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An unofficial news blog for Neil Young fans from Thrasher's Wheat with concert and album updates, reviews, analysis, and other Rock & Roll ramblings. Separating the wheat from the chaff since 1996.
LIVE AT VICAR STREET, Directed by Ned O’Hanlon, is a 100-minute solo acoustic performance of Greendale, taken from a 3 night run at Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland on 2003-05-11, 12 & 13 | Sugar Mountain.
A VERY SPECIAL EVENING WITH NEIL YOUNG
2003-05-11, 12 & 13 Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
via Sugar Mountain
As one fan noted*: "A rich recording in a relaxed environment creating a remarkable performance."
Neil plays in the Irish spirit while sipping a pint of Guinness during the concert while giving in depth explanations of each Greendale song. Neil says:
"These songs are about a little town called Greendale
and a family that lives there outside of town in a little ranch called
the Double E.
The Green family: Earl and Edith Green and their daughter, Sun Green.
Sometimes Grandpa and Grandma come by, and Cousin Jed comes by too. They
were just sitting on the porch when we dropped in on them for a minute.
The Double E is a ranch just outside of town, about two miles outside of Greendale".
"On an acoustic tour of Europe, playing ‘Greendale’ in
small halls solo, I was on a unique journey, kind of a storyteller
minstrel. Secretly . . . Elliot Roberts hired a crew and shot this show.
i had no idea it was being filmed.
Gotta love Elliot! Without him, we have had no filmed record of this show."
'Carmichael' clocks in at 10:20, 'Grandpa's Interview' is about 13 minutes and 'Sun Green' is 12:03.
As noted here on TW in 2003, "Inside Greendale" replaced "Live at Vicar Street,"
the DVD of Neil Young's acoustic concert performance of "Greendale,"
part of the original two-disc package released in 2003, which also
included a CD of the ten original songs that comprise the "Greendale"
album.
More on "RETURN TO GREENDALE" film, directed by L.A. Johnson and Bernard Shakey, RETURN TO GREENDALE is performed live in Toronto with full cast.
(UPDATE + WARNING: Judging from comments below, if you have truth sensitivities, this isn't for you. Please be advised that serious truth is dropped in the video which apparently some aren't ready to handle. We get that and apologize for dropping here without necessary preparations. But as we say in comments below, if you can handle Dylan's 17 Minutes of The TRUTH w/ "Murder Most Foul" then you should be handle "Out Of Shadows". But maybe not? Please don't say we didn't try and warn you...)
Last month, Bob Dylan dropped a truth bomb with "Murder Most Foul" | 17 Minutes of The TRUTH. Whether Dylan's song "Murder Most Foul" is a "masterpiece" or "genius" is secondary to the song being the single most important artistic release statement thus far in the 21st century.
The above "Out Of Shadows" documentary lifts the mask on how the mainstream media & Hollywood manipulate & control the masses by spreading propaganda throughout their content.
Here's a quick preview trailer:
So, similar to Dylan's "Murder Most Foul", Out Of Shadows, is the single most important the documentary film release thus far in the 21st century. boom!
As musical cinematic wordplay goes, this definitely falls under the label “masterpiece”.
I am conflicted about the label, as it certainly falls into the realm of opinion. Everyone has one, and rarely do we all agree. Longevity will always be one way to identify a masterpiece, and this being a relatively new release, not much time has passed. Dylan has already become a living legend by way of his prolific and inspirational output over the past several decades. Therefore his releases tend to come with much higher expectations than most of his contemporaries. As we all know; expectations are typically unrealistic when directed towards a gifted artist such as Bob Dylan, or Neil Young for that matter. Expectations sometimes have a negative impact not only on the listener but the song itself. Both Dylan and Young have been victim to unrealistic expectations. Fortunately neither one seems to be concerned about it.
I approached Murder Most Foul without any expectations, and found it to be a brilliant use of wordplay to communicate its subject matter. The musicians were able to elevate the intention with restraint and articulation. Taking its time to create a visual landscape and using a clever mixture of references to articulate not only the event itself but the emotions stirred by the event. By succeeding in combining the emotional experience and connecting it with musical references, Bob has created yet another example of his genius. The pace of the song may feel arduous to some, but for me that 17 minutes flew by as the lyrics and the delivery just drew me into Bob’s universe.
"Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car
Shot down like a dog in broad daylight"
U.S. President John F. Kennedy
Whether Dylan's song "Murder Most Foul" is a "masterpiece" or "genius" is secondary to the song being the single most important artistic release statement thus far in the 21st century. Full stop and we challenge anyone to suggest another song since 2000.
For to understand the truth of Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" is to understand the truth of what happened that day in Dallas in 1963. And therefore, it is to understand the truth of virtually everything in the history of the American 20th century. JFK's assassination (a murder most foul, if ever) is literally and metaphorically "The Rosetta Stone" to untangling what has happened there, what is happening here, and what will happen later. Profound and prescient doesn't begin to come close as an understatement of the century.
Frankly, for us here at TW calling the song a true "Rosetta Stone" essentially constitutes "masterpiece" status for us by definition. Whatever you want to call the song, it is a magnificently powerful emotional song that strikes at the heart of the truth as we revealed in our initial analysis (see ANALYSIS: Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" | Why Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" Is 17 Minutes of The TRUTH). About as pure of 17 minutes of the truth anyone of this generation will ever find and hear, we are beyond stunned while deliriously delighted about what this song means to us going forward all together.
The song is pure TRUTH for those with open eyes and minds. It names names. Gives dates, locations, colors and players. The song explicitly details who did NOT kill U.S. President John F. Kennedy and obliquely references the true plotters of "The American Coup of 1963" (which we explained in detail back on the 50th anniversary in 2013).
"The day that they killed him, someone said to me, “Son,
the age of the Antichrist has just only begun.”
The image of a nation huddled around the radio looking for solace in times of tragedy is a mirror on the present, as American cities in lockdown wait for good news about the end of the current crisis.
We are all, for the first time in years, facing the same foe.
But we’re not all on the same page. Shoppers are hoarding precious supplies, and shops are ramping up the prices. People continue to gather in crowds in spite of orders from doctors and epidemiologists. Will this be a decade where we set aside our differences long enough to serve the greater good, or do we pry the union apart thread by thread, drunk on the myth of exceptionalism and the siren song of individualism?
While speaking the unspeakable truth about President John Kennedy’s murder might seem hopeless, it is actually a sign of great hope. For our only hope is in telling the truth, which Bob has done.
This is art, not theory, and art of a special kind since Dylan is an artist at war with his art.
His songs demand that the listener’s mind and spirit be moving as the spirit of creative inspiration moved Dylan. A close listening will force one to jump from line to line, verse to verse – to shoot the gulf – since there are no bridges to cross, no connecting links. The sound carries you over and keeps you moving forward. If you’re not moving, you’ll miss the meaning.
Young@Heart Covers Buffalo Springfield’s "For What it’s Worth"
The Young@Heart singers cover Buffalo Springfield’s "For What it’s Worth". enjoy! (Thanks Mr Henry!)
From YT:
Young@Heart is still singing…responsibly from our homes! We have managed to get 16 chorus members up and running Zoom on their smartphones and computers, and 7 other people are joining by phone who are heard but not seen. Using new technology wasn’t easy; the average age of our chorus members is 83 - older than the average age of those most susceptible to this virus.
Despite technical and logistical barriers, our chorus intends to keep connecting with each other to make music - even though it might look a little different than what we’re used to. Here's an inside look at our first attempt at a Zoom rehearsal "COVIDeo," Buffalo Springfield’s "For What it’s Worth," with lead singer Robin Wolf.
Robin is joined by 14 Young@Heart singers that you see, 7 more that you don’t see, 4 tech/band members, and our director Bob Cilman. We're singing over the instrumental track recorded at one of our recent concerts. Special thanks to Dan Richardson and John Laprade for all their gracious assistance in getting our singers up and running in our virtual rehearsals!
We had to cancel our May benefit concert that usually raises $50,000 to support our rehearsals, tours, PrisonVision program, and our staff. If you want to help, you can make a donation or recurring donation here https://youngatheartchorus.com/donate
But, we understand if you have other priorities right now.
Thanks again Mr Henry! Nice to hear from you as alwys. We'll be dropping a donation, for sure as we try and support the arts that we need now more than ever.
Protesters gather outside Pandora's Box on Nov. 12, 1966
As legend has it, Stills, disturbed by the images of police brutality from that night, wrote "For What It's Worth" in 15 minutes. Band manager Richard "Dickie" Davis was in the studio when Buffalo Springfield recorded the song.
"It was recorded in one night: vocals, overdubs, bass track, all that was done in one night," Davis says. For all that momentum, however, Stills was afraid of how the band might be typecast if the song did catch on.
"That name, 'For What It's Worth,' is the most 'aw, shucks' kind of name," Davis says. "Like, 'Oh yeah, well, here's my opinion, you don't have to listen to it.' ... He was worried about it defining the group and he didn't want that to happen."
But it did: "For What It's Worth" became an enduring hit. Whether one hears it as about the Vietnam War or the Sunset Strip, the song was for the young people caught on the front lines.
"The song was about the times," Davis says. "The protests for the Vietnam War were in play right then, and they were on Stephen's mind just as much as anything else. The song was written about the Sunset Strip, but it's bigger than that.
"A Thousand People In The Street" ... if only ... if only. we got the vampire blues, chrome dreams nightmares. That hippie dream got capsized by a white squall.
... and never, ever follow that White Rabbit down a rabbit hole. because ... "once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black"
Alice in Wonderland - Central Park Conservancy, New York City, New York
Hey y’all! Unfortunately, today’s #Quarantune session will be postponed until tomorrow evening. But don’t worry, dad’s here to help us relaunch our #GoodNewsGarden!
— Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real (@lukasnelson) April 2, 2020
It's 420 all this month!
If things do go dark and silent, always remember to Keep Calm, No Fear, & Keep on Rockin'. Try to enjoy the sounds of silence because the son will come up again -- brighter than ever.
Separating the Wheat From the Chaff ... or... REAL From the Fake - No April Fool's Day Joke
The Chaff Cutter by David Teniers ("The Younger")
(Click photo to enlarge)
Because while socially distancing keeps us physically safe during these troubling times, it's music that keeps us spiritually healthy.
And that's definitely no April Fool's Day joke.
A few years ago, an email arrived from our friend Vic with the attached image above of "The Chaff Cutter" by David Teniers ("The Younger") and we were immediately awestruck. David Teniers the Younger (15 December 1610 – 25 April 1690) was a Flemish artist born in Antwerp, the son of David Teniers the Elder. Producing over two thousand paintings, David Teniers the Younger was honoured as one of the greatest painters in Europe during his time.
Our friend Vic, encouraged us here at Thrasher's Wheat to keep on "separating the wheat from the chaff". Well, Vic, we plan to continue to separate the wheat from the chaff until the power goes out.
To separate the facts from the fictions.
To separate the REAL from the Fake.
To separate The Truth from the Lie.
So, behold if you will, the literal visualization of separating the wheat from the chaff. (We would like to suggest opening up the above image full size in a separate window in order to examine the painting's rich details.) It is our understanding that this passage referencing "Separating the Wheat from the Chaff" can be found in all major religious texts similar to The Golden Rule and other universal truths.
Since 1996. Almost 25 years and still going strong. And our little claim to fame has still gone unchallenged, debunked or declared "fake". Again, The Truth. We take no special honor or privilege in being more often consistently right than the so called "experts". We only ask that everyone, please use full disCERNment at all times.
Teniers the Younger's "The Chaff-cutter" depicts a scene of 17th century peasant life. From Dulwich Picture Gallery:
The man is cutting straw into fine pieces (known as chaff, which is commonly used as fodder for livestock) most likely for the white horse in the picture. A saddle bag on the ground indicates that this is a working horse, and that the man may have just returned from a journey on horseback. The horse is already grazing on some hay. We see chicken, a key source of sustenance for the peasants, wandering around in the foreground. Birds nesting in the dovecote may have been kept for their flesh and eggs. Teniers was known for his paintings of peasant scenes and this is an example of an illustration of rural life, highlighting the strong interdependence between man and beast.
DETAIL - Cutting the Wheat from the Chaff
Properly speaking, "David "The Younger" Teniers is the last representative of the great Flemish traditions of the 17th century."[1]
So what exactly might any of this wheat and chaff stuff have to do with anything at all -- much less on a Neil Young music blog?
Well, if you have a moment for some rambling readings that meander and thrash about here and there, then here you go. Down the rabbit hole... into the Land of OZ ... on through the looking glass matrix... the Black Mirror ...
Matthew 3:11-12 - "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and *He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Separating the wheat from the chaff is about separating from negative thoughts and beliefs and focusing on positive thoughts and beliefs. It’s also about being careful who you listen to and believe... Power to all with eyes to see and ears to hear will disCERN.👁
If things do go dark and silent, always remember to Keep Calm, No Fear, & Keep on Rockin'. Try to enjoy the sounds of silence because the son will come up again -- brighter than ever.
That's right. Please, we ask that you do NOT support Thrasher's Wheat at this time.
Support Comfort + Mercy. And always support Love and Only Love.
We here at Thrasher's Wheat are just fine. Thrasher & Thrashette have all the essentials that we need and would prefer you to direct any contributions to your local organizations until the CV-19 crisis subsides. We can also factually report that we have zero cases in our household, zero in our neighborhood, zero reports from colleagues, friends and their extended families across multiple continents. Nor any TW readers or any reports via Rust/HH communities. Just maybe rusties are just the lucky ones?
After offering comfort, mercy and love, we suggest you support your local groups and national groups such as Farm Aid, which help keep farmers growing food for our families.
And take action with Farm Aid now to include the essential people who produce our food in the federal COVID-19 response. https://t.co/mMdQWTGo4g
Also, try and support your local musical groups, venues, and staff and their fund raising, if you can.
Remaining cautiously optimistic that we will all break on thru to the other side.
The Unfurling of The Spring Ferns @ TW HQ
It's Spring, the time of re-birth and renewal. A new season for growth.
So don't spread fear. Turn off the news and build a garden. Share love and only love.
This too shall pass... as we have always seen. Stay Strong. Stay Positive.
#AllTogether
thrashers
ps - The angels of Comfort & Mercy are maneuvering into place. (Obviously, we see this as a positive force and should only be construed as such in the context of global humanitarian aid.)
U.S. Navy Mercy hospital ship on the West Coast
U.S. Navy Comfort hospital ship on the East Coast
(Alongside aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in Chesapeake Bay preparing to leave Norfolk, Virginia to NYC)
ANALYSIS: Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul": 17 Minutes of The TRUTH
Like nearly every single Bob Dylan fan, we spent much of yesterday repeat listening to "Murder Most Foul" and the song's 17 minutes of The TRUTH.
About as pure of 17 minutes of the truth anyone of this generation will ever find, we are beyond stunned while deliriously delighted about what this song means to us going forward all together.
But what does it mean? And why now? Critical questions that must be answered and we will try our best to lay it all down as best we can.
But here's the SPOILER ALERT upfront. The song explicitly details who did NOT kill U.S. President John F. Kennedy and obliquely references the true plotters (Wolf/Wink Man/Secret Service's code name for "W": TimberWolf a.k.a. "George") of "The American Coup of 1963" (which we explained in detail back on the 50th anniversary in 2013).
With a running time of 16:56 -- 4 seconds short of 17 minutes -- the song is pure TRUTH for those with open eyes and minds. Naming names. Giving dates, locations, colors and players. Thank you Bob! Glad to have you playing for our home's teams.
"Shakespearean" barely begins to describe the magnitude of this epic tale that Bob has gifted all of us with. The song takes its title from Shakespeare's play "Hamlet". In the play, Hamlet encounters his father’s ghost, who urges revenge:
"Murder most foul, as in the best it is;
But this most foul, strange and unnatural."
Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years.
This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting.
Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.
Bob Dylanhttps://t.co/uJnE4X64Bb
"Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car
Shot down like a dog in broad daylight"
U.S. President John F. Kennedy
DEVELOPING - CHECK BACK
(NOTE: We're drafting history in real time during these strange days. But here was our initial reaction after 1st listen yesterday on Comment of the Moment: Neil Young's Fireside Sessions #2 | NYA in response to the highly esteemed Mr Scotsman, who shared his thoughts on 2 of our 3 favorite subjects: Bob & Neil. Scotsman's insightful contributions -- once again demonstrate that Neil Young fans/rusties are some of the most knowledgeable, astute and articulate music fans out there. And we're honored and humbled to have folks like Mr Scotsman contribute here to our little TW blog.)
U.S. President John F. Kennedy - Berlin, Germany, 1963
There are many out there who undoubtedly do not fully grasp the true significance of what happened in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963. Nor -- sadly -- wish to.
For to understand the truth of Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" is to understand the truth of what happened that day in Dallas in 1963. And therefore, it is to understand the truth of virtually everything in the history of the American 20th century. JFK's assassination (a murder most foul, if ever) is literally and metaphorically "The Rosetta Stone" to untangling what has happened there, what is happening here, and what will happen later. Profound doesn't begin to come close as an understatement of the century.
The real truth is out there -- if one dares to confront it. Understandably, we know that most can not handle the truth. It is a sad and horrible truth, but until there is a mass awakening to these truths, these atrocities will continue.
"Put your head out the window; let the good times roll
There's a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll
Stack up the bricks, pour the cement
Don't say Dallas don't love you, Mr. President"
Not convinced? Here's a 2:00 YouTube showing JFK’s Secret Service protection being waved away from his car, and the perplexed reaction of at least one Special Agent.
Jackie Reaching for JFK's Brains "If Lee Harvey Oswald's shots came from the behind (above left), why are JFK's brains on the rear trunk? (front, right)"
Lyndon Baines Johnson Being Sworn In As President with Jacqueline Kennedy on Air Force #1
King of Hearts
“There is a Secret Society ritual that is ‘the killing of the King.’
The national leader of the people is only a figurehead and has no real power. Power lies behind the scenes within dark secrets. Others pull the strings of the politician puppets. If an upstart, politician puppet makes waves or rocks the boat or doesn’t play ball…..that puppet gets eliminated. It is why Caesar was killed. It is why Kennedy was killed. If you disturb the real power structure, you can be targeted for removal. Such ‘assassinations’ demonstrate to the world who has the real power; it is a bloody statement of who is really in charge; and the truth is our secret rulers control from dark shadows.
(There is a reason the Ace is higher than the King in a deck of cards. The Ace represents the Secret Societies that truly run the show).”
(Excerpt from: WAS JFK KILLED BECAUSE OF ROSWELL? by Doug Yurchey)
"The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it.
...
For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.
Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match.
Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know."
"[We have an] obligation to inform and alert the American people -- to make certain that they possess all the facts that they need, and understand them as well -- the perils, the prospects, the purposes of our program and the choices that we face.
Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed -- and no republic can survive. That is why the Athenian lawmaker Solon decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy. And that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment-- the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution -- not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and the sentimental, not to simply "give the public what it wants" -- but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion."
"And so it is to the printing press -- to the recorder of man's deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news -- that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent."
JFK - 1961
A Rock & Roll Trinity: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost
Bob Dylan, Neil Young & Eric Clapton,
Madison Square Garden, New York City - 1992
(See Bob Dylan and Neil Young:Master & Disciple)
>> Pre-Order on Amazon.com << 
Human Highway
Concert Review of the Moment
This Land is My Land
FREEDOM In A New Year
*Thanks Neil!*
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The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young
Pardon My Heart
"We're The Ones 
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