Living legend NEIL YOUNG has a new, old album out in July ,
titledTOAST. It was recorded in 2001. Pre-order info here.
Young about the album: “Toast is an album that stands on its own in my collection.
Unlike any other, Toast was so sad that I couldn’t put it out. I just skipped it and went
on to do another album in its place. I couldn’t handle it at that time. 2001.
John Coltrane, one of my heroes, made some music at ‘Toast’ studio back in the day. It may have been called ‘Coast’ then, but maybe not. The name changed a few times back and forth. It was on Mission in SF. The back door opened onto an alley. It was so stuffy in there that we left the door open until one day we saw rats coming in and out. After that, we just went outside for a smoke.
The music of Toast is about a relationship. There is a time in many relationships that go bad, a time long before the break up, where it dawns on one of the people, maybe both, that it’s over. This was that time.”
Ahead of the release, we get one track.
Standing In The Light Of Love is a vintage Young cracker.
50 years ago today living legend NEIL YOUNG scored a number one hit
on the US Singles Chart with one of his best-known songs HEART OF GOLD
from his masterwork Harvest album.
The song features backup vocals by James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt and was
performed acoustically by Young as a result of a back injury. Unable to stand
for long periods of time, Young could not play his electric guitar.
The artwork was designed by actor and friend Dean Stockwell (who passed away last year, he was 85), It features Connie Moskos, then the girlfriend of producer David Briggs, with a bottle of Canadian whisky in her hand and an intoxicated Young with his face pressed against the glass floor.
Artist: NEIL YOUNG Anniversary album: HARVEST his 4th LP Released: 14 February 1972 – 50 years ago today Charts: #1 in the UK and the USA and
in most European countries.
AllMusic/William Ruhlmann wrote: “Neil Young’s most popular album, Harvest benefited from the delay in its release (it took 18 months to complete due to Young’s back injury), which whetted his audience’s appetite, the disintegration of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Young’s three erstwhile partners sang on the album, along with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor), and most of all, a hit single. “Heart of Gold,” released a month before Harvest, was already in the Top 40 when the LP hit the stores, and it soon topped the charts. It’s fair to say, too, that Young simply was all-pervasive by this time: “Heart of Gold” was succeeded at number one by “A Horse with No Name” by America, which was a Young soundalike record.” Full review here. Score: 4.5/5.
Turn Up The Volume: Without a shadow of a doubt one of Young‘s outstanding, most commercial, and most famous works.
Singles: Heart Of Gold / Old Man
– HEART OF GOLD –
– OLD MAN –
As you probably know Young removed his music from Spotify. “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”
Legendary music magazine ROLLING STONE took
(a lot of) time to pick its TOP 100 of NEIL YOUNG songs.
As a fervent NY fan myself, I was quite surprised by the TOP 3
(see below) and about several other songs in the long list I wouldn’t
have even thought of.
1. POWDERFINGER
Released for the first time on 1979 live album Rust Never Sleeps and reappearing again,
afterward, on other live LPs.
Young about the song: “I think the crux of it
is anti-violent. It shows the futility of violence.”
Look out, Mama,
there’s a white boat
comin’ up the river
With a big red beacon,
and a flag,
and a man on the rail
I think you’d better call John,
‘Cause it don’t
look like they’re here
to deliver the mail
And it’s less than a mile away
I hope they didn’t come to stay
It’s got numbers on the side
and a gun
And it’s makin’ big waves.
Back in the old folky days
The air was magic when we played
The riverboat was rockin’ in the rain
Midnight was the time for the raid
3. HEART OF GOLD
One of his best known and most famous – his only
No 1 single in the US – songs. From his standout
album 1972 Harvest.
I want to live
I want to give
I’ve been a miner
For a heart of gold
It’s these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Holly came from Miami, F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She says, “Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side”
Said, “Hey, honey
Take a walk on the wild side”
Give Ireland back to the Irish
Don’t make them have to get it
Give Ireland back to the Irish
Still makes Ireland Irish today
Great Britain, you are enormous
And nobody knows that better than me.
But really, what are you doing there?
In that land over the sea?
Tell me how you think
When you on your way to work
Would you be stopped by Irish soldiers?
Would you lie down and do nothing?
Would you give in or go mad?
Golden Nose Slim Golden Nose Slim
I know’s where you’ve been
Purple Pie Pete Purple Pie Pete
Your lips are like lightning
Girls melt in the heat
Telegram Sam
You’re my main man
It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled
It’s been a long time since I did the stroll
Ooh let me get it back, let me get it back
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
‘Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn’t have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water
A fire in the sky
Smoke on the water
I don’t want to drink my whisky like you do
I don’t need to spend my money but still do
Don’t stop now a c-‘mon
Another drop now c-‘mon
I wanna lot now so c-‘mon
That’s right, that’s right
I said Mama but we’re all crazy now
I said Mama but we’re all crazy now
Mmm yeah!
Women think I’m tasty, but they’re always tryin’ to waste me
Make me burn the candle right down
But, baby, baby, don’t need no jewels in my crown
In the mornin’ you go gunnin’ for the man who stole your water
And you fire ’til he is done in but they catch you at the border
And the mourners are all singin’ as they drag you by your feet
But the hangman isn’t hangin’ and they put you on the street
You go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin’ ’round and ’round
You go back, Jack, do it again
Released: 8 November 1972 – second LP Charts: #13 in the UK, #29 in the USA, #12 in Australia
AllMusic wrote: “The sound and style of Transformer would
in many ways define Reed’s career in the 1970s, and while it
led him into a style that proved to be a dead end, you can’t
deny that Bowie and Ronson gave their hero a new lease on
life, and a solid album in the bargain.” Score: 4.5/5
TUTV: Lou took a vicious walk on the wild side
on a perfect day, found a satellite of love, and
scored his first masterpiece.
2. ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ by DAVID BOWIE
Released: 16 June 1972 – 5th LP Charts: #5 in the UK, #21 in the USA
AllMusic: “Bowie succeeds not in spite of his pretensions but because of them,
and Ziggy Stardust, familiar in structure, but alien in performance, is the first
time his vision and execution met in such a grand, sweeping fashion.” Score: 5/5.
Released: 12 May 1972 – the band’s 12th LP Charts: #1 in the UK, US, Canada, and all over Europe
Rolling Stone wrote: “There are songs that are better, there
are songs that are worse, there are songs that’ll become your
favorites and others you’ll probably lift the needle for when
their time is due.”
TUTV: With only its best 9 tracks out of the total
of 18 tracks, this would have been a masterpiece.
Ps: Recently The Who’s Roger Daltrey (commonly known as the dumbest Who)
said that the Stones sounded like a pub rock band. He also said after his beloved
England turned into Brexshit that British bands still could tour Europe without extra
financial problems. Yes, the rich ones, you dickhead. And last but not least the greedy
billionaire defended the fact that The Who charge exorbitant prices for their gigs lately
with “We are worth it” I think if Keith Moon was still alive he
would smash Daltrey‘s brains in. Fuck you fake rock star.
Artist: JEFF TWEEDY Deluxe Album: LOVE IS THE KING / LIVE IS THE KING Info: Last year’s Tweedy solo album ‘Love Is King‘ gets
a special treatment. A two cd set with the original album
and one with live versions of the tracks and some covers
lands on 10 December and a vinyl release comes in 2022.
First taster is a cover of a Neil Young song called The Old Country Waltz
The opener from his grand 1977 album American Stars ‘N Bars (with classic Like A Hurricane on it).
Young: “We are so happy to be back in the barn. A barn built to replicate
the 1850s barn that had collapsed in exactly the same place, high in the
mountains of Colorado.”
You can hear lead-single Song Of Seasons but there’s a condition.
You need to subscribe to his website. Why Neil? Does you’re money-orientated
marketing team wants to build a database with our ID info? Sounds like the usual enterprise technique to sell their products in the end as your subscription form
indicates. Way to go, Neil. Rockin’ in the free world? I don’t think so. Of course, you
just do it or you don’t and countless artists use ordinary sales tricks, but that’s not
an excuse, Mister Young. Although I’m a vivid fan I can’t be bothered to hear the
new song under these circumstances.
Welcome to the Neil Young enterprise…
(Image on top: cover of Young’s ‘Comes A Time’ album)
TURN UP THE VOLUME 