Neil Young thread

[CarterS]

Neil Young, the 2nd best songwriter alive, apparantly. A thread for Neil. And for masteramagic!

I haven't heard his latest Living With War but I really liked Prairie Wind, and I can't wait until Heart of Gold comes out on DVD in a few days.

OK just to start things off, do we prefer the acoustic Neil or the wallpaper shredding Neil?

I can't decide yet.

 

[John]

Neil Young, the 2nd best songwriter alive, apparantly. A thread for Neil. And for masteramagic!

I haven't heard his latest Living With War but I really liked Prairie Wind, and I can't wait until Heart of Gold comes out on DVD in a few days.

OK just to start things off, do we prefer the acoustic Neil or the wallpaper shredding Neil?

I can't decide yet.

All of it.

 

[materamagic]

Early acoustic Neil live was great. BBC 71 and other live shows he did acoustically around that period are all standouts. Old Man and Don't Let It Bring you down live were heads and shoulders ahead of the studio recordings.

I loved the grunged out rocker he brought out around the late 80's and into the 90's. He had that sound on his Gibson since the early days but he just came alive with performances you never had and never will again see from an axeman in his late 40's and early 50's.

Among what I consider are his best songs and albums..

Cortez the Killer (any version)
Rust Never Sleeps album
Old Man (live)
Don't Let It Bring You Down
Time Fades Away (not on CD still!)
any live album/DVD (Weld/Live Rust/Berlin)
The Painter
Bandit
The Loner
Tonights The Night album
Most of Harvest (has to be live)

also give Trans and Reactor a go, at least he had guts to go against the record label.

you can't go wrong and with neil its all ragged glory, no studio trickery, not a perfectionist, what you see is what you get

 

[tomthetiger]

This should be made sticky. Im listening to the great man right now. Everyone. post your top10 Neil Young tracks. Heres mine:

Out on the weekend
A man needs a maid
Heart of Gold
Unknown Legend
The old laughing lady
The Last Trip To Tulsa
Rockin' in the Freeworld.
Down by the River
Southern Man
Alabama

Hard to do a top10 really, but that'd probably be it.

 

[tomthetiger]

Neil Young, the 2nd best songwriter alive, apparantly. A thread for Neil. And for masteramagic!

I haven't heard his latest Living With War but I really liked Prairie Wind, and I can't wait until Heart of Gold comes out on DVD in a few days.

OK just to start things off, do we prefer the acoustic Neil or the wallpaper shredding Neil?

I can't decide yet.

Acoustic for me, just. Id say anything pre 1980 was his very best work. Except for a few of those experimental albums in the 80s, all of his work is superb however.

 

[materamagic]

About his 80's experiments, I admire him for ****ing off the record company Geffen who tried to sue him for "making unrepresentative music". If your a big fan, you would take these releases with a grain of salt.

You've gotta love Sur-fer Joe, Moe and the Sleaze

One of the songs off the Re-act-or album, T-Bone offered these repeated lyrics that honestly sum up Neil's "lost period"

"got mashed potato....ain't got no t-bone"

meaning, he's doing this experimental stuff (mashed potato) and he ain't got no (T-Bone) for us at this stage e.g Rust Never Sleeps, After the Goldrush, etc.....

I though Trans album - electronic, the concepts addressed and the vorecorder were ahead of its time, but offcourse laughed at by mainstream.


Ok sorry a top 10, as follows................


Old Man
Cortez the Killer
Like A Hurricane
Powderfinger
Cinnamon Girl
Bandit
Rocking In The Free World
Hey Hey, My My
Needle and the Damage Done
Southern Man

 

[tomthetiger]

About his 80's experiments, I admire him for ****ing off the record company Geffen who tried to sue him for "making unrepresentative music". If your a big fan, you would take these releases with a grain of salt.

One of the songs off the Re-act-or album, T-Bone offered these repeated lyrics that honestly sum up Neil's "lost period"

"got mashed potato....ain't got no t-bone"

meaning, he's doing this experimental stuff (mashed potato) and he ain't got no (T-Bone) for us at this stage e.g Rust Never Sleeps, After the Goldrush, etc.....

I though Trans album - electronic, the concepts addressed and the vorecorder were ahead of its time, but offcourse laughed at by mainstream.


Ok sorry a top 10, as follows................


Old Man
Cortez the Killer
Like A Hurricane
Powderfinger
Cinnamon Girl
Bandit
Rocking In The Free World
Hey Hey, My My
Needle and the Damage Done
Southern Man

Dont get me wrong, I have no problem with the concepts, and admire his willingness to do what he did, but if im going to sit down and listen to a Neil Young album, the albums im least likely to listen to are those from that era. I dont actually mind them either, I just dont consider them his 'best'.

 

[materamagic]

Dont get me wrong, I have no problem with the concepts, and admire his willingness to do what he did, but if im going to sit down and listen to a Neil Young album, the albums im least likely to listen to are those from that era. I dont actually mind them either, I just dont consider them his 'best'.

agreed. if i were to recommend a few albums to get people into the man's music i would steer clear of those early 80's albums. Greatest Hits or Decade is all the casual fan needs i reckon. Tonights The Night is one I constantly return to. You gotta be in a certain mood for those experiemental ones.

"come on down for a pleasure cruise, plenty of women, plenty of booze"

Some of their best music is set to some bizzare words in the case of Re-act-or, if he was serious with that release, that would be a classic.

 

[tomthetiger]

Yeah, too true about the 'mood' factor, and I will occasionally listen to those albums. The album I keep coming back to is his self titled album, In my opinion its rather underrated. I love the opener, just for something different and then The Loner. Dont let it bring you down, and The Last Trip to Tulsa are 2 of my all time favourites, as is The Old Laughing Lady.

As for what Young album i'd introduce someone to, probably Harvest...Depending on the person.

 

[materamagic]

Yeah, too true about the 'mood' factor, and I will occasionally listen to those albums. The album I keep coming back to is his self titled album, In my opinion its rather underrated. I love the opener, just for something different and then The Loner. Dont let it bring you down, and The Last Trip to Tulsa are 2 of my all time favourites, as is The Old Laughing Lady.

As for what Young album i'd introduce someone to, probably Harvest...Depending on the person.

Don't Let It Bring You Down was on After the Goldrush, aye? Yeah the self titled one is underrated. The Loner and Old Laughing Lady are often dusted off for live performance.

 

[tomthetiger]

It was? Ahh I get confused sometimes.

 

[Crosby87]

There's a video on youtube.com of Neil busking in an Irish street playing The Old Laughing Lady on his banjo. It's a bit grainy, but interesting.

I think they wake up to who it was by the end of it.

 

[materamagic]

There's a video on youtube.com of Neil busking in an Irish street playing The Old Laughing Lady on his banjo. It's a bit grainy, but interesting.

I think they wake up to who it was by the end of it.

yeah hilarious.

Any thoughts of Neil as a performer in concert? What did you think about his grunged out style of jumping and shaking, breaking guitar strings, going berserk with Crazy Horse?

It's amazing the different live persona's Neil can channel

 

[tomthetiger]

Well there's this - if it counts. His voice was truly amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvdEH_-gj8Y&mode=related&search=

 

[krisholio14]

nobody has mentioned what i rate as pretty damn close to his best record - 'on the beach'. just love losing myself in the title track. and revolution blues is a real kicker.

 

[Roddy]

Neil Young ties with REM and the Doors as the most diabolically OVER-rated Rock artists in the history of Rock itself....

 

[krisholio14]

Neil Young ties with REM and the Doors as the most diabolically OVER-rated Rock artists in the history of Rock itself....

without wanting to drag this thread off topic, if youre going to make a statement like this, the name bruce springsteen has to be in there also. and oh yeah, some reasoning behind the opinion would be nice also.

 

[tomthetiger]

Everyone big in rock is overrated. Simply because its the nature of the industry. Instead of being made out as exceptional musicians, they're made out as gods, This isn't to say they aren't good however. That being said, the normal usage of the term 'overrated' is better applied to the Doors, REM and Springsteen than it is to Neil Young, thats for sure.

 

[materamagic]

nobody has mentioned what i rate as pretty damn close to his best record - 'on the beach'. just love losing myself in the title track. and revolution blues is a real kicker.

Add to that vampire blues and barstool blues. Completed the ditch trilogy. (Time Fades away, Tonights the Night, On The Beach)

his voice has held up well over the years, he has lost none of his passion for his work, on the latest CSNY tour, he is belting out the songs from living with war, he may look his age but he has the drive and hunger of a man 30 years younger.

 

[Roddy]

without wanting to drag this thread off topic, if youre going to make a statement like this, the name bruce springsteen has to be in there also. and oh yeah, some reasoning behind the opinion would be nice also.

Reasoning?? OK....how about the fact that those artists' music is DEAD F*CKING BORING??? Totally lacking in dynamics, excitement and musicianship. Each one of those artists' music drones on without ever getting anywhere, no climax, no light and shade, just monotony.
Enough?
Oh, and I do NOT agree about Springsteen...he is one of the greats.

 

[materamagic]

each to their own, but these people making such statements i don't think have listened to Neil that extensively, or bruce. he is respected and stays true to himself and is still out there putting his messages out, both Bruce and Neil have done some pretty decent things over their careers and anyone with a clue about music will be able to tell you that.

Don't tell me this performance wasn't dynamic?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVxM-KOZKo

Don't tell me this ain't a young musician bearing his soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp1rAB0yDeU

If you think these artists are overrated or don't deserve their current status thats your entitled opinion, but to state that these artist's work is without dynamics and musicianship, as rough around the edges and humble sounding they pull it off as, is an insult.

 

[Gorry]

Reasoning?? OK....how about the fact that those artists' music is DEAD F*CKING BORING??? Totally lacking in dynamics, excitement and musicianship. Each one of those artists' music drones on without ever getting anywhere, no climax, no light and shade, just monotony.
Enough?
Oh, and I do NOT agree about Springsteen...he is one of the greats.

Thank you. Please come again.




Here's ten I just thought of in about thirty seconds

The Old Laughing Lady
Revolution Blues
Powderfinger
Cortez the killer
Yonder stands the sinner
Tired Eyes
Vampire Blues
Rockin' in the free world
Fu####' Up
I've been waiting for you

On the beach and Tonight's the night are the two albums I play most but right now I'm listening to Time Fades Away which I found on the net yesterday

 

[materamagic]

Thank you. Please come again.




Here's ten I just thought of in about thirty seconds

The Old Laughing Lady
Revolution Blues
Powderfinger
Cortez the killer
Yonder stands the sinner
Tired Eyes
Vampire Blues
Rockin' in the free world
Fu####' Up
I've been waiting for you

On the beach and Tonight's the night are the two albums I play most but right now I'm listening to Time Fades Away which I found on the net yesterday

He is yet to release Time Fades on CD, alot of NY diehards consider it among the best he ever did. I also have the record, its good stuff.

 

[cats56]

Idolise the wallpaper shredding/Crazy Horse Neil. He has often stated that this is his favourite style but would be burnt out, if that's all he did. While i find some of his accoustic or softer material a bit trippy, have to say i was blown away by the track "Harvest Moon".

While the technical ****ers just don't get it, this man is a masterful guitarist. He has completely mastered harmonics even though a lot of his playing is one note. I don't think there's been anyone even approach him in his style of playing.

"Tonight's The Night" sits @ #3 on my greatest albums of all time list. Has there ever been a more emotion racked album, (after the deaths of Danny Whitten and Bruce Berry.).

The Trans album that has been discussed was dedicated as communication to his son who has cerebral paulsy. Quite a brave move by Neil.

My Top 12 albums (in rough order).

1. Tonight's The Night.
2. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.
3. Ragged Glory.
4. On The Beach.
5. Zuma.
6. Weld.
7. After The Gold Rush.
8. Sleeps With Angels.
9. Time Fades Away.
10.Freedom.
11.Rust Never Sleeps.
12.Neil Young S/T.

I'm a little surprised there has been no mention of his work with Buffalo Springfield. The man's been through a torrid time with his health of recent times. We are blessed that he is still with us and producing some fine music.

 

[bradrowe#32]

I have a lot of admiration and respect for the man.

My Top 10:

Southern Man
Ohio
Are You Passionate?
Cortez The Killer
Driveby
I'm The Ocean
Powderfinger
A Man Needs A Maid
Rockin' In The Free World
Campaigner