| Author | Message | ||
     Matthias Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 212 Registered: 05-2005 |
Well, I'm dipping into Bowie and I was noodling on my guitar the other day and realized I quite like Neil Young although I own nothing by him. I have dozens of covers from other artists and even have a double CD of Canadian artists covering him! I quite like Killer Cortez and Rockin' in the Free World. My ole boss gave me a bootleg called Frisco which I think was around the Sleeps With Angels tour and is really quite something. Wish I had a CD copy of it. He gave me a tape to borrow and haven't found it since. The Frisco show had some well known songs and a few odds but all done to a treatment and arrangement more acoustic and one of his finer singing voices. Anyway, anyone a fan? Got a top ten list of tracks? | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 1834 Registered: 03-2006 |
As I am a big fan, coming up with a list of top ten tracks is a not unpleasant task, though it is a little daunting narrowing it down to ten... But anyway, these are my candidates: 1) Powderfinger 2) Comes a Time 3) Don't Let It Bring You Down 4) Cinnamon Girl 5) Rockin' In the Free World 6) Cowgirl in the Sand 7) Like a Hurricane 8) Tell Me Why 9) After the Goldrush 10) Birds I'm leaving off "Down By the River" just because I've heard it so many zillion times, it no longer registers with me, but it might with you, Matthias. It's still a great song, as is "Cortez", which doesn't quite make top ten for me. Also bubbling under would be tracks like "My My Hey Hey", "Thrasher" and "Barstool Blues". If I had to pick one album by him as a favorite, at gunpoint, I'd choose "After the Goldrush", which to me, is good start to finish and represents all of the best of what Neil is about - my list of favorite tracks draws heavily from it. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1346 Registered: 04-2005 |
Another longtime fan here, and I couldn't even attempt a top ten songs list because he's put out so much stuff, plus he's really an album artist. Also, the acoustic stuff and electric stuff can be polarizing. If you like both his acoustic and electric styles, Matthias, I don't think you can go wrong buying any of the following albums: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere After the Gold Rush On the Beach Tonight's the Night Zuma Comes A Time Rust Never Sleeps Freedom Ragged Glory Prairie Wind Or just start with "Decade"--either that will satisfy your NY jones entirely, or it will drive you to buy many, many more albums. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 543 Registered: 08-2006 |
I'd second LK and Kurt's recommendations, with an extra plug for "Decade." I think it's indispensable for a new fan, not to mention one of the most impressive best-ofs ever. If that gets you jonesing for more, I'd follow Kurt's album picks and stay the hell away from almost anything he did between 1980 and 1988 (the excellent "Freedom" representing a 1989 return to form). And there are lots of other really good records from the '70s and '90s that aren't on Kurt's list if you REALLY go nuts on the guy. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1424 Registered: 05-2005 |
Harvest On the bEach Decade Ragged Glory Weld Harvest Moon | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1521 Registered: 05-2005 |
Kurts pretty much nailed the albums - I would also add Harvest and Harvest Moon. As a point of entry Decades is also fantastic. LK's choice is also on the money, I would add Only Love Can Break Your Heart to that list. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 548 Registered: 10-2004 |
On the Beach and Zuma have always been my favorites. | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 223 Registered: 01-2006 |
Zuma Everybody Knows On The Beach Rust Never Sleeps After The Goldrush Freedom The first half of Comes A Time is possibly my favourite NY Side 1, think Side 2 is a bit of a letdown after this. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1429 Registered: 05-2005 |
Matthias, if you ever see Neil ive in his electric guise (i.e. with Cwazy Hoise!), be prepared for a long, long gig. Last time I saw him I was there for 3 hours, playing air guitar along to his songs. It was raining and it was at the Fleadh festival in London, I think 2001? I was caked in mud from head to toe! Someone kicked a football at me and it left a print on my white t-shirt! Ho hum! | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 563 Registered: 01-2005 |
I saw Neil and Crazy Horse with Sonic Youth as the opening act during Desert Storm, Feb of 1991. Neil did a great version of "Blowing In The Wind" that brought the house down. Calling it a great concert seems like an understatement. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 549 Registered: 10-2004 |
Michael, I saw Neil Young/Sonic Youth on that very same tour. That ranks among the very loudest concerts I've ever been to. My ears were still ringing the next morning. What made the show particularly interesting was that most of the audience hated Sonic Youth. I think a pretty big cultural clash was evident. They were boo'd and had food thrown at them. Sonic Youth just took it in stride and played more fiercely and noisily than usual, making the whole thing very "punk rock." | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1347 Registered: 04-2005 |
Points to Neil, at least, for challenging his audience by putting Sonic Youth on the bill...especially since at least half of Neil's audience is praying he'll bring out those CSN whales at any given show. Though I remember SY saying they had a bad experience not only with the crowds, but with Neil's entourage, which was very old-school and sexist. Of course, later SY did the song on "Dirty" where Kim Gordon sang that line about: "Last night I dreamed I kissed Neil Young/If I were a boy, it would've been fun." | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 254 Registered: 11-2004 |
Neil Young is great if you're not a completist. I don't think there's any other recording artist who has more lost albums and tracks in which they only ever play live. But yes, an awesome artist who's not afraid to express himself in the way he sees fit. I'm currently in Kosovo and listening to Neil Young turns into a very alien experience. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 565 Registered: 01-2005 |
Jeff, I was into SY 3 years earlier prior to seeing them live, having bought Daydream Nation in 1988 and then quickly getting Sister and then Evol. I loved them in concert, but the NY fans were somewhat nasty. I saw NY/SY at The Palace of Auburn Hills, where the Detroit Pistons play. It would have been great to have seen them at a smaller venue with better acoustics, as I am not a big fan of large indoor concert settings. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1433 Registered: 05-2005 |
Donat what you doing in Kosovo? | ||
| David Gagen Member Username: David_g Post Number: 45 Registered: 02-2007 |
Saw NY do Greendale show in Brisbane. Fans near me kept yelling "play us something we know". It was pretty well advertised that it was only goin to be Greendale songs. When he came back on for encore Crazy Horse and Neil turned volume way up and did about 5 or 6 songs from back catelogue with the heavy metal treatment and some folkies near us walked out. Great to see, I laughed for a week. Great show too. Saw same fans at Prairie Wind film and coupla teenagers walked out after 20 mins. Don't think Neil has a particular fan demographic just those of us you like musical audacity! | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 226 Registered: 01-2006 |
David I saw him doing the Greendale tour at Vicar St, Dublin, the show that turned up as the live DVD. His encore that night included Birds and Ambulance Blues, which I'd never heard him play live and doubt I ever will again. | ||
| andreas Member Username: Andreas Post Number: 450 Registered: 04-2006 |
The 'Decade' album was kind of life changing. That Trible-album made me happy, cry and all that things a 14/15 year old dreams and hopes of. 'Decade' is the best way to discover the world of Neil Young. The excessing 'Cowgirl in the Sand', the weird 'Broken Arrow' and the Dylanesk 'Sugar Mountain'. Everyone should have that album. It is the best to start. Unfortunately the CD is not remastered. | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 256 Registered: 11-2004 |
Spence, I'm here visiting family. | ||
| frank bascombe Member Username: Frankb Post Number: 41 Registered: 01-2007 |
There an old thread before grant died about NY check that out, but as good started Decade is excellent and can be picked up quite cheap | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 569 Registered: 01-2005 |
What is with Warner Brothers/Reprise and their slowness in getting remasters out? Now that all the old Sinatra albums have been remastered, maybe it's time for Neil's back catalog? I have been holding up in getting Neil's first two albums in hopes of buying remasters. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 1848 Registered: 03-2006 |
It seems insane to me that an artist of NY's stature's catalog has not been more lovingly curated. Also, that he has at least two records not out on CD - Time Fades Away and Journey Through the Past. Though I understand that might be due to some weird perfectionist thing of Shakey's. But still, he allowed The Shocking Pinks record and Trans to be released on CD, so that can't be it! | ||
| David Gagen Member Username: David_g Post Number: 47 Registered: 02-2007 |
Nothing like getting my pristine vinyl "Time Fades Away" on turntable and crankin up Last Dance to cleanse the soul!! | ||
| Donat Member Username: Donat Post Number: 260 Registered: 11-2004 |
Little Keith, that might be Geffen's doing and not Neil's. I have a bit of a soft spot for his Geffen-era, but it's funny how he left out so many good songs and waited for his return to Reprise to unleash them, like Silver & Gold (from the Old Ways sessions). | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 1851 Registered: 03-2006 |
If it's Geffen's doing, then off with his head! He's a creep anyway, dissing the Clintons, and getting involved in a protracted legal battle to try and keep people from using the beach in front of his property (in CA, pretty much all beaches are public). He lost. I don't actually think he's involved with the company anymore, though. However, if that's true, I really don't see the point. Much crappier, lower selling things have come out. And those two are excellent. Luckily, now, you can find them occassionally on some of those sharity blogs. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1348 Registered: 04-2005 |
Did Geffen actually buy the rights to the older Neil Young albums? I don't think so. I believe all the '70s stuff still belongs to Reprise. So it's probably not the evil Mr. G to blame. He gets to peddle "Everybody's Rockin'" and crap like that. Serves him right. It would be great to get an expanded, remastered "Time Fades Away" on CD, wouldn't it? From what I've heard about it (never seen a copy, even on vinyl), "Journey Through the Past" wouldn't be worth the trouble to reissue, though. | ||
| David Gagen Member Username: David_g Post Number: 49 Registered: 02-2007 |
Played my vinyl JTHP album today after reading your post Kurt. Side 1 For What Its Worth/Mr Soul Rock & Roll Woman Find The Cost Of Freedom Ohio Side 2 Southern Man Are You Ready For The Country Let Me Call You Sweetheart Alabama Side 3 Words (extended live jam) Side 4 Relativity Invitation Handel's Messiah The "King Of Kings" Theme Soldier Let's Go Away For A While (Beachboys) Album cover and inside contents very interesting with series of photographs presumably for film. Front cover says "original soundtrack recordings JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST a film by NEIL YOUNG" Does anyone know if this film was evr made? | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1401 Registered: 05-2005 |
Have a look here. http://www.thrasherswheat.org/tfa/ground hog73.htm | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1404 Registered: 05-2005 |
David, that message above is for you btw! | ||
| David Gagen Member Username: David_g Post Number: 50 Registered: 02-2007 |
Thanks Padriag, just checked it out. Interesting piece. Wonder if the film is available somewhere in some form? Mayb it was Neil's "Renaldo & Clara"!! |