Greendale

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Greendale

Neil Young News

Comments from Greendale Guestbook

"I have been a BIG fan of Neil Young for most of my life (I'm now 45). I learned how to play Harmonica to his music when I was about 12.

When I turned 16 my mom got me a flat top guitar and I learned Neil songs and played them until I could no longer feel my fingers anymore. I went to the Greendale show in June "03" not knowing what I was going to see. I expected all the old Grundge tunes that Crazy Horse does so well. What I got was something much different. I knew something was up when I saw the stage was set up like some High school play. About 15 sec. into the first song, I loved it already. I knew I was watching some thing great and like some thing I had never seen before.

Not hearing the songs and knowing the story behind them made it a little hard to follow what was going on but I still thought it was a great show. Then I got the CD and DVD when it came out and I got the whole story down. After following the web site for months I went to see the March "04" show and every little detail was finished. That show was tight. Cuts from the movie, the Imitators coming out with hockey sticks was a blast, the actors, Neils wife singing back up, Neils son wheeled out on stage for "Be the rain" I didn't think that the "03" show could be better but I was wrong. The "04" show will be etched upon my mind for many, many years. I am so glad I spent the money to go to both of these shows.

One after thought. Neil made a big statement about the Media in this work. It would seem that along the way he learned a thing or two from Sun Green about useing the Media. Concert tours, CD, DVD, Movie, More concert tours, Reveiws in the papers and on the web.

SAVE THE PLANET FOR ANOTHER DAY, BE THE RAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Name - Matt W. - 05.05.2004, 13:57

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You people are killing me, I'm 16 and I heard one song by Neil a couple of years ago, and have been a huge fan since. I don't see how all of you, his long time fans can complain. The reason I like Neil to start with is that he is different, especially from the crap everyone else my age is listening to (50 cent!?). I really like Greendale, it's great, I don't see why everyone complains about simplicity of the music. I can enjoy simple strumming as much as I can enjoy stuff like "like a hurricane" and "cortez the killer."

It doesn't have to be "Thrasher" to be good. I think the story that goes along with it is great too, I would have gladly paid the money to go to the greendale tour. I think if you look past the music or even the lyrics, and into what Neil is trying to say, you will enjoy it much more. I love Greendale, I loved Trans, and I am looking forward to what is to come from Neil.

"I hear some people
been talkin' me down,
Bring up my name,
pass it 'round.
They don't mention
happy times
They do their thing,
I'll do mine.
Ooh baby,
that's hard to change
I can't tell them
how to feel..."


P.S. this message is to those who gave the bad reviews, not the people on the post section, most of you are real fans.

Name - Greg N. - 02.05.2004 , 00:52

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I watched the Greendale fim on its opening night in Cleveland. It was incredible and amazingly authentic. Just by its sheer purity it brought me to the verge of tears. This is the only film I have ever seen in which everyone in the theater remained in their seats until the final credit had rolled. Before exiting the theater the crowd gave the film a standing ovation. To share this inspiring moment with utter strangers shows the power of the film. The entire experience constantly set chills up and down my spine.

Name - Tim R. - 11.04.2004, 09:18

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I saw the Greendale show at Saratoga performing Arts Center, a beautiful outdoor ampitheater, before I'd heard any of the music, but had seen lots of negative reviews by that time. Still, I thought it was the best live concert I'd seen in a good long while.

I was sitting on the lawn as night fell, the stage lights came on and Neil came on stage with his band. From the first note of the first song all the way to the last note of the last, Neil reaffirmed why he remains influential to this day, although yes the character-driven 'play' format was rather trite.

I felt glad that the long between-songs narrations I'd heard about were no longer part of the show. The numbers rocked like good solid grunge ought to, and all had their heart in the right place. I feel a bit disheartened when I see postings on boards like this one from people who think the values being espoused by Neil in Greendale are outmoded and obsolete. Love and affection are obsolete?

I feel sorry if this is the way most people are forming values now, based on sour and cynical corporate spin, unable to love and care about others, and by extension have others love and care about them. The Greendale message is still relevent, more so than ever. Who needs one more gangsta thowing a tantrum cuz he doesn't get enough cheddar or p*ssy?

Who needs another effortless grunge ballad? This is Neil Young's most significant work since Rust Never Sleeps.

I respect the man for his effort and for his heart.

Mark in Albany NY
16.06.2004

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Here is a letter to the editor of the Chicago Star Newspaperthat "totally disagrees with Neil Young concert 'review'" that panned the Greendale concert in March 2004:

I would like to rebut Ms. Ellen Stuart's editorial on the Neil Young concert: Ellen, what concert were you at? Last month, I attended the same Neil Young concert you did. Please let me offer what I believe to be a more accurate account.

I have been a Neil Young fan for more than 30 years (yikes!) and he has never let me down as an artist. This Greendale tour was an incredibly creative concept performance, centering on environmental, personal, family and community breakdown issues.

It was an expression of concern and motivation and hope. Yes, he sings about peace. How can that offend you so? I too want peace and I pray everyday for the men and women overseas defending the concept of democracy and peace.

I am 47 years old as well, Ellen. Please, stay home next time; you're giving our age group a bad name!

And by the way, that young man in a wheelchair is his son, who has cerebral palsy, whom he loves very much.

ROSALIE PLECHATY, Frankfort, IL

Sunday, March 28, 2004

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Another letter to the editor at the Chicago Sun Times on Jim Derogatis' positive review of the Greendale film, March 26, 2004:

"Surely, you must be joking.

I'm about the biggest Neil Young fan in the world, but I was astounded by the utter lack of depth and clarity of the 'Greendale' movie. It's like a young liberal 101 crash course for people who don't know the issues. I've read Peanuts cartoons that have held my attention longer. I certainly don't think you need a movie to gently hold your hand and make sure you 'get it' for such a ham-handed musical bore-fest. It's an utter embarrassment for people who actually do care about these issues but also realize the world is just a slightly more complex place.

I just wonder how much 'big business' music money you were paid for your review. I hope it was a lot, because anyone who would mention Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' and 'Greendale' even in the same paragraph, let alone claim that Young's effort was superior, surely won't maintain enough credibility to last very long in this business. Even Neil Young himself would be ashamed.

Mark Davis

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Comments below in response to the Greendale Lionel train set controversary.

Being an admirer of Neil Young's music (since "Like A Hurricane"), a fellow musician and artist, a long-time train operator (got my first Lionel set when I was only days old) and one who has listen to the "Greendale" album I guess I'm as qualified as any to comment here.

What is ironic about this train set is that it is based on a album with themes of "corporate corruption [Enron, MCI..], environmental destruction, consolidation of mass media & the collapse of family values in a small town."

Yet the train set is issued by a company that: laid off it's American production union workforce (explanation: in order to compete); is owned by a much larger investment company who is certainly more interested in profits and the bottom line; is outlandishly overpriced considering what actually comes with the set; and it out of price range reach of most working class folks who might even live in Greendale and have kids that might want a train set.

BUT even with all the competition today (from MTH, Williams, K-Line, Atlas, Ready Made Toys, Industrial Rail, etc etc), Lionel product is still for the most part outlandishly overpriced and less value than many other competitor's products. All the more ironic when one considers it's pretty much made in the same place where most of the other trains are also made.

Sounds to me like business as usual in America, huh? Or to quote Neil, "Hey Mr. Clean, you're dirty now too."

I wouldn't say "a lousy value train is tarnishing a musician's life, family & value affirming messages." But I do agree this is a lousy value train. On a quality level, they could just have easily slapped a Neil Young CD, an autograph and a "Greendale" residency certificate in the "Great Northern Glacier Route" set and tripled the list price of that set. That is really what this set is about... capitalizing on Neil Young's celebrity status hoping to generate some fast income on a single-motored, low quality, overpriced, limited run train set.

I wouldn't worry about too many families with children buying this particular train set. Many of them have a hard time spending $200 on a train set, never mind $600.

It appears to be more of a marketing gimmick to seize upon the attitude that any train product that comes in an orange and blue box, that says Lionel on it, is worth (or will soon be worth) more than it's weight in silver and gold. I doubt a lot of die hard Neil Young fans will be buying this "Greendale" set either. More than likely the buyers of this set will be the die-hard Lionel collectors who buy trains, but never open them or run them, in the theory and hope they triple in value.

One should consider the after-market value records of the Vapor Records cars (even the very first uncataloged one), the Broken Arrow Stock car, and the HORDE tour car before subscribing too seriously to that last theory.

I wouldn't doubt there are those who've posted here who are not familiar with Neil Young's music, or at least the latest "Greendale" album. BUT they are familiar with Lionel trains as well as the others. And in that department, Lionel trains are more and more NOT worth their weight in "silver and gold." On the secondary market, many of them are not worth half of what their orginal list price was.

BUT as we all know, Lionel can and will do as it wants. We, the cutomers have been asking for better quality and lower prices for years, and Lionel has not always responded. Quality is certainly on the rise at Lionel, but so are the list prices. If someone told you Lionel had a decent quality engine with a $50 list price, you might wonder what the "Beep Beep" they've been smoking? But it seem Ready Made Toys has a hit with the Baby GP "Beep."

Fortunately for us buyers, many other companies can make decent more reasonably priced trains. And the fact you now see those other companies mentioned almost as frequently as Lionel says something about who is buying what.

by brianel on Model Train Discussion List

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Comments below in response to the Greendale Lionel train set controversary.

I have been steadily listening to "Greendale" for about 3 days now. I am moving so it has been the background musice to my packing. As a matter of fact, for a music CD - it's a great value as you get the musice CD, a rather elaborate booklet for CD standards and a DVD of a solo acoustic concert of all the Greendale songs with Neil Young going into great detail on the Greendale story. It's rather hypnotic.

The movie Greendale itself reminds me of the early R.E.M. videos. It seems to have been done in grainy 16mm film. It's more like a long story telling music video than a movie as all the characters lip sync to Neil's vocals.

My first reaction to the music was mixed but I realized that they are really story songs and not hum it all day long songs. And the music has been growing on me...but I am a Neil Young fan and the CD will not make a Neil Young fan out of you unless you watch the live performance DVD - then you get a feel for him, the songs, the story and the music.

Train Tracks - By the way - the guy chasing the girl around the car is the Devil...it's all part of the story. The women is Sun Ciela Green who, for all practical purposes, represents Mother Earth. The title of "Be the Rain" on the car is the song is pretty much the modern day version of the line from "After the Gold Rush" - "Look at mother nature on the run in the 1970's".

Get off the "battered women" syndrome already. There is too much inference on the person in the red sport coat. The story in the booklet and the DVD pretty much tell the story. If you want to bring it down to some basic sexual level, then that's your perception. If I were to explain "why the man is chasing the woman" I would state it as it is proposed by the song.

Many years ago, Neil Young stopped into a small bar on a Sunday afternoon, and just started playing accoustic for the patrons. It was up in the mountains outside of Santa Barbara. I missed this impromptu concert by a matter of days...he is prone to do that.

I don't classify him in the same league as "the big stars". He pretty much does his own thing. He got a lot of flack for supporting Ronald Reagan in the 80's. As far as why he did well...I will leave it to you guys to determine his philosophy behind that as I already know the answer...

by LiZarD AtTiTuDe RailRoaD on Model Train Discussion List

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For more on the reaction to Greendale, see reviews, analysis of lyrics, criticism, challenges and controversy.

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"You can make a difference if you really try." - Be The Rain

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Greendale

Neil Young - Thrasher's Wheat

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