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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.
Cameron Crowe on Neil Young's "Almost" "Almost Famous" Scene @ ~~24:30.
In 1983, Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous) was an ambitious young music journalist who had just released his debut film: a documentary about Tom Petty, titled “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party.”
It aired once on MTV and was never seen again. Now, that lost documentary is arriving for the first time in cinemas. The Oscar-winning director joins Tom to discuss his first film, his early life as a rock journalist, his upcoming Joni Mitchell biopic, and how Neil Young was originally cast in “Almost Famous.”
A new page has been added to Neil Young's Times-Contrarian | NYA -- a NEW THIS WEEK section.
The new Neil Young news updates seems to be in response to the many queries and requests - both here and on NYA Letters To Editor - for some type of notification on what is happening on NYA. Given the absolute avalanche of news on Neil Young's planned releases and Times-Contrarian updates, it has become nearly impossible for even the most dedicated of rusties to keep abreast of all the Neil happenings.
Such a good problem to have if ever there was one and definitely a 1st world problem, for sure. So much wheat, so little chaff -- as they say.
The Joel/Cameron article in NYA Times-Contrarian brings me back to the very first time I saw Neil Young in concert during that November 1976 tour with Crazy Horse.
By 1976, my enduring admiration for Neil Young had already been firmly established. I started in 1970 with After The Goldrush, my first Neil Young album purchase. I quickly after that got all of the previous solo albums, Buffalo Springfield, and CSNY. Acquiring Harvest, the Journey Through The Past movie soundtrack (plus watching the movie in a theater), then on to the thrilling experiences of listening to Time Fades Away, On The Beach, Tonight’s The Night, and Zuma. What a ride that was. I was deeply into all of those albums. I had heard some things that gave me some idea of what Neil was like live. I had Four Way Street and cassette copies of the 1971 bootlegs Live at the BBC and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion show. But I had never seen Neil live. That changed on November 6, 1976.
The Balch Fieldhouse at the University of Colorado in Boulder was a basketball arena and I was able to get a general admission ticket to this show which was about 80 miles away from where I was living at the time. The experience of the November 6, 1976 turned out to be a profound event for me.
In a broad description, the show consisted of 18 songs, eight solo acoustic tunes followed by a ten song electric set with Crazy Horse. The show was incredible to me in every way. Neil had a profound stage presence. His personality held the audience and the power of the music drove through everyone. I know Neil had played thousands of live shows by that time, but I felt like all of us, Neil, CH, and the audience were part of something huge and important. I was totally amazed not only at the number of unreleased songs Neil and the band played but also the incredible intensity of how very good these new songs were. I loved the songs that I was familiar with (I had his complete catalog at the time) but these new ones were as good or better as the ones I knew. The new ones for me included the acoustic opener Campaigner and the electric opener Country Home and also Human Highway, Pocahontas, Too Far Gone, Bite The Bullet, Lotta Love, and the absolutely blistering Like A Hurricane (I am so glad my first experience with that song was a live show!)
1) Campaigner
2) Human Highway
3) After The Goldrush
4) Pocahontas
5) Too Far Gone
6) Old Man
7) A Man Needs A Maid
8) Sugar Mountain
----
9) Country Home
10) Don’t Cry No Tears
11) Down By The River
12) Bite The Bullet
13) Lotta Love
14) Like A Hurricane
15) Drive Back
16) Cinnamon Girl
---
17) Homegrown
18) Cortez The Killer
Looking at that setlist, I am struck at how many of those songs have propelled Neil Young live shows through his career up to the present. I was very fortunate to have attended the May 1 NYCH show in Fresno, California this year and he played many songs that I experienced at that first show of mine including Country Home, Don’t Cry No Tears, Too Far Gone, Cinnamon Girl, Cortez The Killer, and Like A Hurricane.
At that show this year I was very much transported back to that November 6, 1976 show and the immense experience of being a Neil Young admirer and fan for 48 years.
Thanks so much for the memories by Mike/Expecting To Fly! That's really so cool that you were there for the November 1976 concerts. It's sounding like we're in for an acoustic Christmas with "Songs For Judy"!
Btw, check out Albums in Order Series by longtime Rustie Mike "Expecting 2 Fly" Cordova's reviews of Neil's entire back catalog.
From John Hanlon's Notebook on NYA Times-Contrarian, Hanlon wrote that Neil Young is preparing to release a new archival album titled "Songs For Judy". A double album, "Songs For Judy" will feature 23 songs from the acoustic sets of the November 1976 "Crazy Horse" tour.
“Songs For Judy Intro” – Atlanta, GA – Nov 24 (late show)
“Too Far Gone” – Boulder, Colorado – Nov 06
“No One Seems To Know” – Boulder, Colorado – Nov 07
“Heart Of Gold” – Fort Worth, Texas – Nov 10
“White Line” – Fort Worth, Texas – Nov 10
“Love Is A Rose” – Houston – Nov 11
“After The Gold Rush” – Houston – Nov 11
“Human Highway” – Madison, Wisconsin – Nov 14
“Tell Me Why” – Chicago – Nov 15 (late show)
“Mr. Soul” – New York – Nov 20 (early show)
“Mellow My Mind” – New York – Nov 20 (early show)
“Give Me Strength” – New York – Nov 20 (late show)
“A Man Needs A Maid” – New York – Nov 20 (late show)
“Roll Another Number” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Journey Through The Past” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Harvest” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Campaigner” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Old Laughing Lady” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (early show)
“The Losing End” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“Here We Are In The Years” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“The Needle And The Damage Done” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (early show)
“Pocahontas” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“Sugar Mountain” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
UPDATE: "Campaigner", recorded November 22nd, 1976 at Boston’s Music Hall, has been just released as the first "single," album due Nov. 30. (Thanks Babbo!)
Neil Young
Hammersmith Odeon, London, 28th March 1976 (Setlist via sugarmtn.org)
There are fascinating "Notes About The Recordings" by Cameron Crowe and Joel Bernstein. (Thanks Wardo!)
This is easily one of the very best unreleased Neil Young tapes out there.
As any dedicated Neil fan has probably heard these already,they will not be surprised by how amazing this tape is. For those ,who I dare say,are lucky enough so that their release will be your first time hearing these tracks,well,stand back because these are all mind blowingly (word?) great.
Much like the Beatles White Album acoustic demos that are also right around the corner, these live tracks focus on the acoustic side of things and both releases are absolute must haves,for hardcore and casual fans alike. Such is their quality and importance.
Looks like it's gonna be an acoustic Christmas this year.
Thanks Richard! Yes, it's sounding like we're in for an acoustic Christmas!
So who was Judy? That would be Judy Garland -- of course - from the epicly important and essential "Wizard of OZ".
Witch Glinda (The Good Witch) & Dorothy (Judy Garland)
Recall what Witch Glinda (The Good Witch) says to Dorothy (Judy Garland):
"You don't need to be helped any longer.
You've always had the power to go back to Kansas."
But looks like Manager Elliot Roberts to Neil's right. And a young Cameron Crowe up front. Could that be the infamous "Penny Lane" to Cameron's right?
UPDATE: "This picture was taken on March 16, 1974, in Neil's bus on the way to San Luis Obispo for the Red Wind Foundation Benefit at Cuesta College Auditorium. Also featuring The Eagles, no Eddie Vedder present alas. Photos from the show are on the special edition On The Beach dvd.
Neil played three songs that were to appear on On The Beach: Vampire Blues, Revolution Blues ans Ambulance Blues. Sounds like a bluesy show. More details in Pete Longs wonderful Ghosts On The Road. I don't know if the show was taped, never seen a bootleg of it anyway." (Thanks dickie!)
I first met Neil Young in 1973, on a bus to San Luis Obispo. He had come along to play guitar with the Eagles at a small benefit for the Indian community there. Young sat playing banjo, a grinning cipher in reflector shades. I was instructed not to talk to him, that he had nothing to say. After the show – which climaxed with a fiery “Down By The River” that Young and the Eagles still talk about – Young plopped down in the seat next to mine. His shades were off, and his eyes were dark, sunken shadows below an Indian-like forehead. But they were mischievous, adolescent eyes. Dennis the Menace eyes.
“Hey,” he said, “Bernard Shakey.” We shook hands, and he began to tell me that he was an amateur filmmaker, that he was working on his first film (he was finishing Journey Through The Past at the time) and was a little nervous about it. He talked excitedly, punctuating his words with a smirk. “Tough business. I’d hate to go back to shooting Hyatt House commercials.”
I turned to look out the window, remembering my impression of Neil Young as a depressed loner. Now here he was – a joker. I turned back around. He was gone, of course, and I was right back where I started.
>> 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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