canada.gif

gb.gif

de.gif

us.gif
Neil Young's new release ""World Record" w/ Crazy Horse is now available for pre-order. Order here
(Please shop locally & independently. But if you can't, we appreciate your supporting Thrasher's Wheat by clicking this link or YOUR COUNTRY's FLAG. Thank you!!!)
ADVERTISEMENT
<-Older Posts Blog Home Newer Posts->

Monday, April 08, 2024

ECLIPSED: What's The Deal with Neil Young & The Moon?

 

Today is the day ... the day of the Big Eclipse of 2024 in North America.

Paths of Totality - April 8


UPDATE: View from TW's Glass Enclosed Nerve Center/Control Room/HQ


As many Neil Young fans know so well, Neil has a "special" relationship with the Moon.

Neil Young has consistently tried to be in the peak recording zone in during the full moon phase. Key tour dates will align with a full Moon.  It would seem whenever there is a full moon, Neil makes all attempts to lock into the creative forces which a full moon inspires.

 

 

Neil Young's 1992 "Harvest Moon" is the followup to his most commercially successful album "Harvest" -- some 20 years later.

So why is a Harvest Moon so special to Neil Young fans?

harvest_moon.jpg

But there's a full moon risin'
Let's go dancin' in the light
We know where the music's playin'
Let's go out and feel the night.


If you take a look at the comments on YouTube for Neil Young's "Harvest Moon", you begin to better understand the song's intense emotional draw and deep resonance across the generations and over the decades.

With nearly 100 million views and 22,000+ comments, it is the most popular Neil Young song on YouTube. (See some example comments on  "Harvest Moon"'s appeal).

For us here @ Thrasher's Wheat, Harvest Moon has held a sacred spot in the discography and concert spaces of Neil Young's music.



 

Many may recall back in 2008, when Steve and his girlfriend Danielle made a request for "Harvest Moon" to played when Neil Young visited Brisbane, Australia. And by some extremely wonderfully little miracle, Neil Young actually did perform "Harvest Moon" that night and it brought a tear of joy for many around the world.

Then in 2009, Gavin in Ireland Requested "Harvest Moon" in memory of his father. Wish granted. And shortly thereafter, another Wish for "Harvest Moon" was Granted to Liza in Germany.

So we here at Thrasher's Wheat hold the song and this night very dearly. 3 fans that we've never met, on 3 continents touched by Harvest Moon magic. We know that some of you may not understand.Reviews of Neil Young's Harvest Moon.

Last we checked years ago, there are dozens and dozens of Moon references in  Neil Young's songs. For example:

  • After The Goldrush: I was lyin' in a burned out basement With the full moon in my eyes.
  • Amber Jean:  Every morning got sun to shine Every day got plenty of time  Every night there's a moon so fine  There for you, my Amber Jean.
  • Berlin: Lights are shining in the German sky  Cosmic walls between the  moon and I  Don't know where I started from
  • Big Green Country: Across the plain flew the lone grey rider  Leather bag  pounding on his back  Above the clouds the moon was climbing higher ...
  • Cinnamon Girl:  A dreamer of pictures, I run in the night, You see us  together, chasing the moonlight..
  • Coastline: Oooweee, baby, what a night  That old moon sure is shinin' bright  We'll be dancin' 'til the mornin' comes
  • Don't Let It Bring You Down:  Old man lying by the side of the road  With the  lorries rolling by,  Blue moon sinking from the weight of the load...
  • Give Me Strength: I'm riding down swept road in my old car  The moon is  almost full except for stars.
  • Harvest Moon:  But there's a full moon risin'  Let's go dancing in the light  We know where the music's playin' Let's go out and feel the night..
  • Hawaiian Sunrise:  Pretty Maui Mama  Lying over the water  With my moon in  your eyes  From my hotel window in the clouds  I love you right out loud..
  • Helpless: Blue, blue windows behind the stars, Yellow moon on the rise,  Big birds flying across the sky, Throwing shadows on our eyes.
  • I'm The Ocean: On the long plain  See the rider in the night  See the  chieftain  See the braves in cool moonlight  Who will love them...
  • Let It Shine:  There's a moon roof over my head, my Lord  And my Lincoln is  still the best thing built by Ford  Let it roll, let it roll although...
  • Like a hurricane: Far across the moonbeam  I know that's who you are,  I saw your brown eyes  Turning once to fire.
  • Opera Star:  Well you grew up on a corner  And you never missed a moonlit  night.
  • Over And Over:  At night when the sky is clear and the moon is shining down  My heart goes running back to you
  • Sail Away:  As long as we can sail away  There'll be wind in the canyon Moon on the rise  As long as we can sail away
  • Southern Pacific:  Roll on  Southern Pacific  On your silver rails  Through  the moonlight
  • Sweet Joni:  Sweet Joni from Saskatoon  There's a ring for your finger  It shines like the sun  But it feels like the moon.
  • The Old Country Waltz:  Out the window the moon shines  On the roofs of the  cars  While I knock down tequila and salt, oh.
  • The Old Homestead:  Up and down the old homestead  The naked rider gallops  through his head  And although the moon isn't full  He still feels the pull  (...)  And the sky was darkened by a prehistoric bird  Who flew between the  unfulfilled moon  And the naked rider...
  • This Old House:  Later, we came back in the moonlight  And made love right  where the kitchen is
  • Thrasher:  They were hiding behind hay bales,  they were planting in the full  moon  They had given all they had for something new
  • Time Fades Away:  All night sentries watch the moonglow  All are waiting till  the time is right
  • Train Of Love: Sail along, sail along silver moon  Don't be blue  Throw  shadows in my room... 

Also, see:

Also, here's a collection of album reviews and commentary of Neil Young's Harvest Moon.


"Harvest Moon"
Neil Young: Silver and Gold

Bass Concert Hall, Austin, Texas
 

(More on Neil Young's "Harvest Moon"

 

 
"They were hiding behind hay bales,  
they were planting in the full moon  
They had given all they had for something new" 
 
Enjoy your Totality!!! 


ps - Tired of eclipse chatter b/c you're outside of the Totality zone? Then this video *might* be for you ... but maybe not. Titled "This Video Is Not About the Eclipse" by Truthstream Media, this is tough stuff.  If you can handle "The Big Shift", then maybe this video is for you. WARNING: Video gets very emotional about half way in so buckle up, take a deep breath, get some tissues, and prepare to take a fork in the road.   (thanks Mel!)

"Do something that makes you feel joy today. Do not allow the fearmongers to pull you down into the pit. Rise above them. Love you all."


Labels: , ,


14 Comments:

At 4/08/2024 05:19:00 PM, Blogger Dionys said...

Addendum
Lights are shining in the German sky
Cosmic walls between the moon and I
(...)
After Berlin.

 
At 4/08/2024 05:20:00 PM, Blogger Dionys said...

You had it alright. I was looking for "After Berlin" on your list.

 
At 4/11/2024 12:10:00 AM, Blogger The Metamorphic Rocker said...

"Under moon, under sun/I feel the chosen one/through the mists/come walking here with me"--No Hidden Path. The album Colorado was originally going to be Pink Moon. I'm almost certain Grey Riders mentions the moon, too. And have we included Sweet Joni? Moon rhymes with Saskatoon.

It seems misplaced to talk too much about the history of magical or spiritual associations with the lunar cycle--especially full moons. Many people will think of astrology, but there's need to be "esoteric". As a quick online search shows, the word month is directly related to the moon. The western calendar (which we got from the Romans) isn't perfectly in sync with the moon, but it's based on and modified from it.

For farmers and gardeners, seasonal changes are obviously crucial, which is one reason lots of celebrations happen around the equinoxes and solstices. Before anyone had a Rolex (let alone the Apple Watch), moon phases helped track the time in between. The date of Easter changes because it coincides with Passover, which is related to the spring equinox and full moon.

Today people may not think much about the moon, if they even notice it. Industry and city life has probably changed how humans relate to time. Agriculture depends on seasonal rotation. At the factory or the office, you track how many hours you work. Instead of using time to measure growth in the organic sense, it's used mainly to enforce productivity.

 
At 4/11/2024 12:11:00 AM, Blogger The Metamorphic Rocker said...

Sorry--that should be "there's *no* need to be esoteric."

 
At 4/11/2024 10:20:00 AM, Blogger thrasher said...

Thanks Meta Rocker, as always.

yeah, recall Colorado was originally going to be Pink Moon. But guess the Nick Drake album had 1st dibs on title. btw, that's a good retro classic to dial back to sometime.

ahh, The Moon. Talk about a timeless Neil topic. This one goes way to early rust days and Anne, Our Lady of the Northern Moons. She was from Finland, as best we recall.

She knew her moons. not just astrology stuff but all the myths and legends. She was one of the 1st to get us into the mystical, esoteric sides of Neil.

 
At 4/11/2024 11:04:00 AM, Blogger thrasher said...

@ Dionys - see you on the dark side of the moon ... or down on the rail -- whichever comes 1st

 
At 4/11/2024 01:33:00 PM, Blogger Dan Swan said...

@ Meta : The last few years I was a tour guide I had several people see the moon during the day, and said “hey look, they can see the moon here during the day”. So I just assume that as our species began using smart phones, they just quit looking up anymore.

Peace 🙏

 
At 4/11/2024 02:23:00 PM, Blogger The Metamorphic Rocker said...

@Dan, Also if you’re in a city, metro area with streetlights, you can’t see the sky as easily. We’ve built lots of stuff to obscure the view. “City lights at a country fair…”

I don’t want to come across reactionary. There are benefits to urban growth, technology, and industry. There are advantages and drawbacks to both rural and metropolitan lifestyles. Maybe the simplest reason for Neil’s connection with the moon is to stay grounded. It reminds us that we’re human beings on a planet, relying on earth’s resources and natural cycles for sustenance.

 
At 4/11/2024 03:33:00 PM, Blogger Dan Swan said...

Not to mention the effects of a full moon on our bodies and mind.

Peace 🙏

 
At 4/13/2024 06:04:00 AM, Blogger Dionys said...

With advancing age one would assume that Neil Young (much like his ageing fan base) might turn from being a night owl (nightingale) towards a lark (early to be and early to rise, not to speak of senile night wandering).

After having moved from the country side to the city of München I also ended up sleeping in the attic with 8 large roof windows and I can't complain about having too little moonshine. On a full moon I have to roll down the blinds because the light is bright enough for reading. That's where "sleepnessless awaits" nowadays. Needless to say that I catch the moon on both ends of the night, anyway.

With the moon being an obvious and regular signature of Neil Young's lyrics the more interesting thing to me would be when "the morning sun has yet to climb the hood ornament" ("Roll Another Number") or when it's time to "hit the road before it's light" ("Thrasher" again). It's the exceptions to a rule that deserve our attention.

 
At 4/13/2024 12:45:00 PM, Blogger Alan said...

I am interested in the effect the full moon has on humans. I am grateful that Neil Young records around the full moon, especially because it inspires him when he is under the influence of its pull. Neil Young is correct in believing that people are more energized when under the moon’s full power, when the tide is highest. We sleep less, whether in the city or far away from urban areas, research has shown. Historically there have been innumerable invasions by armies during the full moon. It’s easier to travel by the light of the moon, especially because humans are energized by it. We can all thank the moon for helping Neil record a huge portion of his works of Art.

Dan, I can see how it would blow one’s mind to have people surprised to see the moon in the daytime. It is after all on a 23 hour cycle. It’s not just the phones that have made people witless and mentally sluggish. It’s a failure in the educational world, and a missed opportunity for those in cities, living indoors, or glued to their phones.

Back in my day my friends and I would go hiking in the Santa Monica mountains on a Friday or Saturday night. The lights of the city would help us see our way, or a visit from the full moon. We were nature lovers & spent many a day or night in those mountains.

UW has done some research on this lunar topic:

https://magazine.washington.edu/feature/we-sleep-less-when-a-full-moon-is-near-research-shows/

Your Brother Alan in Seattle

 
At 4/13/2024 12:56:00 PM, Blogger Alan said...

@ Thrasher : Thank you! Another interesting, creative, intelligent post on your fantastic blog! This topic looms large above the Art we love by our music hero, Neil Young! Long May You Run!

Your Brother Alan in Seattle

 
At 4/17/2024 08:59:00 AM, Blogger Abner Snopes said...

Astrology is not esoteric, it is nonsense. I mean literally "nonsense" (self-refuting). I suppose this is not a very popular thing to say but it somehow seems necessary if we are going to be serious. There is no evidence that supports the claim that "the stars" have influence on human behavior or human well-being. Predictions based on "astrology" are vacuous (they cannot be confirmed or falsified). I think the best hypothesis is that our perceptions of the moon, the full moon, etc.., in relation to cultural myths do have a consequence for human behavior. This is, of course, quite real. There is also something "spiritual" about the cycle of the seasons as our awareness of that cycle helps ground us in the world.

 
At 4/17/2024 10:08:00 AM, Blogger The Metamorphic Rocker said...

My reference to the esoteric was a bit facetious. If you want a more serious opinion, I see things like astrology, tarot, I-ching (and so on) as attempts, and perhaps not very successful ones, to fill in gaps: to elucidate things humans find inexplicable or unknowable. It’s interesting from the viewpoint of how we develop systems of symbols in trying to express ideas or feelings we otherwise struggle to articulate.

Thought experiments can stimulate sensory perceptions and vice versa—the body/mind connection. This is helpful for the imaginative faculties. I usually prefer to start with the bodily, which it seems to me is more known and tangible. We can’t always trust our sensory perceptions to reflect objective reality, but they are at least “real” or authentic in an experiential sense and can often be observed in terms of brain chemistry.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

<-Older Posts Blog Home Newer Posts->

Willie for a Nobel!
#Willie4Nobel

Willie Nelson for Nobel Peace Prize
for Farm Aid and his work on
alternative fuels, and world peace initiatives.

farm-aid-logo.gif
Farm Aid

Go Farmers Markets!


"In the >field< of opportunity
It's plowin' time again."

SUPPORTER
logo
Silverline Communications

(Home of the FarmAidians)
Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada
(519) 737-7979



This blog supports free speech!


Demand justice for Aaron:
Support "Aaron's Law" and inquiry into his prosecution

(... he didn't kill himself either...) #AaronDidntKillHimself

Induct Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame



Please Help Support Independent Media &
Non-Corporate Advertising
This Blog's For You!


The Hypocrisy of the Mainstream Media

It's Been Called The
"Missing Link" in the Ditch Trilogy

time-fades-away-banner2a

Sign the Release "Time Fades Away" Petition
Join The 10,000+ Who Have Already Signed


broken-arrow-mag-new-logo.gif

Neil Young Appreciation Society


sugar-mtn-logo.jpg
Sugar Mountain

Neil Young Setlists
rust-radio-new
Rust Radio


bumpersticker-neil-concert.jpg


i-l-ove-neil-young-sm.jpg
Bands Covering Neil Young songs


bumper-sticker-live-music-better-sm.jpg
LIVE MUSIC IS BETTER


ny-times-logo.jpg
Official Neil Young News Site

bridgeschool_logo
The Bridge School


The Bridge School Concerts
25th Anniversary Edition

**100% of Proceeds to Benefit Bridge School***

linda-eastman-neil-young-sugar-mtn-sm.jpg
The Essential Neil Young

neil-young-sleeveless.jpg
Fans Favorite Neil Albums

neil-young-heart-of-gold-film-still
Top 50 MP3
Neil Young Song Downloads


Top 10 Best Selling Neil Albums Today
amazon-neil-store.GIF
Support Thrasher's Wheat
via Purchases from:
United States - Amazon.com us.gif
Canada - Amazon.ca canada.gif
United Kingdom - Amazon.uk gb.gif
Germany - Amazon.de de.gif



Neil Young Songbook Project

In the fields of wheat

"Children of Destiny" will NOT be harvested
However, the chaff will be burned by unquenchable fire

Neil Young + Promise of the Real

Europe 2016 Tour Dates



2015 Rebel Content Tour


Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Alchemy Concert Tour Reviews

Fall 2012 N. America Tour
Spring 2013 Australia/New Zealand Tour
Summer 2013 Europe Tour

Europe Summer 2014 Concert Tour
Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Thrasher's Wheat Radio Supporters Go To Europe

jttp-film-poster-sm.jpg
Neil Young Films

musicares-neil-young-2010.jpg
2010 MusiCares Honors Neil Young

Features Elvis Costello, Crosby Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Ben Harper, Elton John, Norah Jones, Lady Antebellum, Dave Matthews, James Taylor, Keith Urban, and others.
Proceeds from sales go to MusiCares,
which helps musicians in need of
financial and medical assistance.

live-rust-promo-poster.jpg


"There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye"

#BigShift

trans-promo



Neil Young FAQ:
Everything Left to Know About the Iconic and Mercurial Rocker
"an indispensable reference"

paul-neil-bridge2004-sat-sfc-kkomenich-sm.jpg
Paul McCartney and Neil Young

woodstock-poster.jpg


"You can make a difference
If you really a try"

lennon_peace_liberty
John Lennon and Neil Young


"hailed by fans as a wonderful read"

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young:
csny-1974-poster.jpg
The Supergroup of the 20th Century



Director Jonathan Demme's Exquisite film "Heart of Gold"

eddie & neil
Eddie Vedder and Neil Young

buffalo-springfield-poster.jpg
Revisiting The Significance of
The Buffalo Springfield


"The revolution will not be televised"
... it will be blogged, streamed,
tweeted, shared and liked
The Embarrassment of Mainstream Media

Turn Off Your TV & Have A Life


"Everything Is Bullshit" +
"Turn Off The News"
Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)


Neil Young 2016 Year in Review:
The Year of The Wheat

Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain and Neil Young

Neil Young's Feedback:
An Acquired Taste?

Young Neil: The Sugar Mountain Years
by Rustie Sharry "Keepin' Jive Alive in T.O." Wilson

"the definitive source of Neil Young's formative childhood years in Canada"

neil & joni
Joni Mitchell & Neil Young

europe 1987.jpg


dylan-young-crop
Bob and Neil

weld
So Who Really Was "The Godfather of Grunge"?


Four Dead in Ohio
kent state
So What Really Happened at Kent State?


The Four Dead in Ohio



May The FOUR Be With You #MayThe4thBeWithYou

concert-pass-europe-2003-solo.jpg


dissent is not treason
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism

Rockin' In The Free World



Sing Truth to Power!
When Neil Young Speaks Truth To Power,
The World Listens

emmylou-harris-neil-young-0305-crop
Emmylou Harris and Neil Young

wilco-062305-wide-background.jpg
Wilco and Neil Young

bluenotes-pass-young88crewlam-sm.jpg

bruce-springsteen-neil-young-bridge-oct-1986.jpg
Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young

europe87concertpass


elton-john-neil-young-crop-sm.jpg
Elton John and Neil Young

ronnie-vanzant-neil.jpg
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young

+

The Meaning of "Sweet Home Alabama" Lyrics


Neil Young Nation -
"The definitive Neil Young fan book"

powderfinger
"Powderfinger"
What does the song mean?

Random Neil Young Link of the Moment
neil-sad.jpg

Bonnie Raitt and Neil Young

Wisconsin-solidarity.jpg
I'm Proud to Be A Union Man

UNITED WE STAND/DIVIDED WE FALL


When Neil Young is Playing,
You Shut the Fuck Up


Class War:
They Started It and We'll Finish It...
peacefully

A battle raged on the open page...
No Fear, No Surrender. Courage
WE WON'T BACK DOWN. NEVER STAND DOWN.

"What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees?"
Full Disclousre Now


"I've Got The Revolution Blues"

Willie Nelson & Neil Young
Willie Nelson for Nobel Peace Prize



John Mellencamp:
Why Willie Deserves a Nobel

willie_picnic_poster_070503


BOYCOTT HATE

Love and Only Love

"Thinking about what a friend had said,
I was hoping it was a lie"


We're All On
A Journey Through the Past

Neil Young's Moon Songs
Tell Us The F'n TRUTH
(we can handle it... try us)

Freedom:
freedom-video
Does Anything Else Really Matter?

"Nobody's free until everybody's free."
~~ Fannie Lou Hamer

Here Comes "The Big Shift"
#BigShift

Maybe everything you think you know is wrong? NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS
"It's all illusion anyway."

Propaganda = Mind Control
NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS
Guess what?
"Symbols Rule the World, not Words or Laws."
... and symbolism will be their downfall...

Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge
Be The Rain, Be The Change

csny2k-plate.jpg
the truth will set you free
This Machine Kills Fascists


"Children of Destiny" - THE Part of THE Solution

(Frame from Official Music Video)

war is not the answer
yet we are
Still Living With War

"greed is NOT good"
Hey Big Brother!
Stop Spying On Us!
Civic Duty Is Not Terrorism

The Achilles Heel
#NullifyNSA
Orwell (and Grandpa) Was Right
“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery.”
~~ Bob Marley

The Essence of "The Doubters"



Yes, There's Definitely A Hole in The Sky


Even Though The Music Died 50+ Years Ago
,
Open Up the "Tired Eyes" & Wake up!
"consciousness is near"
What's So Funny About
Peace, Love, & Understanding & Music?

churchsign

Show Me A Sign

"Who is John Galt?"
To ask the question is to know the answer

"Whosoever shall give up his liberty for a temporary security
deserves neither liberty nor safety."

~~ Benjamin Franklin

Words

(Between the lines of age)


And in the end, the love you take
Is equal to the love you make

~~ John & Paul

the zen of neil
the power of rust
the karma of the wheat

~Om-Shanti.

Namaste