Saturday, April 28, 2012

Neil Young





           It was probably about 1970.  My dear friend Fred and I were staying with our friend Forrest in an old mobile home his parents had in some neglected resort development that was rapidly falling into a state of decay.

I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young song)Image via Wikipedia
          The early morning sunlight was streaming through the windows of the room where I was sleeping.  But that's not what woke me up.  What woke me was very beautiful music.  The music was a string quartet at first and then a man singing.  I lay in bed for awhile listening to the music.  Golden particles of dust floated in the sun rays that gave me a warm feeling as I lay there listening to the melancholy music.

        On another day I was at the Hydraulic Lift, a head shop on the Cumberland Avenue strip near the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  I was killing some time after classes.  They sold records at the Lift and I was browsing through the records.  Music was playing and a floral scent of incense filled the store.  I didn't recognize the music but it was some of the finest and most haunting music I had ever heard.  I breathed the scent of incense and became lost in the music.

         In both cases the music I was listening to was Neil Young.   In the first case it was the first album and then at the Lift it was the second album.   I was hooked.  When I was in the record store I bought a copy of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere as soon as I found out who it was.  Soon after I bought the first album.  After that I bought every album that Neil Young released.

         Now, forty years later, Neil Young is still one of my favorite artists and I listen to his music frequently.  He can rock hard, but my favorite songs are the dreamy sounding ones.  Neil can write some great songs to dream by.

         Today's song choice--"After the Goldrush"--is about a dream.


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8 comments:

  1. I have heard of Neil Young but he is not often played on air over here.

    Yvonne.

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  2. I am familiar with this piece and like it but I find his voice unbelievably irritating.

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  3. He's a singer with one beautiful voice. I agree.

    I'm number 100!

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  4. The music has a very dream-like quality that easily makes one's thoughts shift from past, to present, and then future.

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  5. Yvonne -- I'm sure you are familiar with at least a few of his songs.

    Delores -- k d lang does a very nice version of this song. Neil's voice is an acquired taste I supposed. Some people love it and some can't stand it. His songs are some of the greatest in my opinion.

    C.Lee -- I agree with you. Thanks for helping me reach my goal for this blog.

    Paula -- His voice, instrumental style, and his songs are all conducive to dreaming and reflection.

    Lee

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  6. Great post! This is a great song. Neil Young is just a little before my time (I'm more of a U2 generation), but his music is definitely haunting in a beautiful way. Thanks for sharing!

    I was *this* close to posting today on "Forever Young", too--but then the Alphaville song :) Synchronicity, eh?

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  7. Guilie -- Neil is still turning out some great music. He's still in your generation.

    Lee

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  8. I really like Neil Young though don't have any of his albums. My music collection's in need of a refresh. Must put him on my list. Thanks for the reminder.

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The Dreamer