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| Sir Stonesalot |
Saw him tonight.
Since Motels thinks I'm long winded...I'll keep my review short.
It was real good.
Good night. |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
OK, one other thing....
Freedom. |
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| Nellcote |
Hey, SS. WTF, give us the whole skinny. I know ya got it in ya.. |
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| beer |
i agree, give us the low down...... |
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| Lazy Bones |
You got Dangerbird you lucky arse...AND Cowgirl fer fuck sakes.
Let's hear it... |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Heh heh heh.
Maybe there is something to this being brief thing. Lookit youse guys gettin' all wet an shit.
First let me start off by saying that I REALLY regret not taking my recording rig with me. I'd never been to a concert at The Giant Center, and heard that security was a real bitch. After my experience at the White Stripes show, I figgered, fuck it, I'm not risking it. Also, I wanted to enjoy the show. I didn't really wanna be messin around with a mic and a recorder. Well, security wasn't for shit, and no one was in the seat in front of me. I coulda just set the thing up and let it sit on that seat.
Speaking of empty seats...there was like no one in the 2 rows in front of me. The show was close to a sell out...who pays $70.00 for a ticket and just doesn't show up??? For Neil YOUNG!!! That is nuts.
Anyhow, I fucked up by not recording the show. I sure as shit hope someone did.
In a word, it was fan-fuckin-tastic. I don't know what was goin on with Neil during his "hits" set. He was a fuckin maniac. I know you guys may not believe this...but he was actually JUMPING around the stage. Like off of his feet and into the air jumping. He lost Crazy Horse several times. They'd get to the end of a song and Neil just wouldn't stop playing! Rockin In The Free World degenerated a couple of times to fantastic huge washes of screaming noise. That was one of the songs that Crazy Horse tried to end and Neil just GLARED at them, as if to say, "Hey fuckers, I'm NOT DONE YET!"
The Greendale set was really great. I should go on record saying that I actually like the album. I like it a lot. But you could see the confusion and consternation on some people's faces. They were like...WTF? Why isn't he playing Cinnimon Girl? But the lady beside me(a big Rolling Stones fan, so she said.) said after the Greendale set that she was gonna go buy it today. Greendale is sorta like the Great American Story or something. It's really quite ambitious. It's like Rock & Roll theatre. Heck, they even give you a show bill when you go in. Yeah, it can be a little heavy handed...even preachy, but his heart is in the right place. The sentiments he expresses are all just and noble, but a little idealistic.
It's a very surreal story that you can imagine happening in your own small town.
Hey Mr. Clean...you're dirty now too.
So after the Greendale set he comes out for his "greatest hits" set. Of course with Neil, like Bob Dylan, you never really know what the hell you might hear. I figured Hey Hey My My, Powderfinger, and Rockin In The Free World..and he played the hell out of them. Neil was up there just STOMPIN' around, beating the everlivin' shit out of his Les Paul. Maybe he got into a good batch of blow or something. He was just going apeshit.
I NEVER in a million years would have guessed that I'd hear Dangerbird. The drunk guy next to me kept asking during each song, "Whath'ssss da nim uh dis un maaaaaaan." When Neil started up with Dangerbird, I just started laughing. Before drunk guy could even say anything I looked at him and said, "It's called Dangerbird, and you ain't even gonna remember it." Honestly, it was kinda ragged. You could certainly tell that they don't play it much. They did a better job with Cowgirl, which I would not have guessed at either.
My fave part was Roll Another Number. Everyone was swaying back and forth, arm in arm, singing for all we were worth. I looked around and it wasn't just our row...it was the whole arena. Quite amazing.
I was also glad to see such a wide range of ages in the crowd. There were little kids there. There were lots of gray heads. There were lots of teens and twenty somethings. Neil does not fit into a demographic. It made me happy.
You know, sometimes when you are watching a show, you get a feeling that you are seeing something special. I had that feeling last night. I didn't write a big review last night because I wanted to sleep on it...see if I felt the same way about it in the morning. I do. It was a special night.
My My, hey hey, Rock & Roll is here to stay.
Right on Neil. |
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| mac_daddy |
nicely done, ss.
I am on the lookout  |
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| JumpinJackFlash |
Right on, Dangerbird eh. That would be a special treat. Right on Neil. |
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| Prodigal Son |
Cool. As far as solo figures in rock history go, Neil is up at the top of my list. What a great rock legend. |
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| Lazy Bones |
See. I knew you couldn't hold it in!
Be the rain! |
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| lonecrapshooter |
thanks for the review...based on that I bought tix for the Paddy's Day show |
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| mac_daddy |
here are some images from the show ss refers to - 3/12/2004
all of this photographer's pics are here
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| corgi37 |
Nice review, but i dunno. Neil was pretty crappy in Melbourne recently. He got very good reviews though. Might have had something to do with the fact many journos were "roped" in to play "angry locals". |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Yeah, from what I gather Neil can be pretty much hit or miss. I'm just glad that I hit.
[Edited by Sir Stonesalot] |
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| UGot2Rollme |
I've seen Neil many times and it's always been a good time. Sure, he was a little "out there" with the Trans and Shocking Pinks stuff, but more power to him for exploring his art. From "Don't Let it Bring You Down" solo acoustic to "Rockin in the Free World" balls to the wall the man is a treasure...one of the best songs I've heard him do with Crazy Horse was a very powerful cover of "Blowin in the Wind" probably sometime early 90's. |
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| Saint Sway |
I dont mind Neil playing the entire Greendale album but having the actors onstage acting out the story has got to be up there with any of the weakest shit ever done. I'm talking Styx Mr Roboto, Bowies Glass Spider, Tommy, Fame - the musical
Whats next? Broadway? I dunno... it all seems very Elton John
I'm a HUGE Neil Young fan. And I really like the Greendale album. But theres no place for actors onstage during a R&R show |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Gee...I thought it was kinda cool. |
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| Nasty Habits |
Hey SS -- I am real curious -- I heard the Greendale production is sorta an ANTI-slick rock opera -- Like welcome to Miami Beach everything is cheaper than it looks type rickety falling apart stuff, and therefore didn't have much to do with slick "concept" type shows a la Bowie and Elton -- can you accurately give some sort of sense of what the staging is like for those of us who can't get out to see the big NY on this one? So . . . curious . . .
Me, I can't wait til April 9, dude.
goodbye stoneface .. .
[Edited by Nasty Habits] |
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| jb |
I like the following Neil Young songs:
1)Rockin in the Free World
2)Old Man
3)Heart of Gold
4)Southern Man |
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| Saint Sway |
Nasty, it is low budget and tone down in comparison to say a Janet Jacksom Rhythm Nation stage ensemble. But its still lame. I want to see Neil rock out with Crazy Horse. I dont want to see actors anywhere on the stage. Its just not rock and roll.
its not Billy Joels "Movin Out" but its about just as lame in my opinion. Neil is the coolest. But hes grabbing here |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
I disagree.
The set is very cartoon like...without being Scooby Doo. The characters are very cartoonish too...especially the Devil. The graphics and artwork are very unpolished and DIY. Very hip, IMO. You can tell a lot of thought was put in it, but not a lot of time.
The actors aren't really actors per se'. They are more like...human illustrations. A tangible part to a very sordid and muddy story. I suppose very helpful to a casual fan who may not have heard the new record. You can tell that lots of people were kinda put off by having to THINK a little. I'm all for thinkin'.
And really, it's only PART of the show. You still get to rock in the free world with Neil & Crazy Horse. You still get to hear him stomp through the "hits". |
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| mac_daddy |
When I saw Greendale @ the Greek in Los Angeles, I totally dug it. The sound was terrific, and the music was tight...
As previously stated (by others), the Greendale actors, the video screen, etc. were merely sidebars - not even close to the main event. The only time they really came to the fore was during the "save the planet" tune (I know that's not the name, but I can't remember the title offhand  ), but that was the family, the kids, the crew, and it was kind of cool for them to get a chance to come out and f*ck around. Santana has been doing that for years. Aside from that moment, all the extra stuff was pretty much in the background...
and the Crazy Horse set was awesome...
I will say, I think the performances from the summer were better than the recent ones I have heard...
______
I am still actively looking for the show SS went to (Hershey, PA, right..?)... |
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| Dan |
Greendale sorta bored me. Bored me right to sleep in San Diego, first time that has ever happened at a show! The last part of the show was alright though, made it entirely worth the $5 the ticket cost. |
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| mac_daddy |
how are you, Dan..?
different stroskes for different folks... I remember you telling me that - funny story. I have fallen asleep at movies and concerts, just not Neil Young ones...
_____
if you are interested, I heard a good interview with Neil on npr yesterday...
the link is here...
[Edited by mac_daddy] |
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| Martha |
I got to see Greendale last summer and have a travelin' man records copy of that show SS if you need it . Great review, thanks for writing it. Reminded me of the show, and I know how Neil can get into one of his rock and roll frenzied trance-like thingies. I LOVE when he goes there!
Glad that being there made you feel happiness. I understand and go to shows to hopefully experience the musical euphoria hit I often get. Bob's shows last week certainly took me there. They just got better and better, if that is even possible. You've got more to look (very) forward to coming down your R&R pike! :-)
Did anyone see Neil interview on Conan Friday night? |
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