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The critics rave and get it right. A summary of reviews of the acclaimed film "Heart of Gold" directed by Jonathan Demme.
The critics rave and get it right. A summary of reviews of the acclaimed film "Heart of Gold" directed by Jonathan Demme.
"Heart of Gold" from 1972's Harvest is Neil Young's only number one hit single in his long musical career. Now the much loved song is the title of a new concert film directed by Jonathan Demme.
More on the song, the lyrics and film. And why some folks think Neil Young recorded "A Horse With No Name" and America recorded "Heart of Gold".
Neil "Bernard Shakey" Young has been involved in a number of films over the years. With the release of the Jonathan Demme film "Heart of Gold", it seems to be a good time to look back at some of Shakey's other visual adventures. A look back at past movie reviews of "Greendale", "Journey Through The Past", "Rust Never Sleeps", among others.
On December 8, 1980 John Lennon was murdered in New York City.
Thrasher's Wheat commemorates the 25th anniversary of Lennon's death by remembering another seminal event which took place on September 21, 2001, just days after the 9-11 terror attack on the U.S.
Neil Young performed John Lennon's song "Imagine" on the broadcast musical benefit telethon "America: A Tribute to Heroes". Simulcast live from London, New York and Los Angeles on the four major TV networks and the Internet, the program was seen by an estimated 89 million viewers.
Links for reviews, commentary, and analysis of Neil Young's latest CD "Prairie Wind". Learn the secret of the DVD "Easter Egg". Hear the interviews. Read the transcripts. Watch the music videos. Follow the controversy over "When God Made Me".
So many great stories from the Neil Young concerts at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium last month.
Thrasher's Wheat is proud to present a wonderful concert memory story by Karen Barry Schwarz. Her story is one of those kinds of stories that makes us all feel honored to be fans of Neil's music and part of his community of fans.
So here is one fan's story of her adventures, the music of "Prairie Wind", the friendship of fans, and Nashville memories. "A Prairie Wind Blows Through Nashville": A Neil Young concert review - August 18-19, 2005.
On September 9, all the major networks broadcast "Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast". Neil Young performed the song "When God Made Me" from the forthcoming Prairie Wind CD with the Fisk University Jubilee Choir.
The song has generated a considerable amount of discussion.
Film director Jonathan Demme comments that Neil's decision to move ahead on the Prairie Wind film project was precipitated by his brain aneurysm last March. Demme is quoted:
"These songs, which cover everything from 9/11 to loving your children, came from a deep place, and they are so dreamy and gorgeous. He recorded them in between when he was told he had an aneurysm and when he had the operation to correct it."
More on "Prairie Wind" CD and film.
The Live8 concerts ended with Neil Young in Toronto, Canada where he performed a brand new song "When God Made Me" on grand piano with the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. More on the song "When God Made Me" lyrics and analysis.
Congratulations to Steve Cross for his winning entry in the Greendale Songbook Contest.
Steve has a great story about chasing Neil Young and Crazy Horse for their autograph on a "Feedback is Back" poster (see above).
The tale takes place on the Greendale tour at the Starlight Amphitheatre in Kansas City, KS on August 9th, 2003. While not all of our heroes fare well in this saga, Steve and his brother will not be denied!
More on the Don't Spook The Horse Quest.
Thirty five years ago, on May 4, 1970, an anti-war student demonstration at Kent State University, Ohio left four students dead, one paralyzed, and eight others wounded. The demonstration ended when the National Guard fired into the crowd of students. The shootings ended the lives of four students Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder, and Sandra Scheuer. Shortly thereafter, Neil Young wrote what would become an anthem of a generation -- the song "Ohio" in memory of the "Four dead in Ohio".
For more on the song, the historic aftermath of its impact, and photos of the day, see Lyrics Analysis of Neil Young's song "Ohio".
Neil Young's Boyhood Home in Winnipeg, Canada - photo by Bill Laing
All Canadian music lovers' ears turn towards Winnipeg for Juno Awards.
So why is the music scene in Winnipeg hot? How have artists connected to Manitoba sold more than 100 million records world-wide?
More on Neil Young's Winnipeg Hometown in the 1960's.
Neil Young's 1973 "Time Fades Away" is one of the most remarkable live albums ever recorded. Certainly at the time of release, it was almost unprecedented for an artist to release a live concert recording of previously unreleased material. Long out of print on vinyl, still unavailable on CD in the early 21st century and widely bootlegged similar to the original "Missing 6", the album is considered to be the "Holy Grail" of all Neil Young albums.
Sign the Release "Times Fades Away" Petition Today! Thanks!
Over on the Rust list, Expecting To Fly has been posting his thoughts on listening to the entire Neil Young catalog in chronological order. Certainly an ambitious enterprise for a noble cause which we're all for the better.
Starting with the first Buffalo Springfield album all the way through to 2003's Greendale, a total of 44 albums were reviewed. Expecting To Fly's reviews generated dozens of comments on Rust and a great deal of discussion on the merits of Neil's gems and those less than gems. Now e2f's reviews have been archived here on Thrasher's Wheat, so check'em out!
Over on the spanish forum Guitarramania.com, some great photos of Neil's guitar Old Black. This photo is amazing, showing the extreme wear and abuse which Old Black has suffered over the years from "Hurricane", "Down by The River", and other feedback laden finales that leave him lying in shreds on the stage floor.
More on Neil's Neil's sound, guitars and equipment.
A new video for "Rockin' In The Free World" directed by filmmaker Michael Moore has been released. The video intercuts footage from the film Fahrenheit 9/11 and performance footage of Neil Young and Crazy Horse performing the song on the 2003/4 Greendale tour. See screen shots, commentary, the video link, and express your opinion on the new video for the song.
Is Neil's latest release the greatest greatest hits package ever released? Say what you will about the package, it undoubtably will cement his status in the singer-songwriter Hall of Fame. Here's why.
Paul & Neil photo by Kim Komenich of San Francisco Chronicle
The 2004 concert featured Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tony Bennet, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Sonic Youth, Los Lonely Boys, and Tegan & Sara. Now in it's 18th year, see photos, reviews, and links on the 2004 Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert.
photo by Craig Abaya
The legendary annual Northern California benefit concert event is chronicled over the years in support of the Bridge School.
Artist performance schedule. Now in it's 18th year, photos, reviews, and links on the 2004 Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert.
This year's artists include Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tony Bennet, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Sonic Youth, Los Lonely Boys, and Tegan & Sara.
On September 21, 2001, just days after the 9-11 terror attack on the United States, Neil Young performed John Lennon's "Imagine" on the broadcast musical benefit telethon "America: A Tribute to Heroes". Simulcast live from London, New York and Los Angeles on the four major TV networks and the Internet, the program was seen by an estimated 89 million viewers and netted roughly $230 million in donations.
For many, Young's performance was emotionally wrenching and heart felt. Performing on a grand piano and accompanied by a small orchestra of violins, Young's rendition of Lennon's "Imagine" spoke to many of us who were suffering from the terrible tragedies in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
The band Wilco has gone from a near cult following in their early days as a Uncle Tupelo spinoff, to a critical darling with the album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", to nearly mainstream success with 2004's album "A Ghost is Born".
Almost without exception, nearly every review of the critically acclaimed album "A Ghost is Born" cited Neil Young's influential sound on the album's production. From the grungy feedback to fiery guitar solos, "Ghost" has the spirit of Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse hovering in the studio. One could speculate that Wilco listened to "Ragged Glory" before starting the recording process and went from there for inspiration.
Funk legend Rick James, the flashy Motown Records artist best known for his 1981 hit 'Super Freak,' died on August 7, 2004 at age 56.
While much is known about James' "Super Freak" period, relatively little is known about the period during the 1960's when he formed a band known as the Mynah Birds with Neil Young, Goldie McJohn (later of Steppenwolf) and Bruce Palmer (later of Buffalo Springfield). The name of the band Mynah Birds was apparently a takeoff of the well known folk-rock band The Byrds.
Here's the story behind Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" which was written in response to two Neil Young songs, "Southern Man" and "Alabama". From "Sweet Home Alabama" lyrics:
Ever since Skynyrd's song hit the radio, rumor and urban legend has swirled around the relationship between the band and Young. Here's an analysis attempting to sort fact from fiction.
"Rockin' in the Free World" is one of the many iconic songs Neil has written over the years. Now, in the 21st century, after so many historic events in which the song has become a soundtrack, such as China's Tiananmen Square protests and the fall of the Berlin Wall, it appears the song will serve literally as the soundtrack for one of 2004's most controversial films -- Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11'. Read the analysis of the lyrics to understand the song's meaning and importance in Young's musical legacy canon.
It has been 10 years since Nirvana's Kurt Cobain passed away. Cobain's suicide note quoted Neil Young's song "My My, Hey Hey" lyrics "It's Better to burn out, than to fade away" which had a profound impact on Young, who recorded portions of the 1994 'Sleeps With Angels' album in Cobain's memory.
Thirty four years ago, on May 4, 1970, a anti-war student demonstration at Kent State University, Ohio left four students dead, one paralyzed, and eight others wounded. The demonstration ended when the National Guard fired into the crowd of students. The shootings ended the lives of four students Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder, and Sandra Scheuer.
Shortly thereafter, Neil Young wrote what would become an anthem of a generation -- the song "Ohio" in memory of the "Four dead in Ohio". Lyrics analysis and photos on the song "Ohio".
Photos of the Greendale 2004 concert tour with Neil Young and Crazy Horse from Radio City Music Hall, New York City, Portland, Detroit, Camden and Hershey.
Actress Carrie Snodgress, whose career included an Oscar nomination for "Diary of a Mad Housewife", died on April 1, 2004 at the age of 57. Carrie Snodgress' life with Neil Young, his songs about her, their son Zeke, and their film appearance together in "Journey Through the Past" are remembered.
A monster front row report of the Sacramento show posted on RUST by Bob the Writer, aka Robert Clark Young. Rusties were entranced by the dozen posts of full color commentary in Bob's inimitable prose. The gig will certainly be long remembered as a highlight of the 2004 Greendale tour logging in at 3 hours with 20 songs. It doesn't get much more vivid than this. Full coverage of catching Ralph's drumstick, interviewing a Mountainette, and the Greendale stage up close and personal. Includes photos of Ralph Molina's drumsticks.
ALL Neil Young Pages of the Moment.
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