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Neil on fire -


E-minor7

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A thread on this in the Lounge - http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/58401-neil-youngs-fire/

 

I posted -

From a report - http://blogs.sfweekl...ncvolt_fire.php - "Around 70 percent of the contents of Young's San Carlos warehouse was saved by firefighters -- but he still suffered around $850,000 in property damage and a quarter of a million in structural damage."

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Hey, Sort of checked out the links on the Gibson Lounge and not to get too political....It kind of turns me off about Neil,s latest venture with the LincVolt! How freakin' STUPID? I always liked his artistic talent...over the top, at what he does. I always figured him for a Liberal, anti-establishment type guy. After all...He is the grissly,godfather of grunge and at the same time, the consummate balladeer crooner!

Albeit, he has earned un-godly wealth. I don,t begrudge that. But too undertake some BULLSHIT, FEELGOOD 'politically correct' project like the LincVolt....to be quite honest....baffles and dissapoints me! I would have 'thought' him a little more 'down to earth'!

In short, I would feel more sympathetic, if the fire started from a shorted rectifier tube in his Tweed Deluxe that he forgot to turn off after jamming!

 

Just my 2 cents...Rod

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Somehow I do not see Neil as all that anti-establishment - certainly not in a Fugs sorta way.

 

While I do realize there is nothing funny about losing your possessions in a fire, ya gotta admit considering the amount of crap thrown into the air by the fire there is something ironic about the fact the whole thing was started by something going haywire it the charging system of that hybrid 1950s Lincoln towncar.

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Hey, Sort of checked out the links on the Gibson Lounge and not to get too political....It kind of turns me off about Neil,s latest venture with the LincVolt! How freakin' STUPID? I always liked his artistic talent...over the top, at what he does. I always figured him for a Liberal, anti-establishment type guy. After all...He is the grissly,godfather of grunge and at the same time, the consummate balladeer crooner!

Albeit, he has earned un-godly wealth. I don,t begrudge that. But too undertake some BULLSHIT, FEELGOOD 'politically correct' project like the LincVolt....to be quite honest....baffles and dissapoints me! I would have 'thought' him a little more 'down to earth'!

In short, I would feel more sympathetic, if the fire started from a shorted rectifier tube in his Tweed Deluxe that he forgot to turn off after jamming!

 

Just my 2 cents...Rod

Heres my 2 cents Rod ! Neil has earned the right to do whatever he feels like doing being an Icon in the music world certainly gives him the right to build an electric Lincoln > More down to earth ??? Do you know him personally BTW . I do Hes a hell of a guy who donates a ton of his " ungodly " wealth to a lot of good causes ! Realy your 2 cents does not mean **** to an Eskimo ! As my dad use to say. [-(

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Heres my 2 cents Rod ! Neil has earned the right to do whatever he feels like doing being an Icon in the music world certainly gives him the right to build an electric Lincoln > More down to earth ??? Do you know him personally BTW . I do Hes a hell of a guy who donates a ton of his " ungodly " wealth to a lot of good causes ! Realy your 2 cents does not mean **** to an Eskimo ! As my dad use to say. [-(

As I could predict..Ho-Hum!.... A **** storm on the horizon! Glad I only gave 2cents....You couldn't take a dollars worth without blowing a neck artery. By the way, say Hi to your close personal friend, Neil. I am sorry for the accident and loss.

And as my dad use to say...."We don,t know any Eskimos, son!"

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As I could predict..Ho-Hum!.... A **** storm on the horizon! Glad I only gave 2cents....You couldn't take a dollars worth without blowing a neck artery. By the way, say Hi to your close personal friend, Neil. I am sorry for the accident and loss.

And as my dad use to say...."We don,t know any Eskimos, son!"

 

You also dont know Neil Young ! But your full of judgement Mr. Rod !

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As any big artist, Neil Young has created an independent position for himself that gives the possibility to both caress and curse what he sees around him. He is a jester, a lover, a fighter - an important counterweight to the established main-train (which every 'healthy' culture needs and always needed), still couldn't be counted as a 'dangerous' revolutionary at all.

 

Rather as a creator who uses all keys on the board, always did, which is one of the reasons he so special. He remains a huge force or phenomenon on the planet and his influence is titanic. No need to be scared of the man, though – much worse if nobody like him was around, that would be a sign to consider.

 

I've been a fan since the mid-70'ties and though disagreeing with several turns he took, the journey has been exiting and tremendous, emotional, sometimes tough. I've been playing his songs, listening and learning. I have got to know my own register of feelings as a teenager and seen the 4 elements reflected in the different facets of his work. Continue to follow the route and still get my kicks now and again, last during a concert in a smaller venue a couple of years ago.

 

Let me share this story with you : Back in 1976, Young and Crazy Horse were in town for the first time and BTW played the same stage as the one mentioned above. Neil had been here before with CSN&Y, but this was the Zuma tour and the lads were in terrific shape. A very juvenile version of me together with 10 classmates attended the half acoustic, half electric show with expectations sugar mountain high.Of course we were blown away when the gig was over, but never the less me and one of the guys decided to get behind the concert-hall block to see our stars leave the building. Yep, after a while they came out one by one by one. Talbot*, Molina, Sampedro, , , , and Young in some furry Afghan coat. I steered towards him as a magnet, thanked for the music and among other things, asked about a CSN&Y reunion (the only thing I recall). "It's up to the others," he said and slipped through the door of the waiting limousine. The rest of the band was still on pavement, probably in small conversations, giving autographs and answers - there were only around 10 or 12 people at the scene. My eyes followed Neil inside the cabin where he had placed himself on the right back seat. We spoke a bit further, when suddenly in a split-second, he changed his mind and in a weird kind of acrobatic move threw himself over the front seat to land in the strangest position half on the floor next to the drivers place (certainly no trace of recent spine-problems here). He got up as a relaxed Crazy Horse entered the enormous car. It had the windows down and no-one was in a hurry - (it was after all the 70'ties) so we chatted on through the open gabs. A couple of minutes later they took off leaving tiny E-minor7 and good friend Lars on the sidewalk absolutely stunned. It had been the most perfect ending of the most perfect concert and we were like covered with wonder-dust, when suddenly Lars felt the upper wrangler-jacket chest pocket emty, his purse gone. Confused and troubled 'bout having to deal with a nail of bad luck in midst of such shimmering situation, we stayed where we were, not drunk nor stoned - just intoxicated by the whole thing. Then - believe it or not - right before our eyes the dark limo came around the opposite corner some 25 meters away. It slowly drove by as someone handed the purse from the still open window, speeded up and was gone.

 

Ladies and gentlemen : This was my holy moment as a rock-lovin youngster tale, and I'll never forget it. Guess the purse had dropped from the pocket when L. leaned his torso inside the cabin, can't imagine anything else. But sometimes I picture the conversation inside the car. There must have been a little discussion whether to drive back or not - what to do with this lump of worthless leather. Though probably on their way to some tour party-thing (they stayed at the biggest hotel in town, which I know as the hotel sticker is seen on the front of the Decade-album, released the following year), in a heavenly state of mind, these pirates chose to return. Ouh YES they did !

 

Besides grand piano and harps, I remember Young playing his brownburst J-200, the D-28, the D-45, the black Les Paul and the White Falcon that night - maybe even a banjo.

Let's hope these instruments have their place in his studio facility and thus still are alive.

 

*wearing an extraordinary ordinary and to be frank for the times totally uncool blue nylon-coat - (love it)

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While Neil's work with autistic children is to be greatly admired, I am a petty sort and hold a grudge against him. Neil and his partner, the former head of Paramount Communications (not sure how that fits in with Neil's anti-establishment image), bought Lionel Trains. We are talking a holding company here. I know Neil's interest in the company stemmed from his childhood facination with the toy trains and the fact he believed they had a positive effect on the children. While Neil's holding company did give us railsounds and some other cool stuff, prices went up so much that they decided to shut down the American plants and move the whole thing to China and Korea.

 

Granted in the big picture this ain't a big deal but us Lionel freaks were none too pleased with it. But it sure kinda takes the luster off the musician against the system and anti-establishment stuff.

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You also dont know Neil Young ! But your full of judgement Mr. Rod !

Yes, you are correct, Suburude, I do not know Neil Young. If I did, I would not have made the comment that I did, which BTW was not intended as a 'personal' attack on the way he spends his money.

My initial comments were made after watching the video that was linked on the lounge.

Absolutely, Neil Young can spend his money any way he wants. I don,t care. I only know his musical offerings and performances through the years. I have always been touched and connected with his stuff.

And yes, I do have a habit of being Judgemental. At least, thats what my wife says. Just one of my 'character flaws', if you will. I think of it as 'accountibility for ones actions'.

My comment was intended to be more of a 'political swipe' at the whole 'green,battery-car, carbon footprint' nonsense that seems to be the latest passion of people that want to 'save the world'!

I'm sure that many would take me to task over my thinking on that.

Thus.... the 'irony' in the 'result' of this endeavour, 'in this case'!

 

Now thats off my chest...."Keep on Rockin' in the Free World" and I will try to keep my comments to Gibson's.

RRod

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