Help me like Neil Young
harmless_little_f***
Posts: 8,005
Right, I've heard loads of my dad's Young albums, inspired by the fact that Neil is best mates with PJ and called 'the godfather of grunge'. I love loads of his songs, but two things stop me getting into his 'music'.
His voice is so weird, verging on bad, and he always uses awful backing vocals way too high in the mix. (I'm listening to the brand new anti-war album at the mo.) Someone help me understand this guy...
His voice is so weird, verging on bad, and he always uses awful backing vocals way too high in the mix. (I'm listening to the brand new anti-war album at the mo.) Someone help me understand this guy...
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'
- the great Sir Leo Harrison
- the great Sir Leo Harrison
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I have to say if he doesn't grab you immediately I don't think he will. I personally think Harvest is one of the greatest albums ever but for a PJ style side check out the live album "Weld" if you haven't already. Vocally, Cortez the killer is great fom that album even though neil has some of his wobbly moments.
I think if you want to understand Neil you have to look past the shortcomings, ie for you his voice and for some, his "interesting" guitar solos :P
Also, Jeremy, maybe I was strong when I said his voice was awful, it wasn't. But it is a little wobbly. It's the BVs I don't like too much. You're wrong that if Young doesn't grab me instantly he won't ever; the new album I'm streaming is pretty cool. And having trumpet(!!) with rock music is so genius, and nicely satirical given its context in the album.
I officially don't hate Neil Young. Cool.
I'm getting the feeling that one of Neil's influences on 'Grunge' is the sheer unashamed simplicity of the music. Passion comes in bare bones simplicity, and that seems to be what Neil Young gave grunge. Opinions?
- the great Sir Leo Harrison
Neil is about capturing a feeling.
he plays with musicians like crazy horse not becasue they are technically good, but because they capture a loose groove feeling that enables him to paint a picture with his lyrics and his sonic guitar assault that would make salvador dali smile.
the album you are listening was recorded in 3 days. In fact from writing the lyrics to finsishing the album it took only 9 days. I'm sure it sounds like that too. He follows his muse and strikes when the iron is hot.
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Nice post. It is about a feeling. It's real music. It's like seeing a great band live, or hearing a boot ... it's solid, rock and stone ... dirty, down to earth, primal ... unpolished. The way blues legends played, not for you, but for themselves.
However, the new stuff doesn't sound like it was recorded in 9 days at all. It's cohesive, which gives it a feel that all the tracks were written and recorded close together, from a set period of time or frame of mind. But there is nothing in the production quality, or the quality of music that makes it sound like it was recorded quickly. It is very well done. I'm not going apeshit over every song, but they are all quality recordings. This isn't some cheapened collection of songs thrown out to make a half-baked statement. This feels far more powerful than that. I'd put this up against "American Idiot," even. Although I'm not a Green Day fan, there was some brilliance in their last record. But I love the idea of turning around a country with art ... pens, paper, guitars ... drums, trumpets (!) ... hearts and minds.
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The thing I've found so much with Neil, more than any other band, Pearl Jam included, is that Neil Young is the music.
When you see him play live, you can see it's as if the music channels him, it's just so fucking awesome.
What you really want to do is find the video of Neil playing Saturday Night Live with Pearl Jam playing Rockin' in the Free World.
Best. Video. Ever.
i've been listening to him for about 25 years i guess. sometimes you have people come to you and rave and you just look at them and nod knowingly.
when the time is right for you to be into him, you will be.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
most people with that little ability, and so much talent, usually let their talent go to waste. example: i can't play lead guitar, so i don't. neil young can't play lead guitar either, but guess what folks, he'll take a 10 minute solo. nobody has the balls to do that anymore. especially in this day of protools and autotune. that's makes it more honest and unpretentious. (it's the same reason i think kurt cobain was so good). i go to school for music production and engineering, and damn it, everytime i learn about some crazy shit, i think to myself "what about neil young? he doesn't use any of that crap and it's still awesome. he barely does more than one take"
neil is the man. give him time. you have to accept what he is and what he sounds like and then eventually it all falls into place.
-brent
Where do you go to school? Is it expensive?
i agree with some of what you say here, but i'm not sure what you mean by can't really write music?
do you mean in the traditional sense of sheet music or something like that?
he did, after all, write "cowgirl in the sand", "down by the river" and "cinnamon girl" in an afternoon...arguably three of the greatest rock songs ever written.
he's written some of the most recognizable and greatest music for a couple of generations...so i was just wondering if you could clarify what you meant. thanks.
Just for the record he wrote cowgirl, cinnamon girl, and down by the river in one afternoon with a blazing fevor
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
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amazing isn't it!
he didn't mention the fever...but the last interview he did on the daily show he talked about how "things" tend to come to him quickly and in bunches...like not writing a song for a year, then writing ten in a matter of days...like the music just flows through him, i think he said.
anyway, you're right intodeep, it is a much more amazing accomplishment that he did that with a fever!
i wasn't speaking lyrically. greendale aside (though i really like that album), he's been consistent as a lyricist. musically, the majority of his songs are very similar. there isn't a large variety in his writing. put these chords together with some hammer ons and you have a neil young song: D F G C Am Em. usually a great songwriter is someone that can write in a whole bunch of styles and construct different types of parts. that said, no one else can write like he does. he has his own sound and style that just can't be emulated correctly, which i think is the highest compliment.
and it still is crazy that he wrote all three of those songs in one afternoon with a 103 fever.
and i go to berklee college of music, which is as expensive as a usual 4 year private college.
-brent
Start with the new album Living With War.
It's the best record he has done in about 20 years.
he once said, that's my style
http://www.myspace.com/brain_of_c
one of my favorite Neil records.
ok, thanks for your reply. i wasn't sure what you meant. i completely disagree, as i find both his lyrics (the lyrics on greendale were fantastic, i thought) and song structure to have gone through numerous changes over the years. he's constantly re-inventing himself and a sound. sometimes he comes back to his older styles, sometimes he starts new ones. anyway, i see why you would think that, but i do have to disagree. thanks very much for the reply though.
you'll love living with war!
but memories...they eat me
I've seen it all before,...
bring it on cause I'm no victim.
-Ghost
yeah exactly all this talk
too much talking
probably men doing all the talking