Year of The Horse

A Neil Young & Crazy Horse Concert Film

Directed by Jim Jarmusch

Neil Young News

A concert film-group portrait that captures as well as any other music movie the natural, untethered essence of live rock."
-- John Anderson, LOS ANGELES TIMES


The concert film "Year of The Horse" from the 1996 tour, directed by Jim Jarmusch, is certainly a worthy successor to the classic "Rust Never Sleeps" with the addition of interviews and behind the scenes footage along with the raging, stomping, raw Crazy Horse style. Featuring a several epic jams including "Slip Away" and "Big Time" which clock in over 15 miutes each, the live material reveals the magic nature of what happens onstage in the "huddle".

In an interview with Crazy Horse and Neil Young:

Neil Young: I love that movie and I think it is a perfect add-on for the "Year of The Horse" record. You can really feel the personal view of a film maker, and above all the movie is about the band. It's more than a simple story, it's an impression, a succession of feelings. I had the idea of doing this movie - I like this kind of stuff and I like to have a camera with me, but Jim made it possible.

Poncho: I always thought that that the story of Crazy Horse was less interesting than his music. It's certainly the more successful movie on Neil Young and Crazy Horse, but for me, this film is just touching on this topic. With all due respect to Jim and his work, I think that the first song in the movie shows more than what you can see in the following hour. So I liked this short movie, but I wouldn't like people to stick to this cinematographic view. It happened so many things in that band, that no one, as a movie maker, will be able to relate."

In an interview with film director Jim Jarmusch on making the "Year of the Horse":

"Neil's incredible," recalls Jarmusch.

"I remember we didn't want to edit down any of the songs in the movie without Neil's help, because it's his music.

"So he came to New York to help cut, because the songs were all, like, 14 minutes long. We showed him the Like A Hurricane number, which right in the middle of the song cuts from him now to him 20 years ago.

"Neil jumps out of his seat. I thought, 'He's going to say something about how different he looks.' Instead, he says, 'Look at Old Black!' which is the name of his guitar. 'She looks so new and shiny! She was so young back then.'

"We were laughing so hard, but he was deadly serious. He wasn't self-conscious about his own image changing, just 'Look at Old Black. I haven't taken good care of her.'"

In an interview with Crazy Horse's Manuel Francisco (Poncho) Sampedro:

"So what we've got," he says, aiming his RayBans right at the camera and folding a couple of massive forearms over his Jimi Hendrix T-shirt, "is some artsy-fartsy New York director gonna ask a bunch of stupid questions and pretend like you're explaining what's been a 30-year relationship."
• Year of The Horse Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes:

  "This is quite possibly the worst documentary I have ever had the displeasure of watching on the big screen."
  -- James Berardinelli, REELVIEWS

• From Roger Ebert's I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie on Year of the Horse:
  " 'Year of the Horse' plays like This is Spinal Tap made from antimatter. Both films are about aging rockers, but Year of the Horse removes the humour and energy, portraying Neil Young and Crazy Horse as the survivors of a death march. There are times indeed, when Young, his hair plastred flat against his face with sweat, his eyes haunted beneath a glowering brow, looks like a candidate for a mad slasher role."

• "Year of The Horse" - Directed by Jim Jarmusch, Film Review, Ottawa Citizen, February 18, 1998

Soundtrack song for YOTH: "Fuckin' Up", "Slip Away", "Barstool Blues", "Stupid Girl", "Big Time", "Tonight's the Night", "Sedan Delivery", "My Girl", "Like a Hurricane" ,"Music Arcade"

Also, see another interview with Crazy Horse's "Poncho" Frank Sampedro from "Year of the Horse" tour.

Also, see interview with Crazy Horse's bass guitar player Billy Talbot.

Also, for more see Jim Jarmusch page.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Neil Young Films