BCB 100 - Neil Young

Threads and discussion dedicated to major acts.
User avatar
Clippernolan
Maya's Prop
Posts: 12289
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:55
Location: The mangy BC hills
Contact:

Postby Clippernolan » 18 Jun 2006, 19:19

In terms of his political stances, I think Neil Young is a bit flaky. But the calibre of his work makes this meaningless anyway.

Favourite Album - If I'm honest, I'd say it was "Decade", but if we're choosing proper albums, I'll go with "After the Goldrush"

Favourite Song - It's probably "A Man Needs A Maid". I love the wacky lyrics that go from the silly to the truly heartfelt from one line to the next. And I love the overwrought arrangement, which completely runs against the grain of the standard Neil Young country-folk/electric freakout dichotomy.
Read my blog - The Delete Bin

sloopjohnc
Posts: 63924
Joined: 03 Jun 2004, 20:12

Postby sloopjohnc » 18 Jun 2006, 19:49

Reading all the posts, people either love or get frustrated with NY because you can't put a finger on him, musically or personally.

My favorite, and the most mysterious artists, are like this. Wears his heart on his sleeve, but it comes across as either a pat on the head or a knock on the jaw. You never know what's coming til it's coming.

He's both liberal and a conservative isolationist re: the US. And coming from a Canadian who drove here in a hearse, no less.

I like all the Neils. Well almost all. I hate Trans no matter how sympathetic the back story. And Greendale is Young's self indulgence to the extreme.

Everything else I'm pretty cool with.
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk!

Bungo the Mungo

Postby Bungo the Mungo » 18 Jun 2006, 20:09

Clippernolan wrote:Favourite Song - It's probably "A Man Needs A Maid". I love the wacky lyrics that go from the silly to the truly heartfelt from one line to the next. And I love the overwrought arrangement, which completely runs against the grain of the standard Neil Young country-folk/electric freakout dichotomy.


Nice choice. That's a hell of a song.

User avatar
Clippernolan
Maya's Prop
Posts: 12289
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:55
Location: The mangy BC hills
Contact:

Postby Clippernolan » 19 Jun 2006, 05:11

the name is Coan wrote:
Clippernolan wrote:Favourite Song - It's probably "A Man Needs A Maid". I love the wacky lyrics that go from the silly to the truly heartfelt from one line to the next. And I love the overwrought arrangement, which completely runs against the grain of the standard Neil Young country-folk/electric freakout dichotomy.


Nice choice. That's a hell of a song.



Yeah, thanks John. Actually when I think about it, the flakiness I find in Neil is exemplified here too. But, I think that's what makes it such a great tune - it is both an eloquent statement of love and longing, as well as being an example of how hard it is to express it, because it reveals a kind of emotional clumsiness. It is a very human track.
Read my blog - The Delete Bin

User avatar
B
Posts: 9166
Joined: 25 Aug 2003, 06:22
Location: Brooklyn

Postby B » 19 Jun 2006, 06:01

I'm not sure what this BCB 100 business is about. Will these be tallied as votes or something, or is this just for discussion of particular artists?

My favorite Neil Young song is probably "After the Goldrush". That's the Neil Young song I put on my top 50 songs, anyway.

Favorite album is difficult to choose. Probably Everybody Knows This is Nowhere or Tonight's the Night

User avatar
Corporate whore
Genuine and Authorised Pope
Posts: 16267
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 16:36
Location: ,Location, Location

Postby Corporate whore » 19 Jun 2006, 07:54

At least for the next ten minutes;

Favourite Album: Ragged Glory


(why no other votes for this - it is THE rock out album)


Favourite Track: Tonights the Night
Image

User avatar
The Slider
Self-Aggrandising Cock
Posts: 48255
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:05
Location: I'm only here for the sneer
Contact:

Postby The Slider » 19 Jun 2006, 09:52

Neil's palette is a rich one. One day something from one end of the spectrum suits better than the other - another day it is the other way around.

But though one day I might prefer to hear Harvest Moon or Sleps With Angels or Tonight's The Night, the album that always pulls me back is Rust Never Sleeps. And though it contains five or so of my very favourite Neil songs (in particular Powderfinger), it doesn't have the top one (which comes from an album I find very hard to love on any other level)

Favourite album: Rust Never Sleeps

Favourite song: Like a Hurricane
Complete Ramones Mp3 set on its way

User avatar
northernsky
Posts: 2338
Joined: 08 Aug 2005, 10:18
Location: East of Sweden

Postby northernsky » 19 Jun 2006, 10:06

Favourite album: On the Beach
Favourite song: "Albuquerque"

User avatar
andymacandy
"Liberal Airhead"
Posts: 30035
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:26
Location: MacAndys Farm

Postby andymacandy » 19 Jun 2006, 11:19

Impossible to choose.
I default to "Tonights The Night", as its the one I most consistantly think represents his genius, but that is to deny how much I love Rust Never Sleeps, Everybody Knows, On The Beach, Trans and Time Fades Away.
A good cop-out would be to choose "Live Rust", as their isnt a single track on that album I dont love, and if I had to start somebody off on NY, I would hand them that.
Favourite track?
Contenders from outside the obvious suspects are "The Last Dance","Shots" from "Reactor","Revolution Blues", but for me my fave is "Thrasher" from "Rust Never Sleeps", with "Pocahontas" a close second.
Bless the weather.......Image

User avatar
The Slider
Self-Aggrandising Cock
Posts: 48255
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:05
Location: I'm only here for the sneer
Contact:

Postby The Slider » 19 Jun 2006, 11:57

andymacandy wrote:A good cop-out would be to choose "Live Rust", as their isnt a single track on that album I dont love,


"he com dan-sin a-pon de watah-man!" :lol:


andymacandy wrote:and if I had to start somebody off on NY, I would hand them that.


Great selection of songs on it - no doubt.
I'd still probably hand them Decade though.
Complete Ramones Mp3 set on its way

User avatar
andymacandy
"Liberal Airhead"
Posts: 30035
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:26
Location: MacAndys Farm

Postby andymacandy » 19 Jun 2006, 12:07

The Slider wrote:
andymacandy wrote:A good cop-out would be to choose "Live Rust", as their isnt a single track on that album I dont love,


"he com dan-sin a-pon de watah-man!" :lol:


andymacandy wrote:and if I had to start somebody off on NY, I would hand them that.


Great selection of songs on it - no doubt.
I'd still probably hand them Decade though.

The cod-accent never really bugged me that much-it just seemed like another typical Neil foible.Really annoys others though, I know.
Decade is a better selection,I agree, but I think a huge component of his work is the live element.Hurricane, Cortez and TTN all come to life on the live versions, and those on LR dont turn into 25 minute,one note solos.
Bless the weather.......Image

User avatar
Shaun
Posts: 4758
Joined: 25 Nov 2003, 09:23
Location: Not round the corner from Jimbo anymore

Postby Shaun » 19 Jun 2006, 12:11

Album: After The Gold Rush

Song: Alabama
Don't fight the hypothetical

User avatar
Short Bald Bloke
Posts: 914
Joined: 12 Apr 2005, 22:48
Location: Wireless at last

Postby Short Bald Bloke » 19 Jun 2006, 21:52

Eldorado.

But then I am a sucker for story songs.
Close runner up, The Needle & The Damage Done.

And I love the bit in Live Rust where the rain pours down, thunder crackles, and a voice says "Maybe if we all think very hard, the rain will go away."

Most overrated: Like A Hurricane. Goes on for a couple of decades too long.
NancyTheInfecter wrote:I'd vote Sheffield as well as it is a much sexier place.

User avatar
andymacandy
"Liberal Airhead"
Posts: 30035
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:26
Location: MacAndys Farm

Postby andymacandy » 19 Jun 2006, 22:24

Short Bald Bloke wrote:And I love the bit in Live Rust where the rain pours down, thunder crackles, and a voice says "Maybe if we all think very hard, the rain will go away."


Im pretty sure that's a sample from the Woodstock movie-not that that diminishes it in any way.
Bless the weather.......Image

User avatar
The Slider
Self-Aggrandising Cock
Posts: 48255
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:05
Location: I'm only here for the sneer
Contact:

Postby The Slider » 20 Jun 2006, 19:07

andymacandy wrote:Decade is a better selection,I agree, but I think a huge component of his work is the live element.Hurricane, Cortez and TTN all come to life on the live versions, and those on LR dont turn into 25 minute,one note solos.


Yeah.
I'd start them off with Decade, then give 'em Rust Never Sleeps and then hit them between the eyes with Weld.
Who could rsist?
Complete Ramones Mp3 set on its way

Phil T

Postby Phil T » 20 Jun 2006, 19:24

Giving Weld an airing at the moment (well, in the car, anyway).

Love his cover of Blowin' In The Wind and I think I prefer this live version of Like A Hurricane.

User avatar
Snarfyguy
Dominated by the Obscure
Posts: 53502
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 19:04
Location: New York

Postby Snarfyguy » 20 Jun 2006, 19:54

Album: Tonight's the Night

Song: When You Dance I Can Really Love
GoogaMooga wrote: The further away from home you go, the greater the risk of getting stuck there.

User avatar
Gater05
Posts: 776
Joined: 27 Dec 2005, 23:25
Location: Scranton

Postby Gater05 » 21 Jun 2006, 01:46

Album-Harvest Moon, right now

Song- Powderfinger
what ought to be ought not to be so hard

User avatar
The Write Profile
2017 BCB Cup Champ
Posts: 14755
Joined: 15 Sep 2003, 10:55
Location: Today, Tomorrow, Timaru
Contact:

Postby The Write Profile » 21 Jun 2006, 10:34

Phenomenal Cat wrote:I prefer America.


:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I think Neil Young's music, at its best, gets to the bottom of something. Now, I'm not sure what, but it sure seems to be searching for something elusive nonetheless. Perhaps it's in the way his best guitar solos sound so wracked with pain (that middle section of "Cowgirl in the Sand," or the lead-in part on "Down by the River" after each time he sings "I shot her dead...", to take just two examples from Everybody Knows This is Nowhere).

Strangely, I do feel that Decade is the best way to listen to his music> It really is one of the great single-artist compilations, just the manner it picks tracks that summarise his varying approaches during his first 10 years or so. Coupled with the fact it's got one of my favourite Young vocals, the haunting "Down by the Wire."

As for albums, that's a tough one, perhaps it would be Rust Never Sleeps, for its infamous second side. The splintering, aggressively vicious sound, those rise-and-fall choruses, that howl of defiance. Kurt Cobbain liked it so much they brought the company (play Rust...'s "Sedan Delivery" to dispel any doubts on the matter).

Yet, ironically, the accoustic side has one of his loveliest tracks in the lilting, sweetly realised "Sail Away." It's one of those songs that really suits Young's pained vibrato, it's quite tender in its own way. However the LP suffers from something better known as "Welfare Mothers Syndrome," indeed a very strong ailment.

As a result, the other two up for strong consideration are On the Beach (I think it's in the desolate mood that LP evokes) or, of course, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, which is really in need of a punchy remaster. Such a vicious little record. I have to admit I'm very unfamiliar with his post-70s material, whether or not that's a bad thing is in the ear of the beholder I suppose.

So, to summarise

Favourite album (unofficial): Decade
Favourite album (official): Rust Never Sleeps, Welfare Mothers notwithstanding

Favourite song: Down by the River
Last edited by The Write Profile on 22 Jun 2006, 11:33, edited 1 time in total.
It's before my time but I've been told, he never came back from Karangahape Road.

User avatar
Davey the Fat Boy
Posts: 24007
Joined: 05 Jan 2006, 02:55
Location: Applebees

Postby Davey the Fat Boy » 21 Jun 2006, 17:26

Image

Favourite Album: Come's a Time
Favourite Track: Look Out for My Love

Such a great body of work, but I can't help but predict that when the dust settles and his music is removed from all context, Come's a Time will be regarded as his most enduring work. Nearly perfect.


Return to “BCB 100”