Old Troopers...

A couple of things join Dylan and Neil Young.  Both write quality tunes with words that resonate and both really just do what they want on stage.  OK, its been a few days and I suppose I am mellowing a bit after Dylan's disappointing mumble fest but with a back catalogue like he and Neil Young have, you can I suppose cut them some slack.  However that's about it for whilst Dylan changed his arrangements to the point of an almost total aural blackout, Neil Young simply plugged in his guitar and played it louder.

For some reason he had a bunch of Indian teepees on stage but never referred to them at all making me at least wonder what on earth it was all about.  Mind you the reviews referred to his concern with eco-stuff so maybe that was what it was all about.

The new band were all young guys and I took a look online and see that a couple are Willie Nelson's sons who're cranking it up with this old guy.  By now, Neil had started to hit peak form and you just knew that he was ready to really get into it...

'Down by the River' was 20+ minutes of screeching guitar perfection and as a result he overran his time slot -- he started early still and finished late but as it turned out Macca didn't care either as he just went on too.  So the final number really was the finale, no encores and I did notice he dropped a verse and added a new one... but he kept the power chords and that screeching guitar sound!

This is Neil doing 'Down by the River' from 1991 with Crazy Horse.  Fantastic!!

Viv would have liked some tunes off his 'Prairie Wind' album, I was happy with the stuff from 'Harvest'... and of course 'Down by the River'.  Our friend Stu is a Canadian but had never seen Neil Young, so he was transfixed!  Really nice seeing stuff through other people's eyes.

Neil said he had only about 40 seconds to play 'Rocking in the Free World' as time was up... but it took longer!  Here is a great version too!!

Great show, Neil.  Thanks a bunch!