Radio 2.0 Vodcast/Podcast - Episode #14

 | Hosted by WBKM.org 

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PSA: How to Delete Your Facebook Account Permanently in 3 Simple steps

Thrasher's Wheat's Facebook Account Suspended  - 2015

 

With Facebook now allowing and encouraging hate speech, we bring you the following Public Service Announcement: How to delete Facebook account permanently (3 Simple steps).

Neil Young helpfully offered instructions earlier on how to delete one's Facebook account. Likewise, TW helpfully offers as a PSA "How To" video on how to delete your Facebook account.

"It is not easy to disengage, but it is possible." - Neil Young

(see Neil Young: After Facebook - "Days away from dropping social media platform")

 

As usual, everyone supports freedom of speech -- as long as it aligns with their views and politics. It's an angry world but we won't quit... 

 

 

Delete your HATEBook account today and unplug from the un-social media.  Your families will thank you.

 

"When I sing about love and war 

I don't really know what I'm sayin' 

I've been in love and I've seen a lot of war 

Seen a lot of people prayin' 

 

They pray to Allah and the pray to the Lord 

And mostly they pray about love and war 

Pray about love and war 

Pray about love and war 

Love and war" 

 

[Try to remember peace (visualize) ] 

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Neil Young Concert Timeline: Full Listing on Archives | NYA - UPDATED

  NEIL YOUNG TIMELINE CONCERT OF THE WEEK | NYA

 

 UPDATED

Earlier, we posted on the NEW TIMELINE CONCERT: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Mar 24, 1976 | NYA and included an incomplete (all apologies) listing of all of the posted Timeline concerts.

So, here is a complete listing of all of the Neil Young concerts on the NYA Timeline courtesy of Sugar Mountain (Thanks Tom H. & Andrew B. & Jeff R. Robert B. !): 

Please  note that these links take you to the Sugar Mountain setlists themselves and not to the actual NYA Timeline concert stream.  You must navigate directly to NYA Timeline  concert date itself. (See navigating NYA Timeline and locating concerts, tips and tricks from TWR Podcast episode #7.)

NYA Timeline Concerts | Sugar Mountain

UPDATE: Also, please note that Neil Young Unreleased Timeline Concerts Guide by Robert Broadfoot includes the full list of concerts with links to the NYA page, track listings and instrumentation details (basically courtesy of SugarMtn.org but with additions) and track timings to help folks find specific song recordings. Also includes details of the main raps which aren’t included on SugarMtn or on NYA. 

DOWNLOAD FILE @  NYU-Guide-NYA-TIMELINECONCERTS-V4-1-2022-03-07-TW.pdf  (right click to "Save As")

More @ Neil Young Unreleased.

More on navigating NYA Timeline and locating concerts, tips and tricks from TWR Podcast episode #7.  Embed below:

  

Thrasher's Wheat Radio 2.0 Vodcast/Podcast - Episode #7 | Hosted by WBKM.org

This week's episode features our very first special guest Rustie Lone Red Rider who discusses the new Concert Performance of the Week series, as well as,  tips and tricks on navigating NYA Timeline and locating concerts. 

w/ Special Guest Rustie Lone Red Rider
Episode #7 - July 17, 2021 | Thrasher's Wheat Radio 2.0 Vodcast/Podcast

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"Live Music Is Better": Son Volt @ The Birchmere — 3/2/22

Son Volt The Birchmere, Alexandria, Virginia - March 2, 2022(photo by TW)

 

Last year, we had a rather life changing event occur where we can truly say that "The Music Saved Our Lives" -- both seriously and literally.

And -- as we discussed throughout 2020 & 2021 ... everybody knows "Live Music Is Better", of course. (Or, another example, "Live Music Is Better" - Mid-Summer 2021 Edition #2.) 

Earlier this month, we caught Son Volt at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia on March 2, 2022 and it was pretty stupendous.  Stupendous mainly because we  were simply enjoying live music by one of what we consider to be just about the 2nd most influential musician that we've had the pleasure to enjoy over the decades to watch and grow -- Jay Farrar. 

Many know Jay Farrar as a member of  Uncle Tupelo, the band which spawned the whole No Depression/alt-rock-country movement of the 90's. The implosion of Uncle Tupelo led to Jeff Tweedy spinning off to form Wilco and Farrar forming Son Volt.  The rest is history, as they say.

From Live Review: Son Volt @ The Birchmere — 3/2/22 | ParkLifeDC  by Mark Engleson:

At The Birchmere on March 2, the top half of the set included the first four tracks from Electro Melodier: “The Globe,” which opened the set, “Arkey Blue,” “Diamonds and Cigarettes,” and “Reverie.” “The Globe” was followed by “The 99,” a reference to the 99% — the song is about income inequality. Other songs from the first half of the set included “Back Against the Wall,” (which goes to similar territory as Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” without being a similar song), “While The World Waits,” “Sinking Down,” “Picking Up The Pieces, and “Hearts and Minds.”

After “Reverie,” the band reached into their songbook to deliver a smattering of fan favorites. I’ve already mentioned the three big ones from Trace; they also performed “Bandages & Scars,” an ode to Woody Guthrie; “Afterglow 61,” an homage to Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61,” “Driving the Route,” and “Medicine Hat.” For their encore, they did “Cherokee Street,” followed by the only cover of the evening, NRBQ’s “I Want You Bad.”

Son Volt are road warriors, almost certainly coming to a town near you. They play great music, the real shit, songs with substance that rock hard. Go see them. There may not be a lot of sizzle, but there’s plenty of steak, and you’ll go home feeling well-fed.

 Full concert review and photos @ Live Review: Son Volt @ The Birchmere — 3/2/22 | ParkLifeDC  by Mark Engleson.

 

 

Jay Farrar w/ Son Volt 

The Birchmere, Alexandria, Virginia - March 2, 2022

 (Photo by Casey Vock | ParkLifeDC)

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VIEWPOINT: President Of The World

Over the years, Neil Young has been hosting various viewpoints on Times-Contrarian | NYA. The following VIEWPOINT was submitted by Adam Rauch via The Line. VIEWPOINT opinions published here on Thrasher's Wheat do not necessarily imply endorsement.  You know the drill ... Think for Yourself, Question Authority, Make Up Your Own Mind.
 

President Of The World

via The Line

By Adam Rauch
Feb 28

In December, Neil Young was a guest on the Howard Stern Show. In one of their discussions behind the meaning of his new song ‘Lookin' for a Leader 2020’, Neil proclaimed something to the effect of ‘we don’t need a President of the United States, but rather a President Of The World.’ That really resonated with me.

After watching what is going on in Russia and Ukraine with all that devastation, I truly believe that we DO need a President Of The World to lead a path for all of humanity. The examples set by that leader would HAVE TO resonate across all cultures, races, genders, orientations and backgrounds to eradicate the archaic way we have become separated from each other as humans across continents, in communities, towns and homes alike.

This President Of The World would first have to try to eradicate misguided ANGER. That would be the first step. Whether that be with mindful mediation or yoga or some form of positive energy release, we need to expunge all that ANGER from people across the globe.

The weird thing about ANGER is that it if people took a moment to really sit with it, they would likely discover they aren’t angry at the thing they are taking it out on. You remember the time you screamed at the person who cut you off on the highway or at your kid when they were overly needy?  It isn’t about them. It is about us! The job we hate doing or the life circumstances that we find ourselves in.

For all those school board meetings that end in shouting fights about mask mandates. It isn’t really about the masks people are screaming about.  The mask is just an avenue for all that ANGER and frustration to manifest.

I know it may sound Pollyanna to say Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? But honestly, Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? As I write this, people are getting their lives ruined in Ukraine for disputes over imaginary lines set by people hundreds of years ago - who mind you no one on this Earth has never met before. If we lived forever, I would understand a little more, but we don’t. And if we keep up this pace, we will destroy the entire planet just to say an imaginary line belongs on our side instead of yours.

That is why we need a President Of The World. Someone who talks the talks and walks the walk.  Someone who isn’t getting kickbacks behind-the-scenes while publicly fighting against corporate greed. Not someone who is fighting for women’s rights, all while being a #metoo predator behind closed doors. 

We need a real leader to show people how to deal with ANGER and GET ALONG. So let’s nominate a President Of The World to get things started in a better direction. Life would be so much better if we didn’t fight all the time.  

Who would you nominate if you could?

©2021 ONE LINE AGENCY.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
...
 

Thank you for submitting your VIEWPOINT here Adam.

So, folks. "Who would you nominate if you could?"

 

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So Why Does Niko Bolas Wear a Tie in the Studio When Recording Neil Young?

Niko Bolas with Neil Young (w/o a tie) in The Studiovia BARN Documentary | NYA
(Click photo to enlarge)

 

So why does Niko Bolas wear a tie in the studio?

 

As Niko Bolas writes on The Surf Shack | NYA:

"For some reason I have been getting asked in a multitude of places, from emails, to the basketball court at Sunset Sound, and even up here at The Surf Shack, “why do you wear ties on sessions?” "

Well, if you must know, then check out the whole back story  -- delightfully recounted -- at WHY I WEAR A TIE IN THE STUDIO by Niko Bolas | NYA.

More on recording engineer Niko Bolas on Neil Young’s Producer Niko Bolas Reflects On New LP Storytone.

Neil Young (w/o a tie) and Niko Bolas 

(see Neil Young’s Producer Niko Bolas Reflects On New LP Storytone)

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