Video: Neil Young - "Touch the Night"

The Neil video just keeps on poppin' up. This time the music video for "Touch the Night" from the much maligned and misunderstood Geffen release Landing On Water.

The incredible music video is directed by Tim Pope, who has done several videos for Neil Young. The amazing thing about the video is that it consists of a single 4 minute+ take -- no edits or retakes only one edit*.

The clip is hosted on YouTube (to play directly, click icon in center of frame below and wait for load to complete).



Neil's performance as a TV news reporter drips with disdain at the media's sensational tendencies ("If it bleeds, it leads") over depth and context. "Touch the Night" foreshadows by almost 20 years a reprise of media criticism on Greendale's "Grandpa's Interview".

The carefully scripted news clip eerily compares to today's travesty known as "fake reality television", i.e. the horrid "American Idol"'s pre-selected winners, bogus "MTV Real World" Gen X,Y, Z'ers, plot scripted "Survivor", etc.

Also, contrary to many who thought that the Fisk University Jubilee Singers on "When God Made Me" was the first time Neil sang with a choir, it was actually here with the San Francisco Boys Chorus.



More Neil Young videos.

*Note: Thanks for the correction Joost and others!