This sounds totally hokey because it is, but I really loved hearing "Rockin' in the Free World" over the end credits to /Fahrenheit 9/11/. It felt like a gutpunch.
It was supposed to be "Won't Get Fooled Again," but Townshend wasn't a fan of Moore and wouldn't allow the song to be used.
― Chuck? Chuck? It's me, your cousin, Marvin D (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:30 (eleven years ago) link
Okay: if I'd combined "Hey Hey" and "My My" together, they would have totalled 42 voters/422 points. Happily, that would have only placed it/them fifth. If they'd won, I might have had the same situation as Sight & Sound with the two Godfathers. Again, I think it makes much more sense to count them as separate entities.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:31 (eleven years ago) link
Pocahontus = my #4. Hey Hey = my #11.Rockin' = not on my list, but I agree - I could watch that SNL clip all day. Totally savage.
― hutlock, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:34 (eleven years ago) link
Townshend wasn't a fan of Moore and wouldn't allow the song to be used
still a pretty smart guy that Pete
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:36 (eleven years ago) link
I agree with separate counting fwiw. I voted for the one without the 'Johnny Rotten/Rotten Johnny' bit.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:36 (eleven years ago) link
"Rockin" was my #4, will absolutely never tire of that song. It was the first Neil song I ever got obsessed with. Its definitely overplayed, but I'll never tire of it.
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:36 (eleven years ago) link
"Hey Hey My My" -- What tipped me to voting this over "My My Hey Hey" is just the joy of that monstrous guttural riff.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:37 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks for the clip, that's great--helps me re-connect to the song. I love how everyone skulks around all hunched over. Extra points for mentioning "shuffling" years before LMFAO.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:38 (eleven years ago) link
http://phildellio.tripod.com/neil22.jpg
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:39 (eleven years ago) link
haha anyone remember Annie Lennox's cover, used during the Spacey seduction scene in American Beauty?
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:41 (eleven years ago) link
"It's only castles burning"
<3
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:42 (eleven years ago) link
a kid that'll never get to be cool as the ultimate tragedy is such a neil young sentiment
― straight up now tell me will I be a fucking lump forever? (some dude), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:43 (eleven years ago) link
Should be all killer, no filler from here on out, but this is the sort of list both Neil nuts and contrarians could easily subvert.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:44 (eleven years ago) link
I think of it as the Mena Suvari seduction scene, but yes, remember it well. I don't think I realized it was Annie Lennox the first time I saw the film.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:44 (eleven years ago) link
Strangest song on Gold Rush, the one that best captures the album cover.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:45 (eleven years ago) link
yeah it's an unsettling one
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:45 (eleven years ago) link
it and "Tell Me Why" the oddest
Weird that Neil wrote about "lorries"--thought that was only a British term. Maybe it was just that "trucks" didn't have enough syllables.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:47 (eleven years ago) link
Coming in late here, but wanna say that the delivery of "Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me" following the preceding lines still gets me every time. I mean, it is like a life affirmation for me: yeah, Neil's a cool fuckin guy and life is OK with shit like this around. Not sure why, but it works.
Unrelated, for the longest time I though Rust Never Sleeps was just a live album and, as I had heard all of the songs separately before on bootlegs and stuff, never bothered checking it out. Was really surprised when I actually listened to the whole thing. Way more essential than I ever gave it credit for.
― grandavis, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:49 (eleven years ago) link
SNL clip the rare occasion when Neil is in crazy mode and neither the funkiest nor the best musician on stage. A shame ego clashes made that band impossible.
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:49 (eleven years ago) link
https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR4fxKeRUgSBpF5Ekgo_dgBMmybBHYOuYnQ2Fches8UcK-ZZVKcNg
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:49 (eleven years ago) link
Marlon Brando/Pocahontas
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:50 (eleven years ago) link
I almost used Ms. Littlefeather for the image, but the Marlon photos kicking around on the internet tend to be a bit more evocative.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:51 (eleven years ago) link
I was watching that night! You never knew what would happen on the Academy Awards for a few years there...
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:52 (eleven years ago) link
http://phildellio.tripod.com/neil21.jpg
This is what convinced me to put "Pocahontas" on my list:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2wmDfRJn0M
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:53 (eleven years ago) link
^^^ a wonderful song that I never want to hear again (c/o John Lennon about "Yesterday")
xpost
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:53 (eleven years ago) link
I was surprised "Needle" finished so high; another overplay casualty up here.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:53 (eleven years ago) link
who was in the rockin' in the free world/snl band, anyway?
― Mad God 40/40 (Z S), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:53 (eleven years ago) link
Don't Let it Bring You Down = my #39. The solo acoustic takes on this one are stronger and stranger to me than the band version on ATGR, I think.
Needle/Damage = kind of surprised to see it this low myself, I had it at #9. Probably the most beautiful anti-drug song I've ever heard.
― hutlock, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:54 (eleven years ago) link
I think that was Oscar Gamble in the "Keep on Rockin'" clip.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
I think "Needle" works for me still cause it is so short. And I really love the guitar playing on it, but that is a muso thing. Cool turnarounds etc.
― grandavis, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
Steve Jordan on drums and Charley Drayton on bass (X-Pensive Winos rhythm section, both producers/multi-instrumentalists now), and Frank.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:56 (eleven years ago) link
Agreed on the guitar playing on "Needle" -- really awesome stuff, and just the right length IMHO.
― hutlock, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 14:59 (eleven years ago) link
http://phildellio.tripod.com/neil20.jpg
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:02 (eleven years ago) link
That seems about right. Not on my list, but it'd be weird if it were absent from the Top 20.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
catching up, in reverse orderheart of gold - cool tune! fun to play around a campfireneedle and damage done -- good song, but don't need to hear it again. unless he does an electric arrangement w/ crazy horsedon't let it bring you down -- didn't vote for it, but classic, love that it's an acoustic song that still sounds heavy. hey hey my my - that high note he hits in the guitar solo, holy shit, like tectonic plates shiftingrockin in the free world - the first song i ever learned to play on guitarpocahontas - one of my all time faves, just a perfect set of lyrics, perfect melody. this song runs through my head daily.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:04 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, glad lots of songs will place higher than Heart of Gold, but cannot deny its status as a Neil bonafide, just not the version I turn to these days. I do admire the moment when the backup singers really let go on the very last chorus though. Gets me through the whole song every time. Like the drumming a lot to, cool hi-hat work.
― grandavis, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:06 (eleven years ago) link
good tunes! glad to see "rockin" made the list after all - i get why people might be sick, but i still think it's the best thing he's done post-Rust.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:07 (eleven years ago) link
Solo on hey hey my my gets me through that song, find it to be a slog most of the time.
― grandavis, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:07 (eleven years ago) link
oh of course "Rockin" was always gonna make the list
funny to see so many of the big hits cleared out in quick succession, i wonder if any will be left by the time we get to the top 10
― straight up now tell me will I be a fucking lump forever? (some dude), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:08 (eleven years ago) link
Compare Heart of Gold to the other radio shit in 1972 and it kills it DEAD. STILL.
That said, I had it at 18, so I guess 20 isn't far off from that.
― hutlock, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:08 (eleven years ago) link
(very) early on in the ballot collection period, clemenza implied nothing post-rust had broke the top 30 yet, and also suggested a key later track might get slighted
― da croupier, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
Like the drumming a lot to, cool hi-hat work.
agreed about the hi-hats! i doubt many people notice it, but it subtly helps to defines the feel of the verses.
― Mad God 40/40 (Z S), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSAz1Vc4U34
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:10 (eleven years ago) link
Still alot of my picks that haven't placed yet despite being either canonical or big fan faves (or so I thought), but there's also a few I was sure would not place, so who knows?
Heart of Gold didn't make my list.
― Lee626, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:10 (eleven years ago) link
I've been mishearing a lyric for 40 years: always thought it was "I've been in my mind/It's such a fine mind..."
For what it's worth, when I made that post-Rust comment, I think just over half the ballots had come in.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:10 (eleven years ago) link
I've been listening to the Bronco Bowl boot (1/14/89) and the Restless are doing a great job. Love the versions of "Don't Cry" and "Mr. Soul".
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:11 (eleven years ago) link
http://phildellio.tripod.com/neil19.jpg
― clemenza, Wednesday, 11 July 2012 15:12 (eleven years ago) link