Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:42:21 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/ Bad News Beat en-us http://www.bad-news-beat.org/images/http://www.human-highway.org/images/smaller_bnb_logo.gif http://www.bad-news-beat.org/ BNBstaff-45@bosco.net http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2680 le noise 28 Sept 2010 release date Walk With Me Sign of Love Someone's Gonna Rescue You Love and War Angry World Hitchhiker Peaceful Valley Boulevard Rumblin' MIA: Leia You Never Call Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:42:21 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2679 Neil Young Releasing New Disc, ‘Le Noise,’ Next Month Mostly electric album due September 28th, with iPod app to follow By Andy Greene Aug 20, 2010 5:15 PM EDT Neil Young has announced on Facebook that his new album will be called Le Noise, and that it will be released on CD, vinyl and iTunes on September 28th. In late November it will then become available on Blu-Ray, and in the form of an iPhone and iPad app. "The app will be free," Young wrote. "It gives you an interactive album cover. Forgive my use of the word 'album.' I am old school. When you buy the songs/movies from I- tunes they show up in your APP." Young and producer Daniel Lanois recorded the album in a Los Angeles mansion earlier this year. "We cut a couple of solo acoustic songs, but the rest is very electric," Lanois told Rolling Stone last month. "There's no band, but I got in there with my sonics. There's nothing else out there like it." Young previewed many of the tracks on his recent solo theater tour. You can to see his performance of "Hitchhiker," at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, here . Young first performed the autobiographical tune - which features a list of the drugs he has ingested over the decades - on the 1992 Harvest Moon tour. Neil Young also took to the web recently to address negative fan comments on the popular Neil Young fansite Thrasher's Wheat. (The site’s commenters have complained about Young’s ticket prices, charity work with Tyson Foods, and that he hasn’t played with Crazy Horse for years.) "This is the most respected site on the net for this type of activity," Young wrote about Thrasher's Wheat on his own web site. "Let me take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in what I am doing,” he continued, addressing the site’s operators. “There is always negativity with any internet endeavour. Now it has perhaps worn you down. It is alright to say goodbye ... Whether you choose to continue or just hang it up and get on with your life is up to you.” :: rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/193668 [Ed2: Please go on Thrasher!] Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:41:10 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2678 “Le Noise” is complete by Neil Young on Friday, August 20, 2010 at 2:00pm “Le Noise” is complete. It is a solo record. Playbacks are happening now. Release date is September 28th. It will be available in Vinyl, CD and I tunes in the first edition, followed by Blu-Ray, and an APP for I-Phone and I-Pad a month or so later. The app will be free. It gives you an interactive album cover. Forgive my use of the word “album”. I am old school. When you buy the songs/movies from I- tunes they show up in your APP. Peace ny Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:34:36 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2677 BEN KEITH On the full moon, the Thunder moon, the world lost one of the greatest musicians of all time. Ben was 73 years old the night he died on Broken Arrow Ranch in California, his happy home for the last years of his life. Ben played with Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Ian Tyson and many other music greats. A great American, the quiet giant, he moved gently through the world, with kindness and grace. My wife Pegi was lucky to share his last performance a few weeks back in San Francisco, where Ben was playing in her band, supporting her and lending his spirit to her every word as she sang her songs for us. Of course, in Nashville Ben Keith is legendary, one of the last of the original country greats, the man behind the song. No one will ever fill his shoes. He has countless friends and admirers. They all miss him as much as I do. I will miss him every time I look to my side, remembering him, my brother and fellow traveler. Thankfully, Ben's masterful playing can be seen and heard in two Johnathon Demme pictures: "Heart of Gold" and "Trunk Show," as well as countless great recordings over the last 50 years. We are so fortunate to have these as memories and lasting documents of his greatness and grace. He started out on a homemade steel guitar he fashioned himself from a piece of wood and left over parts. He loved his music and his life and cherished his many friends and soul mates. He leaves behind his wonderful daughter Heidi, and his grandchildren who he loved so much, DJ, Rachel, James, Meredith, Aubrey, Fletcher and Caroline. May he rest in Peace. Neil Young Published at :: neilyoung.com/news/ Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:29:01 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2676 Neil Young is in the final stages of mixing his new album, which he recorded with U2 producer Daniel Lanois in a Los Angeles house earlier this year. "We cut a couple of solo acoustic songs, but the rest is very electric," Lanois told Rolling Stone. "There's no band, but I got in there with my sonics. There's nothing else out there like it."' In other Neil Young news, the second volume of his Archives box set is coming out. It will contain at least three unreleased albums (1975's Homegrown, 1977's Chrome Dreams and 1978's Oceanside-Countryside) as well as live recordings from Young's 1976 tour with Crazy Horse. :: nuvo.net/MusicBlog/archives/ Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:26:45 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2675 Includes statement on affiliation with Tyson. -------- Neil Young Plans Gulf Coast Benefit Tour By Eric Sundermann on August 12, 2010 9:18 AM This fall, Neil Young will hit the road for a short tour of the Gulf Coast. His mission: to help cleanup the oil and the damage done. For the four-date trek, the legendary singer-songwriter will team up with Tyson Foods to fight hunger in Gulf Coast communities affected by the oil spill. Tyson will donate 100,000 pounds of chicken products (that's 400,000 meals!) and Young is also asking concertgoers to bring non-perishable food items to the gigs. All donations will be given to the Bay Area Food Bank, which serves communities in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. In addition, all proceeds from limited-edition Neil Young shirts only available at the Gulf concerts will go to help the relief effort. "Millions of people who live along the Gulf Coast struggle with hunger and the economic impact of the oil spill has only made matters worse," Young said. "I appreciate the willingness of John Tyson and his company to get involved by helping the regional food bank help feed those in need. We both encourage concertgoers to spend money locally and support local business." If Young's recent tour kickoff at Oakland's Fox Theater is any indication, the shows are not to be missed. The rocker played 17-song set including classics like "Tell Me Why," "Helpless," and "After the Gold Rush," plus five new songs off Twisted Road, his upcoming release with producer Daniel Lanois (Bob Dylan, U2). Neil Young Tour Dates: 9/20, Panama City, FL (Marina Civic Center) 9/25, Biloxi, MS (IP Showroom) 9/26, Mobile, AL (Saenger Theatre) 9/28, Pensacola, FL (Saenger Theatre) Additional Non-"Gulf Coast Tour" Dates 9/22, Clearwater, FL (Ruth Eckerd Hall) 9/23, Hollywood, FL (Seminole Hard Rock Casino) :: spin.com/.../neil-young-plans-gulf-coast-benefit-tour Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:21:42 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2674 Neil Young Coming To Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock Kate Harper August 11, 2010 3:34 pm We don't know why the folks at Activision haven't realized this before, but Neil Young is nothing short of a... erm... guitar hero. You can't deny this fact. It's obvious. Think of all the great Young solos there are, and how much Young has advanced axe-playing as a whole. Actually, forget calling Young a "guitar hero." The man is a completely under-appreciated guitarist, and should well be recognized for what he is: a guitar GOD. The solo on the 10-minute "Cowgirl In The Sand" from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere is legendary for its sprawling intensity, and it's even more (pardon the word choice) epic when you see it performed live. Then there's the three-minute solo on Zuma's "Cortez The Killer," which is just as deadly as the man (but way better and far more friendly) Young's railing against in the song's lyrics. Young's been called the "Godfather Of Grunge" for good reason: it's because he was using dropped-D tuning far earlier than any of last decade's nu-metallers like Korn and Limp Bizkit. Rust Never Sleeps' "My My, Hey, Hey (Into The Black)" is the perfect example of Young advancing and pioneering guitar techniques long before anyone else. Then, of course, there's the similar "Rockin' In The Free World" from Freedom, which epitomizes rock 'n' roll itself. Not only does everyone know its chorus, but it gave Nardwuar The Human Serviette his infamous sign-off. So it's appropriate the latter track is coming to Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock, which will be in stores Sept. 24 in the U.K. and Sept. 28 in North America. Young's one of several artists including Arch Enemy, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Queensryche, whose songs will appear in the Guitar Hero franchise for the first time. As previously reported, Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock will also include Rush's entire 2112 album, along with songs by Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Megadeth, Sum 41 and others. In the meantime, Young's mixing his next studio album, the follow-up to 2009's Fork In The Road. It's being produced by Daniel Lanois (U2, Scott Weiland), which Lanois told Rolling Stone is "very electric." The as-yet-untitled disc was recorded in Los Angeles, and Young has been playing eight tracks from the LP on tour. Lanois told Rolling Stone the album may or may not be called Twisted Road, depending on whether Lanois can talk Young out of using that title. Young also plans to release another volume of his Archives box set. It'll feature three unreleased albums: 1975's Homegrown, 1977's Chrome Dreams and 1978's Oceanside-Countryside. Live recordings from his 1976 Crazy Horse tour will also be featured. It's not known when the set will be released, though. You might be able to hear some new Young songs here: Sept. 20 Panama City, FL @ Marina Civic Center Sept. 22 Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall Sept. 23 Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live Sept. 25 Biloxi, MS @ IP Theater Sept. 26 Mobile, AL @ Saenger Theatre Sept. 28 Pensacola, FL @ Saenger Theatre :: http://chartattack.com/ Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:01:41 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2673 Farm Aid 25 in Milwaukee on Sat, Oct 2. Additional artists that will join Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews include: Amos Lee Kenny Chesney Norah Jones Jason Mraz Jeff Tweedy Band of Horses The BoDeans Robert Francis. Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:58:31 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2672 Young & Tyson team up to fight hunger Updated: Wednesday, 11 Aug 2010, 2:03 PM CDT, Published : Wednesday, 11 Aug 2010, 1:33 PM CDT GULF COAST - Music legend Neil Young and John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods, Inc., are teaming up to help fight hunger in Gulf Coast communities affected by the recent oil spill. Tyson Foods plans to donate 100,000 pounds of chicken products in conjunction with special concerts Young has planned in late September in Mobile, Alabama; Panama City and Pensacola, Florida; and Biloxi, Mississippi. The food will be distributed to the Bay Area Food Bank, which serves Central Gulf Coast communities in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. In addition, concert-goers are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items, which will subsequently be given to the food bank. All proceeds from the sale of unique, limited edition Neil Young t-shirts, available only at the concerts, will also be donated to the food bank. The hunger relief effort is the result of the long-standing friendship between Neil Young and John Tyson. "Millions of people who live along the Gulf Coast struggle with hunger and the economic impact of the oil spill has only made matters worse," said Young. "I appreciate the willingness of John Tyson and his company to get involved by helping the regional food bank help feed those in need. John is truly a 'southern man' with a 'heart of gold'. We both encourage concert-goers to spend money locally and support local business." "Neil and I have known each other for many years and both wanted to do something to help those whose livelihoods have been damaged by the oil spill," said Tyson. "We decided it made sense to combine Neil's widely-known musical talents with our company's ongoing commitment to hunger relief." Tyson will be delivering four truckloads of chicken, the equivalent of almost 400,000 meals, to the Bay Area Food Bank. Information about tickets, as well as the dates and locations of the specially-scheduled concerts, can be found by clicking here . Tyson Foods, Inc., founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and services to customers throughout the United States and more than 90 countries. The company has approximately 117,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:56:42 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2671 Being affiliated with the demon, Tyson Foods, seems to go against Farm Aid. Nevertheless... Neil Young, Tyson Foods team to help Gulf Coast (AP:SPRINGDALE, Ark.) Tyson Foods Inc. says it's teaming with music legend Neil Young in an effort to relieve hunger along the Gulf Coast, hit hard economically by a spill that coated beaches with oil at a time of year when they would normally be crowded with tourists. Tyson Foods said Tuesday in a news release that it would donate 100,000 pounds of chicken products in conjunction with special concerts Young has planned in late September in Mobile, Alabama; Panama City and Pensacola, Florida; and Biloxi, Mississippi. Tyson said the food would be distributed to the Bay Area Food Bank, which serves Central Gulf Coast communities in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. In addition, concert-goers are being encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for donation to the food bank. All proceeds from the sale of limited-edition Neil Young t-shirts, available only at the concerts, will also be donated to the food bank. Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:55:02 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2670 Sugar Mountain reports: 2010 Twisted Road Tour - 3rd Leg 2010-09-20 Marina Civic Center Panama City Florida 2010-09-22 Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater Florida 2010-09-23 Hard Rock Live Hollywood Florida 2010-09-25 IP Casino, Resort & Spa Biloxi Mississippi 2010-09-26 Saenger Theatre Mobile Alabama 2010-09-28 Saenger Theatre Pensacola Florida 2010-10-02 Miller Park Milwaukee Wisconsin Farm Aid 25 2010-10-23 Shoreline Amphitheatre Mountain View California Bridge School Benefit 24 2010-10-24 Shoreline Amphitheatre Mountain View California Bridge School Benefit 24 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:01:27 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2669 Farm Aid Where: Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, Milwaukee, Wis. When: Saturday, Oct. 2; gates open at noon Tickets: $39.50, $56.50, $76.50 and $97.50; on sale 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14; www.tickets.com or (414) 902-4000 Of note: The 25th anniversary edition of Farm Aid will feature John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Willie Nelson and others. Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:59:52 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2668 The lineup should be announced today (2 August 2010). MILWAUKEE (WKOW) -- For the first time in its 25 year history, the Farm Aid concert will be in Wisconsin. Dave Matthews, Neil Young, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp will headline the Oct. 2 concert at Miller Park, organizers said Monday. Tickets for "Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America" will go on sale at 9 a.m. Aug. 14, at the Brewers box office, by calling (414) 902-4000. Tickets range from $39.50 to $97.50. Doors to the event open at noon on Oct. 2. The concert will be broadcast live on DirectTV. Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on their land. Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:58:48 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2667 Neil Young Preps New Album, Box Set Daniel Lanois-produced disc due in the fall; Archives Vol. 2 includes three unreleased LPs By Andy Greene, Rolling Stone Jul 28, 2010 4:45 PM EDT Neil Young is in the final stages of mixing his new album, which he recorded with U2 producer Daniel Lanois in a Los Angeles house earlier this year. Following a longtime tradition, Young only recorded around the peak of the full moon. "We cut a couple of solo acoustic songs, but the rest is very electric," says Lanois. "There's no band, but I got in there with my sonics. There's nothing else out there like it." Lanois was surprised when Young called him about working together earlier this year. "He just called me out of the blue," he says. "He said to me, 'I want to make an acoustic record. Will you film me and record me?' Apparently he saw some films I put on YouTube of my new band Black Dub and he really liked them." (Read more about Black Dub and Lanois' recent motorcycle crash.) Young often records at his home studio in Northern California, but they decided to cut these sessions at a Los Angeles home Lanois describes as a "beautiful Mediterranean villa." "We picked it largely because of the cinematic opportunities," he says. "I have transportable recording equipment and we put something together just for Neil. I put out my best amps, my best pianos and best guitars. He was very impressed by all of it. We cut the whole thing over just nine days during three separate full-moon cycles earlier this year." Young is previewing eight of the tracks on his ongoing Twisted Road solo tour — though not always in the same arrangement as they'll appear on the album. "You Never Call," a sweet ode to his late longtime creative partner Larry "L.A." Johnson, has been played on acoustic guitar on the road, but Lanois says they'll probably use a version they cut on the organ for the album. The disc was supposed to be called Twisted Road, but "I'm trying to talk him out of that," laughs Lanois. "We're hoping to have it out in the late fall." Lanois will debut footage of four complete songs October 2nd at the Nuit Blanche Festival in Toronto at the stroke of midnight. "They are giving me an entire square in front of city hall to an instillation," he says. "I am doing a 24-channel sound instillation with pictures. I'll show the actual takes we used on the album, so the vocal performances by Neil will be seen on the screens." In other Neil Young news, the singer announced that the second volume of his Archives box set is imminent. It will contain at least three unreleased albums (1975's Homegrown, 1977's Chrome Dreams and 1978's Oceanside-Countryside) as well as live recordings from Young's 1976 tour with Crazy Horse. These albums will originally be released in vinyl before they appear on the box set. There's no word on when exactly when these will come out — or what other material will appear in the collection. Fans are hoping to hear 1973's long out-of-print Time Fades Away, as well as producer David Briggs' original cut of Tonight's the Night and a live concert from the 1973 tour backed by the Santa Monica Flyers. Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:57:25 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2666 Pedal steel player Ben Keith dies at 73 Wednesday, July 28, 2010 – Ben Keith, a longtime sideman to Neil Young on pedal steel, died at age 73. Keith died of a heart attack while on Young's northern California ranch, according to the Los Angeles Times. Young mentioned Keith's death during a concert July 26 in Winnipeg, Canada. Keith played on Patsy Cline's I Fall to Pieces. He was born in Fort Riley, Kansas in 1937 and became a session player in Nashville for many years. Among those he played with live or in the studio were Emmylou Harris Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Waylon Jennings, Ringo Starr and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Keith produced Jewel's 1995 debut, "Pieces of You." Keith met Young in 1971 during work on his "Harvest" recording because Young needed a pedal steel player. Keith played on more than a dozen albums and tours with Young. Neil Young News, a blog dedicated to Young, said "Legend has it that Neil asked bassist Tim Drummond if he knew any pedal-steel players in town. Tim contacted Ben, who lived in town and off he went to the studio: "I didn't know who anyone was, so I asked, who's that guy over there?" and was told "that's Neil Young". :: From: countrystandradtime.com More info: :: latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/07/ben-keith-neil-youngs-steel-guitarist . Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:55:56 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2665 :: From the Neil Young Times, ARCHIVES TEAM WORKS HARD ON VOLUME 2 July 23, 2010 The NYA team, headed by Will Mitchell and Hannah Johnson, is digging through material supplied by numerous sources, including newspapers, writers, fans, bootleg audio collectors and photographers (special thanks to photographer/collector Joel Bernstein). Much work has been done and there is much left to do. Using the template designed by the late Larry Johnson, the whole team is pushing forward. Special thanks to audio engineers John Nowland, Tim Mulligan and the team at Redwood Digital for the unbelievable amount of work that has been accomplished so far. Volume 2 promises even more content than Volume 1, with many unreleased tracks. Four unreleased albums from this period are being rebuilt and will be available in the NYA Special Release Series. Chrome Dreams, Homegrown and Oceanside-Countryside are the three unreleased studio albums. Also from this period is the unreleased Odeon-Budokan live recording produced by David Briggs and Tim Mulligan. These albums initially will be released in vinyl from analog masters as they originally were created for that format. So now is the time to get your new phonograph player. The new players, built with today's technology, are exceptionally good. Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:53:19 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2664 2010-07-15 Mondavi Center, Davis, California, USA Solo 1. My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (acoustic guitar) 2. Tell Me Why (acoustic guitar) 3. Helpless (acoustic guitar) 4. You Never Call (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 5. Peaceful Valley (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 6. Love And War (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 7. Down By The River (electric guitar - Old Black) 8. Hitchhiker (electric guitar - Old Black) 9. Ohio (electric guitar - white falcon) 10. Sign Of Love (electric guitar - white falcon) 11. Leia (piano) 12. After The Gold Rush (pump organ) 13. I Believe In You (piano) 14. Rumblin' (electric guitar - white falcon) 15. Cortez The Killer (electric guitar - Old Black) 16. Cinnamon Girl (electric guitar - Old Black) --- 17. Walk With Me (electric guitar - white falcon) Notes: Included a spoken version of a portion of Vampire Blues just before Rumblin'. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:07:58 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2663 Review: Neil Young performs short, but sweet set at Fox By Jim Harrington Oakland Tribune There might not be another rocker in the game that can deliver a more thrilling solo show than Neil Young. He can just sit on a stool with an acoustic guitar in his hands and unleash one mesmerizing song after another. Then he'll move over to the piano or the organ—or, perhaps, grab an electric guitar—and the whole process repeats. His lyrics, so thoughtfully poetic and imaginatively accessible, tug at the heart and stimulate the brain with equal force. Some of his selections, of course, are more effective than others, but nothing in his song book is without some kind of merit. Indeed, there were moments of pure brilliance during his concert on Sunday—the first of three nights at the Fox Theater in Oakland. (Young will also perform Monday and Wednesday at the Fox, as well as Thursday at UC Davis.) That said, however, the capacity crowd was a bit shortchanged by the 64-year-old rocker. It may have been Walt Disney that coined the phrase "Always leave them wanting more," but it's a motto that Young has apparently taken to heart when it comes to local audiences. For six years, he'd skipped over the Bay Area with his regular solo tours—since performing back in 2004 at the Berkeley Community Theatre—and only made brief appearances at his annual Bridge School Benefit concerts at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. Fox run, what they received was a mere 85-minute set. That's a paltry showing for the high ticket price, which topped out at $200 per ducat. A two-set offering, sans an opening act, would've been much more appropriate. Young did, however, make the most of his time. He strolled out onstage in a very casual manner—dressed in well-worn jeans, a black T-shirt and a white hat and coat—sat down on a stool, grabbed his acoustic guitar and immediately jumped into "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," from 1979's "Rust Never Sleeps." The rendition was powerfully hypnotic, full of haunting lines that have been sung, and heard, hundreds of times, yet still somehow achingly poignant. He followed with another solo gem, "Tell Me Why" (from 1970's "After the Gold Rush"), before venturing into the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young oeuvre for "Ohio," a protest song that still manages to resonate 40 years after the killings at Kent State that inspired the lyrics. The mood brightened when Young performed one of his more humorous recent songs, "You Never Call," which boasts a lyric about the NHL's Detroit Red Wings that drew a loud "boo!" from all the San Jose Sharks fans in attendance. Young was all business as he shuffled between two pianos, an organ and both electric and acoustic guitars. He barely spoke, but his songs said volumes to the fans that sang along—often in a fashion approaching a reverential whisper—to words that have meant so much to them over the years. Young's voice, while far from being a technical marvel, conveyed an almost unbearable amount of emotion. That's how he was able to make such decades-old selections as "After the Gold Rush" and "I Believe in You" (also from "Gold Rush") sound so fresh. After closing the main set with a rollicking take on the classic "Cinnamon Girl" (from 1969's "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere"), which featured some of Young's most ferocious electric guitar work of the night, the star left the stage and then, as predicted, returned for an encore. Since he'd only been onstage for 80 minutes, it seemed plausible that Young would deliver a lengthy encore. That didn't happen. It was only a one-song offering, of the new song "Walk With Me," and then he was gone again. And, yes, he left us wanting more. Neil Young in concert When and where: 8pm July 12 and July 14 at Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; 8 p.m., Thursday at Mondavi Center, One Shields Ave., University of California, Davis Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:07:06 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2662 2010-07-14 Fox Theater, Oakland, California, USA Solo 1. My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (acoustic guitar) 2. Tell Me Why (acoustic guitar) 3. Helpless (acoustic guitar) 4. You Never Call (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 5. Peaceful Valley (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 6. Love And War (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 7. Down By The River (electric guitar - Old Black) 8. Hitchhiker (electric guitar - Old Black) 9. Ohio (electric guitar - white falcon) 10. Sign Of Love (electric guitar - white falcon) 11. Leia (piano) 12. After The Gold Rush (pump organ) 13. I Believe In You (piano) 14. Rumblin' (electric guitar ­ white falcon) 15. Cortez The Killer (electric guitar - Old Black) 16. Cinnamon Girl (electric guitar - Old Black) --- 17. Walk With Me (electric guitar - white falcon) Tour: 2010 Twisted Road Tour, 2nd Leg Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:05:33 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2661 010-07-11 Fox Theater, Oakland, California, USA Solo 1. My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (acoustic guitar) 2. Tell Me Why (acoustic guitar) 3. Helpless (acoustic guitar) 4. You Never Call (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 5. Peaceful Valley (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 6. Love And War (acoustic guitar w/ pickup) 7. Down By The River (electric guitar - Old Black) 8. Hitchhiker (electric guitar - Old Black) 9. Ohio (electric guitar - white falcon) 10. Sign Of Love (electric guitar - white falcon) 11. Leia (piano) 12. After The Gold Rush (pump organ) 13. I Believe In You (piano) 14. Rumblin' (electric guitar ­ white falcon) 15. Cortez The Killer (electric guitar - Old Black) 16. Cinnamon Girl (electric guitar - Old Black) --- 17. Walk With Me (electric guitar - white falcon) Tour: 2010 Twisted Road Tour, 2nd Leg Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:04:35 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2660 Trapper reports: Neil has lent back up vocals (as did Brian Wilson) on a new album featuring Elton John and Leon Russell. Should make for an interesting album. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:03:30 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2659 Neil Young Joins Facebook? Posted on Jun 25th 2010 2:00PM by Charley Rogulewski Neil Young has some 411,000 fans on Facebook and up until Thursday afternoon it seemed like the page had been controlled by a record label intern. There was a link that took you to a link to purchase his 'Archives Vol. 1' series, a biography line that promoted the July 22, 2008 release date of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young film, 'Deja Vu,' and pages upon pages of fan admiration for the iconic guitarist. When it came to updates, it was just the sound of crickets chirping. Then, at around 3:30PM, the 64-year-old rocker decided to show just how nibble his guitar-plucking fingers really are by typing his inaugural post on the social networking site. Young's shadowy avatar produced this little message: "I have been thinking about adding vampire blues to my show but I would rather do it with a band. This is my first posting. Thanks for being there." So, yes, Neil Young is apparently on Facebook. Vampire blues? Bring it! The outpouring of responses was massive with some 5700 people "liking" the status and 2350 commenting on the rock god's inaugural comment within the first five hours of publishing. "Hey Neil, great show in Spartanburg, loved the krispy kreme comment!!" one fan replied. While others, astounded by the fact that there really is a Neil Young "listening" on Facebook responded with accolades of how the man's music had changed their lives indefinitely. Young's got his work cut out for him, as the responses read like a novel. Whether its Neil or not, it sure got our attention. ______________________ Ed.Note: It's Neil. Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:45:06 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2658 Farm Aid Photo Exhibit Opens Friday at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum June 21, 2010 A photo exhibit commemorating the 25th anniversary of Farm Aid will open at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on Friday (June 25). The exhibit will be on display in the museum's West Gallery through the end of 2010. Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young organized the first Farm Aid concert to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to help keep farm families on their land. The first show took place Sept. 22, 1985, in Champaign, Ill. The exhibit features photos of numerous country artists, including Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Martina McBride and Keith Urban. Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:43:26 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2657 June 15, 2010 Neil Young’s Greendale, Illustrated By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES, NYTimes They say you can’t go home again, but maybe someone should tell that to Neil Young. Mr. Young created the fictional Northern California town of Greendale and its residents on his 2003 album of that name, then spun it off into a film and more. Now he’s visiting again, this time in the form of a graphic novel. “I’m happy the story is getting around; I think it’s empowering for young women,” he said during a recent telephone interview from his tour bus as it made its way to Louisville, Ky. “Neil Young’s Greendale,” as the graphic novel is officially titled, was released this week by Vertigo, a division of DC Comics, and was written by Joshua Dysart, illustrated by Cliff Chiang and colored by Dave Stewart. It focuses on Sun Green, the great-granddaughter of Jay Green, the man who founded Greendale. Through Sun, the artists tell a story about personal responsibility, war and the environment, all themes familiar to Mr. Young. “It’s still pretty current,” he said. The Greendale townsfolk were originally given life in 2003 in Mr. Young’s 10-track concept album with the band Crazy Horse. That led to a concert tour, an original film and a companion book of lyrics, illustrations and more information about the characters, including the Green women’s special relationship with nature. The graphic novel draws on the various incarnations with a strong helping from the book and suggestions from Mr. Young. “The album is more of a rock-’n’-roll ‘Our Town,’ ” Mr. Dysart said in a phone interview from his home in Los Angeles. “The graphic novel is an American fable with strong supernatural elements.” Mr. Young worked with Mr. Dysart on developing the story line and was incredibly patient when it came to landing the artist. “It took me about a year and a half to get Cliff Chiang,” Mr. Young said. After being told that Mr. Chiang’s schedule would not be free for sometime, Mr. Young took matters into his own hands. “I found his Web site, and I sent him an e-mail telling him I was going to wait until hell froze over,” he said. Mr. Chiang recalls getting the message on Super Bowl Sunday in 2008, during the halftime show. It was signed NY. “It took me a second to figure out that NY was Neil,” Mr. Chiang said during a phone interview from his home in Brooklyn. “I thought they had already been working on the book with someone else.” No. “It had to be Cliff,” said Mr. Young, who noted that he appreciated the artist’s open, clean style. Mr. Chiang has drawn the adventures of the Human Target for Vertigo. He also illustrated a Green Arrow and Black Canary comic book for DC. His personal Web site includes superhero riffs on cover images of film soundtracks: Batgirl in place of Prince in “Purple Rain” and the Teen Titans as “The Breakfast Club,” among them. Mr. Chiang spent close to two years working on the 160-page graphic novel, from character design work to drawing the pages; it’s printed on recycled paper, Beyond the initial e-mail exchange, however, he had little interaction with Mr. Young. That was not the case with Mr. Dysart. “Whenever he was in L.A., I would meet with him,” Mr. Dysart said. That included going backstage at the Hollywood Bowl during a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert. There were several rounds of scripts and revisions, and Mr. Dysart describes Mr. Young as a “phenomenal collaborator” — in sharp contrast to his experience with the singer Avril Lavigne and her “Make 5 Wishes” manga graphic novel, which he scripted for Del Rey. He sent several ideas, one was selected, and then silence, Mr. Dysart said. “On the one hand, we were able to produce whatever kind of book we wanted,” he said. “On the other hand, it put a weird taste in my mouth about Avril Lavigne. That was not Neil.” (A representative for Ms. Lavigne did not respond to e-mail and phone messages.) Mr. Young has been so prolific with “Greendale” that certain elements had to be condensed or omitted from the graphic novel. But “knowing that there were going to be a lot of hardcore Neil Young fans looking at this book, I wanted to put in stuff that only they would get,” Mr. Chiang said. One of the “Greendale” songs mentions a black cat; in the graphic novel, it appears in the first shot of Sun’s bedroom. The Imitators, a band mentioned in the album and film, make a cameo appearance in a bar scene. Mr. Dysart saw Jed Green, the troubled young man who has a tragic encounter with the law, and the town’s mysterious (and malevolent) stranger as two sides of the same coin: the manipulated and the manipulator. Both characters also have a passing resemblance to Mr. Young. “I wish I could come up with a really great intellectual reason for why I wanted to do it, but it just felt right,” Mr. Dysart said. Other parts of Young lore are evident in a somber funeral procession scene that features a giant Buick Roadmaster hearse. “That’s actually Neil Young’s first car that he nicknamed Mort,” Mr. Chiang said. The trusty vehicle was eulogized in the singer’s “Long May You Run.” Behind Mort is the Linc-Volt, a 1959 Lincoln Continental that Mr. Young has been trying to make more fuel-efficient. “He’s one of the few people who would recognize it immediately,” Mr. Chiang said. The “Greendale” graphic novel may not be the last readers see of Sun Green. “There are all kinds of things that we talked about doing that aren’t in this book, that have to do with her next episode and her story,” Mr. Young said. “These characters have been designed to last a long time.” :: nytimes.com/2010/06/16/books/16greendale Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:41:42 -0400 http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2656 There are still some presales available: http://tix.concertmaps.com/neilyoung/ Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:39:46 -0400