A news blog for Neil Young fans from Thrasher's Wheat with concert and album updates, reviews, analysis, and other Rock & Roll ramblings. Separating the wheat from the chaff since 1996.
"First my biases: I'm prone to love everything Neil records. I feel he's one of the greatest songwriters and musicians of our time.
If I listen to a song of his and I don't get it, I have long learned that that is because I haven't spent enough time with it and that when I do, I will eventually see what he was trying to do and appreciate it. A second bias, just as strong-- and one regular DWT readers are already very aware of and probably in sync with-- is my abiding mistrust for the Bush Regime and the alarm with which I view what they have done, and continue to do, to the country I love so much. The nexus of these two biases lead to an incredible hour of listening."
He's from Canada. He's a hippie. He's an old man. He smokes pot. He's a tree-hugger. He's a flip-flopper. And worst of all -- just like Dylan - he can't sing.
Blog-dale has exploded. I've seen the hate and the damage done.
For all of the angry, rage filled hate-mongers, you are absolutely right. For once.
Now that we have that straight, please do not post comments here regarding information that we are all well aware of. And get your facts straight before spewing your venom because you're putting sponges in the bells I once rung.
There comes a time when we're all living with war. And it seems as if that time has come here at Thrasher's Wheat. The comments have been both supportive and nasty.
So today, tell us something about yourself, your faith and beliefs. Your hopes and dreams. As for Thrasher?
I'm living with WAR everyday I'm living with WAR in my heart everyday I'm living with WAR right now
"The definitive Neil Young site Thrasher's Wheat has done the hard work of assembling reaction from musical and political bloggers. Some of the reactions gathered on the normally apolitical Thrasher's Wheat show Bush's zombies in early meltdown."
"Young was wrong once before, condemning “Southern Man” 26 years ago. After learning that his album sales weren’t going well in half the country, he apologized and wrote a song about Alabama. Instead of trashing Bush, perhaps Young should sing a song berating Canada for embracing the destructive force of Islam by exporting terrorists to the U.S."
"As you may know, I'm a Neil Young fan . I'm disapointed to see him take such radical, hateful views. I won't treat him like many treated the Dixie Chicks and never listen to him again, but I'm certainly not going to run out and buy Living With War, either. "
He nothing but another commi, liberal, anti-american, hippie. If he hates the way George Bush runs America, then he can just take his whining ass back to Canada. We sure as hell don’t need him here, complaining about how bad things are. He talks like he would make a better president than George Bush. If someone like Neil Young was our president, then every terrorist in the world could walk all over us and he wouldn’t do a damn thing. His little anti-war ass."
"So, Canada, mind your own business, we have yet to attack you, and while Alberta has some oil, we prefer to be at peace with you and like what you offer.
Neil Young, I wish you would jsut bother with singing, forget about America, even though it is America that keeps you safe and prosperous.
With that prosperity maybe you should be a better neighbor, instead of siding with our enemies."
"Now, with 10 new protest ditties recorded in 72 hours, it'd seem like former Ronald Reagan booster Young has marked which side of the political fence he'd prefer to be buried on – seeds planted back at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2003, during a press conference for the multi-media project Greendale, where he expressed appreciation for Canada standing apart from the foreign policies of our neighbour. It's no wonder that Young tried to keep his three-day outburst of sedition a secret, yet by having weblogs squeal on his behalf, anyone who'd be potentially interested in hearing a song called "Impeach the President" will be worn out by the surrounding rhetoric before it's even released.
Neil's statements are limited to glib scrolling at the bottom of his website – underscoring the notion that, since protest songs will never have Nixon-era potency in this information age, Young might as well bask in his complex contrarian legacy by bashing out a few oversimplified partisan anthems that vindicate his radical past."
Phil Ochs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Phil Ochs hanged himself in 1976 after a long stretch of erratic behavior. After his death, it was revealed that the FBI had a 410-page file on Ochs.
Neil Young's official website now confirms his new album's title as LIVING WITH WAR. Neil's letter appears as ticker at bottom of page. Neil calls it "Metal Folk Protest" like Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan.
Lyrics to "LIVING WITH WAR" are scrolled.
UPDATE from former president of Reprise Records, Howie Klein on DownWithTyranny! on hearing the album the first time:
"Ok; first: the album is beyond belief. I mean it's so great I was jumping out of my skin. That's the good news. The less good news is that they wouldn't play it for me unless I agreed not to write about it for "a few days." (Not even the label has heard it yet and they felt it would be impolite for me to go blabbing the whole story all over the world until after they get to play it for Reprise and the NY Times.) So what can I tell you before "a few days?" Not much. From the time Neil started writing the songs until he finished recording the whole incredible project: 9 days.
Every song is about... you know what (and who). Musically it is so powerful and emotionally it's even more powerful that that!! Many tears while I sat alone with the headset on. Since I already mentioned "Let's Impeach the President," I'll just say a few things about that. It's this great rocker that ends as a gospel song and reads like an indictment. I mean Neil sounds like he's been reading Daily KOS or FireLakeDog! Someone's gotta get this to Henry Waxman! Neil even lays out some evidence in the form of Bush running his mouth on tape.
Will this go down as Neil's greatest album ever? It will be a contender musically. And the impact lyrically could be profound. I'll talk more about that when my period of musical purdah is up next week. If you're walking down the street and someone comes up to you and offers you the opportunity to hear just one song, ask him to play "Flags of Freedom." (Have kleenex handy.)"
Well, we've been sitting on this Neil news for some time now but it looks like the time has come since it's bustin' out all over blog-dale.
The title of Neil Young's newest album will be "Life in War" or possibly "Living With War".
As we reported last month on Neil's SXSW keynote address, Neil has been urged to deliver another "Ohio" -- a song which helped change public attitudes and marked an important turning point in the Vietnam War.
As Harp Magazine's Katherine Silkaitis reports, the album is complete and nearly ready for release. According to film director Jonathan Demme:
“It is a brilliant electric assault, accompanied by a 100-voice choir, on Bush and the war in Iraq…Truly mind blowing. Will be in stores soon.”
According to the blog Last Left Turn Before Hooterville by a member of the 100-voice choir, the album will contain the lyrics: "Let's impeach the President for lyin'!". The album will also feature a rap with President George Bush’s voice set to the choir chanting “flip/flop”. Alicia blogs:
"Every time new lyrics would come up on the screen, there were cheers, tears and applause. It was a spiritual experience ... We finished the session by singing an a cappella version of "America the Beautiful" and there was not a dry eye in the house."
"I've never been at a recording session that was more like being at church. Heck, I've never been to a church that was more like a church than that session."
In another blog by the former president of Reprise Records, Howie Klein's DownWithTyranny!: "The album, with Young on Old Black, Rick Rosas on bass and Chad Cromwell on drums, took three days to finish."
"Neil, we hate to be the ones to remind you, but you’re Canadian. You guys dissolved your parliament or whatever it’s called like last week, isn’t there a grace period before you go around kicking out other people’s elected officers? Sure, “Pass of Motion of No Confidence, Necessitating a General Election That Will Hopefully Result In the Appointment of a New Prime Minister” isn’t as catchy a title, but if you’re releasing three-day albums now, you can’t be too picky.
And why bitch? Under the President’s new immigration plan, you’ll be allowed to stay in California for upwards of six years if you register as a guest worker!"
"Mildly disappointed with Neil Young's syrupy fall release 'Prairie Wind,' this morning I'm happy (I'd write 'thrilled' or 'overjoyed,' but I'm trying to be more understated) to read that Neil will soon release a hard-rocking protest album called 'Life in War.'
After the sentimental treacle of "Prairie Wind," it's great to read that Neil has recorded "a brilliant electric assault" about Bush and the war. There's a risk that he'll overreach with this, but I hope not. When Neil connects, he hits them out of the park."
But it gets worse. Or maybe the irony overload has kicked in? On The Huffington Post, MinneapolisMike posts a real winner:
"Neil Young is obviously not on message. Even though a Canadian citizen, he can and must be considered a terrorist threat for giving such aid and comfort to our enemies.
Neil Young is obviously not on the side of Freedom. He obviously refuses to believe the Talking Points but rather the blatant lies put forth by the evil media. Those who do not question the President are on the side of Freedom. Those not on the side of Freedom must therefore be on the side of terror. Therefore, Neil Young should be considered a terrorist and put on a deck of cards to let those around the world know he is a public enemy."
UPDATE: 7:26 PM: Neil Young's official website now confirms the album's title as LIVING WITH WAR. Neil's letter appears as ticker at bottom of page. Neil calls it "Metal Folk Protest". Lyrics to "LIVING WITH WAR" are scrolled. More discussion on controversial "Living with War" and here and blogdale has exploded.
"There's one more kid that will never go to school Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool."
Certainly, we hope these lyrics do not apply to the family above.
One of the coolest things is seeing other folks interpretations of Neil Young's music. Thrasher found this blog video from Le blog de Florent Poirier titled: "Keep on rockin' in a free world ?" to be just marvelous of his family's travelougue to Montreal, Canada.
And for all of the French Neil fans: Un clip réalisé lors de mon premier séjour à Montréal en Août 2004 sur la chanson de Neil Young "Rockin' In A Free World".
Well, rock certainly might be dead if teenagers don't get their facts straight on rock history. Mark writes:
"Hey, hey. My, my. Rock 'n' roll will never die." This may have seemed true in 1969, when Neil Young sang it to thousands of strung-out fans at Woodstock in Bethel, N.Y.
Now, fast-forward to 2006, and you'll find modern rock in a state of utter ruin.
Since its birth in the early to mid-1900s, rock music has passed in and out of many different genres including rock 'n' roll, punk and grunge. As of today, all forms of rock, despite Neil Young's prophecy, are undeniably dead."
While Neil did perform at Woodstock, last we checked, "Hey, hey, My, my" was yet to be written.
"And out in California, a rock star from Canada writes a couple of great songs about the bad shit that went down
"Southern Man" and "Alabama" certainly told some truth But there were a lot of good folks down here and Neil Young wasn't around
Now Ronnie and Neil became good friends their feud was just in song Skynyrd was a bunch of Neil Young fans and Neil he loved that song
So He wrote "Powderfinger" for Skynyrd to record But Ronnie ended up singing "Sweet Home Alabama" to the lord"
The "feud myth" between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young has been fueled in recent years mainly due to the Drive-By Truckers' stunning 2002 album Southern Rock Opera song "Ronnie and Neil". This perceived rivalry between Ronnie Van Zant and Neil Young has a long and tortured history which we've covered for years now.
But since we stumbled across the super historic photo above (on Wolfgang's Vault) of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant wearing a Neil Young "Tonight's The Night" T-shirt at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium on July 2, 1977, folks now seem to agree that Ronnie and Neil were in fact buddies.
And just how do we discern these vital trends? Mostly from our rigorously analytical and exclusive Shakey Electoral Polling System.
"Hate was just a legend And war was never known The people worked together And they lifted many stones."
(Painting of CHALCHIHUITLICUE, Aztec Goddess of Rain and the Flowing Water. Unfortunately, Cortez took care of her.)
Kathleen Edwards on comparisons of her to Neil, Calgary Herald, Aug '03:
"Oh, absolutely. I read a review of my record and someone said, "She sounds like Lucinda Williams fronting Crazy Horse." I thought, wow, I never really thought that Neil Young was a big influence, but I guess in some way he's a subconscious one. It's a huge compliment. Not only is he a great musician and artist, but I have a lot of respect for the way he leads his life and takes a stand on things that are personally important to him."
My buddy Jef over at Side Street Records has been working intensively for several years on the definitive Neil Young Discography.
In Shakey - A Neil Young Biography author Jimmy McDonough called Side Street Records website "detailed to the sub-atomic". Wait until you see this, Jimmy!
As Jef nears completion, he is looking for some help in locating some rare cover images. So if you can help out, that would be great! Here's what Jef is looking for:
NEIL YOUNG
Harvest (Reprise R113998) RCA Record Club LP in single-pocket cover
Harvest (Reprise 2277-2) 1983 CD manufactured in Japan for U.S. market [red "target" design printed on the disc]
Everybody's Rockin' (Geffen 4013-2) 1983 CD manufactured in Japan for U.S. market ["target" design printed on the disc]
BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD
Last Time Around (Atco SD33-256) 1969 pressing LP with "ATCO", "RECORDS" and "STEREO" printed in BLACK (instead of tan/white)
DANNY AND THE MEMORIES
Can't Help Loving That Girl Of Mine (Valiant 6049)1965 red label second pressing 45 (not Valiant 705)
THE PSYRCLE
Baby, Don't Do That (Lorna unknown number) ANY info about this 45 needed: release date, record Nº, "B" side, --ANYTHING!!
Please eMail your record/cd list before sending any images
"You know, the difference between the greatness of Bruce Springsteen and that of Neil Young as someone once explained to me back in college: Bruce makes you think you, too, can be as great as he is; Neil makes you think he is really no better than you are to begin with. Remember that." Dr. Eric Alterman - Altercation
So how does the Canadian Young become labeled an American treasure? From On Milwaukee by Bill Zaferos on Neil Young's place in American music:
"Other than, say, Bruce Springsteen, who else has better expressed the late 20th and early 21st century American experience? Whether it was "Ohio" or "Rockin' in the Free World," or "Southern Man" or "Unknown Legend" or even "Old King," Young has always given voice to the meaning of life among the amber waves of grain, the crack-laden neighborhoods or the romantic longing of an American heart."
For many, Springsteen brings a rare combination of complex singer-songwriting and entertaining showman together in ways that Bob Dylan or Neil Young failed to achieve. From the U.K.'s Telegraph by Neil McCormick on arguably the greatest solo performer of all time:
"Springsteen is both the most populist and (in terms of sales and live audience) the most popular. His songs spring out of the American maverick tradition with echoes of Steinbeck, Kerouac, Ginsberg and (in his new collection) Cormac McCarthy. His music has the blood of tradition in its veins and high art in its sights.
Yet unlike many of his singer-songwriting peers, Springsteen does not neglect his role as an entertainer. With the E Street Band, he comes from the American school of road-tested rock and roll that has, in lesser hands, given us so many efficient but essentially soulless showbands.
Springsteen combines the best of two very different worlds, the highly personal songwriter and the crowd-pleasing entertainer. He is, in effect, Bob Dylan and Elton John rolled into one. It is an unusual but compelling combination that makes him arguably the greatest solo performer of all time."
"Neil Young constitutes with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen the great triad of 'moral' voices of American popular music.
As is the case with the other two, Young's art is, first and foremost, a fusion of music and words that identifies with his era's zeitgeist. Unlike the others, though, Young is unique in targeting the inner chaos of the individual that followed the outer chaos of society. While Dylan 'transfers' his era's events into a metaphysical universe, and Springsteen relates the epic sense of ordinary life, Young carries out a more complex psychological operation that, basically, bridges the idealism of the hippy communes and the neuroses of the urban population. His voice, his lyrics, his melodies and his guitar style compose a message of suffering and redemption that, at its best, transcends in hallucination, mystical vision, philosophical enlightenment, while still grounded in a context that is fundamentally a hell on earth."
"I actually found one comment interesting...and that was the one about comparing Bruce fans who miss the E Street Band to the way Neil fans miss Crazy Horse.
Not the same at all.
Neil has carved out a very effective "duality" in my view.
The quiet, accoustic Neil resonates every bit as effectively as the cranked up to eleven Neil does.
When Neil is doing his full on, cranked up to eleven electric thing, it's more about Neil's guitar playing than it is about the band (Crazy Horse)."
"Bruce, regrettably, cares a little too much about letting his fans down. He needs to take more chances, not less. Neil doesn't care whether or not the fans get cranky, as evidenced on the Greendale tour and what happened with the audience reaction there. Neil just GOES. They are wildly divergent personality types and you might as well compare Springsteen to Sinatra."
"Even Bruce dropped in..." Bruce Springsteen & Neil Young - Sydney, Australia March 22, 1985 Photo from Thrasher's Archives
On March 22, 1985 in Sydney, Australia, Bruce Springsteen joined Neil onstage for an encore performance of "Down By The River". Bruce had performed the night before at Sydney's Entertainment Centre (3/21) and performed again the next night (3/23). In between Bruce's two concerts, Neil Young was scheduled to headline the Benefit for the Australian Cerebral Palsy Association concert. As noted in poster above, Neil's entire 1985 Australia tour was "ALL SOLD OUT".
Nils Lofgren, touring with Springsteen, joined Young onstage for several songs, including "Comes A Time" and "Helpless". At the conclusion of the 28 song setlist, Young invited Springsteen on stage. Bruce sang vocals on an amazing 20 minute version of "Down By The River".
Neil & Bruce Bridge School Benefit Concert - October 13, 1986
"Helpless" - Neil Young with Bruce Springsteen
Neil Young invited Bruce Springsteen at the first annual Bridge School Benefit Concert in California in 1986. They performed Young's "Helpless" together. (Thanks Mike for reminder!)
Bruce & Neil Jones Beach, New York on June 14, 1989
Springsteen joined Neil for an encore of "Down By The River" at Jones Beach, New Yourk on June 14, 1989. Bruce is virtually inaudible on the tapes of the show. If Thrasher had not seen the video of the performance, it would have been hard to believe both Neil and Bruce sang at the mic.
Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young's music and careers have as many similarities as dissimilarities. Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World", has been compared with Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA," due to "the anthemic use of this song was based on largely ignoring the verses, which evoke social problems and implicitly criticize American government policies." (1) Neither artist has sold their songs for use as commercials, leaving them among a small handful not to do so.
Another Bruce and Neil connection occurred at the Academy Awards on March 21, 1994. Coincidentally, both Springsteen and Young were both nominated for Best Song in a Movie -- and in the same film -- Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia". Bruce's nominated song was the film opening "Streets of Philadelphia" and Neil's was the closing title track "Philadelphia".
Bruce Springsteen won the Oscar award for his song "Streets of Philadelphia". In his acceptance speech, Springsteen acknowledged Young and said that the award really deserved to be shared by the other nominee's song.
In 1994, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Neil Young joined on stage at the Roseland in New York City to perform 'Rainy Day Woman' and 'Highway 61 Revisited'.
At the 1995 Bridge School Benefit Concert, Springsteen joined Young for an encore of 'Down by the River'. Young remarked: "Bruce says he doesn't have any more songs, so we'll do one of mine".
But not all are totally impressed with this juncture in Springsteen's and Young's careers. From Nude as the News: review of both Springsteen's Devils and Dust and Young's Prairie Wind by Ben French:
"Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young have both been playing this sort of acoustic, singer/songwriter-type music for more than 30 years, so it’s not a crime if they repeat themselves from time to time. On the other hand, it surprises me when other writers blatantly ignore the fact that none of this is worth listening to more than a couple times – especially if you already own the artists’ older albums. UK writers always have a flare for the dramatic, but I think Guardian pushes the limits by calling Prairie Wind, “one of Shakey’s best.” Outrageous. Rolling Stone gave Devils & Dust 4 ½ stars, which seems incredibly polite."
As for reviewer Ben French's comments above, we're looking forward to Springsteen's upcoming Seeger Sessions and the crimes of artists repeating themselves from time to time.
"Springsteen, because he has maintained a consistently high level of commercial success over the years, is a sell-out, and a manufactured creation of his manager. Whereas someone like Neil Young, because he hasn't been ashamed to release some real crap, is an artist of integrity, who won't give in to crass commercialism, by always giving his fans music that they will actually enjoy."
After some tough deliberations by the judges, Thrasher's Wheat is pleased to announce that Tony Stack submitted the winning entry with his "classic Neil funny" story.
But before we get to Tony's story, a little background on our contest for an autographed copy of acclaimed rock historian John Einarson's book titled Made in Manitoba: A Musical Legacy. Last year, we reviewed author Einarson's book and found it to be a fascinating chronicle of Manitoba, Canadian artists like Randy Bachman and the Guess Who. So with Canada's Juno Awards coming up tonight (Sunday, April 2 - more here and here) it seems like a nice time to announce our winner.
Now onto to Tony's story regarding the photo above.
When Neil did his solo acoustic tour in the Spring of 1999, we traveled up to Seattle to see his two shows at the Paramount.
We bought the Gold Circle tickets for each show which included a "meet and greet" after the concert.
On the first night was got the lay of the land, all the Gold Circle ticket holders were ushered into a downstairs lobby. After a few minutes Neil arrived and signed autographs and took photos with fans as he walked through the room.
The first night I got my picture taken with Neil. During the next day, we went and got the photos developed at a one-hour place and took the photo back the next night to have him sign it.
When I handed the photo to Neil, I said " Would you sign this photo from last night?"
Neil replied, "This is from last night? I can hardly tell what decade this is from!"
Congratulations Tony!
And thanks John and Bill for the autographed book to give away! Also, many thanks to all of the other contestant entries. Many, many great Neil Young stories that -- sadly -- we are unable to recognize at this time.
From BurlingtonFreePress.com "Neil Young fans' hearts leap for Demme's 'Gold'" review by Jake Weisman, we have an 18 year old's perspective on the "Heart of Gold" film:
"The film is better than any concert film I've seen. As cliche and silly as it sounds, I really thought I was at the show. It seemed more like an event than a movie, and it stuck with me. And I give the most credit to whoever decided to get Demme to direct. I'm not a fan of the Talking Heads, but I liked "Stop Making Sense," their live film directed by Demme.
"Neil Young: Heart of Gold" is an extremely simple movie, but the sentiment and heart behind the film are the elements that make this unlike any other concert film I've seen. I had bought "Prairie Wind" around the time of its release and couldn't really get into it. It's slow and -- well -- old-people music, if you will. So I stuck to more upbeat and rock 'n' roll themed "Tonight's the Night" and "Ragged Glory."
But after viewing the film and seeing the passion and the history behind Young's stories told between the songs and the expressions on his face, this album speaks louder to me (an 18-year-old) than most other albums I've heard recently. It's not old-people music -- it's music for people with history and with soul. The only way I could have truly understood the album is through Demme's lens and seeing the whole thing live -- well, not live, but you understand. If you like his folk music or any of his music, it's a very good idea to see "Neil Young: Heart of Gold." If you're never going to see him live, I have a feeling this movie is the closest you're going to get. Mister Young, and you will never rust."
Judging from the huge number of comments, it seemed like Dylan fans lacked a certain sense of humor and took things much too seriously?
So in the spirit of the day, by popular demand, once again Eight Track Mind's listing by The Jaded Bitterman:
Top 10 Reasons Why Neil Young is Better Than Bob Dylan
1. Better Voice 2. Better Guitar Player 3. Better Good-to-Bad Song Ratio 4. Neil Never Sold His Music To a Commercial 5. Neil Embraces the Younger Generation of Musicians 6. No One Plays Neil Songs Better Than Neil 7. Farm Aid & The Bridge School Benefit Concerts 8. Neil Is More Diverse 9. Neil Never Played With The Dead 10. Because I Like to Piss People Off
Eight Track Mind deconstructs each argument point by point. To say some of the reasoning is provocative would be an understatement.
Top Ten Reasons Why Bob Dylan is Better Than Neil Young
1. Neil's tendency to make one-off right wing political statements (e.g. Let's Roll) 2. Everybody's Rockin' 3. Neil does not regularly tour with The Horse, his best band and he obviously knows this fact. 4. Neil Stopped selling "Greendale High" t-shirts on-line 5. Bob's influence allowed the Beatles to write and record Rubber Soul 6. Bob is an American and Neil is Canadian 7. If there is another CSNY reunion and I have to see Graham Nash on stage, I may off myself 8. More jawas on stage would have made Live Rust a better video 9. Neil has never been called Judas. 10. Neil hasn't invited me to the Broken Arrow yet.
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