A very happy Independence Day (4th of July) to all of our "Children of Destiny" out there across the EARTH lands.
Last year on Independence Day 2022, the world was in a very different place than today as we scroll back to read folks thoughts one year ago. And judging by those keen observations a year ago, we deeply thank our readers and commenters for once again being ahead of the curve, aware and awake. We remain honored and humbled that so many find TW to be vital to their daily readings.
After shutting it all back down in 2020 and bombing our way back open in 2022, the more things change, the more they remain the same as it ever was.
Consitution
And on this Independence Day in America, as we celebrate #1776, our constitutional republic, exercise our freedoms, eat hot dogs (and conduct our protests with diatribes and actions), once again we are reminded how Neil Young's music resonates with its own special brand of fireworks with the song and video "Children of Destiny" from the 2017 album The Visitor with the band Promise of the Real.
As you may recall, one of the big Neil news items in 2020 was CITIZEN NEIL or ... Neil Young Becomes A U.S. Citizen.
In 2019, the application by Canadian Neil Young to become a U.S. citizen was delayed due to "possible lack of GMC (Good Moral Character)". In January 2020, Neil posted a photo of himself saluting the US flag, with a caption: "I'm Happy To Report In. Vote Your Conscience."
Neil Young and Daryl Hannah on January 23, 2020
(Celebrating his Dual Citizenship w/ his wife)
(also, see Official Daryl Hannah | Instagram)
Neil Young
In 2019, in a posting on
Neil Young Archives: "I Have Been Very Successful In My Life", Neil revealed that his initial citizenship interview went fine, but due to a technicality, another interview was required by the USCIS because of his "marijuana related activities".
In October 2019,
Neil Young said in an interview:
“I’ve passed all the tests; I’ve got my appointment, and if everything goes as planned, I’ll be taking the oath of citizenship” shortly after turning 74 on Nov. 12." Neil continues to be optimistic on becoming a U.S. citizen in order to "vote my conscious on Donald J. Trump".
Meanwhile, back to Neil Young's song "Children of Destiny". Judging by the reaction in July 2017, clearly once again Neil had managed to polarize his fan base. As if right on cue,
some fans say "Right on Neil! Tell it to The Man!".
Other fans say, "This is really dreadful hippie patriot jingoism."
Normally, over the past years here at Thrasher's Wheat, we blog on the 4th of July -- where we were born in the U.S.A. -- our hopes and dreams, such as 2015's
Americana and The American Dream - This Land Is Our Land, This Land Is Your Land or Who's Really Going To Stand Up?
Neil Young really hasn't changed that much in the past 40 years. He is still
singing truth to power and we love him for that alone.
Once again, thanks Neil. You're clearly on the right track. Past experience demonstrates that the more polarizing a new song is to your fan base, the more it demonstrates its the power and success. If we can't share our differences, we can't peacefully coexist.
To all, have a great and safe holiday.
Here is Neil Young's statement to go with the video version of "Children of Destiny".
Friends
Thanks so much for your response to Children of Destiny! This is a heartfelt message to people all around the world, our home. We hope this song resonates with you and gives you strength to know that you are not alone. Resist those who lash out against our positive message with violence, name calling and negativity. We are concerned for our Democracy, Environment and Freedom. Nothing will ever stop us from standing up. We gathered together on the full moon to record our song.
Here is a new video of that moment!
Love and Respect,
Celebrate Interdependence!
Neil
Thanks Neil.
Neil Young + Promise of the Real
Your words inspire us indeed. When we say we know the feeling, it is because of
the support you gave us when we here at Thrasher's Wheat were feeling the same way regarding the
relentless negativity of "The Doubters".
"The Doubters" --
who embrace failure -- will never be the "Children of Destiny". Not sure about that? Check the
danger of able @ ~2:00:00 and your world will be rocked for the children. This is the
TRUE Field of wheat.
Likewise,
we still see the vista. We hear the muse. We continue. We continue because we believe and have faith in that greater good. Just as we all must
teach our children (of destiny) well, we "must have a code that we can live by." Because, you are a child,
i am a child, and we are all children of destiny. And, don't forget, in the fields of wheat, the "Children of Destiny" will NOT be harvested -- however, the chaff will be burned by unquenchable fire.
And just as your encouragement long ago inspired us to soldier on, we won't quit or give up. We will
"Keep on bloggin'
`Til the power goes out
The batteries dead
Twist and shout"
Because,
"We're The Ones We've Been Waiting For", as we like to remind ourselves.
Who's Going To Stand Up and Save The Earth?
Neil Young
2014-07-12, Hyde Park, London, England
For more on Neil Young + Promise of the Real's song "Children of Destiny", see:
Patrick Henry Quote
Thomas Jefferson Quote
And -- as if that wasn't patriotic enough for you -- then here's something that'll really get those patriot juices flowin' ...
GEORGE Magazine - 1997; U.S. Citizen Neil Young - 2020
Our most controversial -- and REAL -- post of 2020 .. imagine that, if you will ... 'cause, "don't let it bring you down,
it's only castles burning, find someone who's turning, and you will come around."
#MayThe4thBeWithYou
(this is what Democracy REALly looks like)
Labels: #1776, #BigShift, #disCERNment, #FreedomOverFear, #MayThe4thBeWithYou, #RestoreOurConstitution, album, freedom, neil young, promise of the real, song, video, visitor
>> Pre-Order on Amazon.com << 
Human Highway
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This Land is My Land
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*Thanks Neil!*
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The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young
Pardon My Heart
"We're The Ones 
Thanks for Supporting Thrasher's Wheat!
This blog 
(... he didn't kill himself either...)
#AaronDidntKillHimself
Neil Young's Moon Songs
Civic Duty Is Not Terrorism
Orwell (and Grandpa) Was Right
What's So Funny About 
Greetings to all at Thrasher's. I've been totally "away" from music for the last few months, busy with other projects, and so have missed out on a lot of the discussion.
I still haven't listened to the last 3 "bootleg series" releases, and still have a couple of timeline concerts to catch up on. Anything else I've missed out on?
I have, however, already listened to Toast. I see a lot of perceptive comments already, from Ian and others.
I know from correspondence elsewhere that some have missed my comments here, the last few months, and others have been glad to see me go.
So I'll take that as glass-half-full, and will post my first impressions on Toast very shortly!
(Yes, the "first impressions" are almost as long as Driftin' Back, and will surely upset people who don't like it when I have a viewpoint. If so: GOOD.)
I hope you are all well, and wishing you a happy listening session to the "new" Crazy Horse album.
A heartfelt suggestion:
Do not write Toast off as a 6/10 Are You Passionate clone.
Because it turns out this long-awaited record—one where anticipation could only be flecked with uncertainty—is exciting. More exciting than anything I've heard in... ages.
It has moments, many moments, that are so sublime it's hard to believe they've been locked up for the last 20 years.
A few months ago I "boldly" (cough) proclaimed this record would, at very least, be interesting.
Well, it's certainly that. It's *fascinating*. And electrifying, too.
Because, within the nuts and bolts of this album, there's an "exposed wire". It sometimes causes the songs to misfire. (Listen to some of the not-quite-there guitar soloing and the occasional throwaway lyrics).
But it also causes exciting *sparks*, with thrilling frequency.
And it makes this album feel vividly, vividly *alive*.
There's another major difference, too, between this music and Are You Passionate:
Toast is a Neil Young album. With all the haunting idiosyncrasies you'd expect from a Neil Young album.
Whereas Are You Passionate is a Neil Young album *in disguise*.
I fear the slightly comical word-image of the previous sentence may dim the impact of what I think is a valid point.
And it's a point that needs some nuance. So I may very well complicate the point by trying to clarify it.
An artist has to protect his spirit. And I think that's what Neil does on Are You Passionate. He makes a genre record... and starts to bring his family back together.
With that in mind, consider this:
EVEN THE *ALBUM COVER* OF "ARE YOU PASSIONATE" IS AN EXAMPLE OF MISDIRECTION.
It wants us to *believe* this album is a story, or about *other* people (or just another 80s-style concept-experiment with genre.)
Neil wants us to think he's acting. Even though the real act is that he's *not* acting.
In that way, Are You Passionate sort of feels like a deliberate "self-forgery". Toast doesn't. But it's not a case of "Toast is good, AYP is bad".
(I did warn you there was some nuance).
AYP isn't the end of a relationship. It's Neil actively battling to keep it together. And the theatrical mimicking of the soul sound-signature gives him the shade he needs to "stand in the light of love". (A paradox!)
All that is part of what it means to be a Professional Creative, too. For reasons we'll get on to shortly.
So to us, Toast is "just" music.
And to us, Shakey: Neil Young's Biography is "just" a fascinating book written by a charismatic writer.
But to Neil, they're his life.
Art is *about* life, but when it becomes *indistinguishable* from life itself, it becomes dangerous.
Little things are blown out of proportion — seeming far bigger (and more dangerous) due to their closeness to heart.
And that's when Kurt Cobain kills himself, or Elvis Presley *the person* becomes submerged by his career.
Other people get hurt in the fallout, too. Because when people are fearful, they act in inconsiderate ways. Many of us are guilty of that, on occasion: it's part of what it means to be human... unfortunately.
So, do I prefer Toast to Are You Passionate? Early impression is a very emphatic "yes".
But I think I understand (and can enthuse about) why Neil chose to make AYP, instead. And actually, I'm glad he did — because the concerts from Germany 2002 (with Poncho and the MGs) are superb.
More musings:
On Toast, Neil's singing is among the most intimate you'll ever ever hear, and the production is fantastic.
The fragility of his voice (a weakness on the AYP mix of Goin' Home) is *transformed* into a strength by bringing it up-front, compressing it, warming it up with some haunting echo. It feels like a direct link to Neil's soul.
(And, again, you can see why that might cause the artist to blink; to think twice).
The sound-mix of Goin' Home is a million times better than on Are You Passionate. And the overdubs (lots of gorgeous, colourful overdubs on this album) help propel the song into a higher gear.
The result? The best Neil Young song of the last 20+ years finally has a worthy representation on record.
There's one more thing I wanted to say, because I have a hunch there is somebody out there who needs to hear it:
In a world where the soulless forces of social media try to compel us to comply... to fit in... to be fearful of even the *suggestion* of social rejection... to obsess about "likes"... to act like cloned automatons (for God's sake)....
It's becoming increasingly rare to hear music like this.
Music with soul that actively rewards the listener for seeking out the kind of fragile nuance that the system actively seeks to kill.
My suggestion: treasure it when it arrives.
And treasure the people who make this sort of stuff, too — because there aren't many of them.
The artist, too, has a responsibility. To keep at it. To respect herself *and* her family *and* her audience. And to do the music justice.
(Forgive me if I'm sacrificing clarity by being a bit vague, in the last few paragraphs. But I don't think I'm talking total gibberish.)
On that note! Thanks for taking time to read my rant.
And congratulations to Mr Young on releasing a powerful (but still seemingly-fragile and *sensitive*) piece of music into a dangerous world.
I promise you, it will survive.
Scotsman.