Talk:Neil Young

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Contents

[edit] Request help in creating a page for Frank "Poncho" Sampedro

I started a new entry, even found a recent photo, but it still needs much more contribution. Please help me on this one - I think this guy deserves it. Fenrir2000 20:16, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fancruft?

I'd be all for reverting User:172.155.203.90's recent addition, but thought I'd bring the matter here first. The text in question is: " Time Fades Away, similar to Bob Dylan's 1966 Royal Albert Hall live recording known as the "Judas!" concert when Dylan went electric, is regarded to be the "Holy Grail" among Young fans." -- Jmabel | Talk 20:11, Feb 19, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Weak citation

"In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s, another band member stated..." Can someone get a clear citation on the article, and specify who stated...? -- Jmabel | Talk 23:49, Apr 8, 2005 (UTC)

I read that he had the epilepsy even in his youth. Meh. ~~Shiri — Talk~~ 00:26, Apr 9, 2005 (UTC)
I put that in to illustrate that stories vary as to the cause of Neil's epilepsy. He did not have seizures until he was in his early twenties, but he was extremely high-strung before that -- some people term this an epileptic or epileptiform personality. (I don't think that's medical though) The interview I read was very likely with Richie Furay. He talked angrily and in some detail about how Neil was hit on the head repeatedly by the cop, and that "he never had seizures before that." He also said he witnessed Neil going into what appeared to be status seizures on his living room couch -- he'd have one after another. If it can't be verified then take it out alright. I'm giving as many details as I can to help myself as well as others track it down. --Bluejay Young 23:05, 20 November 2005 (UTC)
I tracked it down to a book called The Rock Story by Jerry Hopkins which includes an interview with BufSpr manager Dick Davis who had written a book about the band. The parts about going to UCLA for tests and having seizures after that are out of the interview. The part about Neil going into status on his living room couch was not in that interview, but I know I've seen it -- must have come from another article or review of the book, my guess is that that's the Rolling Stone part.
In the interview, Dick said it happened when Neil was pulled over on the Strip for no particular reason, probably driving while Canadian. The officer may well have been the Sunset Pig. (a notorious traffic cop on the Strip who harrasses film stars and musicians, especially if in fancy or unusual cars, particularly women and long-haired men; I believe he's the one who Zsa Zsa Gabor bitchslapped; Cher in a television interview verified Zsa Zsa's story as typical of the way this man behaves; Joni Mitchell refers to him as "the Sunset Pig" in her "California" song. At the police station, one official wearing a green suit said "Put these animals in their cages," Neil snapped "Who you calling an animal -- grasshopper??" and the cops proceeded to beat him senseless. --Bluejay Young 09:28, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia

Could we work out what in the "trivia" section deserves to be elsewhere in the article, and what deserves to be dropped? -- Jmabel | Talk 23:49, Apr 8, 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Instrument / Equipment Choices

How about adding an instrument / equipment choices section?

Neil probably sounds like Neil whatever he plays, but he has made many particular, deliberate and considered choices about his instruments and equipment. I suggest that these choices are worthy of mention as they reflect something about him as an artist.

For example; Old Black, his 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop with Bigsby tremelo, Firebird pickup and other modifications; and his Fender Deluxe amplifier with added custom built Whizzer unit.

I can contribute more information and cite the sources which would mostly be NYAS Broken Arrow and the Guitar Player magazine interview with Neil Young and Larry Crag. (Would there be copyright issues if repeated verbatim? If so I can distill and submit the details).

Paul 14:22, May 16, 2005 (GMT)

[edit] His mom

Does Rassy Young really merit a link? I'm not sure I've ever heard of anything notable she did besides bear and raise Neil. NO small accomplishment, but not encyclopedic in her own right. -- Jmabel | Talk 20:51, Jun 26, 2005 (UTC)

She was a television personality for years. There's some stuff in Shakey about what she did. I think she's worth her own page. --Bluejay Young 22:54, 20 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Randy Bachman

Any idea why this was cut: "Young was also acquainted with another soon-to-be-famous Winnipeg guitarist, Randy Bachman (The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive)"? It's uncited, so I'm not restoring it, but if true, it belongs in the article. -- Jmabel | Talk 07:22, September 10, 2005 (UTC)

It's a very well known fact that Bachman and Neil knew eachother in Winnipeg.

[edit] Major deletion of external links

I call peoples attention to this edit, summarized simply as "cleanup, categories", which involved a major deletion of external links. I'm not passing judgment either way on the substance of the edit, but since the summary borders on misleading, and the edit might be overlooked by someone who cares, I'm making a note here. -- Jmabel | Talk 19:05, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] need some note of Neil's father's death

[moved this empty header to bottom -- Jmabel | Talk 05:17, 2 November 2005 (UTC)]

[edit] High-pitched voice?

The lead states: "Young is recognizable for his high-pitched, nasal voice and for his deeply personal lyrics." I'm not sure if this entirely accurate. Deeply personal lyrics, yes, nasal voice, possibly, but high-pitched? I've never considered Young "high-pitched". --Viriditas

Ever listen to his early work? "Broken Arrow", or "Old Man", or "Looking for a Love that's Right for Me" for three examples? But we might want to modify it, because his voice has dropped somewhat over the years. -- Jmabel | Talk 18:46, 20 November 2005 (UTC)
I'd add After the Gold Rush to that. It is true that when people think "Neil Young", they usually think of his very high range. But as Jmabel said, he hasn't always sounded that way. That high voice is a stylistic artifact. Very early Elektra demo recordings have a low, gritty quality and he's made other recordings in a startling baritone. He could no longer get into the very high clear "boys' choir" register after throat surgery (probably to remove nodes), but he could still be classified as a lyric tenor. Maybe it should be changed to that. --Bluejay Young 22:53, 20 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Danny Whitten's death: citation needed

What is the source for the statement that Danny Whitten died of "an overdose of valium and alcohol"? I thought there was some question about this, and that a heroin overdose was also a possibility. Certainly needs a citation. -- Jmabel | Talk 05:52, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Eat a Peach

I'm intriqued by Youngs telegram to Stills signed "Eat A Peach"...Eat a Peach is the name of an Allman Brothers album. Altho it was Lynard Skynard (another Southern Band)that took Neil to task ("I hope Neil Young will remember...Southern Man don't need you around anyhow") over his childish/political (but great) song "Southern Man"...could there have been a connection in his mind to the two Southern Bands or, confusion...??..."Eat a Peach" is such a unique phrase. 24.98.195.37 14:32, 31 January 2006 (UTC)Callaway

Well, you are of course aware that Stephen Stills is from Georgia, which is famous for peaches and peach trees. Ty Cobb was from there, and was satirically called the Georgia Peach for his unpleasant personality. Neil reports elsewhere that he was impelled to leave the tour by Stephen's repeatedly and abusively harrassing him on his car phone. My guess is that "eat a peach" was a spontaneous remark of Neil's having nothing to do with the Allmans or Skynyrd and more to do with Stephen being an ass. --Bluejay Young 14:33, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Major edit for readability

I have done an extensive re-edit of the first half of the article. My prime objective was to improve readability, and I have keep the format as close to the original article as possible. Based on discussions here, I have tried to make the tone of the article a bit more objective and to keep it focused on Neil. (For example, I've excised the explanation of how Buffalo Springfield got its name. That has nothing to do with Neil per se and it's already in the Buffalo Springfield article).

There are still some quotations and other things that could use references.

Does anyone know where Neil's "ditch" comment came from originally.

On the back of the Harvest CD there's the quote about Heart of Gold, "this song put me in the middle of the road; travelling there soon became a bore so I headed for the ditch," and it says he said that to a reporter from New Musical Express. 63.249.109.224 01:29, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

ALso, regarding the "all the great art that never got out because of heroin" quote, I have an old bootleg called Young Man's Fancy (Royce Hall, Jan. '71) with this comment on it, but I've never actually seen it in print. If someone could come up with a audiofile of this remark from that or a similar bootleg, it would make a great addition. My tape is probably too old to get an audible soundbite from, but I will try in a few days.

There is still a lot of work to be done on the last half of the article, and frankly, I don't think that we need to go through Neils cataloge record by record. Personally, I would like to see more commentary about music and lyrics and some description of Neil's guitars and guitar style.

Also, I personally don't think that this article should function as a "newsfeed." In otherwords, things like Neil's recent health problems or the death of his father probably don't need to be included here. Spventi 00:39, 3 March 2006 (UTC)

I think things like that do belong in the article because they go straight into his work. Prairie Wind is all about that. It's just exemplary of his very personal style and approach. --Bluejay Young 18:34, 12 March 2007 (UTC)


both quotes are from the Decade Album. He certainly didnt put the ditch quote on Harvest since the song was on this album.68.84.208.9 23:40, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] P.O.V nature of article

There is quite a lot of POV material in here. Dont get me wrong, I am a fan of Neil's. However, if judgements on his work are going to be included then critical consensus; both contemporary and retrospective; must surely be the form. Does anyone agree here? For example, I personally dont think stating that Greendale 'works as an album' is: a) Good wikipedia form b) True:) everyone i have ever met agrees with me that it is garbage! Time for a bit of a rewrite? Might try myself if nobody is up for the task.Samgb 11:24, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

I'm going to try to do a major rewrite by the weekend. (I just finished reworking the Buffalo Springfield article in preparation for tackling this one), so if you'd rather wait to see what I do before making your own mark on the content, that's fine. If you want to go ahead and do it sooner than later, that's fine. too. Frankly, however, my personal opinion is that articles like this one are more readable if they contain factual information presented in a positive light. What's more, I might make the counter argument than the expression "critical consensus" is just as subjective as the comment "it works as an album." <g>
Spventi 14:14, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

I wouldnt disagree with that at all. Ive come across other Wikipedia articles that are very dry and art is surely about opinions as much as anything. Perhaps specific quotes from media is the way to go? I know it amounts to the same thing in terms of subjectivity and part of me rails at my own opinion being considered any less valid than anyone else's but it might look and read better than 'I like this album it is really great' type pronouncements!Please continue with your planned edit. I am still quite new here and havent yet built up the confidence required! Samgb 14:57, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

Well, what do you think of the article now? I think it has been improved enough to remove the POV tag that somebody stuck on it, and although there is still a lot that could be done, I'm going to move on to other projects for the time being.
Spventi 05:03, 11 March 2006 (UTC)
Just some minor grammar, phrases like yet consistently evocative sound that should be reworded to sound less like a PR flyer. MKV 01:25, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Featured Music Project evaluation

Neil Young has been evaluated according to the Featured Music Project criteria, most recently affirmed as of this revision. The article's most important issues are listed below. Since this evaluation, the article may have been improved.

The following areas need work to meet the criteria: Pictures - Audio - References - Format/Style
The space below is for limited discussion on this article's prospects as a featured article candidate. Please take conversations to the article talk page.
  • Pictures: Needs fair use rationales
  • Audio: Needs sound samples
  • References: Inline citations, print scholarly and critical works
  • Format/Style: Remove "Trivia", general copyedit


With regard to a general copyedit,which I am planning to do for the last half of the article as soon as possible, I would just like to point out two things.
1. The Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_(dates_and_numbers) actually discourages wikifiying individual months and years unless they are specifically relevant to the article content. As far as this article is concerned, I think that wikifying the years given in parenthesis with the first instance of an album or CD title is relevant, but otherwise I plan to copyedit out surperfluous links.
2. There is no sense in wikifying something that doesn't have an article yet, so those dead links will be excised, too.
Working out format and links is important, but what this article really needs at the moment is for us to improve it's content.
Spventi 10:02, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Synopsis

The synopsis needs to be rewritten to be less biased "the most respected and influential musicians of his generation"

Personally, I don't understand the mentality of someone who makes a comment like this, let alone leaves it unsigned. In the same amount of time you spent whining about the synopsis, you could have revised it. Spventi 09:47, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Handicapped son

How many children with cerebral palsy does Neil Young have? According to this article as it now reads, he has two: Zeke (by Carrie Snodgress) at the end of the "Breakthrough as a Solo Artist" section, and Ben (by Pegi)in "Experimental Years." Somebody who knows please verify and/or correct.

Two it is. They didn't know what was the matter with Zeke for a long time because his case is very mild. He is mostly able to live a normal life, unlike Ben who is quadriplegic and nonoral and communicates with a Stephen Hawking-like device. --Bluejay Young 06:51, 17 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Picture

Can someone add a new picture of Neil Young? The current one makes him look like Michael Meyers or something. Tracer Bullet 07:21, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

I have some pictures I can contribute but I am not sure which one you are hoping to replace or if any of mine are good enough. You can check them at http://www.buss.ca/v/csnyjul06/ They are much more recent photos from his current tour. If you pick one and tell me where you want it and the size I would be happy to contribute it. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Ziggee (talk • contribs) 25 July 2006.

I really like the picture we have at the moment, but of yours I liked DSC_1847.JPG. But I don't think my opinion should weigh heavily. In any case, give it the highest resolution you are willing to give, and a mnemonic name. - Jmabel | Talk 19:27, 29 July 2006 (UTC)
I uploaded a full res copy of the image to use anywhere you want on the page however you want. Shrink it scale it or eventually delete it :) File Name is ny-ottawa-jul-2006.jpg Actually I went ahead and added it to the section that talks about the current tour... feel free to move it or what ever.

[edit] music training

need to know about the musical training that neil young had thanx

[edit] Is this still a "Good Article"? Is it worth fighting over?

I'm thinking about delisting this as a good article because after all the effort that different people have made to improve it, others have slowly but surely transformed it back into a fanzine.

I see two major problems with the article at this point. The first is that it has once again become a mish-mash of American and British spelling and punctuation conventions. The other is that recently a lot of subjective comments that don't add any meaningful information have been appended.


Issue No. 1: The Wiki Style Guide states very clearly that we are free to use either British or American conventions for new articles but that we should make an effort not to mix the two when editing existing ones.

Does anyone have a strong opinion one way or the other? Should we unify the article to British or American conventions?


Issue No. 2: Personally, I would like to aggressively edit out the POV comments that have been appended, but I don't care to get into any editing wars, especially if I'm the only one who cares. Does anyone else feel that this article is worth fighting for?


It would be nice to see some discussion and increased awareness of these issues.

Spventi 00:12, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

Issue No. 1 - I think that this article should be edited to conform to American English since Neil became famous after moving to the United States from Canada. Issue No. 2 - I agree. Edit out the POV comments. KitHutch 01:14, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Neil's "Support" For Reagan - Urban Legend?

A lot has been written about Neil Young supposedly "supporting" Reagan. I found a few quotes about this and basically it sounds more like Neil Young did not feel total contempt for Reagan. I have at least one friend that was under the impression Neil might have vocally supported Reagan in the 1980 election.

I challenge anyone to find hard evidence of this. You can find many articles CLAIMING Young was some kind of active or vocal supporter of Reagan's. I think the truth is way more convoluted.

Here are a few articles with direct quotes from Neil, and it hardly sounds like he ever considered speaking at Reagan rallies:

http://www.thrasherswheat.org/ptma/bostonglobe90.htm:

"The neo-Reaganite tag affixed to him during the mid-'80s, Young insists -- quite vehemently -- was taken out of context, blown out of proportion. The Reagan-supporting era," sighs Young. "I don't think there is one president that's come down the line that hasn't done something good somewhere." Young says a "sleazeball journalist" nailed Reagan and then forced Young to his defense.

"Some people put down all presidents no matter what," says Young, "like once you get to be president you're a . . . idiot. So if you say anything good about any of them, they think you're supporting everything they do."

here's another good link with fuller context: http://www.thrasherswheat.org/ptma/reagan.htm

Abraham step 18:59, 19 April 2006 (UTC)Steve

Hmm. I seem to remember him releasing Hawks & Doves on Reagan's inauguration day... - Jmabel | Talk 06:31, 29 April 2006 (UTC)
And I hadn't even read down to the next section when I made that remark. - Jmabel | Talk 06:32, 29 April 2006 (UTC)
I never heard the remarks you provide. What I saw on television was Neil speaking at a press conference, but instead of hearing what he said, an announcer talked over him and said he had "come out for Reagan". I couldn't believe anyone as intelligent and as in tune with Native issues as Neil (while despite his looks he says he's not Indian, he'd recently been made an honorary member of the Cree nation, among other things) would do a stupid thing like come out for Reagan. Still, smart people do stupid things -- like me who should have known better than to believe what I saw on television. --Bluejay Young 09:55, 4 May 2006 (UTC)
In the Q Classic Vol 1 Issue 4 "Neil Young-the amazing journey" the article "Communication Breakdown" which covers the 80s has some stuff on this and what it percieves as example of Youngs then reactionary tendancies. About the 84 tour on pg 78 it has the quotes "It was wrong to have let the armed forces deteriorate", "Im tired of listening to people say that America is bad everywhere, that we're a bunch of agressive animals and don't have any cool" and then, to quote the article, "his pro-Reagan speech at his New Orleans show was up there with Bowies Nazi salute. And his "we were just trying to help" spin in Vietnam ... was the final nail in the coffin". Later in has the choice gem about Youngs participation in Live Aid "Although he was accussed of singing flat, no-one said a word about the incongruity of Young openly backing Reagan and his war machine while weeping for a Third World country ravaged by famine and conflict". It than accuses Dylan of similar reaction for suggesting at Live Aid it might be a good idea to help American farmers. Not the most balanced angle on the topic, IMO, the article was written by Sylvie Simmons, if that means anything to anybody. --KaptKos 11:10, 4 May 2006 (UTC)
Similar stuff in this review of Living with war [1] but with added, alleged, homophobia. --KaptKos 10:46, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] BTW...

I wrote the above comment about Neil Young supporting Reagan immediately after deleting something from the article claiming that Neil's "Hawks & Doves" album was "in-step with his surprising public support for Ronald Reagan".

[edit] Breach of Wikipedia trust

- - "canadian jazzfunk pianist justin besant' does not exist in any way, shape or form. He is just some kid who attempts to promulgate his name on the internet. Check out his user page- its also all fake, the albums names are obviously false. Who would name an album Nubbis? - - if you google the name, the only hits are websites that are self-editable. (wiki and last.fm) - - someone should purge this imposted from the internet

[edit] Yofoxyman

he has vandalised this page multiple times today. is there not a 3 revert rule? keep an eye out on him. Chinamanjoe 00:26, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

someone might want to check out what i've been adding and the fact that Chinamanjoe has been rep[eadetly deleting all this information today Yofoxyman 00:34, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Homegrown

I'm wondering about how to handle information about Homegrown in this article. There are some significant differences in the list of songs given in the Wikipedia article about Homegrown and the article at <http://www.human-highway.org/pages/album/HG.html>, but both sources say that after listening to both Homegrown and Tonight's the Night on the same tape reel, Young decided to release Tonight's the Night instead of Homegrown. This article, however, has for a long time stated says that Tonight's the Night is "a dark, brooding record of unrestrained blues and out-of-tune ballads that Reprise did not see fit to release until two years later."

So, there seems to be some missing information. Did Reprise originally decide not to release the Tonight's the Night? And if so, how is it that two years later Neil could decide to release it instead of Homegrown?

Anybody know?

Spventi 04:40, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Neil recorded the bulk of Tonight's The Night in the aftermath of the disastrous Time Fades Away tour, from mid-1973 to early 1974, just as the aural portrait of pain that was Time Fades Away was being released. Reprise decided that it was far too uncommercial to sell a significant number of copies. It featured eight of the twelve tracks that were eventually released on the LP. One acetate looked like the following, though this may not have been the proposed 1974 release:
  1. Tonight's The Night (Part I) (released on Tonight's The Night)
  2. Mellow My Mind (released on Tonight's The Night)
  3. Roll Another Number (released on Tonight's The Night)
  4. Tired Eyes (released on Tonight's The Night)
  5. Speakin' Out (released on Tonight's The Night)
  6. Walk On (released on On The Beach)
  7. For the Turnstiles (released on On The Beach)
  8. Bad Fog of Loneliness (unreleased)
  9. New Mama (released on Tonight's The Night)
  10. Winterlong (released on Decade)
  11. Borrowed Tune (released on Tonight's The Night)
  12. Traces (unreleased)
Neil went back into the studio and recorded On The Beach, salvaging "Walk On" and "For the Turnstiles" from the abandoned Tonight's the Night.
After On The Beach, Neil did indeed record the mythic Homegrown. A probable track listing could have contained any number of the songs from the Human Highway article. The songs deemed fit for future release, were the following:
  1. Homegrown (re-recorded for American Stars 'N' Bars)
  2. Star of Bethlehem (issued on Decade)
  3. Little Wing (re-recorded for Hawks & Doves)
  4. The Old Homestead (issued on Hawks & Doves)
  5. Pardon My Heart (issued on Zuma)
  6. Human Highway (re-recorded for Comes A Time)
  7. Deep Forbidden Lake (issued on Decade)
  8. Love is a Rose (issued on Decade)
  9. White Line (re-recorded for Ragged Glory)
  10. Long May You Run (re-recorded for Long May You Run)
A version of Tonight's The Night just happened to be on the same reel as Homegrown when Neil previewed it for friends at the Chateau Marmont, in the same bungalow John Belushi would die in. Rick Danko, bassist for The Band, convinced Neil that Tonight's The Night was more worthy of release. Neil agreed, and after pressuring Reprise, Tonight's The Night was released in June of 1975.
BernardWebb 01:50, 24 April 2006 (UTC)
Terrific. I would love to revise the article to read "Reprise did not see fit to release until being pressured to do so by Young two years later," but that is the kind of factual information that would require a citation. Do you have a source for this information that we can point to?
Spventi 02:07, 24 April 2006 (UTC)


I got that story from Jimmy McDonough's fine biography Shakey, between pages 430 and 431, with the acetate listing coming from Sidestreet Records, at the following: <http://www.sidestreetrecords.com/articles/acetateTonightsThe.html>.
Scott Young, the great Canadian writer, backs up the story in his biography of his son, Neil and Me between pages 135 and 137. I highly recommend Neil and Me for anybody who wants to read a great father-son story. Neil Young's one of the only rockers who had great parents and has been a great parent himself.
The placement of Homegrown songs came from the Human Highway article already cited, and knowledge and ownership of those albums.
BernardWebb 21:28, 24 April 2006 (UTC)
OK, thanks. I've added that information and the citation. BTW, just out of curiosity, why do you manually Wikify a name for which there is no user page?
Spventi 01:13, 25 April 2006 (UTC)
Just for the hell of it. No reason, really.
BernardWebb 00:50, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Not available on CD

The Ditch Trilogy section has been edited to say that TFA is "one of only two of Young’s early recordings that has yet to be re-released on CD."

I believe that the person who made this change is thinking about the soundtrack to Where the Buffalo Roam, which also has never been released on CD but that is not "one of Young's early recordings" nor is it really part of Young's catalog.

For these reasons, I intend to revert that edit shortly unless someone can explain to me what it is I've missed.

BTW, the phrase "one of only two of Young’s early recordings that has yet to be re-released on CD" begs the question: "Well, what's the other one?" I think that kind of writing should be avoided in Wiki articles unless you intend to add the needed information in parenthesis.

Spventi 01:13, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

I made the change, and in owning every Neil Young album know that the two that I've only got on vinyl are Times Fades Away and Journey Through The Past. Does the latter ring any bells? OK, it's not a collection of new tracks like "Times Fades Away", or like any other album, really, in that it is a soundtrack only featuring one new composition, but it was an official 1972 vinyl release and has never been issued on compact disc.
JTTP is part of Young's catalog, even if it is a sorely overlooked part.
Bernard Webb 00:41, 26 April 2006 (UTC)


OK, that's the one I missed, and since you've revised the article to indicate what you were referring to, I think it's fine to leave it as is for the time being.
On the other hand, I think it's relatively easy to make a strong argument that JTTP is not a part of Young's catalog, and I see that it is not listed in the discography of this article, either (Boy, did I look too quickly when I made that remark <g>). Also, a nit-picker might say that it really does not fit the description "one of Young's early recordings."
We might consider rewording the section or placing this information elsewhere. But for now, anyway, I think it's fine as is. Thanks for the follow-up.
Spventi 04:48, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Footnotes

I have just revised all the footnotes to conform to the Wiki footnote template. The nonconformance of the older footnotes was partially my fault, but please use the template for future additions.

See Wikipedia:Footnotes for details on the correct format.

Spventi 01:13, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Request for help in converting and uploading sound file

In the Breakthrough as a Solo Artist section, I have quoted Young as saying that "The Needle and the Damage Done" is a lament for "all the great art that never got out because of heroin." That needs a citation, of course, and I have finally been able to make a passably audible wav file of the in-concert intro where he make the comment.

Unfortunately, I don't really know how to convert wav to ogg or how to upload the file to Wiki so that it can be properly linked to, and would really appreciate some help. Please leave me a message on my Talk page if you are able to help out. Thanks. Spventi 09:03, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] new pic

who chose this picture? he looks like a zombie

It's from Weld. I didn't choose it, but I like it because to me it makes him look unique, intense, and like he's from another world. He looks best when he is photographed in action. --Bluejay Young 09:32, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

Nooooo, don't change this picture. It's awesome. Neil's a guitar player. This is him doing what he does best. Let's not put some picture of Neil just standing there doing nothing.

[edit] Deep Throat singing?

I suspect this line is leftover vandalism. Any idea what the original entry might have been? I don't feel like searching the history. The opening section could use a better description. --Geneb1955Talk/CVU 02:33, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

I've never heard Neil do actual throat singing in my life. Maybe the harmonic overtones of same caused a listener to think that was what he was doing in his higher register. --Bluejay Young 09:30, 4 May 2006 (UTC)
Or perhaps some fundamentalist Texan was trying to pejoratively insinuate homosexuality for his own self-gratification. Black-Velvet 09:00, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] tUrbo ?

I can't seem to find any references to this band or the song. Specifcally I wanted to check that the capitalization is correct. Any ideas where to find them? "tUrbo's tune, "I Love Kansas"" kris 18:41, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

Can someone post a new picture of Neil? Jeez

[edit] picture

i uploaded the new picture today, and i think it looks a hell of a lot better than the one that was there before. it was a publicity photo, which qualifies under the fair use policy. i included a link to the original site. however, i guess i didnt tag it correctly or something and now orphanbot is sending me messages saying it could be deleted if i dont fix it. does anyone know how to do this? the file extension is nlyng.jpeg. my primary concern is that this issue could jeopardize the article's "good article" status. Strawberryfire 20:13, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

I'm afraid that an edit war will develop over the images. I'm about to scale down the Weld photo now to make it look more, uh, pleasant. I do not support the previous portrait photo of Neil, as, well, it makes him look like a potato. He's a singer/songwriter and a guitarist, not a moldy old senior citizen. Black-Velvet 10:00, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

I don't want to start an edit war either...but the current image doesn't really give a good look at Neil's face, and makes him look like nick nolte's mugshot (http://txfx.net/entries/images/nick_nolte.jpg). also, that same picture is featured later in the article. I can definitely respect wanting a picture of him playing the guitar though, since that's what he does best. Strawberryfire 12:04, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

I don't think that Image:Nlyng.jpg looks that bad. It is certainly better than Nick Nolte's mugshot. If anyone has seen him on TV recently, it is what he looks like. He is a 60 year old man. He looks better than Keith Richard, and I think he enjoys looking a little scraggly. --rogerd 20:21, 28 May 2006 (UTC)
Inasmuch as the Nick Nolte picture has disappeared, I'll have to take your word for it. Nolte is the only person I have ever seen who could play Neil if they made a movie about him or something. --Bluejay Young 09:42, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

Alright, I agree with the current pic. Heh heh, he looks like a hobo... - and looking like a hobo is way better than looking like a potato. Black-Velvet 08:59, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

That's the "70s Dirty Hippie" phase. He did a lot of his best work at that time. However, I've still got to point out that Neil looks best when photographed in action. Of recent pictures not playing, I've always liked this one, from the Norwegian Aspekte interview in 2003. --Bluejay Young 09:42, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
those are some intense chops. nick nolte might make a good neil young....also maybe gary busey. only the best of the best. Strawberryfire 22:51, 29 May 2006

Don't know who put up the most recent picture of neil, but i love it. this is the picture we need to keep. Strawberryfire 18:54, 31 May 2006

I think it's a shame that the current picture has Neil just sort of leaning on his guitar. Get him tearing up Old Black.--Svedenhaus 08:58, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Picture and infobox

From what I understand, WP:FU guidelines say that free-use images must be used in place of fair-use ones. And a more current depiction of Neil Young would be preferred over the very dated, fair-use photo that is back at the top of the page now. The only free-use image on the page is the one from the CSNY tour in 2006. While not a great photo, it is free-use and it gets the job done.

I also wonder why the infobox is just a guitarist infobox and not a musical artist infobox. Neil Young, while being one of my favorite guitarists, is so much more than just a guitarist. He is a musical artist - a singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist - and the musical artist infobox would capture all that so much better than the guitar infobox, which I think is something more appropriate for someone who just plays guitar and nothing else. The tone of the opening paragraph of the article, too, seems to concentrate too much on Neil Young's achievements as a guitarist. Neil Young's guitar prowess and the axes he chooses can be explounded upon further down in the article once his significance as an all-around musical artist is established. -Wisekwai 08:16, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Instruments / Old Black etc

I added several points of trivia about old black and some of the other gear Neil has used over the years. References are from the articles gathered at http://www.thrasherswheat.org/sound.htm, and if someone wants to wikify that eventually, thanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Tremspeed (talk • contribs) 22 August 2006.

[edit] The Stones

"Mr Soul," the only Young song of the three that all five members of the group perform together, is driven by a fat guitar riff that owed more than a little to the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Reference is made to the similarity in Young's later song, "Borrowed Tune."

Huh? "Borrowed Tune" is to the tune of the Stones' "Lady Jane". How is this a reference to "Mr Soul" or "Satisfaction"? Sounds like quite a stretch to me. - Jmabel | Talk 05:41, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

I think he just meant 'mr soul' is to "satisfaction" as 'borrowed tune' is to "lady jane". Tremspeed 19:59, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Filmography

I just made this, a template of Neil's composer films:


Film with soundtracks composed by Neil Young
The Strawberry Statement • Liza with a 'Z' • The Last Waltz • Where the Buffalo Roam • Out of the Blue • Silence of the North • Directo al corazón • Philadelphia • Dead Man • Jerry Maguire • Year of the Horse • Wonder Boys • Almost Famous • Shallow Hal • Greendale • Fahrenheit 9/11 • Heart of Gold

Can somebody sub' it in? Thanks. Black-Velvet 11:26, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Hi. I removed that template from the article. I think it's a bit misleading to say those films had soundtracks composed by Neil Young when most of them only featured one song of his. Wouldn't it make more sense to say "Films which feature music by Neil Young" or something? Thanks.Conor 18:47, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Neil Young Live at the Fillmore East

[2] I found that article was was wondering whether it is worth mentioning. It basically talks about a live album of Neil Young being released in October of this year. If anyone wants to add it, feel free to. Template:Subsu:unsigned

[edit] GA Re-Review and In-line citations

Note: This article has a small number of in-line citations for an article of its size and subject content. Currently it would not pass criteria 2b.
Members of the Wikipedia:WikiProject Good articles are in the process of doing a re-review of current Good Article listings to ensure compliance with the standards of the Good Article Criteria. (Discussion of the changes and re-review can be found here). A significant change to the GA criteria is the mandatory use of some sort of in-line citation (In accordance to WP:CITE) to be used in order for an article to pass the verification and reference criteria. It is recommended that the article's editors take a look at the inclusion of in-line citations as well as how the article stacks up against the rest of the Good Article criteria. GA reviewers will give you at least a week's time from the date of this notice to work on the in-line citations before doing a full re-review and deciding if the article still merits being considered a Good Article or would need to be de-listed. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us on the Good Article project talk page or you may contact me personally. On behalf of the Good Articles Project, I want to thank you for all the time and effort that you have put into working on this article and improving the overall quality of the Wikipedia project. Agne 02:34, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] GA review

Neil Young is up for GAR, where specific criteria concerns can be found. Please help us retain this article's GA status. LuciferMorgan 09:12, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] GA review result

In a three to zero decision, this article has been delisted, primarily for lack of references and a trivia section which is too listy and should be moved as much as possible into the actual article. Dispute archived here: Wikipedia:Good articles/Disputes/Archive 7 Homestarmy 17:11, 30 October 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Live Aid

The section about him playing with CSN at Live Aid in 1985 is just plain wrong. I cannot recall him actually playing with CSN, and this article [3] seems to back this up. He certainly did play a solo set[4]on the same bill - can someone please clarify? Full Live Aid line up and set list here[5] Jonobass 16:22, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

Neil did play with CSN at Live Aid. I have the VH1 Legends special about CSNY, and it shows CSN on stage with Neil singing "Find The Cost of Freedom." Crosby also states that it wasn't one of their better performances as both he and Stills were "out of it." It is also detailed in the CSN biography. KitHutch 22:33, 24 November 2006 (UTC)
You're absolutly right - just re-checked the cited website and it confirms this . Sorry! Jonobass 13:58, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Living With War: In the Beginning

Does anyone know whether this is the same thing as Living With War - Raw? If it is, all instances of LWW - R should be changed, as LWW: ItB is officially mentioned on neil young's official website (With the same release date).

[edit] Current dispute about Neil's full name

Re the current disagreement. A life-long Neil Young fan, I have long believed Neil's full name to be Neil Percival Kenneth Robert Ragland Young. I notice that attempts to change the article to reflect this full name have been reverted: I'm not saying I - and those trying to change the article - am right, I'm just asking if it is known for fact that this is wrong? A search reveals plenty of websites which name him as above - just a case of bad information spreading? Thanks. -- Delsource (talk) 00:01, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Click on the highest star icon for a "little known fact" (sic):
Clearly there is some basis for the position of the recent (mostly anonymous) editors, and I think the accusation of vandalism is just wrong. Does recent editing activity represent an "...addition, removal, or change of content made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia"? -- Delsource (talk) 00:16, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
Just watching the article recently, I can see why the reverts were attributed to vandalism. It looked on its face like someone just inserted their name into the article, as is common in other vandalism attempts. However, the listed name does have a print reference. Note that the name controversy is mentioned on the Trivia page. Bulbous 04:45, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
Fair enough. I've added it to "Trivia" with a link to the movie site. -- Delsource (talk) 12:10, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Well..

Weird that there ain't any discussion around his very very heavy drugs/cocaine use in the 70's and 80's here. I mean, I'm a big Neil fan and all, but the guy was completely not present in the 70's. Com'on, they did like fried marihuana and honey during the recording of On the Beach. Just a little weird. --Yardan 20:17, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

I agree, it does seem brushed over. It does however make references to anti-drug songs in the main article and other related articles, which give an impression of an anti-drug campaigner. I would like someone with more concrete links and experience add some information on this subject. --Steve hill4 23:55, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

From the "On the Beach" article on Wikipedia:

"Throughout the recording of the album, Young and his fellow musicians consumed a homemade concoction dubbed "Honey Slides", a goop of sauteed marijuana and honey that was, in manager Elliot Roberts' words, "...much worse than heroin. Much heavier." (Shakey: Neil Young's Biography, Jimmy McDonough)." Not to mention The Last Waltz issue with the cocaine hanging out of Neil's nose. Someone should get some links and do a paragraph about it, since it has rally affected alot of his work. --Yardan 14:55, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Claims that those 'honey slides' are worse than heroin may be massively exagerated. Let's use our heads here people.Conor 18:49, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Like I say, I really don't have quite the knowledge to edit it myself, but would like to see it. I have read the references to cocaine usage, seen comments referring to other dabbling in illegal substances, but I am not an expert on the matter. I think you, Yardan, should go ahead and write the paragraph for now as best you see fit. After all, it's wikipedia and if someone wants to edit your input, they can do and we continue the discussion here after. No biggie. Steve hill4 00:29, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hank To Hendrix

Is anyone else with me that the subject matter of "From Hank To Hendrix" is Hank Marvin and not Hank Williams? I know both are influences in Neil's life in one way or another, but most people who know about Hank Marvin agree it is him, not Williams. I edited the main Neil Young article about a year or so ago to correct the link to Marvin, not Williams and after that day never checked back until today. It now links back to Hank Williams. The first person to import a strat to England was Hank Marvin, it was then later popularised by the English based guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

Since there is this connection between the two, and Neil sings of a guitar, there are three options. The link is changed to Marvin. The link remains to Williams, (which I see no logic in, beyond Neil's country stylings). The link(s) in the song title on this page are removed and remain removed to avoid dispute.

Steve hill4 23:50, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

I have also changed the link to Marvin on several occasions. Neil has mentioned before that Marvin was one of his biggest inspirations as a guitarist (for his instrumental work) which would make sense as back in his Squires days, Neil was mainly playing instrumentals. I also recall reading Young saying that when he started playing guitar it was for intrumentals, and that "words didnt come until much later" (this may have been in Shakey, I'll have to check). I highly doubt Hank Williams' influence was felt until years later. "Prairie Wind" most likely generated the idea that "From Hank to Hendrix" was referring to Williams with "This Old Guitar" and so forth. I second changing the link to Marvin.

Hstfreak 00:44, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

A reasonable Neil Young fan, but lacking in his videos and books. I'll have to get Shakey. Anyway, I have read others stating similar sentiments and agree it either needs to be changed or the link removed. I will change it back again and wait to see someone else argue that it was Williams. If anyone disagrees, please discuss here first. Steve hill4 21:55, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citizenship

Neil Young sings a song Impeach the president. I believed he was Canadian — thus it would seem a bit out of taste that he should meddle into US politics. Or did he get dual citizenship? David.Monniaux 21:12, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

As Neil said in an interview regarding this very subject, he's a Canadian, and has lived in the United States for 40 years, has been paying American taxes for 40 years, now has an American wife, and has American children. Rdvdijk 00:35, 7 April 2007 (CET)
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