UPDATE ON DVD REPLACEMENTS: "Way Down In The Rust Bucket" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse + The Force of the Horse | NYA

"Way Down In The Rust Bucket" 

by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse

Replacement DVD Cover 

 

Replacement DVDs of "Way Down In The Rust Bucket" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse are finally starting to arrive and early reports are that it "sounds heavenly!!!!!" (Thanks Jonathan!)

 

UPDATE ON DVD REPLACEMENTS: "Way Down In The Rust Bucket" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse

 

As we reported here back in March, (see  "RUST BUCKET" DVD Audio Issues: Neil Young Owns It and Steps Up) Neil Young is stepping up on the issue regarding the DVD audio on ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’. 

"RUST BUCKET" DVD Audio Issues: Neil Young Owns It and Steps Up

 

As background, a TW reader commented back in February on the audio concerns on the DVD versus the CD, LP or hi-res files. The TW commenter -- Mr. Harm -- then followed up directly with NYA with a Letter to Editor to which Neil Young personally responds.

Neil Young's response is noteworthy in its transparency, honesty, accountability, and integrity. 

‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’  - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse "Let me go on record as saying that I think this 'Way Down in the Rust Bucket" is the best Crazy Horse record we ever recorded. I love it! "~ Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, Rolling Stone -  March 2, 2021 

Shortly thereafter the discovery of flaws, came word on Members Page | T-C | NYA that replacement DVDs are shipping to everyone who ordered either the stand-alone DVD or the Deluxe Box Sets from the Greedy Hand Store, as well as to those who purchased the Deluxe Box sets from other retailers and signed up for the replacement DVDs. 

Now, according to NYA Members Page, the replacement DVDs are shipping this week.  All of these DVDs will ship from U.S. warehouse to  worldwide customers.

 

Deluxe Box Set Edition (DVD, 4 LPs, 2 CDs)

Order Now: WAY DOWN IN THE RUST BUCKET" 

by Neil Young w/  Crazy Horse 

(Please shop locally & independently. But if you can't, we appreciate your supporting Thrasher's Wheat by clicking this link . Thank you!!!) 

The Force of the Horse | NYA

Also, see:

• NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Homegrown": ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Smell the Horse": Ragged Glory Extended + Comment of the Moment: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
• REVIEW: ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse | Old Grey Cat
• Comment of the Moment #2: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse 
• INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone
• Comment of the Moment: INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone  
• Comment of the Moment #2: Watching "Rust Bucket"
  

 #MayTheHorseBeWithYou 

 
Also, see A Message From Neil Young: RISING WITH THE MOON + Crazy Horse + The Ghost of Elliot. 

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DVD REPLACEMENTS: "Way Down In The Rust Bucket" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse

‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’  - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse "Let me go on record as saying that I think this 'Way Down in the Rust Bucket" is the best Crazy Horse record we ever recorded. I love it! "~ Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, Rolling Stone -  March 2, 2021 

As we reported here back in March, (see  "RUST BUCKET" DVD Audio Issues: Neil Young Owns It and Steps Up) Neil Young is stepping up on the issue regarding the DVD audio on ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’. 

"RUST BUCKET" DVD Audio Issues: Neil Young Owns It and Steps Up

 

As background, a TW reader commented back in February on the audio concerns on the DVD versus the CD, LP or hi-res files. The TW commenter -- Mr. Harm -- then followed up directly with NYA with a Letter to Editor to which Neil Young personally responds.

Neil Young's response is noteworthy in its transparency, honesty, accountability, and integrity. 

Shortly thereafter the discovery of flaws, came word on Members Page | T-C | NYA that replacement DVDs are shipping to everyone who ordered either the stand-alone DVD or the Deluxe Box Sets from the Greedy Hand Store, as well as to those who purchased the Deluxe Box sets from other retailers and signed up for the replacement DVDs. 

Now, according to NYA Members Page, the replacement DVDs are shipping this week.  All of these DVDs will ship from U.S. warehouse to  worldwide customers.

 

Deluxe Box Set Edition (DVD, 4 LPs, 2 CDs)

Order Now: WAY DOWN IN THE RUST BUCKET" 

by Neil Young w/  Crazy Horse 

(Please shop locally & independently. But if you can't, we appreciate your supporting Thrasher's Wheat by clicking this link . Thank you!!!) 

 

Also, see:

• NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Homegrown": ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Smell the Horse": Ragged Glory Extended + Comment of the Moment: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
• REVIEW: ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse | Old Grey Cat
• Comment of the Moment #2: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse 
• INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone
• Comment of the Moment: INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone  
• Comment of the Moment #2: Watching "Rust Bucket"
  

 

 #MayTheHorseBeWithYou 

 
Also, see A Message From Neil Young: RISING WITH THE MOON + Crazy Horse + The Ghost of Elliot. 

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REVIEWS + INTERVIEWS: ‘Rust Bucket’ by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse + Frank “Poncho” Sampedro | SPIN

‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’  - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse "Let me go on record as saying that I think this 'Way Down in the Rust Bucket" is the best Crazy Horse record we ever recorded. I love it! "~ Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, Rolling Stone -  March 2, 2021

 

As previously posted,  Crazy Horse's Frank “Poncho” Sampedro has said that ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’  is "the best Crazy Horse record we ever recorded".

So how about the critics?

From Neil Young / Crazy Horse: Way Down in the Rust Bucket Album Review | Pitchfork by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:

As silly as it sounds, “T-Bone” provides the key to unlocking many of Way Down in the Rust Bucket’s charms. 

It’s not much of a song—there are no other lyrics than “Got mashed potatoes/Ain’t got no T-Bone"—yet hearing Crazy Horse lock into a primal rhythm then remain there for nearly seven minutes, as Young delivers each repetition of its lone line as if it’s a new punchline, is as invigorating as his elongated solos. 

There’s a direct line connecting this rave-up with “Farmer John,” a frat-rock classic from Don & Dewey by way of the Premiers that wound up as a touchstone on Ragged Glory: They’re party tunes played by a band intent on having a hell of a good time.

See full review of Neil Young / Crazy Horse: Way Down in the Rust Bucket Album Review | Pitchfork by Stephen Thomas Erlewine. 

From Neil Young #60: Way Down In The Rust Bucket| Everybody’s Dummy by Wardo:

The focus throughout Way Down In The Rust Bucket is the music. 

Very little of the between-song chatter is included, and every track fades to silence after the song is finished, with a minimum of crowd ambiance. (The video portion, simultaneously released on DVD, included all the chatter, tuning, and false starts, as well as the night’s performance of “Cowgirl In The Sand”, which apparently had audio issues.)

Of the many projects teased from Neil Young Archives throughout 2020, this was a welcome installment in the growing catalog. 

Hard to believe, listening over 30 years later, these guys were considered “old” then.

See full review of Neil Young #60: Way Down In The Rust Bucket| Everybody’s Dummy by Wardo.

 

Poncho
Köln, Germany - July 12, 2013
Photo by Roel van Dijk's
(Click photo to enlarge)

 

From Neil Young Guitarist Poncho on the Band's Best Show | SPIN by Ford:

SPIN: Was there something heading up to those shows in Santa Cruz that made you all want to capture it? Everyone sounds like they’re at the top of their collective games. 

 
Frank “Poncho” Sampedro: Quite honestly, I didn’t even know they ever found [the tapes] until two or three weeks ago. 

Really, I had no clue. I never heard the bootlegs. That was just a product of Larry Johnson wanting to do it and Neil gave in and let him do it. That’s our home turf and a big weed-growing community. What better place to start the tour — and this wasn’t a warm-up show — than there? It wasn’t about preparing for anything in the future. It was about going out and having a good time. I watched the video and it amazes me. It seems like I was mesmerized by [bassist] Billy [Talbot]. He’s over the moon having so much fun prancing around, singing, playing. I was just looking at him going wild. And he even turned into our emcee that night. It was amazing. 

I’d never seen him do that.

SPIN: What do you remember getting off stage that night, if you remember anything at all? 

 
Frank “Poncho” Sampedro: It was filled with joy. 

But not only that, all our buddies were there. It wasn’t like walking out to the tour bus and going down the road. We went to the bar we hung out with all our friends. Wasn’t nobody was asking for autographs or any crazy stuff. We were just having a good time. Then a guy asked us if we went outside and we said no. Since there were big glass windows, you can hear we’re playing loud and for more than a few feet. Every place [in that stretch] is packed with people outside partying. 

So we had a block party we didn’t even know.

See full interview of Neil Young Guitarist Poncho on the Band's Best Show | SPIN by Ford.

Also, see INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone by Andy Greene.

As the "Inextinguishable Scotsman" declared succinctly: "RUST BUCKET: the sound of Ragged Glory transforming into Weld."

 

Deluxe Box Set Edition (DVD, 4 LPs, 2 CDs)

Order Now: WAY DOWN IN THE RUST BUCKET" 

by Neil Young w/  Crazy Horse 

(Please shop locally & independently. But if you can't, we appreciate your supporting Thrasher's Wheat by clicking this link . Thank you!!!) 

 

Also, see:

• NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Homegrown": ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Smell the Horse": Ragged Glory Extended + Comment of the Moment: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
• REVIEW: ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse | Old Grey Cat
• Comment of the Moment #2: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse 
• INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone
• Comment of the Moment: INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone  
• Comment of the Moment #2: Watching "Rust Bucket"
  

 

 #MayTheHorseBeWithYou 

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FILM: "A Short Visit To The Neil Young Archives" + Comment of the Moment: INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro & "Rust Bucket’

A Short Visit To The Neil Young Archives | NYA

A film from May 2000 -- directed by LA Johnson --  titled "A Short Visit To The Neil Young Archives" has been posted on Surf Shack | Neil Young Archives. (Thanks Steven F.!)

The 10 minute film walks thru the vaults of NYA revealing the astonishing motherlode of what is and what will be someday, including unreleased albums, concerts and films.  (Also, see The Making of The Neil Young Archives Vol#1 and ARCHIVES VOL. II: 1972-1976 Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set Out November 20 | NYA.

 

‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’  - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse "Let me go on record as saying that I think this 'Way Down in the Rust Bucket" is the best Crazy Horse record we ever recorded. I love it! "~ Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, Rolling Stone -  March 2, 2021

 

Also, the Comment of the Moment is from the post INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone by Dan on recently released album  ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’  - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse:

    We finally got the time to watch the DVD of Way Down in the Rust Bucket last night.

        The songs that were featured on NYA last year every Friday did nothing to prepare us for what we experienced last night. By the time we got to the encore, my wife was absolutely spent. She said that each set could have been a whole concert on its own.

        Listening to the albums was (for me) a sonic revelation. Watching the entire concert was a totally physical revelation. The old cliche “ it was like being there” is an understatement. This was the most fun I’ve ever had at a concert without actually being there. I love the fact that the video was left as is, rough around the edges and grainy; ragged glory as it were. It felt like experiencing an historical event that had been lost to the ages, and somehow, unexpectedly discovered by an archeologist. This concert is the musical equivalent of discovering dead sea scrolls.

        Anyone with kids who have an interest in music, either playing it or just listening asks “what it was like going to a concert back in the day” should have the opportunity to witness this film......LOUD!!! It will answer many questions they may have. Like “why is it so important to play in the moment”, or “What does it mean, “being in the zone”. What is the value to “play with feeling over technique? “Why are mistakes just as important as accuracy”? “Why is the joy of playing more valuable than the money you can make”? All this and more is openly on display in this one performance.

        This document is an extraordinary example of the power of rock and roll, and its value to the heart, mind, and soul. One doesn’t even need to like Neil Young and Crazy Horse to see the glory of the “group mind” playing music. There’s intensity, humor, musicality, heartfelt and emotional lyrics. There is the simplicity of T. Bone creating an opportunity to just jam for the sake of jamming, the cinematic Cortez the Killer, the anthemic Love and Only Love. The provocative Bite the Bullet, and Farmer John. This show covers a lot of ground, and it takes its sweet time doing it.

        The pure joy on stage I felt listening to the 4 LP’s, was in plain view on the DVD. A great band playing in a great venue for a great audience, and no one was holding anything back. This was a concert for the ages, and it should be witnessed by as many people as possible, but be prepared to be completely exhausted after seeing it.

        I can’t wait to experience it again, and again and.........

        Peace 🙏

Thanks Dan.  So cool you and your wife got to enjoy this experience 3 decades after the fact. As we often like to say to anyone who cares to listen, see and hear: "May The Horse Be With You & Yours!"

We had a very similar scene @ TW w/ Thrashette on occasion going "so we saw this tour?" 

While we both did see the 1991 WELD tour, the vibe and song selection are so vastly different it's hard to believe how close together they occurred and how much had changed by the time The Horse came to our town in Largo, Maryland.  

As the "Inextinguishable Scotsman" declared succinctly: "RUST BUCKET: the sound of Ragged Glory transforming into Weld."

Also, see:

• NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Homegrown": ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
•  "Smell the Horse": Ragged Glory Extended + Comment of the Moment: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
• REVIEW: ‘Way Down in the Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse | Old Grey Cat
• Comment of the Moment #2: NYA FIRST LISTEN/WATCH: ‘Way Down In The Rust Bucket’ - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse 
• INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone
• Comment of the Moment: INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone

 

Deluxe Box Set Edition (DVD, 4 LPs, 2 CDs)

Order Now: WAY DOWN IN THE RUST BUCKET" 

by Neil Young w/  Crazy Horse 

(Please shop locally & independently. But if you can't, we appreciate your supporting Thrasher's Wheat by clicking this link . Thank you!!!)  

 

 #MayTheHorseBeWithYou 

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Comment of the Moment: INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone

 Frank “Poncho” Sampedro w/ Crazy Horse
Cleveland, Ohio - Oct. 8
Alchemy Tour 2012
Photos by TW
(Click photo to enlarge)

 

The recently published interview with Frank “Poncho” Sampedro of Crazy Horse in Rolling Stone, provided many answers to questions that fans have been asking for several years now.

Frank "Poncho" Sampedro
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Concert: Liverpool, England - July 13, 2014
Photo by David Fallon
(Click photo to enlarge)

 

Our Comment of the Moment is from the post INTERVIEW: Frank “Poncho” Sampedro - Neil Young, Crazy Horse Guitarist | Rolling Stone by Dan:

Just now finished reading the whole interview and I’m amazed that Rolling Stone Magazine actually got Poncho to be interviewed at all. 

This is the interview I’ve been waiting for since Poncho left the Horse. 

What a relaxed and friendly person he seems to be, and it doesn’t surprise me at all. He truly was the glue that held the music together for so many years, as he is such a gifted rhythm guitarist. Much like Bob Weir, their gift is so easily missed because it’s so incredibly subtle and articulate at the same time. Any musician can hear it instantly, but for the layperson who listens to music but doesn’t play wouldn’t notice it as quickly. It’s a feel thing, and that is hard to understand until it’s not there. If you were to sit at a mixing board with any Crazy Horse song playing, and you were to turn the track that Poncho is on all the way off, you would not only hear what’s missing, but you would feel it even more. His contributions to Neil’s music is irreplaceable. 

He has the gift that only few musicians have, and that’s why we all miss him so much.

This was a great interview with interesting facts and information that have answered a lot of questions I’ve had over the years. Poncho was so open and kind. I’m so glad he knew when to stop, and for the right reasons, with no regrets. Thank you Poncho for all the amazing music you have given us over the years. Generations of music fans will enjoy and appreciate your legacy long after we’re all gone. 

Your integrity, honesty and sense of humor all illustrate the wonderful person you are, and I wish you a long and happy life.

Peace

Thanks so much Dan!  We could not have said it any better.  This interview by Poncho really puts to rest much of the idle speculation on "so, whatever happened to Poncho and Crazy Horse?"

So it really is essential reading for any Horse aficionado -- which we know are out there roaming about in very large herds.

Billy, Poncho, Ralph & Neil
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Albuquerque, NM, Aug 3, 2012
Photo by Steve Snowden/Getty Images North America

Also, here's an interview from 2013, A Horse with a Name: Frank Sampedro Tells the Crazy Horse Story by John Swenson.

 

Crazy Horse
Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot & Frank "Poncho" Sampedro
MusiCares Honors Neil Young - Los Angeles, CA - 1/29/10
Photo by Joni Milken-Noah 

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
(L-R Billy Talbot, Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, Neil Young, and Ralph Molina w/ Elliot Roberts)
Spectrum in Philadelphia,PA on September 17,1986
©1986 Ebet Roberts
(Click photo to enlarge)

 

Crazy Horse 2012 - Los Angeles, CA Billy Talbot, Frank Sampedro, Neil Young & Ralph Molina(See Photo of the Moment: Crazy Horse 2012)
Photo via Ralph Molina | Facebook  
Poncho & Neil Young
Melbourne, AUS 13 March 2013 (reviews)
Photo Gallery by Sten Thorborg | Flickr
(Click photo to enlarge) 

"SMELL THE HORSE"
Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse
Mansfield, MA - 8-8-1997
Photo by Steve "Babs" Babineau via TW Archives Collection (#8 0f 300)

Also, Photo of the Moment: "SMELL THE HORSE" - Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse, Mansfield, MA - 8-8-1997 by Steve "Babs" Babineau.

 
Induct Neil Young w/  Crazy Horse
Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
#CrazyHorse4HOF  

 #MayTheHorseBeWithYou

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Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" Keyboard

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Philadelphia, 11/29/12
Photo by thrasher

"Stringman", sometimes called "The Danger Bird" -- AKA "The Dove from Above" -- the flying keyboard used during Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" has been used for decades on monstrous jams with Crazy Horse.

The following research on the flying keyboard -- a 1974 Crumar Univox Stringman Synthesizer -- that comes down from the ceiling was provided by TW reader Doug.

I went to the Neil Young + Promise of the Real concert at Murat Theater at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana on - Sept 19, 2019..one of the best set lists of all the Neil shows I have seen (first was 1976 Stills-Young Band at Colt Park in Hartford CT).

As always, I noticed the keyboard hanging above and was happy to see it come down for Like a Hurricane (too many times I have seen it hang there all night and no Like a Hurricane). Since then, I've been wondering about the origin/history of the lowering keyboard and its design.

I discovered a 2013 (4/17/13) Rolling Stone interview with Poncho Sampedro. He was asked "Tell me about recording Like a Hurricane. Neil wrote in his book that you guys got it on the very first take". His reply:

"Well, that's true in one sense. We tried it with two guitars. I think one day we tried it once at the end of a session, another day we tried it all day with two guitars, and the third day we tried it with two guitars. It was just...He was upset with it. I sat down at the keyboard. He had an organ and I started playing it a little. He said "Well, let's try it like that." So we played it like that one time, and at the end of that tape, you can hear it, Neil goes, "Yeah, that's how it goes I think. That's it." "

And within the same interview, Poncho was asked "What was it like to play Like a Hurricane in a torrential downpour?" His reply:

"Oh, that was so crazy. It was raining off and on, kind of sprinkling all day there. Then we started playing Hurricane and a torrential downpour came. I mean, literally the organ stopped working it got so wet. I had to play guitar on that song for the first time in history. All that gear took a hit. It almost looked like hail was falling. I was drenched, and I couldn't move because I was attached to the organ. Those guys go to take a step back and everyone was quickly covering all the amps. The monitor console got totally soaked. A lot of things stopped working. It was crazy, but it's not the first time that happened during that song. It's amazing."

I wrote a note to NYA that was answered by Neil. He says:

It's a 'Stringman' analog synth, pretty rare these days. Mine are all delicate and I have spares. Love, N

Finally, I've attached a couple of Hurricane pictures from the Murat show in Indy.

Micah Nelson on Keyboard
Neil Young + Promise of the Real
Murat Theater at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana - Sept 19, 2019
Photo by Doug Farber

Thanks Doug! Great research on an interesting subject. Much appreciated.


Neil Young + Promise of the Real - Like A Hurricane / I’ve Been Waiting For You, 2019-07-12, Hyde Park, London
(thanks Robert @NYUA - UNOFFICIAL Neil Young Unreleased Archive!)

Poncho
"Like A Hurricane"
Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany, June 2, 2013
Photo by Paolo Brillo
(Click photo to enlarge)
Also, from Rusted Moon, a video on Neil Young's Stringman Synthesizer.

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Neil Young: "Crazy Horse is about to enter the studio with 11 new ones."

CRAZY HORSE IN STUDIO!
via Neil Young Archives

Last month, Neil Young confirmed that more Crazy Horse concerts were to be scheduled, as well as, a new Crazy Horse album was in the works.

On today's updated Letters to the Editor section on Neil Young Archives, Neil writes that "Crazy Horse is about to enter the studio with 11 new ones."

NEW CRAZY HORSE
via Neil Young Archives

So it looks like the first new album with Crazy Horse in 7 years since the release of Psychedelic Pill. Nils Lofgren will join the sessions. Neil writes on NYA: "Nils, seen in shadow on the image above, will be with Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot and I, making our new CRAZY HORSE music high in the Rockies."

Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, has stated that he is "retired". In a recent interview with Uncut Magazine, Poncho said:

“I’m 70 and I’m retired now and want to stay home.

People say, ‘Isn’t it sad you’re not in Crazy Horse?’ I don’t think of it that way. I’ll always be in Crazy Horse. I’m as big a part of Crazy Horse as anyone that’s ever been in it.”

There are many more Letters to the Editor today, so check those out as well.

Looks like the NYA Team is really starting to get ready to crank it out in these coming days, weeks, months. We're the lucky ones.

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LAST CALL: CONTEST: Uncut Magazine: Neil Young & The Legend of Crazy Horse - May 2019

"I'm tapped into the source!"
Neil Young & The Legend of Crazy Horse
Uncut Magazine Cover - May 2019
CONTEST: Win A Copy

Last call for our contest to win a copy of the latest issue of Uncut Magazine celebrating 50 years of the band Crazy Horse. Full contest details @ CONTEST: Uncut Magazine: Neil Young & The Legend of Crazy Horse - May 2019.

Also, how about it Rock Hall?! 50 years of Crazy Horse! Let's Induct Neil Young & Crazy Horse into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!!!

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

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FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT: Poncho Sampedro - Uncut Magazine, Jan 2015

Poncho & Neil - ~1991

As we promised on last night's Thrashers Wheat Radio Hour on wbkm.org, we've now linked the full transcript from Uncut Magazine's Jan 2015 Neil Young cover issue interview with Frank "Poncho" Sampedro on Uncut.co.uk by Michael Bonner:

Uncut Magazine: How’s Billy doing?

Poncho: I talked to him last week. He seemed to be fine. He went to The Bridge concert and I also talked to some people who saw him there and they said he looked fine. He looked just the same as ever, just maybe moving a little slower. He’s just finished another record, he’s working on his own music. I talked to him he said he played piano on a lot of songs and he’s playing guitar and bass. Al his faculties are back. He’s got to gather his strength, they put you on a lot of medications when you have a stroke. So it’ll be a matter of time before they take him off some of those.

Uncut Magazine: You’d been rehearsing with Billy before he had a stroke?

Poncho: We rehearsed for three days for that tour at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. Rehearsals were going really well. We had a set made up, at least a lot of possibilities for a set. Neil was going to work on that. We were going to have a few more days to rehearse in Iceland before we started. Then I came home from that. I got a phone call the next day; on the drive home, Billy was driving from Oakland to South Dakota and that’s where he suffered the stroke. I got a phone call from Elliot Roberts telling me that Billy had a stroke. We were pretty worried at that time. His wife was driving. He actually told me, it was kind of odd, he said he didn’t even know that he had a stroke. They stopped, I guess at Salt Lake City, Utah, he said then when he went to step out of the car, his foot wouldn’t work. He said, ‘If I hadn’t got out of the car I wouldn’t even know that I’d had a stroke.’ So I guess it was a mild stroke, my mother had a few mild strokes and she said she just felt like she took a nap. So unless it’s something that really disables part of your system, you don’t notice it too much.

Uncut Magazine: Was it ever likely the tour might not happen?

Poncho: My first inkling when Elliot called me was the tour is cancelled. Then the next day, I got a call from Neil and he said he talked to Rick Rosas and said, “We got a bass player, we can do this.” He said, “Why don’t you just sing most of Billy’s parts?” You know I don’t sing that often in the band. I’m not the world’s best harmony singer, in fact I pretty much suck at it. If I know a part, once I get it, I can sing it over and over again forever. But getting it is the hard thing! I was enthusiastic that morning. I told Neil, “Yeah, I’ll fill in for Billy, I’ll take over, I’ll do what I can.” I worked on it all that day. I went through all the songs we had, I started singing background parts to figure out Billy’s parts. I remember I called Neil back the next morning, my voice was hoarse. I said, “Neil, I can’t do it. I’m going to be the cause of really screwing up some shows if I have to sing on all of those. It’s not going to be fun.” He said, “Don’t worry, we’ll get some background singers.”

(Thanks bh @ BNB, Nathan & all!)

To continue to full transcript from Uncut Magazine's Jan 2015 Neil Young cover issue interview with Frank "Poncho" Sampedro on Uncut.co.uk by Michael Bonner.

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Neil Young Guitarist Poncho Sampedro Wants a Crazy Horse Farewell Tour | Rolling Stone

Crazy Horse's Poncho & Neil Young - Europe 2014
Photo by Matt Kent/WireImage

A must read interview with Poncho from Rolling Stone by Andy Greene.

Frank "Poncho" Sampedro discusses a multitude of topics including hoping for a "proper" Crazy Horse farewell tour, his 2013 hand injury and Billy Talbot's health.

The group's future plans are unclear, and Poncho says that Crazy Horse almost certainly won't appear at Farm Aid on September 13th in Raleigh, North Carolina. "It's just a huge expense to bring Crazy Horse there," says Poncho. "Neil did tell me that he loves this band, he loves playing with us and he wants to do it as much as he can. He didn't talk about any sort of timeframe, and I'm sure he loves playing with CSNY, too."

On the plane back to America, Poncho did approach Young with his take on what the future should hold. "I said to him, we should get together in the spring, record another Crazy Horse album and do a farewell tour next year,'" says Poncho. "Elliot was saying, 'Great idea!' But Neil's a poker player. He didn't really say anything. He's always thinking about what he's doing today and tomorrow, and right now he has acoustic shows, Pono and he's working on a fiction novel."

More on Neil Young Guitarist Poncho Sampedro Wants a Crazy Horse Farewell Tour | Rolling Stone.

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Photo of the Moment: Crazy Horse's Frank "Poncho" Sampedro - Liverpool, England - July 13, 2014

Frank "Poncho" Sampedro
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Concert: Liverpool, England - July 13, 2014
Photo by David Fallon
(Click photo to enlarge)
A recent photo of Crazy Horse's Frank "Poncho" Sampedro from Liverpool, England - July 13, 2014. Nice to see Poncho with Lennon shirt while in Liverpool. That must've went down well locally. Guess the Hendrix shirt was retired?? (Thanks David for view from the rail.)

Here are reports from Europe/Mideast Summer Tour 2014 thus far...

2014-07-07, Laugardalshöllin, Reykjavík, Iceland

2014-07-10, Live At The Marquee, Cork, Ireland

2014-07-12, Hyde Park, London, England

2014-07-13, Echo Arena, Liverpool, England

2014-07-15, KüçükÇiftlik Park, Istanbul, Turkey

2014-07-17, Yarkon Park, Tel-Aviv, Israel - CANCELED

Next up: Germany leg...

2014-07-20, Münsterplatz, Ulm, Germany

2014-07-21, Collisioni Festival, Barolo, Italy

2014-07-23, Wiener Stadthalle, Wien, Austria

2014-07-25, Warsteiner Hockeypark, Mönchengladbach, Germany

2014-07-26, Filmnächte am Elbufer, Dresden, Germany

2014-07-28, Zollhafen - Nordmole, Mainz, Germany

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Neil Young and Crazy Horse Europe Tour Cancellation Reverberates

Poncho
Köln, Germany - July 12, 2013
Photo by Roel van Dijk's
(Click photo to enlarge)
Yesterday's news that Neil Young and Crazy Horse's remaining Europe tour dates are canceled hit the rusty world quite hard.

It was was no pleasure for us here at Thrashers Wheat to break the news just hours before the band was to hit the stage for the big Way Out West Festival in Göteborg, Sweden. Reaction here and here was swift, ranging from concern, anguish, to outright bitterness.

Of course, the main concern is that Poncho's injury is relatively minor and he makes a full recovery.

There were many cries of "The show must go on!".

Neil should have just played an acoustic set.

Crazy Horse should've played as a trio.

Since it was a festival, there must have been some guitarist around who could step in and replace Poncho.

And over and over again, my friends.

Really?

We completely understand everyone's disappointment. Especially those who had been standing on the rail at last night's Way Out West Festival for hours in anticipation. So sorry for all who were excited about seeing Crazy Horse. And for those that traveled long distances or had plans to, our heart goes out and hope there's a next ride on the Horse for you someday.

Absolutely gutted I won’t be seeing Neil Young next week as the European tour has been cancelled. Proper gutted. 😢

— Desirée Ivegbuna (@__mamiwata) August 9, 2013

@neilyoung gutted at cancellation of Liverpool gig. Couldn't @nilslofgren have been drafted in to help out?

— Barb Carlyon (@babscarly) August 9, 2013

@neilyoung so sorry that you had to cancel the shows...hope Poncho gets better soon!!!!

— Elisabeth Arndt (@ellymay5) August 9, 2013

But -- and you know this is coming -- you can't put yourself in Neil's shoes and just say here's what I think is best. I know what's best for Neil. It doesn't work that way. Never has. Never will.

Down on pain street, disappointment lurks.

Down on pain street, disappointment lurks. -- Neil Young

— Neil Young Lyrics (@neilyounglyrics) August 9, 2013

So how bout a little ▶ "Depression Blues to cheer everyone up? :)

Get well soon Poncho! We need you back to ride that crazy horse one more round.

Poncho Fuckin' Up
Australia 2013
Photo by Gary "Old Man Emu" Carter
(Click photo to enlarge)Hey, if we think really hard.... No Rain/More Horse, No Rain/More Horse, No Rain/More Horse!

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A Horse with a Name: Frank "Poncho" Sampedro Tells the Crazy Horse Story

Poncho & Neil Young, Melbourne 13 March 2013
Photo Gallery by Sten Thorborg | Flickr
(Click photo to enlarge)
Here's an interview from last Fall, A Horse with a Name: Frank Sampedro Tells the Crazy Horse Story by John Swenson:

Offbeat: Your ability to look at it all as music is part of your singular genius. You guys appeal to people who don’t like rock made after 1982, yet you also appeal to people who don’t like rock made before 1982. Not sure anyone else on the touring circuit can say that.

Frank "Poncho" Sampedro: It amazes me when I look out into the crowd and I can see someone younger than one of my kids singing the words. I can see his lips moving. I don’t even know all the words to “Powderfinger,” a song I’ve played a million times, and here’s this young kid singing along.

I always felt that music is something that should bring people together. When I first got in the band in ’75, you could turn on the radio and hear a rock tune, then a gospel tune, folk music, bluegrass, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Bob Dylan, and Aretha Franklin all in one station. That’s gone. They use music now to separate people: “I’m a hip-hop guy,” “I’m a blues guy,” “I’m a jazz guy,” “I hate rock ’n’ roll.” In my vision that’s not what music is.

Music should be something that we can all hear and enjoy with each other no matter what it is instead of being separated like it is today.

More of interview A Horse with a Name: Frank Sampedro Tells the Crazy Horse Story by John Swenson.

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