Neil Young---Live At Massey Hall--

[Fredmando]

This cd is giving me a big GAS pain!! I need a big rosewood Martin...ARGGG! Neil ain't dead yet and he still plays some great live stuff.

Kevin

Kevin, I know exactly what you mean. I've been thinking the same thing since I first saw Neil's movie and then this CD only reinforced that.
He is pulling some real sound out of his Martins.

[Celticjam]

I am no Neil, not by a long shot, but I went to a GC yesterday and played some D-28's...yikes!  I forgot how great they sound (rusty strings and all). The sound is still haunting me...I think I'm going to have to stop listening to Neil for awhile and start listening to some old Bruce Cockburn or Barenaked Ladies until I get some money.  

I'm still loving my Larrivees.

Kevin

[Fredmando]

I am no Neil, not by a long shot, but I went to a GC yesterday and played some D-28's...yikes!  I forgot how great they sound (rusty strings and all). The sound is still haunting me...I think I'm going to have to stop listening to Neil for awhile and start listening to some old Bruce Cockburn or Barenaked Ladies until I get some money.  

I'm still loving my Larrivees.

Kevin

Yeah, but the Martins are different from the Larrivees I've played. I think the ideal collection would have a Martin, a Larrivee or two, a Gibson and a Taylor 12-string. But, my favorite Martins are the vintage and the D-41 special. I think I have that model right. It has a lot of bling on it and vintage bracing.
I also like the HD-28V's I have played.
--Fred

[Denis]

Yeah, but the Martins are different from the Larrivees I've played. I think the ideal collection would have a Martin, a Larrivee or two, a Gibson and a Taylor 12-string. But, my favorite Martins are the vintage and the D-41 special. I think I have that model right. It has a lot of bling on it and vintage bracing.
I also like the HD-28V's I have played.
--Fred

Yeah, I like the HD-28V as well but the D-28 Marquis...huge, monstrous tone and volume.  I like you ideal collection except I am not a Taylor fan.  I've played a couple of their 12 strings and they are good but I would love to try a Larrivee 12 one day.

[Notchback]

Well I have never listened to much Neil Young, but based on this thread I picked up a copy of this CD.  All I can say is wow.  I am blown away. 

[Tycho]

When I was 14, in 1971, I went to a friend's cottage on an early spring weekend.  Music wasn't portable in those days; all we had to listen to  was a big old reel-to-reel tape recorder and a tape containing three albums: the Dead's American Beauty, Neil's After the Gold Rush, and Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection.  That weekend made me a fan for life of Neil and the Dead.  (As for Elton...uh, well, I still think Tumbleweed Connection is a good album!)

I mention it because listening to Live at Massey Hall has brought me right back to what it felt like that weekend discovering Neil for the first time.

[FNG]

Yeah, but the Martins are different from the Larrivees I've played. I think the ideal collection would have a Martin, a Larrivee or two, a Gibson and a Taylor 12-string. But, my favorite Martins are the vintage and the D-41 special. I think I have that model right. It has a lot of bling on it and vintage bracing.
I also like the HD-28V's I have played.
--Fred

I got serious GAS for a D-41 Special.   

[Notchback]

Hi there,

I'm a serious beginner... I have two or 3 songs that I am working on and starting to get down... Learning chords etc.  I picked up this CD and I would love to learn how to play a few of these tunes; "Old Man", "Ohio", "Helpless"... 

I was wondering anyone had a link or a lead on some tabs or chord charts for some of the songs on this CD...

I keep reading that NY stuff is easy and good for beginners... Listening to this CD makes me wonder how accurate that is.  The sounds he gets out of that guitar are amazing.  Lot's of little subtle notes in between chord changes and stuff... Walking bass lines, etc.  I would love to be able to learn some of that stuff.

I'm just hoping someone can point me in the right direction...

Thanks, and  for all..

Doug

[Denis]

Hi there,

I'm a serious beginner... I have two or 3 songs that I am working on and starting to get down... Learning chords etc.  I picked up this CD and I would love to learn how to play a few of these tunes; "Old Man", "Ohio", "Helpless"... 

I was wondering anyone had a link or a lead on some tabs or chord charts for some of the songs on this CD...

I keep reading that NY stuff is easy and good for beginners... Listening to this CD makes me wonder how accurate that is.  The sounds he gets out of that guitar are amazing.  Lot's of little subtle notes in between chord changes and stuff... Walking bass lines, etc.  I would love to be able to learn some of that stuff.

I'm just hoping someone can point me in the right direction...

Thanks, and  for all..

Doug

Lots of stuff here Doug:

http://www.hyperrust.org/

[Notchback]

Thanks Dennis... I will check it out :-) 

[ducktrapper]

It's a fine chronicle and Neil's singing has never been better but am I only one who thought that the guitars(at times) didn't sound that great. Especially on some of the lower tunings. I think he would have sounded much better on a J45 or 50. Singers don't need that boominess like bluegrassers. Hey I also thought the Hank William's Martin on Prairie Wind sounded terrible so what do I know? Great CD and intimate concert though. One of the best from that period.   

[Tycho]

Mileage varies, as always.  I love the sound Neil gets out of those Martins.

[Walkerman]

Back in the day....very early 70's......I was partying around Isla Vista and stopped into a small record shop.  I snagged a copy of "Wooden Nickle"......it had a lot of the same stuff, except Heart of Gold was played on his guitar instead of the piano.  I ended up giving it to a visitor from Germany.  I didn't realize that I would never be able to find another copy...Massey Hall is a good replacement.

[Caleb]

Been a NY fan for years, but I don't own that much of his stuff for some reason. 

This thread caught my attention today because as I type this I'm listening to Prairie Wind, which I'm still deciding if I "like" or "love".  It's got some great sounds, but I'm having a hard time getting a true feel for the record.  I'll give it a few more spins.  Normally when I do a few more spins stuff starts leeping out that didn't appear to be there before. 

As far as Neil goes, I think he's a great songwriter and one of the most interesting acoustic players around.  Really simple stuff that sounds so tastefully done.  He truly plays for the song.  Now his electric playing.....I wouldn't give you a quarter for. 

I have heard through the years that he's a very tough boss to work for.  I've heard that he's walked off rehearsal stages and fired the whole lot at times for not taking things as serious as he'd like. Apparently if things are not perfect, he does into orbit.  How true that is, I'm not sure, but giving his history with CSNY, it is likley true.  He'd just dissapear from CSNY and the other guys wouldn't know if he was in or out.  He sounds like a truly strange guy.

[guitargeorge]

I too am a long time Neil fan and seen him many times in concert.  Overall I really like the Massey Hall release.  I am wondering why on some songs (DVD) you don't see Neil but an old reel to reel recorder.  Is that some kind of conceptual thing or were they lacking useable film footage on those songs?

One thing I noticed that I have not heard mentioned is peculiar.  It sounds like "Down by the River" is played in dropped D and that does not make sense since the song is in E minor.  It really sounds off to me and I wonder if Neil noticed it too late and decided to finish the song anyway or what?  Anybody else notice this?

[Tycho]

I too am a long time Neil fan and seen him many times in concert.  Overall I really like the Massey Hall release.  I am wondering why on some songs (DVD) you don't see Neil but an old reel to reel recorder.  Is that some kind of conceptual thing or were they lacking useable film footage on those songs?

I assumed it was the latter; for whatever reason the footage wasn't any good.

[bucky1]

If you want to learn a bit more about Neil Young, I recommend that you read Shakey: Neil Young's Biography by James Mcdonough. There is a lot of information about his time in the recording studio, his time with CSNY, and his sole days. The author talks about Neil's trait of not using the best back up musicians. He also talks about Neil's long term project to release a box set of everything he ever recorded. It likely won't ever see the light of day from the way it is described. Did you know that he owned Lionel trains for a while? Maybe he still does.

[jimmy buffett]

Did you know that he owned Lionel trains for a while? Maybe he still does.

I understand that NY created a monster train set in his shed so that he could put his energy to use, away from other more destructive hobbys.

I haven't seen the DVD of that concert yet (how lazy can you be when you can't even make time to watch TV?).  As far as the songs where you see only the tape recorder, I understand that these were the last 2 songs of the evening and they ran out of tape.  What is amazing to me is the fact that someone actually thought that it would be worthwhile to record this event.  I mean, what did they think they were going to do with the material.  This was long before anyone even thought of VCRs, and no one ever thought that you would actually be able sit in your living room and say, "Let's watch that Neil Young concert from Massey Hall tonight"!  What were they thinking?  A documentary?  I'm sure that was compelling to them in 1971...

jimmy

[Big Eric]

I don't think NY has any ownership left in Lionel.  He was a minority owner for a while.

Based on everyone else's recommendation, I picked up the CD/DVD yesterday.  Have only listened to part of the CD so far.  Sounds awfully good.  Was too busy riding bike last night to listen any more.  Maybe it'll rain one night soon and I'll spend time watching/listening.

Only have seen Mr. Young once in concert.  It was a good show, but loud.  Actually, too loud for my taste.  Even with ear plugs.

[canoe65]

Only have seen Mr. Young once in concert.  It was a good show, but loud.  Actually, too loud for my taste.  Even with ear plugs.

Hey Big Eric,

If it starts raining for a long time, before you get started on the ark, may I recommend Neil Young's DVD, "Heart of Gold" ... it was released in 2006 and Neil and friends are all 'acoustic'.  It's a real treat.