A World of Constant Strangers: The Neil Young Results Thread

Where the lyrics to "Powderfinger" I think are some of his best ever.

I think La Lechera summed it up nicely:

Cortez the Killer (predicted winner, how could it not be as it is the best song ever)
Powderfinger - look out mama there's a white boat comin up the river = every Herzog movie, which reminds me of Cortez the Killer, which makes me happy

Note: she had these at 8 & 9 on her ballot.

wow!--I'd assumed "Cortez" the obvious #1--would've guessed "Powerderfinger" somewhere in the 15-20 range before the poll started......

Cortez = 44 for me. Just never really loved that pace, never took to the story. It just seems so detached from all the rest of his catalog to these ears.

Cortez has my favorite guitar solo ever.

I threw Powderfinger and Cortez around the same number of points, so whatevs.

Cortez would be nothing without the sudden switch to first person narrative though. Interesting to read on Wiki that there was originally another verse that got lost because the console went dead!

I love "Cortez"'s lyrics, especially "I still can't remember when/or how I lost my way." Quoted that in my graduating high-school-yearbook photo.

Didn't Neil say something like, "Eh, I never liked that verse anyway" ?

xp

interesting disagreements here! it's the lyrics that kill "Cortez" for me.....they're, how to say? I think they're bullshit.

Neil is often weird, awkward, cryptic, allusive, druggy; and I love him in all those modes. But "Cortez" is bullshit.

so what I'm taking away from this is that people prefer long, rambling, wasted Neil to all his other incarnations. which I guess is not surprising... but I wanted to be surprised!

Yes! The lyric-shift is everything in Cortez (Paul Simon is the master at this technique btw)

Danger Bird >>> Cortez

The last verse is semi-redeeming, but it's hard to overcome "The people worked together/And they lifted many stones."

Honestly not sure why you'd say that about "Cortez"'s lyrics--weird, cryptic, allusive, and druggy is a great description, and I think "Cortez" fits into that perfectly.

The version he played in June '03 during the Greendale was spectacular, I gotta say.

I'll retreat; it's hard for me to start breaking down a song I've listened to ten million times line by line. The lyrics just float by, carried along by everything else.

^ this.

"Numbers Add up to Nothing"= alternate poll title.....

Terrific work, clemenza--enjoyed the hell out of it!

xp: hmmmm--fair question? ok: it's a kind of abstract mythmaking, it doesn't persuade me that it has anything to do with NY's own perspective or experience, but rather seems like a distillation of the usual stuff about "primitive peoples"...

Didn't Neil say something like, "Eh, I never liked that verse anyway"?
Yeah, apparently. Not that I trust anything much he says about the merits of what he writes. (cf. previous discussions itt)

http://phildellio.tripod.com/neil1.jpg

Thought "Cortez" would be super high, though I had Danger Bird and Down By The River much higher, but did not expect the #1 at all.

it's hard for me to start breaking down a song I've listened to ten million times line by line. The lyrics just float by, carried along by everything else.

my sense about most Young epics...? I'm surprised (in a good way) that you guys remember lines. All I can remember about "Cortez" is NY going cod reggae on DANCING UPON DA WATAH MAN

I take issue with the notion that "Powderfinger" is long, rambling, or wasted.

whoops! you were retreating while I was editing....no need to retreat! people's tastes in NY lyrics are very subjective; I mean, I have jr high school friends who love him as much as I do and we would all but come to blows over certain lines that allegedly "sucked"

I didn't vote for it, but I'm okay with it at #1--it's a great song, and an unpredictable #1 (within reason) is not a bad thing.

so what I'm taking away from this is that people prefer long, rambling, wasted Neil to all his other incarnations.

The rest of the top 5 maybe, but I don't think this is fair to "Powderfinger" at all.

xposts!

DANCING UPON DA WATAH MAN - what version is this from?

iirc, that faux-reggae bit is only on Live Rust (and in the film). I've never heard any other version of "Cortez" where that happens.

Powderfinger is perfect. His best lyrics, his best riff, his best solo, his best singing. His best song.

Not before or since have I heard epics as contained, purposeful of motion, bracing, and intelligent as "Powderfinger" and "Sedan Delivery." I can't think of anyone making music this loud, allusive, and elusive, not even from the punks.

iirc, that faux-reggae bit is only on Live Rust

yep

I've often heard Neil's epics be described as a slog. I disagree for the most part, except for when it comes to "Powderfinger". he single reason why I don't rate Rust as high as most people.

Really surprised at the no.1 - it doesn't stand out for me, and never even considered longlisting it. No idea the rest of you would.

Had Powderfinger at #5, but I could easily have had it at #1. My whole top 10 was pretty interchangable in my mind, honestly.

I first heard "Powderfinger" in the Cowboy Junkies' cover (which is pretty good), and was completely baffled by it. It's still mysterious to me -- the basic narrative tracks pretty clearly, but there's so much left out. It feels very detailed on the one hand but also enigmatic and allegorical.

holy shit @ powderfinger being #1, ya'll are cool ppl

The line goes on to mean something else, but "think of me as one you'd never figured" is pretty definitive as a career statement.

My top 10 (out of 30) all got 15 pts, but Powderfinger was #1.

"Powderfinger" wasn't high on my list (#39 out of 40), but as Horse epics go, I'll take it above "Hurricane" in a heartbeat.

And clemenza, brilliant job on the poll, especially with the photos.

find it kinda hilarious/appropriate that the number 2 song features some pretty glaring mistakes

xp

Really surprised at the no.1 - it doesn't stand out for me, and never even considered longlisting it. No idea the rest of you would.

Listen to it again!

Huge kudos and thanks clemenza. Lots of fun.

I've heard the song a million times, but "When the first shot hit the dock, I saw it comin'" still gets me every time.

Thanks clemenza. Loved the images too - will shamelessly rip off if I ever do another of these.

like of COURSE Neil's best song features dropped beats and flubbed bass notes

xp

I will xps

Many thanks to Clemenza and his brilliant images. There will always be a place for this poll in the Deep Forbidden Lake of my heart.

When the first shot hit the dock, I saw it comin'

hmm always heard this as DOG, not dock - which seems more tragic somehow

Also, I don't think I would consider "Powderfinger" one of NY's "epics" -- I mean, it's under 6 minutes and doesn't have a giant-ass solo section or anything. "Cortez" is in that epic style, as are the obvious "Cowgirl" and "DBTR" but I think of "Powderfinger" as a story song more than anything else.