Thursday, February 22, 2007

It's not that I'm old...

…your music really does suck.

That’s taken from a sticker I have plastered on the side of my amp.

Listening to Neil Young and Crazy Horse from a 1970 concert at the Filmore East at wolfgangsvault.com. From the liner notes:

“Two words for Crosby, Stills and Nash - Crazy Horse. This is rock 'n' roll as it was meant to be played: barely in tune and teetering on the brink of oblivion. No wonder Neil Young preferred rockin’ in the free world with these guys over CSN’s cuddle-folk round-up (Joni Mitchell covers?!... Pleeze!). You can hear the blood and sweat in every stuttering guitar jab, Danny Whitten’s raspy tenor the perfect counterpoint to Neil’s wavering holler.”

The thing is, there is great music being written today. Despite what that sticker says, I don’t want to be one of those guys sitting on a bar stool bemoaning the good old days and complaining about “these kids today.” Eff that. Living in the past. That’s death, or just sitting around waiting for death. No difference. What’s cool is this great long stream of music that extends so far back and how musicians built on other artists. I’m talking all the way back, Gregorian chants and all that, so far you have to be tight with Mr. Peabody and his way-back machine.

2 comments:

J.B. said...

for an aspiring guitarist to dismiss out of hand Steven Stills guitar work is a bit short sighted, especially as he is about 50 times the guitarist Neil Young could ever hope to be......*smooches*

ActionBobMarkle said...

Was never my intent. Stephen Still's solo album with Love the One You're With and Go Back Home is still one of my favorites. Four Way Street is an awesome album. The Crazy Horse recording is just so raw, that's all, with a lot of my favorite word: passion.

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