FOT Forum
The Best Show on WFMU => Dear Tom => Topic started by: manykant on May 01, 2008, 11:58:19 AM
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okay, so Are You Passionate? was garbage, "Living With War" was awkward, and Prairie Wind had a lot of misses, but I don't think Young's output in the 2000's should be totally written off. You seemed to suggest it constituted a pretty nasty cold streak a few shows ago.
Greendale was rock solid, full of all the ragged, wonderful sloppiness that characterized his 70's stuff. Sure the story was all over the place, but I don't think there's ever been a Rock Opera I would want to read as a novel. While I don't think it's Young's best album, it's probably my personal favorite and at least the best thing he's done since Sleeps with Angels. I also think 90 percent of Chrome Dreams II is strong, especially the heavier songs like "Dirty Old Man." The song "Spirit Road" is admittedly garbage.
Also also, Silver and Gold was a perfect Neil Young acoustic album, ie "Razor Love" (although it's an old track), and Prairie Wind had some amazing, soft-spoken numbers like "When God Made Me," "This Old Guitar," "Falling Off the Face of the Earth," and "It's a Dream."
Just saying.
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I wouldn't go anywhere near describing 2000s Neil Young as a hot streak by any stretch, but there were definitely small parts of Greendale and big parts of Prairie Wind that I enjoyed. I remember seeing him do "It's A Dream" on SNL and it being as good a "soft" performance as anything I'd ever seen him do.
Living With War, though...I admire it in concept. In execution.....nah so much.
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I agree, it's definitely not a hot streak.
Living With War also didn't age well with me. The lyrics are so ham-fisted.
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I like Silver and Gold a lot and really love the Silver and Gold concert DVD too. I also think Greendale mostly kicks ass.
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I also think Greendale mostly kicks ass.
You and Joe Belock, ugh that album and tour. Sure it was nice to see that tour once, but you'll never hear those songs ever again. Well maybe Be The Rain. Also Chrome Dreams II is pretty much Neil Odds and Sods collection, since a good amount of those songs have been around for a long time. Hell I heard Ordinary People during the Bluenotes tour.
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Be The Rain
Ew boy, I forgot about "Be The Rain". Brother.
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half of Neil Young's albums are odds and sods collections, so who cares?
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I don't know if Greendale still comes with the DVD of Neil performing the songs solo in Ireland, but I preferred those renditions over the album. They played it on PBS once or twice I think.
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I don't know if Greendale still comes with the DVD of Neil performing the songs solo in Ireland, but I preferred those renditions over the album. They played it on PBS once or twice I think.
There are two versions one with him just solo and the other with Crazy Horse recording the album
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Be The Rain
Ew boy, I forgot about "Be The Rain". Brother.
Yeah, that song is bad. But I still think if Greendale is good if you aren't taking it too seriously. It's a shame that it is a concept album because the corny story is a distraction from the album being a pretty much straight forward Niel Neil Young and Crazy Horse sloppy rock album. I can't help it, I like it. Especially "Double E."
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You know, while the overall story is stupid, there are some really touching moments between the characters in Greendale. In Carmichael, for example, the line about "Hey Mr. Las Vegas, you thought you were so cool, we met Wayne Newton at Pebble Beach, and you acted like a fool."
I think my favorite line is "when I was young people wore what they had on," from the first track.
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I saw the Greendale show live twice. That live Greendale thing was awfulsome. The Crazy Horse classics encores were just awesome.
One or two of those Greendale songs can actually make me weep, though. It's weird.
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So, what do you guys think about "Americana"?
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Haven't heard Americana yet. I thought Le Noise was really strong. Fork in the Road pretty much stunk but I admired his so fully embracing such a weird concept.
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Oh Susannah from Americana is absolute torture. If it weren't Neil, it would be greatest parody slam on Neil of all time. And I saw him on the Le Noise tour. I got my ticket free, and I still want my money back.
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I disagree strongly with Mr. From Knoxville, and think that the version of "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain", which Neil calls "Jesus' Chariot", is even stronger. You can hear it here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2012/05/11/152486586/song-premiere-neil-young-sets-americana-on-fire (http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2012/05/11/152486586/song-premiere-neil-young-sets-americana-on-fire)
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I don't like previewing albums if I know I'm going to buy them anyway, but that clip sounds swell to me.
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I really like most of "Are You Passionate?" The bands sounds great. I listened to "Chrome Dreams II" a lot too.
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Hey, Neil Young & Crazy Horse fans, go here! I mean it!
http://www.bigozine2.com/TRKS9/NY2morrison/NY2morrison104.mp3 (http://www.bigozine2.com/TRKS9/NY2morrison/NY2morrison104.mp3)
It's a 24-minute version of a new song they've been playing in concert called "Walk Like a Giant," and it might be his most major since Mirror Ball? Ragged Glory?
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And here's something weirder, but kind of great:
http://www.mediafire.com/?r01zqaykyoc4ajk (http://www.mediafire.com/?r01zqaykyoc4ajk)
Some nut strung together 35 minutes of pummeling feedback noise from the current tour to make Arc 2012.
Included in the download is the ultra-rare 2.5-minute "single edit" of the original Arc.
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I like Silver and Gold a lot and really love the Silver and Gold concert DVD too.
It's great, but it contains the worst lyric I have ever heard. It's not in and of itself a terrible lyric, but in the context of a beautiful acoustic song, the line "My software's not compatible with you" is a disaster. Only if he passed wind at that moment could he have been ruined the mood more.
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http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/09/neil-young-crazy-horse-announce-psychedelic-pill-r.html (http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/09/neil-young-crazy-horse-announce-psychedelic-pill-r.html)
Neil is nothing if not prolific. And while his recent albums may leave something to be desired, you have to give him credit for continuing to take risks with his music.
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There are bootleg sites out there with performances from the current tour of most of those new songs--I posted a link above to one I think is absolutely great, but I don't wanna listen to the others because I don't like previewing albums when I know I'm going to buy them anyway. Based on "Walk Like a Giant," though, I have a feeling this is going to be a good'un. I like Americana, by the way, give or take a song or two. (Don't have much use for "Gotta Travel On"--I'm not sure Pegi and Crazy Horse are two great tastes that go great together.)
I'm bummed that I won't see them on this tour--I'll be out of town for the MSG show and I absolutely refuse on principle to go see anything at that loathsome Barclays Center.