Change Your Mind Analysis Followup
From: Locator000@aol.com
Thrasher wrote:
>Again, CYM is a good song on SWA. But I could not put it in the
>same league as DBTR, CTK or LAH. I was not sucked in by CYM and
>transported to another dimension, as sometimes happens with the
>classics.
>
>But then I saw and heard the BRIDGE performances of Change Your
>Mind! Wow! Awesome! Unbelievable! All the Rusties there at
>the BRIDGE shows can attest to the simmering fury of Neil Young &
>Crazy Horse. And acoustic! With feedback? Go figure? A full
>blown jam session clocking in at an exhilarating 20 minutes, the
>10/1/94 (Sat.) is the one to go with.
Excellent post, Thrasher but I guess you had to *be* there. I too have been listening to the Bridge shows (thanks Margaret, thanks Joost!) and I like the acoustic versions *far* more than the SWA versions (particularily on Driveby) but I can't go along with CYM as being in the same league as Down By The River, Cortez or Like A Hurricane. And the acoustic feedback on CYM at the Bridge show wasn't *that* impressive. I like the main body of the song-very reminiscent of Cowgirl but I cannot (musically) bear the chorus in CYM: "Don't let another day go by, without the magic touch..." It sounds like a hack job. Sounds rushed, unperfected.
And that's the problem I have with SWA. I just don't feel that SWA is one of Neil's best efforts and I refuse to get emotionally worked up about the subject of the music while ignoring the shortcomings of the music. Yeah, I feel for KC (more for Courtney and the baby, actually) and yeah I'm sympathetic about Neil's feelings of involvement in KC's life insofar as Hey Hey My My goes...but not enough to induce myself to say I like an album which doesn't quite hit the mark. A lot of people are very swept up in the emotional content of SWA and if it swings for them - fine. To drive home that NY double whammy for me, both music and lyrics have to be on the mark (for me) and CYM just misses.
I tell you - I'd like nothing better than to wake up tomorrow as transported by SWA/CYM as many of you have indicated you are - maybe one day I will - but not right now.
I just hope that Neil & the Horse go out on tour soon. Haven't seen him since the Greek Theatre in '92 or '93 and that was all-acoustic. Don't get me wrong - I love acoustic Neil but I've heard enough acoustic for a while. Neil: "Snap out of it!" Blow away the pain with the electric. I need the Horse. I need it loud. I need it now.
Anyone heard any plans for a tour? I imagine Archives'll be pushed again due to the Warners shakeup. We need some good new news here, people.
Locator
"Don't let another day go by, without the magic dust."
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 1994 12:23:36 -0500 (EST)
From: Thrasher On Mon, 5 Dec 1994 Locator000@aol.com wrote:
> but I can't go along with CYM as being in the same league as Down By The > I tell you - I'd like nothing better than to wake up tomorrow as
transported Good points and thanks for your comments, Locator. Just to clarify the
original post a bit. I'm not quite ready to put CYM up on the pedestal with
DBTR, CTK or LAH yet. It's much too early for that. My only point is CYM
has the potential to someday join the pantheon.
^^^^^^^^
Only live electric Crazy Horse performances will prove whether CYM stacks
up and makes the cut. The thought is tantalizing!
> Anyone heard any plans for a tour? I imagine Archives'll be pushed again
due The only thing I've heard is a rumor from the BRIDGE shows which said
that Neil and Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder were discussing doing Lollapoolooza
next summer. PJ has already confirmed, I understand. Nothing definte
regarding Neil & Horse plans, yet.
Keep on Rockin!
Thrasher
Date: Thu, 08 Dec 94 09:54:06 EST
From: Steve Peck Subject: Re: Changing My Mind?
I would have to agree with Thrasher's comments about "Change Your Mind."
The song definitely crept up on me over time. Its status as an ultimate
Neil classic and standard is unknown at this time, but the potential is
there. I agree that the proof will come from live performances. Hopefully
an ensuing Neil and Horse tour will include many transcendent renditions
of CYM. As for the Booker T. versions, I kind of saw it as a mood piece,
showing off how sweet and subtle the MG's were at soul music. Obviously,
the Horse version is different, and I agree better.
Although Neil is producing 1st rate caliber new music, it seems to be
kind of hard for his newer stuff to get elevated to the level of all-time
audience pleaser, despite its quality. It seems that most of the Neil
performance "classics" are all about 20 years old or more. The one
exception I can think of is "Rockin' In the Free World," which has been
helped along by all the hip cover verions, etc. As great as Ragged Glory
is, and as well received as it was, I still don't see any of those songs
getting added to the Neil canon of crowd favorites. Please note what I
mean by crowd favorites. I am distinguishing between we, the hardcore
fanatics and our obsessive love of all his music, and the average Neil
Young fan who owns 4-5 albums.
And despite great live versions immortalizing a song such as CYM, I believe
that radio exposure must be significant to a certain degree for the song
to catch on with the fans. And we all know that Neil doesn't get the
radio play he deserves. So, although CYM did get some play, it is not
going to bring the recognition that "Hurricane" does.
Any other comments?
Steve
From: Omar Zia >And despite great live versions immortalizing a song such as CYM, I believe
>that radio exposure must be significant to a certain degree for the song
>to catch on with the fans. And we all know that Neil doesn't get the
>radio play he deserves.
Help me out here....did Down By the River ever get much radio
exposure? I have never heard it on the radio. It may have
become a classic because it is a jamming concert piece.
MAybe the airplay of cinnamon girl made the album popular and
this popularity got everyone familiar with DBTR......
I really don't think Neil has ever gotten any airplay
which amounts to anything significant apart from
Heart of Gold. My memory doesn't extend much into the
seventies, though.
I don't think Neil's popularity or that of his songs is radio
based, is all I'm trying to say. His songs are all too
long. (his words are all so sad) Almost every Neil radio
single (HOG an exeption again) is cut.
I agree that RITFW is a classic. I would love to capture that
SNL performance on tape with where Neil got his butt
kicked by a member of his band. That performance was THE turning
point for him in the grunge diety saga.
Neil chooses what's a classic by what he chooses to play in concert.
(My social worker friends might even call
him a control freak). Neil likes Love to Burn, I think.
It was the only RG cut to make it past the weld tour. maybe
that will become a classic. But, it will never
get much airplay......
Steve's point is well taken that the real Classics
are all >20 years old. But that's kinda the definition
of classic, isn't it.....to stand the test of time.....
My Apollo workstation is not a classic. (sorry Ms. Milton!)
Lone Red
From: "Chuck Singer" Organization: Interface Electronics Inc.
To: Rust@fish.com
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 1994 13:43:05 EST
Subject: Re: Changing My Mind?
> Although Neil is producing 1st rate caliber new music, it seems to be
> kind of hard for his newer stuff to get elevated to the level of all-time
> audience pleaser, despite its quality. It seems that most of the Neil
> performance "classics" are all about 20 years old or more.
could it be that time makes the songs appear more "classic". I
know that as I get older it's tough for me to access music with the
same intensity as when I was a kid. I belong to a Jethro tull
listserve and one can tell the age of a fan by their cd/album choice.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Rust never sleeps stuff is very powerful also...how old is
that? =--=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- So, although CYM did get some play, it is not
> going to bring the recognition that "Hurricane" does. =-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- oh well....back to work, chuck! bye!
>
> ************************************************************************
> River, Cortez or Like A Hurricane. And the acoustic feedback on CYM at the
> Bridge show wasn't *that* impressive. I like the main body of the song-very
> reminiscent of Cowgirl but I cannot (musically) bear the chorus in CYM:
> "Don't let another day go by, without the magic touch..." It sounds like a
> hack job. Sounds rushed, unperfected.
> by SWA/CYM as many of you have indicated you are - maybe one day I will
- but
> not right now.
> to the Warners shakeup. We need some good new news here, people.
The one exception I can think of is "Rockin' In the Free World,"
> Any other comments?
> Time will tell? After all nobody plays down by the river on
the radio anymore. You might be hard pressed to find 20 something
people off the street who even know that song and It was a MONSTER
when it was released.
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