Thursday, November 17, 2005

"Old man take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you."

A recent article in the Toronto Sun takes a look at a Canadian singer-songwriter who just turned sixty: "For a guy who sings like a strangled loon, Neil Young has not done too badly." Be that as it may, he was my inspiration in high school for putting a harmonica in a neck harness and playing guitar simultaneously.

Too bad you gotta pay to read the article, eh?

5 comments:

Mr. Nixter said...

I won't pay to read the article, but jus' keep rockin' in the USA, DLA!

BTW, the antics of another member of the famous CSNR band may have lead many to re-think if organ donation really was worth the effort. Remember Crosby's problems?

Anonymous said...

IMO, the worst thing that ever happened to Stills and Young was breaking up the Buffalo Springfield to become "rock stars". Stills could sing and write a little, Young could write a lot and sing hardly at all. The very first time I heard "Judy Blue Eyes", I knew the jig was up for Stills -- I thought I was listening to the Frisky Little Elves during their "Self-Pity" world tour. Young chugged along for a while, but rust never sleeps.

David L Alexander said...

Indeed. I always thought that the original "Crosby Stills and Nash" album saved rock music from the total decadence in the wake of the "summer of love," Woodstock, and Altamont. It certainly restored my own faith in what little there was of the genre to redeem itself.

Then again, I never cared much for Hendrix, and I felt that Clapton did his career a world of good in the early 90s with his "Unplugged" album and stage tour.

But... that's just me.

Mr. Nixter said...

My turn..

Sometimes, the music simply moves me. I don't look for how complex it is, the ability of its performers to perform complex riffs or play with their teeth.

I'm not a musician, can't play an instrument, and have been known to attempt to read sheet music upside down. But on occasion, there's a certain song, done by a certain performer, who just tickles my fancy.

I guess my explanation of why I like/enjoy certain music runs parallel to why I enjoy certain movies on the Big Screen. There may not be anything socially redeeming about the movie, no message that will reverberate through the ages, nor even a quote that piques my interest...it just plain entertains me.

Just shoot me.

Discuss/rip me apart for being a simp...

Anonymous said...

For me it was always about guitar. CSN/CSNY, Stills, Young, etc, never did anything I enjoyed half as much as "Bluebird" (NOT "Free Bird). As for Hendrix, Zappa's album, entitled "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar", says it all. The topper for me has always been those Miles Davis albums from the 70's. Nothing beats those.