Neil Young

[bunnyben]

last night i had a dream with neil young in it so i thought hmm maybe i should listen to him as i go to sleep tonight but i couldn't find the 'best off' ccd so it thought i'd make my own. maybe it reflects how tired i am (just got in from work) but here goes. (ps if anyone wants i can upload it)

amerian history faded dreams
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sugar mountian
long may you run
harvest
the loner
only love can break your heart
cowgirl in the sand (live acoustic)
old king
light a candle
like a hurricane
after the gold rush
a man needs a maid/heart of gold (live acoustic)
war of man
i am a child
pocahontas
harvest moon
no hidden path

--------------------

what would yours be? (to fit on an 80 min cd)

[redcloud]

I would have to have 'Ambulance Blues' on my Neil Young "Best of". That is my absolute favorite Neil song. In fact, I would probably include the entire side 2 portion of "On The Beach". It is as perfect as one side of music can be.

I would probably also put 'Last Trip To Tulsa', 'Running Dry', 'Pardon My Heart' and 'Borrowed Tune' on it too....

[jadams501]

I'm no expert on Neil Young but that looks like a good list... the only other thing I'd include is Don't Let It Bring You Down.

[runcible]

No Cinnamon Girl? I love that song.

[bunnyben]

I would have to have 'Ambulance Blues' .

that was taken off due to being just too long!

ru- cinnamon girl i think would have come on a more 'awake' cd along with the likes of hey hey my my and rocking in the free world. last night i listened to one track before i fell asleep, think i left it too late haha

[Shinesalight]

If we're talking about a Neil Young mellow compilation, I've got one on my I-Pod which is 38 songs totalling over 2 and 1/2 hours!

If I was going to narrow it down to 80 minutes (which I'd be loathe to do) this is what I'd proabably go for:-

On The Beach
Birds
Helpless
Unknown Legend
Ambulance Blues
Oh, Lonesome Me
Razor Love
Stringman
Borrowed Tune
Motion Pictures
Out On The Weekend
The Old Laughing Lady
After The Goldrush
Tired Eyes
Don't Let It Bring You Down
The Needle & The Damage Done

That lot would certainly make me drift off into a nice peaceful sleep. Oh, and have to agree with Redcloud.....that 2nd half of On The Beach is Young at his blissed out best.

[TheWarmth]

Have you guys read about the new album, Le Noise, yet? Sounds very intriguing. If it's as good as I hope, it'll be the first N.Y. album that has stirred anything in me since Silver & Gold.

Recorded in Lanois' home in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, Le Noise features Young on acoustic and electric guitars with Lanois adding his trademark sonic textures, creating one of the most sonically arresting albums Young has ever recorded. No band, no overdubs, just "a man on a stool and me doing a nice job on the recording," as Lanois puts it.

"Neil was so appreciative of the sonics that we presented to him," Lanois says. "He walked in the door and I put an acoustic guitar into his hands -- one that I had been working on to build a new sound. That's the multi-layered acoustic sound that you hear on the songs 'Love and War' and 'Peaceful Valley Boulevard.' I wanted him to understand that I've spent years dedicated to the sonics in my home and that I wanted to give him something he'd never heard before.

He picked up that instrument, which had everything -- an acoustic sound, electronica, bass sounds -- and he knew as soon as he played it that we had taken the acoustic guitar to a new level. It's hard to come up with a new sound at the back end of 50 years of rock and roll, but I think we did it."

Le Noise will be released in several formats, including standard CD, vinyl, digital download, and as a deluxe CD/DVD. The DVD portion, shot by cinematographer Adam Vollick, will feature eight black and white films of Young performing each song solo on acoustic and electric guitar live in the studio. In November, Reprise will also release a Blu-Ray edition, featuring Lanois and Vollick's beautifully shot films of Young.

[BzaInSpace]

If we're talking about a Neil Young mellow compilation, I've got one on my I-Pod which is 38 songs totalling over 2 and 1/2 hours! If I was going to narrow it down to 80 minutes (which I'd be loathe to do) this is what I'd proabably go for...

My thoughts too Ads. One CD's worth of Neil Young - with all those albums? Impossible!
That's probably why the only NY album I don't particularly like is the Greatest Hits from a few years ago. I totally understand why what's on it is on there, and it would be good for a jukebox or something but it's just...not even scratching the scratch on the surface.

Off the top of my head some favourites...no idea how long this would be though sorry Ben!

Tonight's The Night
I'm The Ocean
Don't Cry
Big Time
Little Thing Called Love
Ambulance Blues
Cortez the Killer
Expecting To Fly
Sedan Delivery
Will To Love
Winterlong
Needle and the Damage Done
Like A Hurricane
Act Of Love
Sample & Hold
Time Fades Away
Fuckin' Up
Harvest Moon
Deep Forbidden Lake
Vampire Blues
Cinnamon Girl...

There's just so much! I've barely even considered anything out of the 70s here.

Neil Young - he's some guy ain't he. He's had that amazing electric guitar tone since day one!
I really must see him live sooner than later.

He picked up that instrument, which had everything -- an acoustic sound, electronica, bass sounds -- and he knew as soon as he played it that we had taken the acoustic guitar to a new level. It's hard to come up with a new sound at the back end of 50 years of rock and roll, but I think we did it."

Woah - that does sound interesting, cheers! Count me in for looking forward to that too...

Ben - you must have read this book I was raving about next door:

http://ideensynthese.de/spiritualized/v ... =18&t=9732

I'd go as far to say that you wouldn't need to know anything about NY to enjoy this book. What a great tale. Read again a brilliant piece where the late David Briggs explains how he could teach anyone in the world how to make records...what he says is inspiring and completely has the ring of truth.

Anyway, Ben, if you haven't read this book - what you waiting for? I think you'll really enjoy...

[Shinesalight]

I'm The Ocean
Don't Cry
Big Time
Sedan Delivery
Fuckin' Up
Cinnamon Girl...

BZA....Ben was after a mellow compilation, some of your track selections would never help the poor boy drift off to sleep!

Know what you mean about narrowing down old Shakey's back catalogue though.....they're are so many great tunes to go through. My 2 & 1/2 hour comp was just a selection of some of my favourite quieter NY moments. I've got a rockier comp of his stuff that is even longer!

The book is brilliant.....read it about 7 or 8 years ago and I'll have to re-visit it again soon. There's another big old biography of his that I read called Neil Young;Zero to Sixty by Johnny Rogan which is also worth checking out.

And, yeah, that new album certainly sounds interesting though there have certainly been a couple of decent tracks on Are You Passionate (not many to be honest!), Praire Wind, Chrome Dreams II and Living With War for them to be totally discounted.

[bunnyben]

I

Anyway, Ben, if you haven't read this book - what you waiting for? I think you'll really enjoy...

i have that book on my shelf! i bought it in hmv a few months ago. what's stopping me so far is thw 100 other books on the pile too! i miss the days of waking up, going for a walk then reading then walking back then reading. those were the days! i'm currently rereading leonard cohen's debut novel. a very beautiful book

i listened to the cd (ny) on my 80 min round trip walk to asda yesterday. i think i was nealry ran over 3 times as i was drifting away and there's hardly any roads on the trip!!

[shalloboi]

i think the last time i tried to do this i failed miserably- i think it ended up clocking in at around 2 and a 1/2 hours. haven't listened to him in a long time, but have just started loading the mid/late 70's stuff on my ipod (which is my favourite stuff of his). it'd probably be like this-

sugar mountain
mr. soul
nowadays clancy can't even sing (live)
everybody knows this is nowhere
down by the river
helpless
world on a string
albuquerque
pushed it over the end (live)
on the beach
ambulance blues
pardon my heart
cortez the killer
will to love
hey hey my my (out of the blue)
pocahontas

i'm pretty sure this wouldn't fit- i have a tendency to go for his really long songs. i have no way to check this for length where i am.

[LunarTunes]

Tough and damn near impossible to do considering the length of Neil's recording career. And then there's the length of some of his best songs! But if forced to try to compile an 80 minute disc, here's what I'd probably put on there:

Expecting To Fly
Down By The River
Helpless
Old Man
Ambulance Blues
Tonight's The Night
Cortez The Killer
Will To Love
Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)
Unknown Legend
Change Your Mind
Bandit

But that's leaving off a hell of a lot of great material! Picking a Top 20 would even be difficult but perhaps a better idea. So here's 8 more:

Cowgirl In The Sand
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
The Needle And The Damage Done
Don't Be Denied
Mellow My Mind
Like A Hurricane
Pocohontas
One Of These Days

But really I'd like to be able to keep all of On The Beach, Tonight's The Night and Sleeps With Angels and then pick my best-of from the rest. That would be a bit easier. Even his lesser albums have some fine stuff on them. And then there's the fact that a lot of his best songs are also his most popular and end up being on a list like this. I couldn't justify leaving off a lot of them. But a lot of his lesser known songs are just as good. It might also be fun to make a "best-of" that couldn't use anything from Greatest Hits or Decade. Looking forward to the new one...

Peace.

[TheWarmth]

Here's a video for one of the songs on Le Noise. I haven't watched this yet, but I will as soon as I get a chance:

http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/83 ... er-reprise

[BzaInSpace]

Thanks for this Paul...this is....incredible, actually!

Seems to be like almost a confessional thing among the story-telling - not often you hear drug use being spoken about so honestly or explicitly. Old Black sounds great, and the echo on NY's voice makes his voice sound like he's within your head, or the voice of god, or coming down from the mountain...

I think this album is gonna be awesome. Go Neil... and thanks again!

[James T]

Tell Me Why
Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing (Live Acoustic)
Birds
Look Out For My Love
Helpless
On The Beach
Motion Pictures
Ambulance Blues
Running Dry
Harvest Moon
Bad Fog of Loneliness
It's A Dream
Cortez The Killer
Mellow My Mind
Borrowed Tune

Any order, shuffle it, whatever. Love that it's a dream off prairie wind..

[niamhm]

Thanks for this Paul...this is....incredible, actually!

Seems to be like almost a confessional thing among the story-telling - not often you hear drug use being spoken about so honestly or explicitly. Old Black sounds great, and the echo on NY's voice makes his voice sound like he's within your head, or the voice of god, or coming down from the mountain...

I think this album is gonna be awesome. Go Neil... and thanks again!

pretty much what I was thinking ,its sounding very promising ,quite a different sound with lanois , did i read they made a video for every track? anyway heres a link to another track ,Angry World,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uDwvJK0YdI&ob=av2e

[James T]

All over the new now

[TheWarmth]

Yeah, I like these a lot. I wish he would go for a little more subtlety with his lyrics, but the songs are good and I love the production.

[Broc]

Does anyone have any idea why Le Noise is so crazily expensive on vinyl?

The only prices I can see are for around €36/$36/£26, this is nuts for a single record...

[TheWarmth]

Seems like all of the recent N.Y. vinyl has been pressed in a very expensive manner. The last Archives release (the acoustic Sugar Mountain one) was $60 for double-vinyl, which is insane. It's one thing to press a nice, high quality record, but there's too much music I want to buy to be spending that much on one brand-new release.

[Shinesalight]

A good review in the Guardian today:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/se ... -cd-review

I'm looking forward to picking this up on Monday.

[BzaInSpace]

Me too Ads. Looks like yet another classic from Old Neil Young...

[warmgun.]

You can hear the whole album here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =129955938

I kind of lost interest after Silver and Gold, but this has me listening again. Really, really good!

[Shinesalight]

I'm not sure after the first listen.....perhaps its a grower. Certainly better than Greendale, Fork in The Road and Are You Passionate but then again its no Ragged Glory, Zuma, Tonights the Night or On The Beach. Need to give it a few more listens,

[BzaInSpace]

*very strange - coulda sworn I'd replied here already...ah well*

Hey Ads, you had a chance to listen again?

I love this album - for my money the best NY since Dead Man or even the amazing Mirror Ball. Actually, Mirror Ball might be my all-time NY album...

But anyway! The guitar sounds on this album is incredible, and I really like the one-man-and-his-guitar with the major dubwise production all over. Amazing.

[runcible]

I know this will sound annoying to many but although I liked the album quite a lot I felt it would have been better with a booming bass and thumping drums...

[MODLAB]

I am really enjoying this thread. I cant stand Neil Young but it's a good read for me.


—I might try again—

M

[bunnyben]

i just listened, a good album but it didn't grab me and floor me like some of his previous albums have but have to say of all the recent new albums i've heard it's a goodun

[Shinesalight]

Hey Ads, you had a chance to listen again?

Sorry Barry, only just seen this. Yeah, have had it on quite a bit recently though still a bit undecied to be honest. There are some good tracks on there... I especially like the opening 2 tracks, but for me The Hitchiker is leagues above the rest of the stuff on there.....which is a bit worrying seeing as he was apparently playing this live during the Harvest Moon tour. I guess you could say that its a brave album, a bit experimental but I don't think its one that I'll be returning to time and again. Not even sure The Hitchiker would even make it onto any best of NY mix that I would compile but then the calibre of his back catalogue means thats not exactly a major critisism. I would still love him to do one more full blown rocking out album with Crazy Horse while he's still got it in him. Overall I'd give it 6 out of 10.

Are you still loving it?

[spzretent]

Seems like all of the recent N.Y. vinyl has been pressed in a very expensive manner. The last Archives release (the acoustic Sugar Mountain one) was $60 for double-vinyl, which is insane.

I had a credit slip at a local record shop and they had the Massey Hall live double lp on 200 gram vinyl. It it simply the best sounding record I have ever heard.
I did plop down $60 for the Canterbury House live double lp today. Thanks to these snap back baseball hats I have been selling tons of. There is my obligatory rationalization.

[Stonedutch]

This new release is absolutely, positively , 100% brilliant! Saw the film once a couple of weeks ago amidst a lot traveling, and didn't have time to soak it all in and fully appreciate it, but now I'm home again and have the cd which is lodged in my car stereo where it will stay for a long time. It could have been sub-titled "A Man and his Guitars"...quintessential Neil imho.

[johnnyboy]

I've been playing some Neil Young vinyl recently and ended up doing my usual thing of "Hmmm, I wonder how much this goes for on ebay, not that I'll ever sell it of course". The 'Ragged Glory' and 'Weld' albums in particular. Just saw Weld for for £42.99 and RG for approx £25. Nice.

Not heard the new one and haven't bought a new Neil Young album since Prairie Wind (is is called that??) after it was reviewed with words like 'a return to form', 'his best in years'. Bought it, played it, nothing like a return to form, sold it.