Neil Young appreciation thread

[MissouriPicker]

Always like this guy. Some hate his voice, but it sure-as-hell works well with his music. He's his "own man" and has stayed true to who he is. One of the legends. Lots of sweet songs, but my favorite of Neil's might be his cover of Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds." Love it, the way he bangs on that guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4MgAzcZyn8

[Rambler]

Helpless was the first song I learned to play through the changes. Neil's an interesting case. Besides the anthems, he has written some gorgeous melodies (I Believe in You, New Mama, Harvest Moon).

[cody78]

Always like this guy. Some hate his voice, but it sure-as-hell works well with his music. He's his "own man" and has stayed true to who he is. One of the legends. Lots of sweet songs, but my favorite of Neil's might be his cover of Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds." Love it, the way he bangs on that guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4MgAzcZyn8

 

'Four strong Winds' sure is a beautiful song. I love this video of Neil performing it (and Ian Tyson's original version is equally as good). Dig that autoharp too.

 

[cody78]

And yes... someone please start a NY cover thread... I'd love to watch thirty of yours.

 

That would be a cool idea. I used to cover a lot of Neil's songs at a local bar many years ago - Down by the River, Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, Words, Revolution Blues etc.

 

I actually recorded a version of Southern Pacific on my laptop earlier this year (on banjo with harmonica like the one I posted in the first post). I'll have to upload it when I get time. It would be great to see all the forum members versions of various songs.

[Rambler]

Has anyone noticed that most of his rocker are actually folk changes on overdrive. I cant think of many in rock with less R&B in their music

[MissouriPicker]

Listening to all these songs by Neil Young in this thread has led me back to YouTube and all the stuff he has on there. It's no mystery for me on why I was first drawn to this guy and his music back in the late 60's. I think the first time I actually saw what he looked like was on The Johnny Cash Show. Cash was at some university and he had Young, James Taylor, and I think Judy Collins or Joanie Mitchell with him. Anyway, the more I listen to Young, the more connections to my own life that I can find. Maybe in his early days he yearned to be a rocker, but there was no way he could get rid of the "folk" in his soul. Great, great songs. This guy never needed to be part of a group. He'd have still made it huge and be who he is.

[cody78]

Has anyone noticed that most of his rocker are actually folk changes on overdrive. I cant think of many in rock with less R&B in their music

 

I recall seeing an interview with Stephen Stills where he said Neil was doing what he wanted to be doing in the 60's - playing folk songs on an electric guitar. Obviously Neil played many good ones on acoustic too. You'll find acoustic and electric versions of many of his songs over the years and I imagine all of his electric songs were written on acoustic - Cowgirl in the Sand is a good example if you listen the Everybody Knows this is Nowhere version and then listen to the Massey Hall or 4 Way Street version.

 

Listening to all these songs by Neil Young in this thread has led me back to YouTube and all the stuff he has on there. It's no mystery for me on why I was first drawn to this guy and his music back in the late 60's. I think the first time I actually saw what he looked like was on The Johnny Cash Show. Cash was at some university and he had Young, James Taylor, and I think Judy Collins or Joanie Mitchell with him. Anyway, the more I listen to Young, the more connections to my own life that I can find. Maybe in his early days he yearned to be a rocker, but there was no way he could get rid of the "folk" in his soul. Great, great songs. This guy never needed to be part of a group. He'd have still made it huge and be who he is.

 

Neil's Johnny Cash show performance is a great one. When he first came to worldwide attention with CSN many people hadn't heard his first two solo records or the Buffalo Springfield songs. Remember, his second 1969 Crazy Horse album was a heavy electric album (for the time), but really just folky/ country type tunes played on distorted electric guitar, many of which he would later perform as solo acoustic tunes as well as in the electric form. Also, songs like 'Expecting to Fly' and 'Country Girl' where folk - orchestral masterpieces which started out as solo acoustic songs. In some of his interviews he stated he was a big fan of the Rolling Stones and the Shadows, but also many folk and country artists, so I guess he just became an amalgamation of all of these styles, but really stayed true to the folky singer/ songwriter much of the time even when playing with Crazy Horse.

[gfa]

I'm in. Neil is a great writer & guitarist, and an expressive singer. Songwriting is hit or miss (to me), but a lot of the hits are home runs. Go Neil, Long May You Run.

[Mr wilson]

Love Neil Young . Learning many of Neil's songs have kept me and my guitar busy for decades but Cortez the Killer is by far my favorite .

[Rambler]

"I recall seeing an interview with Stephen Stills where he said Neil was doing what he wanted to be doing in the 60's - playing folk songs on an electric guitar." True. To the point where Neil became Steve's Great White Whale! Kindred spirits but different poles, musically (Steve has the blues) and personally.

[Rambler]

"I recall seeing an interview with Stephen Stills where he said Neil was doing what he wanted to be doing in the 60's - playing folk songs on an electric guitar." True. To the point where Neil became Steve's Great White Whale! Kindred spirits but different poles, musically (Steve fluid, bluesy), Neil (all jagged edges) and personally (up front vs passive/aggressive).

[jvi]

hard to be the greatest folky and rocker but neil has done it, lucky to have seen csny in early days and neil with steven early 70s,, good man to caretake Hanks git as well, also nice to hear you guys reference canadas ian tyson as well!! remember them before they leave us!!!

[olie]

I have tales to tell re. Neil if you'll allow.In the early 60's I worked at a coffee house in what is now Thunder Bay, Ontario and had the great fortune to meet and hang out with Neil and his band The Squires.He would drive the 450 miles from Winnipeg to get gigs in The Lakehead ,as they called it then,in the old hearse famously known as Mort.The band played other venues as well and acquired a cult following among the locals that kept them coming back. We'd have matinees at the Fourth Dimension as the coffee house was called and all of the high-school boppers would come out on Saturdays to dance to Neil and the Squires.Working there I got to know Neil, Ken Koblan and Bob Clark the bass player and drummer, respectively and bring them sandwiches etc. to help tide them over until we all got payed.It was at the 4-D (as we called it) where Neil met Steve Stills, who was in a group called The Company, for the first time.After the shows were over one of us would stay behind in a basement dressing room until the manager locked up and we'd sneak in a side door and jam until all hours sometimes just singing along to the juke box (which we jimmied). It was then that I first got a guitar and Neil was very generous in teaching me chords and letting me play his guitars. I remember his Gretsch fondly.He'd get me to sing harmonies to stuff he was working on and we had a blast trying out various structures and howling laughing when they didn't turn out exactly as expected.A folkie named Danny Cox sang a song called "High Flying Bird" and Neil was so impressed with it that the band learned and also, renamed the band "Neil Young and the High Flying Birds".My father didn't like me working at the club and used to say"What the heck are you hanging out with that Neil Young for- he'll never amount to anything".I honestly can say that I always thought that he was so unique and dedicated to his music that I told anyone who would listen that he was the real deal. One afternoon after getting paid and before leaving for Toronto (900 miles by road where "Long May You Run" came about)he asked me to go to a 5 and dime store to help him pick out a sweater because it was winter and he was under-dressed.I saw a couple I thought were okay but he picked another one that I thought was tacky but it was the one he chose.Some months later our phone rang and my girlfriend at the time said "Are you watching Ed Sullivan?" I put it on and there was Neil in the Buffalo Springfield wearing that godawful black,green and yellow sweater from Woolworths. It's still up there on YouTube if you'd like to see what it looked like on the Smother Brothers Show where they played "For What It's Worth" live.The reminiscences of an aged folkie. Forgive my protracted meanderings but Neil still means a lot to me.

[cody78]

I have tales to tell re. Neil if you'll allow.In the early 60's I worked at a coffee house in what is now Thunder Bay, Ontario and had the great fortune to meet and hang out with Neil and his band The Squires.He would drive the 450 miles from Winnipeg to get gigs in The Lakehead ,as they called it then,in the old hearse famously known as Mort.The band played other venues as well and acquired a cult following among the locals that kept them coming back. We'd have matinees at the Fourth Dimension as the coffee house was called and all of the high-school boppers would come out on Saturdays to dance to Neil and the Squires.Working there I got to know Neil, Ken Koblan and Bob Clark the bass player and drummer, respectively and bring them sandwiches etc. to help tide them over until we all got payed.It was at the 4-D (as we called it) where Neil met Steve Stills, who was in a group called The Company, for the first time.After the shows were over one of us would stay behind in a basement dressing room until the manager locked up and we'd sneak in a side door and jam until all hours sometimes just singing along to the juke box (which we jimmied). It was then that I first got a guitar and Neil was very generous in teaching me chords and letting me play his guitars. I remember his Gretsch fondly.He'd get me to sing harmonies to stuff he was working on and we had a blast trying out various structures and howling laughing when they didn't turn out exactly as expected.A folkie named Danny Cox sang a song called "High Flying Bird" and Neil was so impressed with it that the band learned and also, renamed the band "Neil Young and the High Flying Birds".My father didn't like me working at the club and used to say"What the heck are you hanging out with that Neil Young for- he'll never amount to anything".I honestly can say that I always thought that he was so unique and dedicated to his music that I told anyone who would listen that he was the real deal. One afternoon after getting paid and before leaving for Toronto (900 miles by road where "Long May You Run" came about)he asked me to go to a 5 and dime store to help him pick out a sweater because it was winter and he was under-dressed.I saw a couple I thought were okay but he picked another one that I thought was tacky but it was the one he chose.Some months later our phone rang and my girlfriend at the time said "Are you watching Ed Sullivan?" I put it on and there was Neil in the Buffalo Springfield wearing that godawful black,green and yellow sweater from Woolworths. It's still up there on YouTube if you'd like to see what it looked like on the Smother Brothers Show where they played "For What It's Worth" live.The reminiscences of an aged folkie. Forgive my protracted meanderings but Neil still means a lot to me.

 

No need to apologise! What a great story and memory to have. Thanks for sharing

[j45nick]

I have tales to tell re. Neil if you'll allow.The reminiscences of an aged folkie. Forgive my protracted meanderings but Neil still means a lot to me.

 

 

Great, great story. Life is full of those odd intersections and coincidences, particularly when you hang around the music industry.

 

Everybody comes from somewhere.

 

I remember seeing one of those early "For What It's Worth" performances on TV. My folks were watching, too, and I was pretty nervous at what they might say or think. I don't believe they did much of either in this particular case, which is probably just as well.

[E-minor7]

I have tales to tell re. Neil if you'll allow. In the early 60's, , , ,

Great story ▲ glad you told it

[emmonsh]

seen him last year for the 1st time at dte in michigan. 1st 5 songs were mother nature, heart of gold, old man, down by the river and [cant remember the other 1]. all by himself, fantastic. harvest moon was the 5th song. rest of the concert was good but wow cant ever remember a better start to a concert