Neil Young Set

helpless wrote:This was the man who has gone his own way, often against the prevailing wind, for all his life. It wasn't just a gig, it was guitar art. I absolutely LOVE the sound of that Gretsch guitar cranked up loud to the point of feedback scream, and so does ol' Neil. You can see it, he loves the power, and gets totally lost inside the noise of it. I thought the 'No Hidden Path' version was really beautiful. I absolutely loved it. Like watching huge waves crashing on a beach or a thunderstorm breaking.

Not to everyone's taste of course, but Neil is a force of nature, and will go his own way regardless until the end.

my god you put that well,yes i like only one prob no ambulance blues

beryl guru is right - we had a fantastic time and, as the days go by, realise what a brilliant lineup it was, although we knew beforehand that it would be. Firstly, how can you go wrong with NY heading the list? Guillemots, My Morning Jacket and Supergrass were amazing. Well done to the rest. I'm not a fan of Primal Scream, but they try to do a good set appearing before the likes of the Stones (at Twickenham a few years ago) and Neil Young. There were a few hiccups, but remember, this was the first Hop Farm Festival. Lets hope all the moaners don't make it the last!!

I liked everything, and if No Hidden Path was long, well at least it gave me time to go for a wee and come back and find him still playing the same track. There will always be songs we would have liked to hear; I would have liked a second encore, but I just don't see how he could have topped Day in the Life.

Lovely to hear from the young Young fans...take a look at my life, I was a lot you are

personally v pleased because I've had ME for 9 years and this is the first time I've manged to stay all day at a festival since 1999. I ached all over yesterday, but it was so worth it.

Neil Young is the miracle cure! Hallelujah!

Not too bad a reaction... I still stand by my opinion, and of course it's just my opinion.

I am not a huge Neil Young fan, but I do love his earlier stuff, and to me that is his real genius. I think his strength is in the combination of his lyrics and melodies, his plaintive singing voice, and his guitar work when tight and meaningful.

I enjoyed the day immensely and watched all of the acts (Primal Scream were excellent, my favourite act of the night in fact, so it goes to show you can be wrong about people, Helterskelter). I appreciated everything that was put in front of me (that includes Neil Young, until THAT song), even though some of it wasn't to my taste, and thought that everyone played professionally, tightly and enthusiastically.

And that in a way is what irked me about Neil Young; it was a day of eight different acts, it wasn't a Neil Young gig. Which means it wasn't a Neil Young audience, it was a mixed bunch. It was the wrong time to jam. If all the other acts can understand this, why can't Neil Young? Because he is the headliner? Not valid - see above audience comments. Because he is Neil Young? Unfortunately, this appears to be the case reading some of the posts. Neil Young does what Neil Young wants, the people who pay maybe don't enter his equation, they possibly don't even exist in Neil Young world. This might be ok for all the Young fanatics, lucky you I suppose, but what about the rest of us poor buggers?

Good comments from everyone, enjoyed reading them.

Thanks Daniel PK for your indepth evaluation of NY on Sunday. I really enjoyed reading your post.

I am an old NY fan and it has been my life long dream to see NY. I managed to afford a ticket but had an accident in car on the way to concert. Car undriveable. As no trains after 10.l25pm had to think of another form of transport! Eventually rode there on my 125cc motorbike on L plates via A and many B roads in the pitch dark, and got lost en route! Felt like a scene from 'Pans Labyrinth' at times! I have never driven in the dark or the torrential rain before, but carried on - desperate to get there in time to experience NY.

Sadly I arrived at 11pm and the lone police biker blocking the road to Paddock Wood told me it was over !!!!!!!

I turned around and headed back and got home at 1.30am.

To hear about the day was wonderful because I feel as if I know what happened at least. You had to go back to Bolton - makes my journey feel like a trip to the local shops .

Thank you for your positive and sensible comments about NY and the day and you obviously have a great attitude to life as it shines through in your post.

Thanks for your time.

I feel so much better now

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/neil-young-hop-farm-festival-kent-862884.html

I empathised with the following quote,

Only "No Hidden Path" sees him really stretch out on the guitar, in an unevolving way that proves he's no Hendrix, until a coda of deep, slow feedback.

[quote="Kim Yelach"]Surely there are people out there who thought it the most outrageous self indulgence that Neil Young took approx half an hour to complete his penultimate offering, "No Hidden Path"?

My personal opinion is different, being a devoted Neil fan (after having listened to many bands/musicians, I've finally found the man who I can say is by far the most worthy of being my personal musical idol, heck, it's the other way round really, I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy...). I love No Hidden Path (didn't like it so much on the album, but experiencing all 20 mins + of it each time at the Apollo has totally opened up my mind to this brilliant song that allows Neil to get possessed and jam on).

One of the reasons why Neil's fans love his long 'messy' jamming sessions is for just that reason, they're long, and they're 'messy'. These epic songs take us on a journey, through tempo changes, speeding up and down, dynamic changes, getting louder and softer, mellow sections, raging sections, feedback sections, and throughout all the sections, the band members are always in touch with each other and with Neil, following him, supporting him as he leads them through the changes. A very good lesson on musicianship, improvisation, and the Dionyscean (how do you spell it) style of music. It's not meant to be perfect, it's gorgeous because of its imperfection and most importantly, it all comes from the heart.

For me, the magical moment in No Hidden Path is when after all the tension during the long sections of dischordant noise and mess during the soloing, then comes the resolving chorus, that lovely chord change to the major key, like the 'Path has been lit', and he sings 'And with you, I feel no Hidden Path'. For this amount of tension and resolve, it's best appreciated in the form of a long song.

The man himself puts it best when he says, quote:

Neil Said...

On the long songs from RAGGED GLORY...

I purposely wanted to play long instrumentals because I don't hear any jamming
on any other records. There's nothing spontaneous going on on records these
days, except in blues and funkier music. Rock and roll used to have all that.
People aren't reaching out in the instrumental passages and spontaneously
letting them last as long as they can. I love to do that, but I can only really
do it with one band. I tried it a little on FREEDOM . But that style of music
is better for me with Crazy Horse." 1990


I hope that some of you younger fans or those on the verge of being newly converted can appreciate this point, as it opens up a whole new dimension of rock music appreciation

loper wrote:http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/neil-young-hop-farm-festival-kent-862884.html

I empathised with the following quote,

Only "No Hidden Path" sees him really stretch out on the guitar, in an unevolving way that proves he's no Hendrix, until a coda of deep, slow feedback.

Quite, he is no Hendrix. Neil Young is far more talented than Hendrix would ever have been. Fact.

loper wrote:http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/neil-young-hop-farm-festival-kent-862884.html

I empathised with the following quote,

Only "No Hidden Path" sees him really stretch out on the guitar, in an unevolving way that proves he's no Hendrix, until a coda of deep, slow feedback.

I empathised with this quote:

"But nothing really matters except Neil."

In response to Kim Y, I see why some people like yourself may have been a bit disappointed, but I for one only went becuase Neil Young was there, anything else was a bonus.

Rimini, Sorry you missed out, that really sucks.

TRAFFORD CAT WROTE: "Quite, he is no Hendrix. Neil Young is far more talented than Hendrix would ever have been. Fact."

This is a step too far; I cannot let that be said. Everything else posted re my thoughts on Neil Young I can accept with a listening and learning mind, but to claim Young is better than Hendrix is silly.

Songwriting POSSIBLY, in my opinion, JUST possibly though.
Guitar playing definitely and positively NO!! NO!! NO!! Technically, emotionally or as thrillingly.

Jimi Hendrix was THE genius of Rock Guitar, and ALL other modern guitarists followed.

Don't take my word for it, check out the opinions of a MULTITUDE of famous musicians. Jeff Beck wanted to give up playing the guitar when he heard him, Clapton said "you said he was good, but not that f****** good", Pete Townsend was in awe of him, Slash idolises him...

You just cannot argue against these icons of rock, unless you are deluded, which brings me back to my original point; maybe Neil Young AND his fans are marooned on a remote metaphorical desert island of the mind, unwilling to be rescued from their idyllic paradise. Maybe critical analysis has withered with the passing of time, and the Emperor's Clothes visible only to the select few?

Kim, I didn't mean at playing the guitar, although i would argue that Hendrix was not the best at that!
I meant on a purely musical basis - guitar, organ, harmonica, vocals and mainly
of course, lyrically.
Needle and the damage done vs Foxy Lady..................I rest my case!





P.s. Rory Gallagher was better on the guitar than Hendrix!

Kim, Just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one!
Needle- far,far, better lyrically than Angel, as is No hidden path over Foxy Lady.

I feel that Hendrix passing at 27 actually made him the legend he is today. (see James Dean as an example of this)
Yes, he was groundbreaking and innovative, but certainly not the most technically gifted there has ever been.

Not even in the top 50 best songwriters imho! - Neil Young would certainly be in my top 10.

'Ang on a minute.....my Dad's bigger than your Dad, etc......

Jimi has no contenders for best rock guitarist as far as i'm concerned. No sir. Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock is enough to tesify to that for me.

However....Neil's live playing astounded me. He's never claimed to be the greatest guitarist. For me, it's the sheer intensity, anger, passion, that he creates that blew me away. Doesn't matter how technically proficient you are..if you don't have the feeling coming through those fingertips..forget it.

Jimi had it, so did Peter Green..and Neil. They mean it. All in different ways. Their personalities come through their playing. Townshend too. You could never call him a great guitar player either, but try taking your eyes off him when he's beating the hell out of his SG.

........................Is that not the purpose of a Forum? Opinion?

You are wrong about Hendrix
But I agree that for most of the time, it is the 'soul and emotion' that can sometimes make a 'great' guitarist stand out from a technically superior player.

My point here though is that, as an all round musician and chiefly a songwriter, not purely guitar playing, Neil Young is more talented than Hendrix was/would be.



...................of course, that is only MY opinion.

I know that, Trafford...i'm in full agreement. Although we'll never know about Jimi. He had yet to reach his full potential, maybe. I'm just putting a different slant on it.

I don't look at it as who is better than who. I either like it or I don't. Hendrix is a hero of mine, so is Neil. Simple as.

oldraver wrote:I know that, Trafford...i'm in full agreement. I'm just putting a different slant on it.

I don't look at it as who is better than who. I either like it or I don't. Hendrix is a hero of mine, so is Neil. Simple as.

I agree, otherwise we would all like the same thing! God forbid.
I like Hendrix stuff, don't get me wrong, just personally think he is overrated tis all.
One of my musical heroes is Phil Lynott, and a lot of people don't rate him as a songwriter.
He would be in my top 4. - although, I don't really like 'the boys are back in town'

Anyway, we seem to all agree that Neils performance was superb!

Well, I'm now worn out, it's not like football, where someone always wins the league/trophy, more like gymnastics, where it's all about personal opinion maybe?

I disagree Jimi's passing made him the legend he is today, it was his TALENT - no question. He was being talked about as THE best by his actual peers, you cannot get higher recommendation than that. THEY are the ones to listen to, all our humble opinions maybe come below theirs?

I like oldraver's take on this subject, and I agree that the combination of feel and skill is essential for a guitarist to be called "great". They were had in abundance by Jimi, and for me that's good enough to put him on top of the pile.

He was also very under-rated as a song writer, but maybe that proves the point about his guitar playing; it was SO good that it eclipsed his other talents.

But - like oldraver, I love them both, and going back to my original point, it was the overlong rendition of the "No Hidden Path" song I didn't like, not Neil Young. I still feel it was not necessary.

Traffordcat, I also think Phil Lynot was a great songwriter, so we do have something we can totally agree on!

Good to discuss.

Traffordcat, I also think Phil Lynot was a great songwriter, so we do have something we can totally agree on! -Yeah!

Good to discuss.[/quote]
I totally agree. I really enjoyed the day, despite some 'inconveniences'!
Hope it carries on next year!

I'm partial to a bit of Phil as well...!! He looked the part too, didn't he..?

Last saw Lizzy at Lewisham Odeon in '78.

We're lucky really. Today's kids only have The Kooks.!!

For me it was the emotion that Neil Young put into his set. Particularly the songs about ageing - so poignant to hear the songs he wrote as a young man now he is older. It's not often I'm so moved by a gig.

This could start another forum war, but up til now the best live act I've seen was Led Zepp at Knebworth '79. Neil Young now has that place in my heart. Life changing, when you've held onto something for that long.

Just about somes up neil

self confessed

influenced by some of the greatest country artists you only have to watch he harvest film to realise that
and influenced by the greatest rock guitarist that ever lived

mix all that up and you have the still living neil young a legend in his own right

The one song missing from Neil's set was Pocahuntas as if he had checked the history books he would have found that she is buried in Gravesend & there is a statue to her in a park.

It was a brilliant evening even without this song.

What a year for music in Kent Madonna plays Maidstone & Neil plays Beltring!!

[quote="yivs"]

Kim Yelach wrote:Surely there are people out there who thought it the most outrageous self indulgence that Neil Young took approx half an hour to complete his penultimate offering, "No Hidden Path"?

My personal opinion is different, being a devoted Neil fan (after having listened to many bands/musicians, I've finally found the man who I can say is by far the most worthy of being my personal musical idol, heck, it's the other way round really, I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy...). I love No Hidden Path (didn't like it so much on the album, but experiencing all 20 mins + of it each time at the Apollo has totally opened up my mind to this brilliant song that allows Neil to get possessed and jam on).

One of the reasons why Neil's fans love his long 'messy' jamming sessions is for just that reason, they're long, and they're 'messy'. These epic songs take us on a journey, through tempo changes, speeding up and down, dynamic changes, getting louder and softer, mellow sections, raging sections, feedback sections, and throughout all the sections, the band members are always in touch with each other and with Neil, following him, supporting him as he leads them through the changes. A very good lesson on musicianship, improvisation, and the Dionyscean (how do you spell it) style of music. It's not meant to be perfect, it's gorgeous because of its imperfection and most importantly, it all comes from the heart.

For me, the magical moment in No Hidden Path is when after all the tension during the long sections of dischordant noise and mess during the soloing, then comes the resolving chorus, that lovely chord change to the major key, like the 'Path has been lit', and he sings 'And with you, I feel no Hidden Path'. For this amount of tension and resolve, it's best appreciated in the form of a long song.

The man himself puts it best when he says, quote:

Neil Said...

On the long songs from RAGGED GLORY...

I purposely wanted to play long instrumentals because I don't hear any jamming
on any other records. There's nothing spontaneous going on on records these
days, except in blues and funkier music. Rock and roll used to have all that.
People aren't reaching out in the instrumental passages and spontaneously
letting them last as long as they can. I love to do that, but I can only really
do it with one band. I tried it a little on FREEDOM . But that style of music
is better for me with Crazy Horse." 1990


I hope that some of you younger fans or those on the verge of being newly converted can appreciate this point, as it opens up a whole new dimension of rock music appreciation

I fully concur with all of the above.
The spontaneity. The improvistation. The fact that the guitar is an extension of the man's emotions. Coupled with the exact replica, renditions of the hits, to me, complete the musical picture.

Some interesting comments here. As a long time fan of Neil Young and having seen him a few times before (where he played Hurricane, Powderfinger, Cortez etc) I was delighted with the set list (but I appreciate he is not going to be able to please everyone - how can he pick 16 songs from a career of 40 years?). I think it was a finely balanced mix of old, new, famous, and less well known. To be honest many performers get away with playing almost nothing from their back catalogue - can you imagine Van Morrison playing 3 or 4 songs from Astral Weeks?

To hear "Everybody Knows....", "I've been waiting for you" and "Words" was a real treat. I loved the extended "No Hidden Path" and it could have gone on for another 1/2 hour if you ask me. I haven't bought Chrome Dreams yet so hadn't heard this song before. I also thought the heavy metal "Day in the Life" was awesome - it has certainly provided a memorable talking point (moreso than anything else he could have played I'd say). But to a large extent it didn't really matter what he played. The long guitar jams (as he admits himself) are similar so you could perm any 2 or 3 from 20.

And then the acoustic section of mostly Harvest stuff was the ultimate crowd pleaser.

As for technical ability I agree with some previous posters. He might not be the best but that doesn't matter. I'd listen to Young before Clapton anyday. It's the passion and energy and that unique sound that is instantly recognisable and just the same as on the CDs. His hands appear to barely move but he produces this awesome sound. Is there anyone else who can match that power? Did anyone go to the Led Zep reunion gig - how did it compare?

Ok, how about a bit of fun. You are only allowed 16 songs - what would be your ultimate Neil Young set list.........?

If I was him this is what I'd play for my next gig.........Old Man, Ambulance Blues, New Mama, Thrasher, Love in Mind, Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, I've Been Waiting for You, Double E, Powder Finger, I'm the Ocean, Barstool Blues, Country Home, Union Man, Hey Hey My My, No Hidden Path, Piece of Crap.........oh and Day in the Life as encore. that's 17 but some of them are short except No Hidden Path which I'd play for 35 minutes.

Keep on rockin in the free world, regards Eddy