Neil Young
 

Saw the Neil Young show in Seattle last night. I have noticed the controversy regarding his current state of readiness. He drinks, I guess. I was prepared for sadness.

Not so. This guy has not lost a step. Really terrific show. He bantered with the audience (he's one of those warm, casual artists who can make a stadium feel like a living room). He joked about his new "sponsor" (a dark brown 12-ounce bottle). The accoustic set was highly skilled, warm, not a single missed note and expressive (of course.......we're talking about Neil Young here). The electric set......I wonder if he did it up special for Seattle, the home of Pearl Jam and Grunge. He tried to assasinage the audience with a tremolo bar. Super good stuff. Not technically amazing, but sonically amazing.

The man's music just comes out of him. Not changing. It just flows. And there is no dam. There are reasons why he is so beloved. Good reasons. Thank you, Neil.

Geeze, I wish I woulda gone. Neil can't sing, but I sure do like it.

I would love to see Neil Young, but I don't want to take out a 2nd mortgage.

I paid about $70 for the tickets. About a tank of gas.

+1 "Don't need him around anyhow"...;)

That's not so bad. I thought it was much worse. Check out this clip from the Lefsetz Letter dated 9-28-07.

Did I miss a memo here? Or was I living under a rock? Has Neil Young not been touring for over a decade? Is he an unavailable recluse deigning to come back to society to let us hear "Heart Of Gold" one more time? Is he going to play the hits and only the hits? Giving the people what they want? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

This has gotten out of control. Does Neil have terminal cancer? Is this his last tour EVER? There is no band, so it's not like we've got to see him this time for fear the original creation will never hit the road again. Actually, didn't Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young JUST hit the road?

This guy's been coasting on his reputation too long. Seen as a man of the people, it appears Mr. Young is only in it for himself. Furthermore, what's this ONE CD with each PAIR of tickets? You can't afford to give a disc to EVERYBODY? In a world where silver platters are essentially worthless, where you buy a hundred for FREE (with rebates), do costs really have to be cut here? Or is it assumed everybody going to see Neil is taking a date, whom they live with.

And there's no download. Because they don't sound ****ing GOOD ENOUGH for Neil. Even though many of those who get the album will rip it to iTunes as soon as they get home, so they can transfer it to their iPod and listen in their car or in the gym... WHAT PLANET IS THIS GUY LIVING ON?

You can be iconoclastic if you're not ****ing with me. But these ticket prices are an INSULT! Never mind $257 for the best seats in L.A., you've got to pay $132 in PORTLAND! I guess they're richer in Seattle, with all that Microsoft money, because there the price is $157. Or if you're really lucky, you live in Denver, where you get a break, the most expensive ducat is $104. BEFORE THE TICKETMASTER FEE!

An act's worth depends on its fanbase. You have to nurture it, respect people, make them feel they're along for the ride with you. At these prices, people feel like they're being held up at gunpoint. And, NOT EVERY NEIL YOUNG FAN RAPED AND PILLAGED AND IS NOW RICH!

Only Neil is rich. But obviously, he needs more.

Bob Dylan is a famous breadhead, but he doesn't charge these prices, not even close. WITH Elvis Costello, the top ticket is $65.50 in Portland. And Dylan is coming off a number one album and critical kudos. For that price, you may not care that he mangles the old material. You're privileged just to be there. And maybe, you'll enjoy it too. (In truth, that's Portland MAINE, not Oregon, but even in Chicago, Dylan and Costello are only charging $87, while Neil Young is charging $157! At the SAME THEATRE!)

Actually, I enjoyed Neil Young's "Greendale" album. And tour too. But it wasn't sold out. It's not like there's a shortage of tickets to see the man. Hell, tickets are available EVERYWHERE for this tour.

Just because everybody else is doing it, that doesn't mean you should too. How many shows do you think people are going to go to if a couple has to drop nearly five hundred dollars to attend? Yup, you've got to park, you've got to eat, buy some merch...

This is not Led Zeppelin. They were always into the money. And they haven't been on tour since the SEVENTIES! They can go on the road and charge all they want, it's a once in a lifetime event.

But not Neil Young. He's still recording music. He wants us to care.

Neil, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Blame your manager, your agent, the promoter... But if you're savvy enough to comment on the war in Iraq, you can't really be that out of touch with the consumer. You want the buck to stop with Bush, then the buck stops here with you. Positively insane.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists?p=unsubscribe&uid=a218b9f951e0d66a35893412c9 7d75cb

I wonder if anyone has any old video of Neil playing with Charlie Manson in the beginning.

"He had this kind of music that nobody else was doing. He would sit down with a guitar and start playing and making up stuff, different every time. It just kept comin' out, comin' out. The he would stop and you would never hear that one again. Musically, I thought he was very unique. I thought he really had something crazy, something great. He was like a living poet."
- Neil Young on the music of Charles Manson

I love Neil Young but I'm not crazy about most of his electric stuff.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse rocked like a band was supposed to :) I love the acoustic stuff too...

Gogar,

Aren't you a musician? At what age do you think you stop playing? Yeah I think the crazy prices people are paying are stupid... but no one is holding a gun to these peoples head to buy the tickets for yet another old guy (Police, VH, Cream) who may be perceived as "milking it".

I paid good money to see Ray Charles when he was in his waining years and it was worth every penny... same with Carlos Montoya.

BTW I would love to see Neil, VH, or Cream. (did see Neil about twenty years ago when people did the same complaining because he had laid off for a decade)

I revere his old stuff. It's simply sensational and ranks with the best music ever made.

But the recent stuff sucks. Although I'd love to see him I'm hoping to see Jethro Tull instead...paying Ticketron scalper prices of course....

Saw him 3 times back in the day, once with CSNY. He goes from soft piano on After the Gold Rush, to on top the piano on Cinnamon Girl, Neil Rocks.

he can't sing like Clapton or Stevie Ray, just have to have the right song, who else could sing Cinnamon Girl or Damage Done besides Neil Young?

He is a monumental talent, and he agrees with your politics, a win:win

NO NO I'm a Porsche Mechanic. Musician is just my day job. ;)

I was just throwing a comment out there that I had heard (through the Lefsetz letter, mostly) that Neil Young tix were waaaay expensive. And Supe proved me wrong, kind of.

Neil Young rocks. He proves that great singing does not have to be a primary factor of a great performance. It gives me hope that maybe someday when I grow up I can be agreat performer, even though I am not a great singer.

Saw Neil probably 4 times in the 70's and 80's. The first was at Universal. Just Neil, a piano, a stool and a guitar. Unbelievable show.

Saw him several more times - I even like the Trans show.

However, I do think he's been coasting for a long time. To my ear there hasn't been anything great since Free World. And I wonder if his decent into politics is at all related to his waining talent???

On a side note - why do so many seem to lose their muse with age?

U Boyz are such fkin Morons...there are very few guyz who have the creative spark left by the time they have hit 50. They either burn out or fade away. Just take a look at the Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney, they havn't turned out anything revelant in decades. Neil Young and Bob Dylan on the otherhand keep putting stuff out when they have something to say. Sometimes there might be a long lay off in between.

Now some of you might say well their new stuff sucks...well buster time marches on and at different points in your life you have different perspectives or viewpoints. Call it maturity, experience or whatever the fk U like.

Geez dude - no need to drop the FBomb. Just a friendly discussion of opinions.

I would never pay to see him live at this point, but this guys collection of work is just amazing. Im a huge fan. He doesn't do anything really spectacular, but there are more guts, feelings, and emotion in the first three notes of any song of his that I have heard than I could ever play in my life.

there are very few guyz who have the creative spark left by the time they have hit 50. They either burn out or fade away.

so true..some of jimmy buffetts best stuff is post 50...rock on neil your still great!

I've seen him a few times at the "Bridge School" concerts and he always put on a great concert. He is definitely a performer to see live to really appreciate the emotion and passion he puts into his songs. He even had the big pump organ on stage and Thom Yorke did a great rendition of "Like a Hurricane". I still get chills when Niel sings "Pocahontas".

Dang, tabby. You gotta lower the fkin dosage, buddy. You're super awesome, though. And you're over 50, right? Guess there's a fkin exception to every rule.