neil young

you know i was pondering this on my walk yesterday and it occurred to me that dave grohl (much as i don't care for him) is one of the last of the big "legacy" artists that could really start to turn the tide. i should think his audience has a lot more overlap with rogan's than neil or joni ever would. just imagine if he really got a stick up his butt and attempted to pull the nirvana catalogue. it would never happen, of course. but that's the kind of thing that would really resonate.

I mean, he may get out in front of this and actually do it soon, considering the Foos weren't afraid to play vax-only shows last year, but he hasn't made a peep yet afaik. xps

I realize shameless grifters like Rogan don’t give a shit about anything beyond the money, but I gotta say that I would feel like an absolute shitheel if people like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell were specifically targeting me, like in a, “holy hell, where did I go wrong with my life” kind of way.

As in, holy hell where did I go wrong after signing that 100 million dollars deal ?

am i crazy to think it's cooler to decline 100million than to take it?

i mean, i don't want that much money. ever.

this drawing of Neil by Joni Mitchell is great

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZUR6nYlgCF/?utm_medium=copy_link

Already seeing the censorship whines. Lol fucker kept his podcast, who TF was censored.

Same people who are silent on book bannings and CRT bannings

xp i've always wondered if joni knew about joan around then
both having been on fire for years

Christgau has a big Neil thing today you can access for free:

https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/the-big-lookback-neil-young?s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Didn't realize--written in 1997! (With some update, it looks like.)

his analysis of hawks & doves is pretty off because he doesn't know that the acoustic side stuff dates back to as early as 74, so it's not a reaction to anything going on in 1980

Also, considering that he has dismissed every album of new original music released in this century---before Barn, his album of the year---for apparently extra-musical, anti-Rogin etc. reasons, since he didn't say much about the music, typically enough in latter-day grading sessions---think I'll take my time about reading that.

And I'm pretty familiar with his takes on 20th Century Neil, from the Consumer Guide books.

yeah i'll have to go back i can't digest xgau in my minutes of fucking off at work

Christgau is interviewed in a two-part Neil-Young-in-review DVD my brother and I watched a little while ago. He says there that seeing CSNY live in 1970 was what made him a Neil fan, and his comments are germane (though he seems to think "Will to Love" is on On the Beach).

It's a good read so far, but not sure I follow his "12-year songwriting drought" ended by Barn. Obviously there are thoughts about the relative quality of the Promise of the Real stuff, but he certainly has been writing new songs since 2009. Or was that just more of a Christgau dig at what he thought of the material since?

Even that part where he goes further on the "drought" completely fails to mention the POTR era. I don't know, I'm probably overthinking it.

No, he's underhearing it. He's really less reliable than ever, overall.

It's like he gets distracted from listening by thinking about what he's going to say: I've done that too, recognize the symptoms.

It can also come with ageing, getting more eager to put yourself out there, while you still can, pot to kettle as well---come to think of it, also something to do with Neil's release of new stuff, not always the most self-scrutinizing, as we've noted.

The 1997 article persuaded me to give Young another go after recoiling from ATGR -- one of his best period essays.

Yeah, he was more reliable then, still has his moments.

Back then I admired the self-knowledge of two lines: “Though my problems are meaningless that don’t make them go away” (from the whiny “On the Beach”) and “It’s hard to say the meaning of this song” (from the wacked-out “Ambulance Blues”). Now I’m impressed that even in his despondency Young never lost his grip, because On the Beach lets us empathize with the depths he’d sunk to, with clear and specific attention to his fame.

boooooooooo to that first sentence, just completely wrong

on the beach is one of his finest songs, period. whiny? imagine writing and recording that song and someone calling it whiny. you can see why in that same album, same songs (ambulance blues) young was lashing out at critics like christgau who were just not getting it at all

someone needs to protect neil, he doesn't have enough defenders

Haven't read the piece yet--just posted it because I thought it would be of interest.

Two things I've said many times: 1) "Ambulance Blues" is right at the top of the heap--my favourite Neil song back in high school, still one of my ten favourite; 2) I think--as with Vertigo--there's a tendency to overrate On the Beach because of it's long-time unavailability on CD. I don't direct that at anyone in particular, but in the aggregate, I think it developed a mystique disproportionate to how good it is. It's good. Side two is near-great. Side one has "Walk On" and "See the Sky About to Rain," and if those songs lead and close a side, that's not good.

I don't have a problem with calling the album whiny. Whininess was endemic to the '70s. There's a lot of good '70s music that's whiny.

clem, am I reading you correctly? "Walk On" and "See the Sky About to Rain" are inferior to Side Two offerings?

Side one has "Walk On" and "See the Sky About to Rain," and if those songs lead and close a side, that's not good.

possibly the wrongest you've ever been on this board, which is really saying something

hahaha

neil! we will defend you

but seriously clemenza, that hurts

Nice Bananarama reference--I missed your soft touch, sleeve.

Yes, that's what I'm saying about those two songs. Thought so in 1975, think the same in 2022.

"See the Sky About to Rain" is one of the few Neil Young songs that gets stuck on my head, certainly my favorite of his piano parts, and the skittering rhythm of "Walk On" redeems any accusations of drip.

And, my god, "Revolution Blues"! David Crosby redeems himself with that electric rhythm part.

I love "Revolution Blues" and "For the Turnstiles"...don't think I singled those out.

I know. I'm defending OTB, which to my ears, based on these songs and Side Two, is his best album since Everyone Knows....

"Walk On" sounds exactly what I'd expect a revenge song directed at Crosby, Stills, and Nash to sound like--it's a little tepid.

I think I'd have to paraphrase your own incredulity there, Alfred: Am I reading you correctly? After the Gold Rush is inferior to On the Beach?

To my ears, yeah. Several classics, some meh stuff, but it's his vocal choices that put me off more than the songwriting.

So I may join you in obloquy here.

all Neil Young records are special

Hang on while I look up "obloquy."

(45 seconds later.) You may, yes. I count one mediocrity ("I Believe in You"), one song overplayed-into-nullity ("Southern Man"), and the rest perfection, and sometimes better than perfection (the rest of side one), even though better than perfection is theoretically not possible.

"Birds" man...."Birds"

“Birds” is almost too much after everything else on that album. Heart wrenching.

If we're playing Crazy Opinions, I think "I Believe in You" is the best song on After the Gold Rush, and certainly All Time Top-20 Neil.
It's so strange to me that people can agree that an artist is great and each have upside down evaluations of what's good. First time that really struck me was Chris O'Leary's Bowie blog, where he said his favourite Bowie song is "Queen Bitch", which I'd call maybe seventh-best song on Hunky Dory alone.

Always liked the Meters' version of "Birds," and the 1972 album it's from, Cabbage Alley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8o0_qug_mE

I think that probably is an unusual choice, Halfway. But that's fine--I think "Ocean Girl" and "Country Girl" are two of his 10 greatest, and I don't think I've ever come across anyone who agrees with me on either.

I count one mediocrity ("I Believe in You")

How could you.

“Birds” is almost too much after everything else on that album. Heart wrenching.

It's over. It's o-o-o-ver.

That Meters cover is great stuff

Yeah, thanks. New to me.

As much as I'd hate to be without "Ambulance Blues," I'd also take Harvest over On the Beach if I could only have one. I think Harvest is underrated to about the same degree that On the Beach is overrated--in part because of Neil's own putdown of the album in Decade's liner notes.

I waded through Christgau's thing...mind wandered, but I agree with him about how good Time Fades Away is.

I'm supplying in a kindergarten class today--I'll ask them what they think about On the Beach, bring some closure to this.

I entered junior kindergarten in 1976, when Mrs. Grasser put on side two of On the Beach it always meant naptime.

Only kindergarten class that ever had "dune buggy" as one of their 'd' words in their alphabet books.