Frank Zappa's Thoughts On Neil Young, The Rolling Stones

Frank Zappa

The connections and influences between Frank Zappa and Neil Young are very few and somewhat tenuous at best.

Here is Otis Gibbs reflecting on Frank Zappa's favorite records by Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters and more. (Thanks Bob G.!)

 

Also, see Dan Baird & Otis Gibbs on meeting Neil Young.

Meeting Neil Young: Talking Guitars With Dan Baird & Otis Gibbs 

 

Also, check out an interview with Kenny Vaughan on why Neil Young is intentionally out of tune.

Otis Gibbs & Kenny Vaughan(See Why Neil Young Is Intentionally Out Of Tune | Thoughts by Kenny Vaughan )

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Comment of the Moment: Gordon Lightfoot Tribute

 Gordon Lightfoot: 1938 - 2023 

Our Comment of the Moment is from A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot: 1938 - 2023 by Mark in T.O.:

Another lesser known neat Neil/Gord connection goes back to 2013. Here's the set-up for that: Daniel Lanois hosted the inaugural "Harvest Picnic" music festival at a park just outside his home base of Hamilton, Ontario the year prior in 2012. 

EmmyLou Harris and Ray Lamontagne were the closers of the all-day affair and it went over well. Neil and Crazy horse also toured SW Ontario heavily that year with shows in nearby London, Toronto and Kitchener on the Psychedelic Pill tour. I caught 2 of those 3 shows and was jazzed to see him back with the Horse and dropping solid new tunes.

For the sophomore Harvest Picnic event at the end of August in 2013 the price for the day long affair went up considerably. But the rub for that was Neil and the Horse were the headliners so there was lots of buzz about that when that was announced. Peggi Young and the Survivors were also on the bill that day so that was exciting too. She had a 2nd album out and was touring that across North America with her great band. No more back-up singer role at Neil's gigs for her. She was striking off all on her own in search of her muse.

Then the shit started to "hit the fan" (figuratively and literally). 3 weeks before the show Frank Sampedro breaks his hand over in Europe and Neil and the Horse cancel the rest of those European gigs. Then with only a week before the Harvest Picnic event Neil announces they are cancelling all remaining North American dates. Then shortly thereafter the promoter announces to the ticket holders for the Harvest Picnic event that the show will go on but that there will be a "headliner swap" and no refunds. The swap was Gordon Lightfoot instead of Neil and Crazy Horse. Suffice to say a lot of the Neil fans were upset at this. They took a lot of heat but stuck to that plan.

Then the promotor picked Peggi and her band to do the kick-off show at a small dive bar in downtown Hamilton called " This Ain't Hollywood". It wasn't well announced and the few tickets there were (maybe 100 ?) went fast since the rumour was Neil would show up. It was a jam-packed venue and the show was good. It was neat being up close and I gave a quick "attaboy / well done" to Spooner Oldham and Rick Rosas as they threw back a beer on the picnic table on the sidewalk outside the venue after the show. Neil never showed. Of course we all know now he had made "other plans" for that exact time (driving Lincvolt up to protest the oil sands in Fort McMurray with Daryl Hannah as part of a documentary production). He did show up at a Peggi gig in Boston a couple of weeks later in Boston just before Farm Aid, which was in upstate NY that year.

Anyway back to Gord and the replacement show. Gord was good... most of the audience were respectful whilst also holding the view that Neil and the Horse was what they had paid for and a good # were still pissed no refunds were offered. I had an extra ticket and gave it away that day to a stranger as there was no market demand for tickets. You need to understand that Gord played regularly throughout Ontario (since he lived in Toronto) so his fan base had ample chances most years to see him live in good comfortable venues. He was also about as old then as Neil was just before the pandemic. Respectfully, as a fan of both and their entire body of work, and having seen Gord live on several occasions, I can attest that Gord's live shows fell off considerably as he aged and encountered failing health. That is the norm, and is to be accepted by the concert goer, is it not ?

So just typing out this tome brings back floods of memories of the "days that used to be" and also drives home just how much things have changed since then. We Neil fans are so very lucky he has been vibrant both creatively and when seeing him live, complete with only modest "slippage", despite some serious health setbacks for him along the way too. 

Fingers-crossed long may he run.

Thanks for the tribute "tome" to Gordon Lightfoot Mark in T.O. Much appreciated and well deserved.

It is nice to know that Gordon is well remembered around the world.

More on Gordon Lightfoot + Statement by Neil Young.

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Marcus Mumford: Advice from Neil Young Influenced Debut Solo Album | NME

Neil Young and Marcus Mumford
(Click photo to enlarge)

 

Over the decades, we here at TW have extensively documented Neil Young's vast influence on other musicians (see 50+ Reasons Why Neil Young's Music Matters).

Here is Marcus Mumford on how advice from Neil Young influenced his debut solo album  where  "He told me the importance of recorded music".

From NME interview by Tom Skinner:

Marcus Mumford: “Neil Young sat me down about 10 years ago and told me the importance of recorded music and that I should pay more attention to the way in which we record because I was always [like], ‘Ah, it’s just an advert for a live show.’ 

He was like, ‘No man, these things last.'”

I felt like on this record, I listened to that [advice]. I paid closer attention to the way it sounded than anything I’d ever done before.”

More on full NME interview by Tom Skinner.

Also, see more on Neil Young's musical influences on 50+ Reasons Why Neil Young's Music Matters.

Bob Dylan, Neil Young & Eric Clapton,
Madison Square Garden, New York City - 1992(see 50+ Reasons Why Neil Young's Music Matters) 

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Why Neil Young Is Intentionally Out Of Tune | Thoughts by Kenny Vaughan

Otis Gibbs & Kenny Vaughan

 

A great little short video on why Neil Young is intentionally out of tune.

 

Here is an interview with Kenny ”Nashville’s Secret Weapon” Vaughan -- long-time member of Marty Stuart’s supporting band, The Fabulous Superlatives -- by Otis Gibbs. (Thanks Bob G.!)

 

 

enjoy!

More on Neil Young's unique style and Neil Young's musical influences.

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Stevie Nicks On How Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne And CSN Shaped Her Sound | FORBES

Neil Young, Stevie Nicks & Mick Jagger
Ahmet Ertegun Tribute - Backstage Rose Theatre, Time Warner Center New York City, New York United States April 17, 2007 Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com 

Stevie Nicks, like many artists, was influenced by -- amongst others -- Neil Young's music.

From an interview "Stevie Nicks On How Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne And CSN Shaped Her Sound" | FORBES by Steve Baltin:

FORBES: What have you been listening to during this time?

Stevie Nicks: I love Neil Young. 

I've been listening to a lot of Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young and Joni Mitchell and just that whole era of people. Buffalo Springfield in the last seven, eight months. I've been listening to a lot of their music on my Sonos and it makes me happy. 

And I've decided that Neil Young was actually a lot more...he wrote a lot of very loving love ballads. He was not only the huge rock and roll crazy guy that I always thought. There are so many ballads I've gone, "Wow, you know what? You're just a big pussycat. I can't believe it."

No wonder they chose him to come into Crosby, Stills And Nash. They wanted somebody like the Eagles wanted Joe Walsh, they wanted somebody that would have that heavy hand. 

But then when you listen to something like "Slowpoke" or some of these amazing songs, I've been blown away over the last couple of months listening to his ballads going like, "This guy, really seriously, in a way, wanted to be in love."

Full interview "Stevie Nicks On How Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne And CSN Shaped Her Sound" | FORBES by Steve Baltin.

Note, the photo above is from  the 2007 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute by CSNY.

Also, see 50 Reasons Why Neil Young's Music Matters.

Bob, Neil & Eric 

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Five Essential Neil Young Songs: Jim James | WFUV.org

Roger Waters, Neil Young & Jim James
2016 Bridge School Benefit Concerts

We here at Thrasher's Wheat have long held respect for Jim James and My Morning Jacket due to their sound being influenced by Neil Young.

Jim James's new album Tribute To 2 includes cover songs of The Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher, Dianne Izzo, Ray Noble and Al Bowlly, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Abbey Lincoln. From Jim James: Five Essential Neil Young Songs | WFUV.org by Sarah Wardrop: (Thanks HtH!)

Jim James: Five Essential Neil Young Songs:

"Don't Be Denied," Time Fades Away (1973)
This song always fills me with the spirit of Neil: that big, bold, raw spirit of his that never has been denied, it seems. I love playing this for people who have never heard it. It takes me back to the early days of touring and how tough that is, but also how exciting it is — starting and pursuing what seems like an impossible dream. What a message for anyone to hear: "Follow your dreams, don’t be denied!"

"Comes A Time," Comes A Time (1978)
I’ll never forget at Bridge School a few years ago, Neil played this as the closer when everyone comes onstage. It was like some holy vision standing there on stage with Neil and so many other beautiful souls in a place filled with so many wonderful ideas and thoughts and goodwill visions. All of us were singing this holy song together, caught up in the rapture of love and unity with time passing and standing still.

"Hey Babe," American Stars 'n Bars (1977)
This song feels like falling in love to me, and I don’t even mean the lyrics (though they feel that way too). I mean the way my heart feels when I am falling in love is the way the pedal steel feels when it hits my ears, or the way the harmonies feel as they melt my heart. And when I hear it in my darkest, loneliest hour, it brings me hope that perhaps things will change and love, once more, might brighten up my door.

"The Old Laughing Lady," Neil Young (1969) and Unplugged (1993)
I first heard this song on MTV Unplugged. I was maybe 13 years old or so and I thought it was such a crazy visual experience. Then I heard the original master recording and was just blown away by the soundscape and soulful nature of the song. I wish Neil would do more experimenting in the studio like he does on this song. I would love to produce a record with him one day that was just so f***ed up. We would go out in the woods and knock rocks against trees for snares, rustle leaves in the wind for cymbals, and howl at the moon for guitars. There would be no actual acoustic or electric guitars or harmonicas or any of his familiar ingredients other than sheer madness, raw power, Mother Nature, and his voice. Of course, his voice.

"Like A Hurricane," American Stars 'n Bars (1977) and Unplugged (1993)
I also originally heard this on MTV Unplugged and it destroyed me hearing him at his ancient lords organ. But then I heard the original recording and more than perhaps any other song in history for me, the original recording of this song has inspired and informed my own lead guitar playing. His lead guitar rips my cloudy brain to pieces, lights it up, and scatters it out amongst the stars.

- Jim James
November 2017

More on Jim James, My Morning Jacket and their sound being influenced by Neil Young.

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William Patrick Corgan: "When Neil Young tells you to do something, you listen."

William Patrick Corgan
(formerly known as Billy Corgan)

Former Smashing Pumpkins member Billy Corgan has re-branded himself as William Patrick Corgan and shares some thoughts on sage advice from Neil Young.

From Cover Story: William Patrick Corgan | Illinois Entertainer by Brassneck:

When the Jedi Master speaks, the humble light saber student must sit quietly at his feet and listen.

And Smashing Pumpkins anchor Billy Corgan – who has recently re-dubbed himself with the more mature moniker of William Patrick Corgan, under which he just released the skeletal, Rick Rubin-produced solo set Oglilala, one of his best albums in ages – still remembers like it was yesterday his own Yoda-revealing summit meeting that occurred 14 years ago at a bustling Japanese train station.

Standing casually, waiting for the next express, the singer was stunned to look across the platform and see one of his musical heroes, Neil Young, waiting there, too. And – looking for common commiseration ground – he found himself complaining to the CSNY legend about certain record labels with which they’d both had experiences.

“I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking, and it was probably a very boring conversation for him,” Corgan sighs in slightly embarrassed retrospect. Young listened patiently, thoughtfully, though. “And then he just cut to the chase, as only Neil Young can,” Corgan recalls. When one encounters opposition or difficulties in show business, the man said, one should merely put one’s head down and keep walking, oblivious to such distractions. “And I knew exactly what he meant, and he told me what I really needed to hear,” he adds.

“That it doesn’t matter what some guy in an office thinks of you – what matters is what you do. And he’s a sage – let’s face it. So I took that advice to heart. And there have been some really tough days where that’s the only advice I could rely on. I didn’t get advice from my father. So I took it from surrogate fathers like Neil Young and Johnny Cash. And – as an artist in kind of a wacky world – you need to find your surrogate fathers to help you get through this because I haven’t gotten a lot of pats on the back from this culture.” He chortles, with palpable defiance. ”And yet I’m still here.”

...
"Because when Neil Young tells you to do something, you listen. So I’ve got one lane now. And it’s my own.”

See full interview at Cover Story: William Patrick Corgan | Illinois Entertainer.

Also, see Billy Corgan Covers Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush”: CBC Radio q.

Also, see Neil Young Sings Truth to Power.

Also, see Influence of Neil Young on other Musicians.


Bob Dylan, Neil Young & Eric Clapton,
Madison Square Garden, New York City - 1992

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Winter Wheat by John K. Samson: Heavily Influenced by Neil Young's On the Beach

John K. Samson - "Vampire Alberta Blues" John K. Samson hails from Winnipeg and is considered a leading up and coming Canadian singer-songwriter.

As noted in a recent interview with John K. Samson's, his new album Winter Wheat is heavily influenced by Neil Young's 1974 album On the Beach, both in sound and concept. Incidentally, both albums have three songs with "Blues" in the title, including "Vampire Alberta Blues".

"I would like to say overtly and directly what I've always felt: That fossil fuel extraction is not tenable, and there's no future to it, and that once a place is destroyed, it is destroyed," Samson tells Exclaim! "You can't bring it back. I'm opposed to the pipelines and the tar sands, and I feel like I want to be direct and open about that.

"It's a broader song than I generally make, but again that was inspired by the way [Neil Young] can make these broad, painterly political songs, and also make these detailed, emotional songs. So I wanted to try that out."

Addiction to computers and mobile technology is also referenced in at least two Winter Wheat songs, "Carrie Ends the Call" and "Select All Delete." Inspired by personal experience as well as a book by Vancouver writer Michael Harris called The End of Absence, Samson addresses what he feels is a need to be more mindful of how much attention we give to our devices.

"I've had some very difficult times with screens, to the point where I've had to actually shut down a lot of my access to them," he says. "I do think it's a failure of the psychological and psychiatric world that it isn't recognized as an addiction, officially. They're always quite slow and careful and deliberate in labelling something as addiction, but the DSM-5 doesn't include it, and I think it should.

"I think it's incredibly obvious to most of us that this is an actual addiction, and there needs to be more open and forthright discussion about it. I feel like anyone who does bring it up is shouted down as a luddite.

I don't feel that way.

There are wonderful things about screens and the Internet, and it's democratized and empowered so many fields and so many people, but I do feel we have to be aware of the drawbacks and the very real erosion of some people's mental health due to these advancements."

John K. Samson - "Postdoc Blues"
Also, see other musicians influenced by Neil Young or... 50 Reasons Why Neil Young's Music Matters.

Be the Rain, Be the Change. Be the Wheat.

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