Neil Young's Shaky New Video, Angry World

As a kid growing up in Winnipeg, Neil Young was pretty hard to ignore. Young and The Guess Who seem to be brought up every time someone wants to prove that this little burg breeds rock greatness, which may be a sign of the town's inferiority complex. But Young hasn't lived here, or even in Canada, for so long it's time to give up that ghost. I try to take Neil for what he is and what he does, not worrying about where he played his first sock hop or whatnot.

So I've heard the classics ad nauseum, was drawn more to the oddball moves he's made such as Trans, Everybody's Rockin', and Landing on Water, was even persuaded to try (and fail) to sing Rockin' in the Free World in a basement band. I've always appreciated that Young goes off and does whatever the heck he wants, at his own pace - he's so original and unique I gotta respect him even if I can't get into all of his music. Unfortunately, somehow Young is associated for me with a misbegotten hippie dream, filled with drugs, bad campfire cover songs, a patchouli stink, and a naive worldview.

Which of course is not a balanced perspective, so I hereby pledge to go revisit the facets of Youngmusic I've skipped. I don't want the Cult of Neil to rain down darkness on me. And hey, this may be the greatest thing Neil Young has done in...decades? Angry World, from new album Le Noise, out September 28. Available everywhere, including the moon, probably on 8-track, 78 and wax cylinder too.



Heh. What if Young went all drum and bass on us?

Old Man (Neil Young) Future Child Remix by alagory

One of my favourite Young covers. There are a lot of good ones, but there's also a boatload of not just unnecessary covers, but also so many terrible ones that they've probably been a detriment to my enjoying his music.

Winterlong (Neil Young cover) by chocnut

I tripped across this track, which seems to be by Fascinoma aka Alanna Lin.

02 I Shot Neil Young by 2TRU401

Real Canadiana: Jason Plumb & the Willing

When people talk about consummate Canadian songwriters, Neil Young seems to always pop up. Never mind he's lived in the U.S. for maybe 40 years and often writes about the American government. Others might throw out the Tragically Hip or the Rheostatics. But I'll nominate Jason Plumb as the real deal. Recently Jason Plumb & the Willing released Wide Open: Songs for Sakatchewan, which is obviously a ploy to break it big in the States. Kidding. Plumb's just doing what he does, which happens to include prairie references. It's a cool record because Plumb & the Willing include live versions of some fine songs you probably missed as well as revisit Waltons' tunes such as Empire on the Plains, Wascana, and Middle of Nowhere from the underrated Empire Hotel disc.



Get Drive (live) for nothing here. The next song isn't on the new album, but it was also recorded in my living room. Okay, it wasn't my living room, I think it was Stephen Harper's.



And here we have...a Neil Young Cover! Yes, maybe Mr. Plumb is claiming the prairie singer/songwriter mantle Neil ditched.



Plumb is probably never going to be a rock star, because he won't beat up Perez Hilton, be photographed scarfing drugs with Pete Doherty, Kate Moss, or April Winehouse, or get arrested for beating up a hooker. But he might keep making quality music if you see him live or buy some music from him. Check out a show, he's got a good sense of humour and his band is pretty good, too.