Neil Young song draft

[johnnya24]

1.04 Cortez the Killer (Zuma, 1975)

Cortez was one of those obvious songs that I looked upon longingly knowing it would never in a million years pass the turn, let alone make it back.

That said:

"Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones."

Shame he didn't have a few history lessons before recording it

Does he still sing this verse when he plays Cortez?

[ManCalledFoot]

'Cortez' I had at #3, 'Powderfinger" #8.

[overkill94]

1.05 - "Like a Hurricane" (American Stars 'n Bars, 1977)

Another sprawling electric epic with crazy/noisy guitar solos, this was the first song that came to mind for my first pick. It's not off one of his better known albums, but it's still a staple nonetheless. You can sense the utter frustration in his voice (and guitar playing) that he's found this perfect girl but just knows it can't work out. The line "I am just a dreamer / but you are just a dream" is so simple yet so beautiful and brilliant. The ominous synth in the background just adds to the intensity.

[Lucky]

Cortez...my favorite Neil Young song, and yet another from the superb 3.14.91 show.

[Mithrandir]

1.05 - "Like a Hurricane" (American Stars 'n Bars, 1977)

Another sprawling electric epic with crazy/noisy guitar solos, this was the first song that came to mind for my first pick. It's not off one of his better known albums, but it's still a staple nonetheless. You can sense the utter frustration in his voice (and guitar playing) that he's found this perfect girl but just knows it can't work out. The line "I am just a dreamer / but you are just a dream" is so simple yet so beautiful and brilliant. The ominous synth in the background just adds to the intensity.

I love this song and the line you referenced. The entire song is pervaded by a dream-like quality.

[Mithrandir]

I saw Neil twice in the 1980's. One was the Shocking Pinks tour but I'll be damned if I can remember the other tour I saw him on. I gotta look up a tour schedule archives to see if anything rings a bell.

[Erik]

Does he still sing this verse when he plays Cortez?

Yes. He still sings "I shot my baby" and "when so many love you, is it the same?," so why not that?

[johnnya24]

Yes. He still sings "I shot my baby" and "when so many love you, is it the same?," so why not that?

I seem to remember hearing a live version without that verse ... could be wrong of course. He didn't play Cortez the only time I saw him.

[swampdragon]

I saw Neil twice in the 1980's. One was the Shocking Pinks tour but I'll be damned if I can remember the other tour I saw him on. I gotta look up a tour schedule archives to see if anything rings a bell.

Trans tour?

[Mithrandir]

Trans tour?

I was looking through a tour/set list archive and I think that was the one.

[ManCalledFoot]

I saw Neil twice in the 1980's. One was the Shocking Pinks tour but I'll be damned if I can remember the other tour I saw him on. I gotta look up a tour schedule archives to see if anything rings a bell.

Ha, that was gonna be my story. The one and only time I saw Neil Young was the damn Shocking Pinks tour, at Brendan Byrne Arena in NJ. IIRC, the first half of the show was the doo-wop stuff, with a more 'greatest hits' 2nd half to keep the crowd from mutinying. It sucked, as I remember, and I actually liked the Shocking Pinks LP. I've got my eye on one tune from that.

[ManCalledFoot]

1.05 - "Like a Hurricane" (American Stars 'n Bars, 1977)

Another sprawling electric epic with crazy/noisy guitar solos, this was the first song that came to mind for my first pick. It's not off one of his better known albums, but it's still a staple nonetheless. You can sense the utter frustration in his voice (and guitar playing) that he's found this perfect girl but just knows it can't work out. The line "I am just a dreamer / but you are just a dream" is so simple yet so beautiful and brilliant. The ominous synth in the background just adds to the intensity.

Neil at his most prog, with the mellotron-like synth pervading everything. It's a monster classic all right, but I always thought it was a little plodding and overlong. In fact, Neil is the all-time champ at overlong. He had more 10 minute songs than Yes, for crissakes.

[Lucky]

Neil at his most prog, with the mellotron-like synth pervading everything. It's a monster classic all right, but I always thought it was a little plodding and overlong. In fact, Neil is the all-time champ at overlong. He had more 10 minute songs than Yes, for crissakes.

Yeah, it's great live, though. When I saw Crazy Horse do it live, the keyboard was hanging over the stage from two chains that went all the way up and out of sight into the rafters. Massive verb, great dynamics, Old Black screaming through that vintage Fender Deluxe...I think I'll go listen to some version of it right now.

[ManCalledFoot]

Yeah, it's great live, though. When I saw Crazy Horse do it live, the keyboard was hanging over the stage from two chains that went all the way up and out of sight into the rafters..

I remember that, from the 'Rust Never Sleeps' movie. It was mocked up like a bird, an eagle or something. I saw that movie at my local theater, in 1980... those were the days, when you'd go see a Neil Young movie at your local theater.

[Erik]

Guitar epic factoid:

Though Cortez the Killer appeared on album more than a year before Like a Hurricane did, Hurricane's live debut (12-20-75) predated Cortez' (3-3-76).

Neil's approach to making albums in the '70s was quite haphazard. He'd record some stuff when he felt like it, then he'd record some more stuff later, then some more later, then he'd cobble bits and pieces from all of those into an album. When something was recorded, no one knew at the time when or if it would be released.