Randomly Blogged - Drive-By Truckers, Gov't Mule, Lucinda Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis

Well, things have been pretty crazy lately here around Thrasher's Wheat International Headquarters (which is basically a corner of my basement, where the above photo of the Rolling Stone cover was taken.)

Over the past several weeks we've had:

- The Pretenders Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Neil Young,
- ASCAP Founders Award to Neil Young,
- Canada's Juno Awards in Winnipeg, and
- the stunning news that Neil had brain surgery for an aneurysm.

The news on Neil's health generated virtually unprecedented levels of traffic here at Thrasher's Wheat and an outpouring from fans around the world.

Many visitors left get well wishes in the open thread. Heartfelt comments like these:

Neil,
As one of the few true living legends left in rock, the news scared me big time. So relieved the news is looking good and here's looking towards us all enjoying more of the Young genius in the future, whichever direction you take us next time.

Keep on rocking and just being Neil.

Barstool

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Neil,
So glad to hear everything is going to be OK.

I found your music with a girl in 1972. I still have your music and that girl and both mean more then anything to me.

I have always wanted to see you play live, got close a couple of times but missed. Please get better and play somewhere close to Kansas.

Don't be Denied my friend.

Larry, somewhere in Kansas

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Dear Neil,
The entire congregation of the Church of the Incarnation in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, (outside of Albuquerque) has been praying for you. Get well soon, old man!

Sharon in Rio Rancho

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Hey Neil:
As a neighbor of yours on the coastside, and a brain aneurysm rupture survivor, and as an all time rocking fan, I wish you well. If you're on the web and interested there are a whole bunch of us at the Brain Aneurysm Connection who are wishing you well.

Terri

In other Neil Young News items:

- Drive-By Truckers Wish Neil Well from the Stage

- FrankB (~feel no evil~) reports on Rust that Gov't Mule encored on Sunday with "Rocking In The Free World" in Hamburg, Germany.

- Lucinda Williams discusses her favorite live Neil Young albums.

- Maroon 5 encores a cover of Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" in Toronto.

- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: One of Five Supergroups That Actually Worked.

- Jason Molina and the Magnolia Electric Co. latest CD 'What Comes After the Blues,' sounds a lot like Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

- Jimmy Buffett, closed a recent San Jose concert with a final encore dedicated to Neil Young. Buffett performed "A Pirate Looks at Forty", a song about lost youth.

- Rumors continue to circulate on Neil's trip to Nashville between his diagnosis after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony and the surgery. There have been indications that Neil and Jerry Lee Lewis hooked up in the studio - possibly with Spooner Oldham and Ben Keith - and cut as many as eight tracks. Some believe the sound to be Harvest/Harvest Moon-like. Others feel that Jerry Lee Lewis' influence will yield a cross between the Shocking Pinks' "Everybody's Rockin'" and International Harvesters' "Old Ways" sound.

Fair & balanced Neil news.

Thrasher's Wheat reports. You decide...