Neil Young and my mid life crisis
Posted by Iain McKinney on 1 July 2008 - 9:01pm.
I was talking to a customer yesterday, who had been to see Neil Young in Dublin. Rubbish apparently.
I can understand this, because I now really believe that these old stagers (Neil Young, The Stones, Dylan, Lou Reed, etc) have nothing more to offer in a live setting.
Don't get me wrong, Dylan's studio output in the last decade has been fantastic, but if you've "you tubed" any of his recent live shows, thay are truly awful (try "Lenny Bruce" from a recent show to see what I mean).
Actually, for whatever reason, I have recently become wholly fed up with all my back catalogue stuff (particularly Neil Young) and find myself looking for new music (Word CDs help in this respect). Is it a mid life crisis?
Oh boy, I'm confused....
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Neil Dublin
Your customer is correct, he blew big time
Really?
More info on NY please..
I've seen him several times in the past but couldn't muster much enthusiasm for him this time.. What was the problem on Sunday?
Surely he is allowed the odd clunker?
(Yes, yes, but not at these prices, probably....)
Having read the recent reviews of Leonard Cohen and Willie Nelson, both into their 8th decade, I am not so sure it is all age.
Beg To Differ
I thought Neil Young was absolutely brilliant on Sunday, and am trying to justify going to the Hop Farm this coming Sunday.
Neil famously brooks no crepulance in his song selection. If you want a Greatest Hits Concert, his isn't a show for you. If he'd played Heart Of Gold, would that have made you change your mind ?Song selection did include an acoustic session in the middle, with a beautiful version of Unknown Legend, featuring some gorgeous guitar from Anthony Crawford. The closing epic of No Hidden Path was worth the admission/flights/hotel alone.
When you have recorded so many albums, in so many different styles, some people are always going to be disappointed. It's the same with Springsteen - I'd have loved to see him at Cardiff, as he played several of my all time favourites. Unfortunately I saw him at the Emirates, where he didn't.
Hey ho.
Back to you, Pat..
You don't strike me as the 'only here for the hits' type of concert-goer.
What was missing on Sunday?
For what it's worth
my own correspondents - to a man - thought it was a superb show:
Love And Only Love – Ragged Glory
I've Been Waiting For You – Neil Young
Mr. Soul - Decade
Spirit Road – Chrome Dreams II
Powderfinger – Rust Never Sleeps
Hey Hey, My My – Rust Never Sleeps
Too Far Gone - Freedom
Oh, Lonesome Me – After The Goldrush
Mother Earth – Ragged Glory
The Needle And The Damage Done - Harvest
Unknown Legend – Harvest Moon
Old Man - Harvest
Get Back To The Country – Old Ways
Words - Harvest
No Hidden Path – Chrome Dreams II
----
A Day In The Life
Last chance saloon
A mate of mine who is a big Neil Young fan went to see him twice (apparently they were both great) and justified it by saying that he probably won't do another big tour over here, so it's his last chance.
At least you can tell your grandkids that you saw Neil Young live!
There is absolutely no comparison
these days between Young and Dylan live.
If you took an audio tape of Young's recent Hammersmith shows, and only listened to the songs from the 60s and 70s, you could not tell when it was recorded. The quality of the playing and singing was identical to 10, 20, 30 years ago.
As for Dylan, well, I gave up on him a few years ago. In concert, he is a pale, pale shadow of his old self. Can't sing, murders his old material (please don't kid yourself it's re-interpretation), barely acknowledges the audience ... shall I go on?
Young / Manchester / March 2008
...was one of the best gigs I've ever been to.