I saw Neil Young last night Mixed Feelings

[kimos55]

Last night I went and saw Neil Young at a SOLD OUT HOLLYWOOD BOWL with his band Crazy Horse. He played two killer OLD Gibson Les Paul's with Bixbys trem arms. Never really saw the amps as he had this big two story tall Fender amps, you never really saw the amps or pedals.

I kept thinking from a technical aspect as a guitar player he was sloppy out of tune sometimes and not that great, In-fact I was questioning to my self "do I like the concert at all?"

The songs were all 15 minuets long or longer with long solos. Feed back and pure amp distortion. Then I was thinking if this guy didn't have all the history and tried to make it today in this would he would just be a garage band and he would never make it.

He did two acoustic songs The needle and the damage done and some other song, I thought to my self finally my ears can get a rest. Then he talked the audience and said he was going to do a few more songs that will sound the same as the first songs they played and on they went with Rocken the Free world with a long solo and more of the same.

Today I am humming Neil Young songs in my head and I am perplexed with mixed feelings, The big question I have is what do other people think about Neil Young now? I don't know how I felt about it still.

 

[2HBStrat]

I've never been much of a fan of the Neil Young live experience. The solo hit songs were okay, but I'm not a fan of his guitar torture.

 

[dukeh62]

How familiar were you with his work Crazy Horse before you attended? Had you heard "Weld", "Live Rust", "Live at the Fillmore", etc?

 

[Telebluze]

IMO......he's the REAL DEAL!!

An absolute force of nature!!

 

[Stasis]

Sounds exactly like what I would have expected Crazy Horse to do, and I would've been terribly disappointed if it had been anything less than that.

Favorite Neil Young concert story, co-opted from a friend of mine:

"Sonic Youth opens for Neil Young, early 1990's. They come out and do their things, noise rock, feedback, etc. The crowd boos the hell out of them, because they were the Harvest crowd. Neil comes out and does the exact same thing, but twice as loud as Sonic Youth. Most people hated it. Greatest concert of my life!"

I love both sides of Neil's work and everything in between. I'd kill to see Crazy Horse.

 

[Stratoben127]

That's sort of his thing if you didn't know. He has frequently discussed his lack of guitar skills and how he often just messes around. THE Crazy Horse Sound is feedback and howling distortion (from a Tweed Deluxe by the way) and extreme Bigsby use (on a '52 LP called "Old Black" with a Firebird bridge pickup). He also frequently uses an old Mutron octave divider for the amp-explosion sounds. Did you go to a Crazy Horse concert expecting a mild blues-rock band? Because if so, that was your first mistake. By the way, you saw NEIL Young and Crazy Horse.

 

[mikeratan00]

actually, he's a really primitive player, better at making noise then music with the guitar, but it works fairly well for him.

 

[GrungeMan]

Everything will be ok once the poster learns how to spell and realizes that Neil with Crazy Horse is not about hit songs but, long grungy soloing and crunchy rock n roll with a little bit of twang.

The new NY/CH album about to be released is called "Psychedelic Pill", 8-songs on two cds', one song is reportedly 27 minutes long!

Neil's guitar playing is all feel.

That's a Bigsby vibrato, not the the same as a trem/whammy bar but, much looser less sterile more feel to it.

Keep on Rockin!

Grungy

 

[bkatx]

From what you describe that's the show I would have expected to see (I've never seen them personally).

His rough and sloppy playing and voice are part of his charm and why a lot of people like him. If you were expecting technically tight and intricate guitar work I can see why you would be disappointed

 

[mikeguy53]

Neil is Neil. He comes with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Always loved the guy, just not everything he does.

 

[sshan25]

That's exactly how a Neil and Crazy Horse concert is supposed to sound. You want ear friendly music, go see CS&N (or Neil unplugged).

 

[mikeratan00]

 

[splatt]

that would be Neil Young;
one of my all-time favorite electric guitarists.....
one of the greats, imo.

 

[MSS]

I saw them here in London a couple of weeks ago.........heard a lot of people complaining around me that he wasn't playing Old Man etc etc.......I turned around at one point and told them this is Neil Young and Crazy Horse. They don't play the Neil Young hits...........I thought it was great and the 20 minute ending to Walk Like A Giant was momentus..........

 

[bsteff666]

Maybe the problem was that you went & saw Neal Young.

If you had seen Neil Young...you would have been pleased.

 

[Carltone]

I always wanted to start a band called Kneel Young and the Genuflectors

 

[chrisr777]

I have seen him probably 40 times over the years in various incarnations. With and without Crazy Horse, CSNY, solo or even in a stage play (Greendale). I have never been disappointed. You just have to know going in which version you're going to get. I really wish I had been able to go last night, but life sometimes says no.

 

[Joe Robinson]

I do believe it's the And Crazy Horse that could be the key variable. It's a squall of guitar, that's for sure. Personally I dig Neil's wall of sound with the Horse. But even he says that it's like a drug for him, and not something that he wants to partake in all the time.

Or, perhaps it's the bowl that is the culprit. I loathe the bowl. It is usually the drunks talking thier way through the show that sets me off. They just don't let rock acts turn up enough there. But if the drunks are kept in check, then it's the stacked parking or the bus trip that sets me off.

 

[hank57]

I always wanted to start a band called Kneel Young and the Genuflectors

There is a band that does Neil Young song here and they call themselves Kneel. I have seen them yet.

 

[keithrockshaka]

he's called "The Godfather of Grunge" for a reason