Neil Young playing Bert Jansch's Needle of Death in Jack White's vintage phonograph recording booth, from his new album Letters From Home. This song is maybe my favorite (Del's too) from the album.
"I was especially taken by Needle Of Death, such a beautiful and angry song. That guy was so good… And years later, on On The Beach, I wrote the melody of Ambulance Blues by styling the guitar part completely on Needle Of Death. I wasn’t even aware of it, and someone else drew my attention to it."
Neil Young recently recorded a collection of covers with Jack White on a refurbished 1947 Voice-O-Graph recording booth at Jack White's Third Man's Nashville headquarters. Yeah, the same kind of machine my dad recorded a voice letter home for his mom at some port in World War II. These were still around when I was a kid.
The Voice-O-Graph is about the size of a phone booth, with a fairly crude microphone, and directly cuts grooves onto a 6" vinyl record. You can only record 111 seconds on a disc, so obviously some of these tunes are spliced. I love the fuzzy warmth of these tunes, the scratching sound of the needle in the grooves, and hearing what old songs Neil decided to record (Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Tim Hardin, Willie Nelson, etc.). The sound is roughly equivalent to that on Harry Smith's amazing Anthology of American Folk Music. Neil describes it as "an unheard collection of rediscovered songs from the past recorded on ancient electro-mechanical technology that captures and unleashes the essence of something that could have been gone forever."
The funny thing about Young releasing a low-fi, mono (and no overdub) album like this is that he has spent the last few years developing the highest fidelity system yet for music reproduction—Pono—that delivers music at up to 30 times the resolution of an MP3. His autobiography from last year goes into great detail on the Pono sound system, and he mentions over and over that even the modern CD only captures a fraction of the actual music recorded.
This is almost all Neil, but Jack White does vocals and piano on On The Road Again and vocals and guitar on I Wonder If I Care As Much.
I just finished Neil Young's autobiography. Strange, idiosyncratic, amazingly heartfelt, prismatic, pained, hopeful, and passionate. One thing that really struck me is how, despite everything he has accomplished, Buffalo Springfield (even as briefly as they lasted) was maybe the core music experience of his life, and an experience he wants to relive. It always seemed like CSNY was a millstone around his neck (and God knows, they went through a lot of garbage) but he truly loves each one of those guys, and goes out of his way to show that. I go back and forth on his book when I compare it to other rock autobios, but it is utterly fascinating, and not surprisingly, he breaks the mold.
I like Buffalo Springfield too. But I'd rather Smell The Horse:
I heart Nils Lofgren. He started the band Grin not long after he worked on Neil Young's first album with Crazy Horse. Grin never got any traction and although every one of their releases was critically acclaimed, their records stiffed, but me and my friendos latched on and loved them. After Grin fell apart, Nils did some solo work, and then joined forces with that mighty juggernaut Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, where he has played every since. He joined Young's band when he was 17, and played piano and guitar on After The Gold Rush and on the album I consider Young's masterpiece, Tonight's The Night. I love this guy. I think I need to post a clip of some of his E Street stage antics (e.g., performing a somersault on stage whilst playing a solo). The Boss and the E Street band are back on the road this summer, and will probably be lining up some fall dates stateside. . .
On this song, it must be Nils playing the accordion. I know he learned to play one when he was five years old., and studied it for ten years. He's been a member of The E Street Band, with their ups and downs, since 1984 (he replaced Steven Van Zandt [a/k/a The Sopranos Silvio Dante], although Little Steven returned and now he AND Nils are permanent member of the band). TMI?
I put up the video for this song last month, as performed by Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Neil Young, Roger McGuinn and Eric Clapton. But I didn't post the lyrics. With Dylan, the lyrics are key. And these lyrics are magnificent. They are probably somewhere up there in Dylan's ten best. . .which puts them, surely, in the top 20 for all rock songs, ever.
So, once again, here is the BobFest video, along with the lyrics.
My Back Pages by Bob Dylan
Crimson flames tied through my ears Rollin' high and mighty traps Pounced with fire on flaming roads Using ideas as my maps "We'll meet on edges, soon," said I Proud 'neath heated brow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth "Rip down all hate," I screamed Lies that life is black and white Spoke from my skull. I dreamed Romantic facts of musketeers Foundationed deep, somehow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
Girls' faces formed the forward path From phony jealousy To memorizing politics Of ancient history Flung down by corpse evangelists Unthought of, though, somehow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
A self-ordained professor's tongue Too serious to fool Spouted out that liberty Is just equality in school "Equality," I spoke the word As if a wedding vow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand At the mongrel dogs who teach Fearing not that I'd become my enemy In the instant that I preach My pathway led by confusion boats Mutiny from stern to bow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats Too noble to neglect Deceived me into thinking I had something to protect Good and bad, I define these terms Quite clear, no doubt, somehow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
In this awesome video clip, Nils Lofrgen does a somersault while playing a guitar solo with Springsteen's E Street Band on tour this summer. Now, remember, Nils is of my vintage, a spry 57 years old. Not bad, friendo! During his solo years (1974-) Nils would play guitar while doing flips on a trampoline.
Nils was in Grin in the early 70's, played with Neil Young on two of his most important albums (and at various other times since), and ended up in The E Street Band in 1984 with Bruce Springsteen, taking Little Steven's place, Clarence Clemmons, Patti Scialfa, & Max Weinberg, etc. The Boss , of course broke up E Street in 1989. He brought them back together in 1999 and both Steven Van Zandt and Nils were back in the band, as they are today.
This is a YouTube slide-show video a/k/a "slideo" of a great Nils Lofgren tune, Back It Up. Nils Lofgren formed a great power pop band, Grin, in the early 1970's. He also played on some early Neil Young albums, and has been a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
Neil Young has re-released and often remastered most of his music. He has even released some albums he didn't much care for. In some ways, the album Time Fades Away is a disaster: out of tune singing, guitars out of tune, mike bumps, etc. But it is is raw Neil Young, albeit, without Crazy Horse.
Time Fades Away has always felt like a crude companion piece to an album that is arguably his best of all time: Tonight's The Night. I loved that album for its spirit and passion, and because the Harvest fans considered it such a slap in the face. Of course, they hadn't yet heard albums like Weld or Year of the Horse. Time Fades Away also includes one of his most beautiful songs of all time: The Bridge. I suspect he may include the album, or parts of it, in his Archives project whenever it finally comes out (disappointingly, it may be released only on Blu-Ray discs).
Don't Be Denied:
Don't Be Denied Music and lyrics by Neil Young
When I was a young boy, My mama said to me Your daddy's leavin' home today, I think he's gone to stay. We packed up all our bags And drove out to Winnipeg.
When we got to Winnipeg I checked in to school. I wore white bucks on my feet, When I learned the golden rule. The punches came fast and hard Lying on my back in the school yard.
Don't be denied, don't be denied. Don't be denied, don't be denied. Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Well pretty soon I met a friend, He played guitar. We used to sit on the steps at school And dream of being stars. We started a band, We played all night.
Don't be denied, don't be denied. Don't be denied, don't be denied. Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Oh Canada We played all night I really hate to leave you now But to stay just wouldn't be right. Down in Hollywood We played so good
The businessmen crowded around They came to hear the golden sound There we were on the Sunset Strip, Playing our songs for the highest bid. We played all night The price was right.
Don't be denied, don't be denied. Don't be denied, don't be denied. Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Well, all that glitters isn't gold I know you've heard that story told. And I'm a pauper in a naked disguise A millionaire through a business man's eyes. Oh friend of mine Don't be denied.
Last Dance:
Last Dance Music and Lyrics by Neil Young
Wake up! It's a Monday morning No time left to say goodbye Can't breathe and the lights are changing. You can live your own life Making it happen Working on your own time Laid back and laughin' Oh no, oh no.
Headlights, make it home by sundown Feeling that the day is through Return back to where you come from You can live your own life Making it happen Working on your own time Laid back and laughin' Oh no, oh no.
You wake up in the mornin' And the sun's comin' up. Its been up for hours and hours and hours And hours and hours and hours It's been up for hours and hours and hours And you light up the stove And the coffee cup, its hot. And the orange juice is cold, cold, cold Monday morning, Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up Its time to go, Time to go to work.
You can live your own life Making it happen Working on your own time Laid back and laughin' Oh no, oh no. No, no, no. ---o0o---
My favorite albums by Neil Young. I am, in particular, a fan of Crazy Horse, so you may not find so much of the gentler, tuneful, sylvan, or more mellow Neil here:
You can smell the Horse in this tune. This is an incredibly unhinged, grunged-out version of "Hey Hey My My" with over-the-top, twisted guitar work and feedback/distortion. If you're a fan of the Horse, you'll like this one. And even if you're not, you should watch and listen anyway.
The performance is from the 2001 Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.
CSN perform the great song by Stephen Stills, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (aka Judy Collins) at Woodstock in 1969. It was one of their very first public appearances, and as Stephen Stills said "We're scared shitless."
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes by Stephen Stills, performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young At Woodstock, 1969.
It's getting to the point Where I'm no fun any more I am sorry Sometimes it hurts So badly I must cry out loud I am lonely
{Refrain} I am yours You are mine You are what you are You make it hard
Remember what we've said, and done And felt about each other Oh, babe, have mercy Don't let the past remind us Of what we are not now I am not dreaming
{Refrain}
Tearing yourself Away from me now, you are free And I am crying This does not mean I don't love you, I do, that's forever Yes, and for always
{Refrain}
Something inside Is telling me that I've got your secret Are you still listening? Fear is the lock And laughter the key to your heart And I love you
{Refrain} And you make it hard And you make it hard And you make it hard
Friday evening Sunday in the afternoon What have you got to lose Tuesday morning Please be gone, I'm tired of you What have you got to lose
Can I tell it like it is Catch me I'm falling Listen to me baby It's my heart that's suffering Catch me I'm dying It's dyin' and that's what I have to lose
I've got an answer I'm going to fly away What have I got to lose? Will you come see me Thursdays and Saturdays What have you got to lose
Chestnut brown canary Ruby throated sparrow Sing a song, don't be long Thrill me to the marrow
Voices of the angels Ring around the moonlight Asking me, said she so free How can you catch the sparrow
Lacy lilting lady Losing love lamenting Change my life, make it right Be my lady
Do do do do do, do do do do do do Do do do do do, do do do do ---o0o---
Stephen Stills and his on-again off-again long-time bandmate Neil Young reminisce about the days of Buffalo Springfield. The last video is a promotional film for For What It's worth.
Interview Clip One:
Interview Clip Two:
Interview Clip Three:
Buffalo Springfield play For What It's Worth from a 1967 promo video:
Buffalo Springfield Again By Neil Young
Used to play in a rock 'n' roll band, But they broke up. We were young and we were wild, It ate us up. Now I'm not saying who was right or wrong.
Looking out on a big green lawn, Girls and boys Playing in the afternoon sun, Life's a joy I heard an old song playing on the radio.
Buffalo Springfield again.
I'd like to see those guys again, And give it a shot. Maybe now we can show the world, What we've got. But I'd just like to play for the fun we had.
Buffalo Springfield again. Buffalo Springfield again. ---o0o---
