Neil Young & Crazy Horse - The Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 30, 2014

Can it be??? Neil Young & Crazy Horse kick off a US tour TONIGHT in San Diego. Unreal. Even more unreal is the fact that I’ll be in the crowd for the second night in SD. Wow. I’m sure I’ll have a lot to say about it … but until then, what about the last time Crazy Horse really toured? Sure, they’ve played scattered dates in the Nils Lofgren era, but the last major trip took place back in 2014 when Neil rode the Horse across the pond for a European vacation.

As the pic above tells us, this was not business as usual. For one thing, Billy Talbot had to bow out of the shows due to health reasons. In his place was Rick “The Bass Player” Rosas — a fine choice. Rick had logged plenty of time on the road with Neil over the decades, first in the Blue Notes, but most recently with the reunited Buffalo Springfield. As his nicknamed suggests, he knew how to play bass. (Sadly, Rick would pass away not long after this tour).

What else? Well, Neil also brought a pair of backup singers into the fold — Dorene Carter and YaDonna West — who gave things a bit of a Booker T & the MG’s in 1993 flavor. The ladies sound especially good providing some eerie backgrounds for “Cortez the Killer,” of all things. That tune is a warhorse, of course, but this is far from a greatest hits set — Neil dips into such deep cuts as “Standing In The Light of Love,” “Days That Used To Be,” “Name of Love” … even “Living With War.”

The highlights, however, are the epically raging versions of “Love and Only Love” and “Love To Burn,” which together take up more than a half-hour of the concert’s runtime, with insane Old Black action dominating. At this point, Neil was headed for the big divorce, Copenhagen-style, and he pulls no punches, hollering repeatedly about how “there’s no love in the house!!!” Tortured stuff, with the reconfigured Horse following closely behind their leader.

PS — Have you been keeping up with Shakey Sundays over on the Dollar Bin? Major news.

William Tyler - Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain, June 2, 2017

I caught William Tyler and Luke Schneider in Denver a week or two ago, performing both solo and in glorious duo format. And, by some extremely fortuitous twist of fate, I’ll be seeing both of these dudes again in Los Angeles in a couple day — if all goes according to plan!!

However! In LA, William and Luke will be playing with the full Impossible Truth band … which is amazing news for me. Ever since the Whole New Dude EP from way back, I’ve wanted to catch William in complete rock gawd mode, but the chance has never presented itself. Until now! It is going to be radical — come out and join me?

To get in the right frame of mind, here’s a great trio performance from a few years ago. A big festival gig with William, drummer Joe Westerlund and bassist Brad Cook sending endlessly positive vibrations out into the Barcelona night.

David Murphy - Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar

We’ve dug into plenty of cosmic pedal steel situations over the past few years … but cosmic Irish pedal steel? That’s a new one, I think. Further proving the versatility of the instrument, David Murphy’s Cuimhne Ghlinn is an absolutely beauteous record, bringing traditional melodies and airs from the Emerald Isle into the steel universe. Things get occasionally quite lush, with strings, harp, keys and Uilleann pipes wafting into the mix — however, the pedal steel remains front and center, and the sparer moments, like the gorgeously lonesome closer “An Spéic Seoigeach” might be the best of all.

somesurprises :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview

I’ve been a fan of Seattle’s somesurprises ever since I heard their tape on the estimable Eiderdown label back in 2017-ish. The band’s latest, Perseids, is the record that should make everyone a fan.

Led by songwriter/guitarist Natasha El-Sergany, somesurprises really knocked it out of the park with this one. It’s a collection that’ll remind you of many of your favorite artists (Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, Grouper, the Mazzy Star/Opal axis, etc) but never bows entirely to those influences. There’s a strong point of view and thoughtful craft to every moment here. Check Perseids out, you’re going to like it.

And also check out my Q&A with Natasha, which is up on Aquarium Drunkard right now! It’s a good time. somesurprises is going on tour very soon, and I urge you to go see the band play! I’ll be at the Denver show … see you there?!

Bob Dylan - Like The Motion Of The Sea (Bennyboy’s Best Of The ‘24 Spring Tour)

We listened to Bob Dylan in 1965 yesterday … now, how about Bob Dylan in 2024? Amazing. The man just wrapped up a long trip down south — and perhaps wrapped up the “Rough and Rowdy Ways Worldwide Tour” that kicked off way back in 2021. Maybe? Bob is headed out this summer with Willie Nelson, and we’ll see if he unveils a new setlist and gives the R&RW tunes a well-deserved rest.

But in the meantime, let’s enjoy this timely compilation of highlights from the most recent leg. Thank you, Bennyboy! Tons of wild, interesting stuff — the “Istanbul Not Constantinople” arrangement of “When I Paint My Masterpiece;” an outrageously nice vocal on “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You;” the spare, gorgeous “Every Grain of Sand” that wrapped things, up primarily just Dylan’s vocal and piano, plus Bob Britt’s elegant guitar. And of course, the cool covers played this time around, from Jimmy Rogers to Chuck Berry to Johnny Cash. A deep river of American song! A little Irish song, too.

For a very detailed dive into the Rough and Rowdy Ways Worldwide Tour, head over to Ray Padgett’s Flagging Down The Double E’s for a multi-part series that leaves virtually no rolling stone unturned. Arrangement switch-ups, covers, vocals, piano playing, hats, band members … Ray covers it all. As always, his work is worth supporting!

Photo by Duncan Hume

Bob Dylan & The Hawks - San Jose Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, December 12, 1965

Artificial Intelligence is coming for us all — it’s like we’ve all forgotten the lessons of Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day. But what if Skynet was used for good?! Like cleaning up old Bob Dylan audience tapes?! Well, that’s what we’ve got here, thanks to YouTube user Bob M, who has applied some AI tech to Allen Ginsberg’s famed recording of Dylan and the Hawks in San Jose (the recording that for years was thought to be a Berkeley show from around the same time).

How does it sound? It’s definitely an improvement, boosting Dylan’s vocals and balancing things out, making for an altogether more pleasant listening experience. Don’t expect miracles — this is still an almost-60-year-old AUD, but it’s nice to clear away some of the sonic cobwebs. Now, as a friend rightly requested, can we get Skynet to work on the VU’s Legendary Guitar Amp Tape?! Or “Sweet Sister Ray”???!!

Anyway, who needs an excuse to listen to such a cool performance? It’s a great document, especially recommendable for the songs that weren’t played during the infamous 1966 tour – a rollicking “Tombstone Blues,” a majestic arrangement of “It Ain’t Me Babe,” (with a great solo from Robbie Robertson) and the only known Dylan-sung version of “Long Distance Operator,” which The Band would record later on. The performances here aren’t nearly as intense as they’d get in the next few months; there’s a pleasant swing to things, an ease and warmth. And the crowd actually seems pretty into the then-new electric-style Dylan. At least no one’s calling Bob “Judas” here.

James Elkington & Nathan Salsburg - First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 22, 2015

Head over to Aquarium Drunkard to read my conversation with six-string kings James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg, whose brand-new All Gist (out now on Paradise of Bachelors) is one of my favorite records of 2024 thus far. These guys aren’t just extraordinary guitarists, they’re also very nice dudes.

As mentioned at the tail-end of the interview, Jim and Nathan are planning some live Gist gigs in the coming months — their first real tour since 2015! To get prepped for that, check out the above video from back in those days, expertly filmed by Elkhorn’s Jesse Sheppard. If you’re a guitarist, it’ll be fun (and perhaps frustrating) to see how casually Elkington and Salsburg dispatch these intricately detailed tunes. Unfair!

And how’s about Aquarium Drunkard?! We’re a couple weeks into the new age, with memberships rolling in fast ‘n’ furious. Tons of killer stuff going up on the regular, including terrific High Llamas and Shabaka Hutchings interviews, a Lagniappe Session from the Reds, Pinks and Purples, a fresh Bandcamping column … and so much more! If this is the kind of thing you dig, consider pitching in.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Round and Round (It Won’t Be Long)” (The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, California, September 20, 2023)

We’ll finish up this week of Crazy Horse-iness with a glimpse of one of the most recent Crazy Horse shows. Last September, Neil, Billy, Ralph, Nils and Micah Nelson (the most recently deputized member of the band) all crowded themselves on to the tiny Roxy Theatre stage for two nights in a row to play not only Tonight’s the Night in its entirety … but Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, too! What a world.

Since he was uncharacteristically playing albums from front-to-back, Neil had to re-learn several songs that he hadn’t played live much — or at all! As far as the ever-awesome Sugar Mountain database knows, Young had never performed “Round and Round (It Won’t Be Long)” onstage prior to 2023. But he and the Horse tackled it in fine, faithful fashion, hitting those eerie Danny Whitten / Robin Lane harmonies, the 12-string guitar chiming beautifully, a sweet, sad sway. A lot of ghosts floating around as this one unfurls at the Roxy.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Control The Violent Side

Do we talk about Landing On Water enough?! Trans has been thoroughly rehabilitated at this point, but Neil Young’s further dabbling in synth-iness later on in the 1980s still feels like an unloved outlier in the man’s vast catalog.

Here’s an entirely imagined mid-80s conversation between Neil and an A&R dude at Geffen Records, taking place in some glassed-in skyscraper high above the Sunset Strip.

A&R Dude: Haha, Neil, you got us — we asked you to record a “rock ‘n’ roll” album and you gave us Everybody’s Rockin’. Good one.

Neil: Heh heh.

A&R Dude: But now that you’ve got that out of your system (and Old Ways), how about a rock album … you know, like … 80s rock?

Neil: … 80s rock, huh? You mean, like … Prince?

A&R Dude: Uhhh.

And scene! Landing On Water, released in 1986, is even more hermetically sealed within the era’s production techniques than Trans — big drums, synthetic textures, overdubs everywhere. Neil called the album “the beginning — or the end depending on how you look at it. I just wanted to try somethin’ else, break out … I felt like I was dying. Felt like if I didn’t do something, I was gonna lose it. Something had to wake me up.” And yeah, the songs here are characterized by a certain uptight and nervy vibe that’s unique in Neil’s career. It’s a weird record, but kind of great? Listening to it this week, my hot take is that it’s actually better than Trans. Make of that what you will!

Anyway, when it came time for Neil to hit the road again in '86, he didn’t “try somethin’ else.” He took Crazy Horse with him — their first US tour since the Rust Never Sleeps period way back in the late 70s. They didn’t exactly go heavy on the Landing On Water material though, mostly preferring to stick with the hits. But they did play a few of the tunes, so I’ve put together a kinda “What If?” collection — Landing On Water as played by Crazy Horse! Some songs here are actually from the 1990s, though … why did Neil suddenly revive “Hard Luck Stories” (very briefly) in 1997? Who can say? But I’m glad he did.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Bright Sunny Day” (Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan, September 19, 1978)

From Homegrown to Hitchhiker, from Tuscaloosa to Toast, the last 10 years of furious archival activity have de-mystified many previously darkened corners of Neil Young’s oeuvre. But some questions remain! Such as: what the hell is “Bright Sunny Day”?!

When I first heard this Crazy Horse performance from the Rust Never Sleeps tour (via a dubbed tape of the classic Archives Be Damned series), I assumed it was a random cover of some song I’d never heard before. But no, it seems to be a Neil Young original that was played once and only once in Clarkston, Michigan. Neil is generally not one to let songs fall completely by the wayside — even if it takes him decades to get back to them. But it appears that he’s never returned to “Bright Sunny Day” since that night at the Pine Knob Music Theatre.

Has Young ever even thought of it since then? Well, someone did remind him of it a few years back in the Letters To The Editor section of the NYA Times-Contrarian. Here’s what he said: “‘bright sunny Day’ is on our search list for Archives 3. It is listed as a poor quality cassette from Pine Knob rehearsal of the Rust show. We are looking.”

They’re looking! That’s good, because even if the rehearsal tape is “poor quality,” it’s gotta be better than the crap-tastic audience tape that gives us our only evidence to date of “Bright Sunny Day.” Still, it’s worth a listen; the song might not be a lost masterpiece, but it sounds pretty nice, fully arranged, cool Crazy Horse backing vocals, a solid chorus. Maybe it wouldn’t have fit on Rust proper, but maybe Neil should’ve revived it for Psychedelic Pill or something.