Neil Young Crash Course

I’m excited about another trip we’re taking this weekend. Kendall, Leah, and I are driving up to northern California to meet up with my sister and her family because her husband is playing Neil Young’s 22nd Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert. In addition to Wilco, the concert will include the Smashing Pumpkins, Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones, Band of Horses, Death Cab for Cutie, Jack Johnson, Cat Power, and Josh Groban. And, of course, Neil Young.

It’s only now, as I think about attending this concert, that I realize how shockingly unfamiliar I am with Neil Young’s music. It’s embarrassing to realize the extent to which this icon of the music world has escaped my attention. How is that possible? Was I listening to too many showtunes? I’m way more familiar with Young’s early 1960s band, Buffalo Springfield, and certainly his participation in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. In fact, “Teach Your Children Well” was one of my favorite songs from childhood. I found the lyrics haunting then and now:

Teach your children well
Their father’s hell
Did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick
The one you’ll know by.
Don’t you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would die
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.

Brilliant. Except that was written by Graham Nash, not Neil Young. I know he’s survived my ignorance quite well but I look forward to hearing him perform on Saturday and Sunday. I’m hoping that once I hear the actual songs, some of them will come back to me even if I can’t name them off the top of my head. I certainly admire everything I’ve read about Young and his values and beliefs. I remember when he turned down a million-dollar offer to appear at Woodstock ’94 because he thought it was becoming too commercial. Young helped to found The Bridge School over twenty years ago. The inspiring school does amazing work for children with disabilities. Both of Young’s sons have cerebral palsy, including the son he had with the late actress Carrie Snodgress. (He fell in love with Snodgress after seeing her in the superb “Diary of a Mad Housewife” in 1970.) Young’s benefit concerts have raised millions for the school and are its primary source of funding. It's a true labor of love for Neil Young and the many artists who have participated over the years. That stellar list includes Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Simon & Garfunkel, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and so many others. Wilco played once before in 2003.

 

At 62, Neil Young is now cited by many of today’s musicians (my brother-in-law included) as a major influence. Am I crazy in thinking that Young looks a bit like Jeff? Following the Bridge Concert, Wilco will begin touring with Neil Young just after Thanksgiving. They’ll play Canada and the east coast, culminating with two nights at Madison Square Garden in mid-December. Many reviews of Wilco cite the influence of Neil Young’s sound on the band and Jeff has talked about how important Young has been to his musical development. 

In Greg Kot’s book about Wilco, “Learning How to Die,” a disgruntled president of a major record label bemoaned Jeff Tweedy’s penchant for making “indulgent” albums. “It’s unacceptable for any artist to behave the way he does,” the obnoxious executive stated. “Who does he think he is? Neil Young?”

No wonder the uncompromising Young is such a role model to bands with integrity. A few years ago, Jeff compiled a list for HARP magazine of what he considered the most essential live albums ever made and put Neil Young’s “Live Rust” as #1. As Jeff stated at the time:

There's not that much Neil Young that I'm not into. But ‘Powderfinger’ on this—he's on fire! I just saw him at Farm Aid. He did ‘Southern Man’ with the Fisk University gospel choir. It was a fucking perfect performance of a classic song, and maybe my favorite moment ever of seeing live music.

There was a lot of shit going on, things that seemed to fuel his anger. And an angry Neil Young, that's pretty unbeatable. That’s kind of what ‘Powderfinger’ sounds like to me. He’s invested himself in some of the fury of it.

Here’s a video of Jeff sitting in with the Bottle Rockets at Schuba’s in Chicago playing a great cover of Neil Young’s “Walk On.”

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And speaking of Neil Young’s anger, here’s a very topical video from Young’s 2006 album, “Living with War.”

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Now I’m even more excited about this weekend. What other Neil Young songs do you think I should listen to before the concert? (I won’t even try to educate myself on Death Cab for Cutie or Cat Power.)

Comments

[jennifer New]

Cat Power is worth a quick education.

My old office mate and I had very similar taste in music, but we had a rule that he couldn't play Neil Young when I was in the office, and I couldn't play Iris DeMent when he was in the office. Iris isn't super well known, but ironically, she has a similarly nasal voice to Neil's. ... french fries were verboten, too.

[Julie R.]

Danny, I'm so jealous. Have a great time. I would recommend listening to "Harvest Moon," which is from the '90s.

[John J]

Hi Danny,

Thanks for the kind words about my painting in your previous post.

Here are some of my favorites by Neil Young:

"Out on the Weekend," "Helpless," "Sugar Mountain," "The Loner," "After the Gold Rush," and "Down by the River."

[geewits]

Boy do I feel stupid. I was going to tell you his best song and thought to look it up first. But it was a CSN song, not a CSN&Y song and was written by Stephen Stills. Have fun at the concert. I would go just to see Norah Jones.

[r_haupt]

Hello,
this is such a great blog, even if i don't understand 100% of it (because i'm swiss and my english is not that good) i enjoy reading your blog for quite a while now. I would recommend listening to Ambulance Blues from the On The Beach album or just listen to the whole album : )
I'm gonna see Wilco and Neil Young in New York in December, safed all my money to fly all the way over half the planet for them and i'm sure their worth it! Wilco/Neil Young that's a ticket you can't miss : ) Thanks again.

[Jan]

Long May You Run

[churlita]

If you want a quick education about his earlier stuff, Decade is his greatest hits album. I bet you'll be surprised at how much of his work you already know.

I've always loved Neil Young. There have been a few songs I didn't care for, but that's what happens when you're brave enough to experiment with your music. He is a REAL maverick.

[Melinda]

I agree with "Ambulance Blues." Also "Barstool Blues" from the "Zuma" album. And "Rust Never Sleeps." The whole album.

[Judy]

Two words: Live Rust.

[V-Grrrl]

I'm an enormous Neil Young fan from the mid 70s until now. How many people did you start listening to as a teenager and continue to listen to REGULARLY for the decades that followed?

I love all the songs others have mentioned but would recommend you acquaint yourself with Neil's most recent work too. Every time I hear Dirty Old Man off the Chrome Dreams album, I laugh a bit.

I read a biography of Neil called Shakey (which is Neil's nickname). I think it had something like 600 pages! He's a quirky and eccentric guy, a bit of a mad genius, a complicated character. I loved reading about his creative process. Enjoy the concert!

[Laurie]

I love Neil Young. My two favorites are "Old Man" and "A Man Needs a Maid".

Have a fabulous time!

[Mary]

Danny - Hope you enjoyed your first visit to the Church of Neil. I expect you saw the light. This was my 12th annual pilgrimage to the BSB and I'm only sorry that I missed the first 10.

On Sunday I was seated down low and I'm pretty sure that I saw you backstage several times (in a reddish-color checked shirt?) Later I ran into the lovely Kendall (along with Leah and Sam) at the french fry stand and Kendall promised to say hello to you for me... I couldn't face trying to find you on the lawn in the dark, and I'm wary of approaching if you're with Sue and the boys because I don't want to look like a Wilco stalker (of course I AM a Wilco stalker, but you know what I mean ;)

In any case, my mate and I are heading East to the Wilco/Neil shows at MSG in December (one of the very few tickets that would make us fly back East). Perhaps we'll see you there!