Neil Young is on fire as ever
<!-- Begin /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_byline_and_copyright_or_creditline.comp -->By Jeff Miers NEWS POP MUSIC CRITIC <!-- Begin /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_copyright_with_dash.comp --><!-- Begin /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_creditline_with_dash.comp --><!-- End /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_creditline_with_dash.comp --><!-- End /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_copyright_with_dash.comp --><!-- End /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_byline_and_copyright_or_creditline.comp -->
Updated: 12/01/07 7:57 AM
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<!-- End /PubSys/Story/MediaBox/MediaBox.comp --><!--endclickprintexclude-->Neil Young offered more than a few evergreen tunes from throughout his storied career before an enthusiastically sold-out Shea’s on Friday night.
In keeping with the spirit of that career, however, the most intense song of the evening was one from Young’s newest effort, the lambent “Chrome Dreams II.”
“No Hidden Path” is classic Young — a midtempo, folk-based rock tune with anthemic chord changes writ large, an easygoing groove, campfire wisdom-laced lyrics and plenty of room for improvisation.
And what incredible improvisation it was. Young, a Gibson Les Paul Junior strapped across his midsection, tore into the solo sections with fervor, abandonment, and the trademark childlike glee that has laced all of his finest work. The tune was simply astounding, a large-scale emotional powerhouse centered on Young’s keening near-falsetto tenor and his searing, primal guitar soloing.
Young is not a young man. But he played with a fire and intensity players a third of his age could learn a thing or two from. Interestingly, this show — billed as an “acoustic/electri c ” evening, with an even split between mellower solo fare and full-bore electric band throwdowns — started off with a whisper.
Young strode to the stage in the humble everyman manner that is more natural demeanor than stage act, plopped himself down in the center of a circle of gorgeous acoustic guitars — flanked on either side by a baby grand piano and an old-school upright, saloon-style job — and eased into the elegiac “From Hank To Hendrix” like he was slipping into a favorite pair of well-worn denims.
“Ambulance Blues” flowed through beaucoup verses as Young settled into his gorgeously shoddy acoustic guitar style, blowing intermittent yearning asides on his harmonica, before segueing into the rare gem, “Sad Movies.” He ambled over to the piano for a jaw-dropping “A Man Needs A Maid.”
“Cowgirl In the Sand,” the first of several tunes from Young’s seminal Crazy Horse record “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” made an easy transition to its acoustic guitar rendition, and again, Young’s emotive singing was direct, dripping with feeling, hair-raising. The high point of the acoustic set had to be “Harvest,” simply because it is one of the most sublime tunes of the past 50 years.
After a brief intermission, Young brought out old friends Rick Rosas, Ralph Molina and Ben Keith, as well as his wife, Pegi Young.
Opening with a killer take on “The Loner,” Young had no trouble morphing into his full-bore electrified persona, and the guitar solos were both plentiful and glorious for the rest of the evening. The “Chrome Dreams” selections fared quite well.
“Dirty Old Man” sounded like something straight off of “Mirror Ball,” Young’s mid-90s collaboration with Pearl Jam, and again, the riffage was sublime. Young and band let no one down. This show was everything a Neil Young show should be.
<!-- Begin /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_byline_and_copyright_or_creditline.comp -->By Jeff Miers NEWS POP MUSIC CRITIC <!-- Begin /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_copyright_with_dash.comp --><!-- Begin /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_creditline_with_dash.comp --><!-- End /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_creditline_with_dash.comp --><!-- End /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_copyright_with_dash.comp --><!-- End /PubSys/Common/Decisions/if_byline_and_copyright_or_creditline.comp -->
Updated: 12/01/07 7:57 AM
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<DD class=story-pic-byline>Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News <DD class=story-pic-caption>Neil Young played with fervor and abandon. Another photo on the Picture Page, C10. <!--dd class="story-pic-bigger">Click to view a larger picture</dd--></DD></DL>
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<!-- End /PubSys/Story/MediaBox/MediaBox.comp --><!--endclickprintexclude-->Neil Young offered more than a few evergreen tunes from throughout his storied career before an enthusiastically sold-out Shea’s on Friday night.
In keeping with the spirit of that career, however, the most intense song of the evening was one from Young’s newest effort, the lambent “Chrome Dreams II.”
“No Hidden Path” is classic Young — a midtempo, folk-based rock tune with anthemic chord changes writ large, an easygoing groove, campfire wisdom-laced lyrics and plenty of room for improvisation.
And what incredible improvisation it was. Young, a Gibson Les Paul Junior strapped across his midsection, tore into the solo sections with fervor, abandonment, and the trademark childlike glee that has laced all of his finest work. The tune was simply astounding, a large-scale emotional powerhouse centered on Young’s keening near-falsetto tenor and his searing, primal guitar soloing.
Young is not a young man. But he played with a fire and intensity players a third of his age could learn a thing or two from. Interestingly, this show — billed as an “acoustic/electri c ” evening, with an even split between mellower solo fare and full-bore electric band throwdowns — started off with a whisper.
Young strode to the stage in the humble everyman manner that is more natural demeanor than stage act, plopped himself down in the center of a circle of gorgeous acoustic guitars — flanked on either side by a baby grand piano and an old-school upright, saloon-style job — and eased into the elegiac “From Hank To Hendrix” like he was slipping into a favorite pair of well-worn denims.
“Ambulance Blues” flowed through beaucoup verses as Young settled into his gorgeously shoddy acoustic guitar style, blowing intermittent yearning asides on his harmonica, before segueing into the rare gem, “Sad Movies.” He ambled over to the piano for a jaw-dropping “A Man Needs A Maid.”
“Cowgirl In the Sand,” the first of several tunes from Young’s seminal Crazy Horse record “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” made an easy transition to its acoustic guitar rendition, and again, Young’s emotive singing was direct, dripping with feeling, hair-raising. The high point of the acoustic set had to be “Harvest,” simply because it is one of the most sublime tunes of the past 50 years.
After a brief intermission, Young brought out old friends Rick Rosas, Ralph Molina and Ben Keith, as well as his wife, Pegi Young.
Opening with a killer take on “The Loner,” Young had no trouble morphing into his full-bore electrified persona, and the guitar solos were both plentiful and glorious for the rest of the evening. The “Chrome Dreams” selections fared quite well.
“Dirty Old Man” sounded like something straight off of “Mirror Ball,” Young’s mid-90s collaboration with Pearl Jam, and again, the riffage was sublime. Young and band let no one down. This show was everything a Neil Young show should be.
