Comments on: Friday Five: Neil Young Covers

By: Dave D.

Dave D. — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:40:57 +0000

The Trio’s “After the Gold Rush” should be disqualified solely due to the insertion of “And I felt like I could cry” in the lyrics.

By: Leeann Ward

Leeann Ward — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 04:31:06 +0000

Agreed, Noeller.

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 04:21:41 +0000

No argument about those folks, Ollie–though this is a good marker for being willing to stretch off the mainstream reservation, and/or possibly wanting to be seen doing so..

I was kidding about commenting on alt.country. (Sometimes, I’d just as soon not. ) But then, you very possibly didn’t actually want me to add the Seinfeld tag either..

By: Noeller

Noeller — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:29:50 +0000

KD Lang’s version of Helpless is epic (as is her cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah) both of which can be found on her “Hymns Of The 49th Parallel” project.

Loooooooooooove my Canadian artists!!

By: Ollie

Ollie — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:05:41 +0000

Barry- I read your articles in No Depression for at least 7 of those 10 years and I don’t think I was asking you to explain, justify or “endlessly praise” alt.country or Americana music. My view is that some of the music which falls under those labels is great and some of it sucks…. And FWIW, I don’t think of John Berry, Deanna Carter, or Dolly Parton as alt.country or Americana artists (even though Dolly was once featured on the cover of ND) yet all of them have covered at least one Neil Young song.

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 02:10:35 +0000

Ollie, I was a senior editor at No Depression for ten years. I’ve got a “get out of explaining, justifying,r explaining OR endlessly praising alt.country & Americana free” card. Or maybe not.

By: Ollie

Ollie — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 01:29:42 +0000

@Rick: FWIW, Neil Young famously supported many positions of Ronald Reagan and was initially a supporter of the invasion of Iraq. His personal political views are complicated, or should I say, nuanced– he refuses to define himself as a Democrat or Republican.

@Barry: In general, I agree with your comment that “the real Young covers show that doing one of his songs is practically a no fail marker of being off in the alt.country or Americana end of the spectrum” but I wish you had added the Seinfeld line– “not that there’s anything wrong with that.” :)

By: WAYNOE

WAYNOE — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 01:17:40 +0000

Rick,

Neil is always against something. Same for Earle. They are seldom for anything, at least that’s worthwhile. Shame as both are very talented.

By: Matt Bjorke

Matt Bjorke — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:26:03 +0000

Bob and Leeann,

The best part about that cover of “Heart of Gold.” (aside from sounding eerily similar to Neil – but with stronger voice) is the story he tells about his son’s reaction to the song when John was playing it in the truck.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:17:08 +0000

I prefer Neil covering Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” to others covering Neil’s songs. I liked Neil’s work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and then sort of lost interest (well, except for “Cinnamon Girl” now and again). In fact when “Ohio” came along I quit paying any attention to the anti-Viet Nam war, hippie leftist peacenik icon that Neil had become. Neil felt the same way about Nixon that I do about Obama, whom I wish was gone…