Mo Ostin: 1927 - 2022 (UPDATED: Statement by Neil Young)

Mo Ostin: 1927 - 2022  via Inventing David Geffen (October 7, 2009) |  PBS | American Masters

Mo Ostin (1927 - 2022) has passed.

Mo Ostin, record executive for Reprise Records, Warner Bros. Records, was highly respected and had quite a few dealings with Neil Young over the years. 

UPDATED: Statement by Neil Young on T-C | NYA:

My old friend Mo Ostin has passed away.

I am so sad that he is gone from this earth, but so happy for our life-long friendship. Mo was a hero. Supporting artists and their work all the way through his long life, Mo, the giant among Record Business leaders, backed us all up and let us do what we wanted with our music. He was always there for me and I really appreciate that. Thanks Mo.

Without Mo, my life in music could never have been the same. Every time we put a record out, it started with me bringing it in to Mo and playing it for him and Lenny Warnoker. Playback for Mo and Lenny. This tradition continued right up to just last month when Rick Rubin and I played our latest Crazy Horse record for him at his home. We must have done that at least 40 times over the years. This last time was so special, as I sat between Mo and Lenny on his couch, listening to the new recording in his living room. Mo loved it, referring to ‘Harvest Moon’ and other records we had made together between songs while the record played. Michael Ostin, Mo’s wonderful son, was with us that day as always making sure everything was good.

Mo’s passing at 95 has touched me in a deep way, as I realize how fortunate i was to have him and Elliot Roberts at my side. They are both gone now, but their spirits will never be gone.

Thank you Mo. You are a champion for the creative artists who made music during your time. Now you can be with Evelyn and listen to Harvest Moon.
love,
ny

 

As noted previosly, a rather significant announcement, PBS American Masters Archive Releases 1,000+ Hours of Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interviews: Patti Smith, David Bowie, Neil Young, Mo Ostin & more. 

 

David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil Young
Frame from  'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters

(See So What Makes Neil Young's Muse Tick?) 

 

From the unaired interview with Mo "The Sleaze" Ostin, Warner Bros Executive, (listen to song "Surfer Joe And Moe the Sleaze") on working with Geffen and his clients, Neil Young and his manager Elliot Roberts. (Ed. note, unedited raw transcript @ ~2:43:00) (See PBS for full, raw unaired interview & transcript)

Mo Ostin:  [Geffen] sued Neil [Young] because he thought that Neil wasn't making commercial records.

[Geffen] was so intense and so passionate about having successful records. That he might have become myopic, you know? And Neil turned in a record that [Geffen] thought was not commercial. And he was paying him [Young] a huge advance. And [Geffen] thought "I shouldn't be paying that kind of advance for the records he's delivering."

And he told Neil to make another record. I don't know whether Neil made an effort at that or not. But Neil continued to record.

I guess he didn't feel Neil was making the change. And so he stopped funding the record. And sued him.

Interviewer: How do you think that a move like that affected his image in the music business?

Mo Ostin: You know, Neil was revered. And musically respected, not only on the critical level, but by all of his musical peers. [The lawsuit] could not have sat well with them.

Interviewer:  I mean, how do you think what David did affected his image? I'm dumbfounded he'd do that.

Mo Ostin: I guess he didn't think about it. I mean, I guess he was just so involved. Having realized that he had been losing money. He hated the idea of losing money, including other people's money. He never wanted to lose money.

And there was these jokes going on about the Titanic, who had a better band, you know, that kind of stuff.

And so, you know, I think he just was doing everything he possibly could to rectify and right the ship

...

Interviewer: A number of people have told us that there's one thing that David Geffen probably regrets most is suing Neil Young.

Mo Ostin: Yeah. And I believe that they made up.

That's also what's great about him [Geffen] is the fact that he owns up to his mistakes.

In December 2012, PBS | American Masters broadcast the documentary film "Inventing David Geffen. American Masters: Inventing David Geffen is "an unflinching portrait of Geffen, who narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews."

Also, see Neil Young's Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

 Neil Young - November 29, 2011

'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS | American Masters

 

Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

Elliot Roberts - July 22, 2009

'Inventing David Geffen' |  PBS | American Masters(Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)

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Comment of the Moment: Reappraising "Life" Album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Life Neil Young & Crazy Horse
1987

Earlier, we posted on the oft maligned Neil Young's "The Geffen Years": ~1981 - ~1988.

 

As a followup, here is the Comment of the Moment on reappraising Neil Young & Crazy Horse 1987 "Life" album by Tomatron:

Starting with its absurd title, the 1987 Neil Young & Crazy Horse record is over the top. 

Say what you want about Life as a whole, (most will target the objectionable production effects), but Mideast Vacation succeeds at what it set out to accomplish. The song gets under the skin with its acidic narrative and synthetic presentation. In modern parlance, it’s a banger. The originally unreleased Letter From Nam gives a glimpse of how Long Walk Home *used* to sound, but an additional decade and a half of neoliberal interference cements the American Empire reading of the song. Digitally induced bombast is absolutely required here. The digital reverb on the drums is so huge one can visualize the entire perimeter of the arena, half full and brimming with the aroma of spilled Bud Light.

Neil may hate the way Around The World turned out as an example of the supposedly botched Crazy Horse performances accompanying the metronome, but that tune is a lot of fun. They get a dumb synth punk thing going that morphs into new wave (a style honed on the previous record) and that absolutely ridiculous spoken breakdown. Around The World perfectly skewers the 80s while still being completely of its time. Some of Neil Young’s records have a timeless feel to them, but Life offers no escape from the confines of the epoch. Inca Queen is no exception, as heard in its proliferation of processed instrumentation. Nevertheless, it is just so damn epic. And I can’t think of another song where Crazy Horse do backing vocals in that particularly low chanty way again. “Inca Queen has. Inca Queen has. Inca Queen has come.” She’s here; ‘bout time!

Side B is where it starts feeling more like the Crazy Horse we know. If Mideast Vacation is the six-year sonic continuation of Shots, Too Lonely could be the long-awaited follow-up to the rest of re•ac•tor. It’s just gleefully mean and too great to be in tune. Year Of The Horse showed us how amazing tunes like Prisoners Of Rock ‘n’ Roll and When Your Lonely Heart Breaks can be when the band is given free rein. It must be conceded that those later performances are the definitive editions, but they’re not half bad here in their original incarnations. Prisoners makes clear the title of the album is a sentence rather than a celebration, yet still it revels in its rebel primitivism.

We Never Danced has ample atmosphere as the album closer. It could’ve fit right in to the Bluenotes repertoire with a horn arrangement dropped in to replace the keyboards. But the real winner of Side B is Cryin’ Eyes. It’s quick and catchy, approaching a garage-y DEVO attitude but looser. They could trot that one out at any show from ‘86 on and have us jumping in the aisles. Dig that sick guitar tone on the lead!

Briggs would bring it on home in a few years for Ragged Glory, reminding us how the Horse could drink when led to water. He was operating outside his wheelhouse this time, but you gotta credit him for giving it a go. The tunes’ production may run counter to what people expect of the band, but they’re not boring. There are plenty of NY albums I wasn’t into before and now I adore unreservedly. 

This realization brought me back to the Geffen years to find joy in Life and the weird vibes of the times!

Thanks much for reappraising Neil & The Horse's album "Life"  Tomatron! Hope we can see some more  reappraisals of the oh-so misunderstood Geffen Years releases.

For us, one of the most fascinating aspects of the album "Life" is the cover itself.

Closeup of "Life" Album CoverNeil Young & Crazy Horse (Click photo to enlarge) 

If you look very closely at the cover, you see Neil literally behind bars, with 4 strokes and a cross (symbolizing #5), scratched on a prison wall.  5 being the number of albums Neil Young released on Geffen Label.

So Neil headed onto the Freedom album and the rest is history. 

For more on Neil Young and "The Geffen Years", see post on Neil Young's Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 Neil Young - November 29, 2011 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

More on Neil Young's "The Geffen Years": ~1981 - ~1988.

Also, see Album Cover of Neil Young's Life on Geffen Records and Reassessing Neil Young's Life on Geffen Records. 

David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil Young
Frame from 'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters
(Click photo to enlarge)

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Comment of the Moment: Neil Young's "The Geffen Years": ~1981 - ~1988

Neil Young's "The Geffen Years": ~1981 - ~1988
(image via Sugar Mountain Discography)

 

Breaking from recent news, here is the Comment of the Moment posted on "UPDATED - Joni Mitchell Joins Neil Young In Removing Her Music from Spotify " by Tomatron:

Over the weekend I had to go and pick up some Neil Young vinyl, filling in that big Geffen-shaped gap in the collection. 

 I’ve had a copy of Trans for years, no problem there. But I snagged the rest of them including This Note’s For You, a record that isn’t on Geffen but thinks it is. (Note: both it and Everybody’s Rockin’ sound awesome at -10 pitch on the turntable. You haven’t heard the studio version of Twilight til you’ve played it 10% slower.) 

The only one from the era I couldn’t find in town was Old Ways. But I have faith it’ll appear on the used shelves in time, its natural habitat. While I’ve been loving the madness of Landing On Water for a while now, the big find was Life, an album I never knew I wanted until I heard it on the original LP. The live quality really shines and some of it started reminding me of a more time-ravaged variation on Zuma and Rust tracks. 

The Horse sound genuinely unhinged in a way that only the late 80s could incite. It is some cacophony, but I can hear what Briggs and Young were going for and I appreciate it. Those synths are bad, but in a certain weird punk rock Crazy Horse way. The sentiment is brutish and keen, the resonance metallic. It’s not what anyone wanted/wants to hear. 

As a follow up to Re•Ac•Tor and precursor to the chaos of Muddy Track, it makes perfect sense. Keep this one at 33 1/3 and crank it to 11 if your eardrums can handle it. 

This comment post goes out to all the Neil Young haters on the blog today. 

THIS NOTE’S FOR YOU 

Thanks Tomatron for the welcome break from last month's news.  Maybe February will be quieter?

For more on  Neil Young and "The Geffen Years", see post on Neil Young's Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 Neil Young - November 29, 2011 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

Also, see:

• Gary Burden: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.
• Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.
• David Crosby: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive 
• Henry Diltz: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)  
• Mo Ostin Discusses Neil Young & David Geffen' | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)

David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil Young
Frame from 'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters
(Click photo to enlarge)

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Mo Ostin Discusses Neil Young & David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive

Mo Ostin - October 7, 2009 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

As noted recently, a rather significant announcement, PBS American Masters Archive Releases 1,000+ Hours of Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interviews: Patti Smith, David Bowie, Neil Young & More. 

 

David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil Young
Frame from  'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters

(See So What Makes Neil Young's Muse Tick?) 

 

In December 2012, PBS | American Masters broadcast the documentary film "Inventing David Geffen. American Masters: Inventing David Geffen is "an unflinching portrait of Geffen, who narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews." 

Interviewees include Neil Young, Elliot Roberts, David Crosby, Henry Diltz, Gary Burden, Mo Ostin and many others.

From the unaired interview with Mo "The Sleaze" Ostin, Warner Bros Executive, (listen to song "Surfer Joe And Moe the Sleaze") on working with Geffen and his clients, Neil Young and his manager Elliot Roberts. (Ed. note, unedited raw transcript @ ~2:43:00)

Mo Ostin:  [Geffen] sued Neil [Young] because he thought that Neil wasn't making commercial records.

[Geffen] was so intense and so passionate about having successful records. That he might have become myopic, you know? And Neil turned in a record that [Geffen] thought was not commercial. And he was paying him [Young] a huge advance. And [Geffen] thought "I shouldn't be paying that kind of advance for the records he's delivering."

And he told Neil to make another record. I don't know whether Neil made an effort at that or not. But Neil continued to record.

I guess he didn't feel Neil was making the change. And so he stopped funding the record. And sued him.

Interviewer: How do you think that a move like that affected his image in the music business?

Mo Ostin: You know, Neil was revered. And musically respected, not only on the critical level, but by all of his musical peers. [The lawsuit] could not have sat well with them.

Interviewer:  I mean, how do you think what David did affected his image? I'm dumbfounded he'd do that.

Mo Ostin: I guess he didn't think about it. I mean, I guess he was just so involved. Having realized that he had been losing money. He hated the idea of losing money, including other people's money. He never wanted to lose money.

And there was these jokes going on about the Titanic, who had a better band, you know, that kind of stuff.

And so, you know, I think he just was doing everything he possibly could to rectify and right the ship

...

Interviewer: A number of people have told us that there's one thing that David Geffen probably regrets most is suing Neil Young.

Mo Ostin: Yeah. And I believe that they made up.

That's also what's great about him [Geffen] is the fact that he owns up to his mistakes.

Also, see Neil Young's Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

 Neil Young - November 29, 2011

'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS | American Masters

 

Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

Elliot Roberts - July 22, 2009

'Inventing David Geffen' |  PBS | American Masters(Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)  

 

David Crosby - May 14, 2012 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters(See more on full David Crosby: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)

 

Gary Burden - November 12, 2012

Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters (See more on full  Gary Burden: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.) 

Henry Diltz - November 13, 2009

Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters(See more on full Henry Diltz: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)

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Henry Diltz: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive

Henry Diltz - November 13, 2009

Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

 

As noted recently, a rather significant announcement, PBS American Masters Archive Releases 1,000+ Hours of Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interviews: Patti Smith, David Bowie, Neil Young & More. 

 

David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil Young
Frame from  'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters

(See So What Makes Neil Young's Muse Tick?) 

 

In December 2012, PBS | American Masters broadcast the documentary film "Inventing David Geffen. American Masters: Inventing David Geffen is "an unflinching portrait of Geffen, who narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews." 

Interviewees include Neil Young, Elliot Roberts, David Crosby, Henry Diltz, Gary Burden and many others.

From the unaired interview with Henry Diltz on working with Geffen and his clients, Neil Young and his manager Elliot Roberts. (Ed. note, unedited raw transcript)

Henry Diltz: It seems amazing that so many huge artists came out of that one little office [Geffen-Roberts], you know, with Hoagy Carmichael upstairs, you know, who wrote, Stardust and Skylark and Old Buttermilk Sky was one of my favorites. 

And downstairs, you had these amazing this new generation of songwriters, you know, of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne and Henley and Fry and Dan Fogelberg, you know, and Joe Walsh and a fellow David Blue (?). They didn't stick around long enough to get famous. But he was kind of a Dylanesque character and a good friend of Elliot Roberts. But it's amazing that all these huge artists came out of that that one little club house office, you know.

Photographer Henry Diltz, with his iconic photograph of Crosby, Stills and Nash 1969 debut album cover is featured prominently in the exhibit at the Grammy Museum exhibit "California Dreamin': The Sounds of Laurel Canyon, 1965 - 1977"

(See Laurel Canyon Exhibit at Grammy Museum: California Dreamin' Explores Music Scene in the ’60s, ’70s)

 

"Unpainted Faces"
by Henry Diltz
(See "Unpainted Faces" by Henry Diltz )

 

 

David Crosby - May 14, 2012 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters(See more on full David Crosby: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)

 

Gary Burden - November 12, 2012

Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

(See more on full  Gary Burden: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.)

 

Also, see Neil Young's Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

 Neil Young - November 29, 2011

'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS | American Masters

 

Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

Elliot Roberts - July 22, 2009 'Inventing David Geffen' |  PBS | American Masters 

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David Crosby: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive

David Crosby - May 14, 2012 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

As noted recently, a rather significant announcement, PBS American Masters Archive Releases 1,000+ Hours of Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interviews: Patti Smith, David Bowie, Neil Young & More. 

 

David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil Young
Frame from  'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters

(See So What Makes Neil Young's Muse Tick?) 

 

In December 2012, PBS | American Masters broadcast the documentary film "Inventing David Geffen. American Masters: Inventing David Geffen is "an unflinching portrait of Geffen, who narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews." 

Interviewees include Neil Young, Elliot Roberts, David Crosby, Henry Diltz, Gary Burden and many others.

From the unaired interview with David Crosby on working with Geffen and his clients, Neil Young and his manager Elliot Roberts. (Ed. note, unedited raw transcript)

David Crosby:  At some point, he [Geffen] and Elliott [Roberts] parted ways and we went with Elliott and and I don't even remember if there was a specific issue or if it was just a drift in directions.  

We certainly were no party. We were not easy to handle.  

And we would periodically, you know, argue with ourselves and Neil. Neil was a lot like David.  

Neil came in to see us and was planning to leave. We were a vehicle. We made that record. He knew what that record would do and he had every intention of making a solid record right afterwards and going on.  

And Elliott managed him extremely well, very diligently, and still does.  

Elliott handles Neil extremely well. It's that thing of building something with the intention of, you know, leapfrogging it. That was always there in their plan, you know. And on one level, here he was building a community, was building something that they could be proud of, it was building, you know, the most successful artists and the best singer songwriters. On another level, he was building something he could sell. 

David, multi-level guy.

Full David Crosby: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

More on Neil Young & David Crosby and their tangled relationship.

Neil Young & David Crosby 

(See PODCAST: David Crosby Talks Neil Young & More | ‘Freak Flag Flying’)

 

Gary Burden - November 12, 2012

Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

 

Full  Gary Burden: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

Also, see Neil Young's Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

 Neil Young - November 29, 2011

'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS | American Masters

 

Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

Elliot Roberts - July 22, 2009 'Inventing David Geffen' |  PBS | American Masters 

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