Neil Young

Post messages about other artists here.

Moderator: Moderator

User avatar
KarenZ
Site Admin
Posts: 4446
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:12 pm
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:

Neil Young

Postby KarenZ » Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:56 pm

Folks,

I was just knocked on the floor while listening to WUMB. This happens rarely (thankfully - I couldn't afford it otherwise)....but what I just heard had me questioning who and what it was.....for some reason I didn't recognize the voice as Neil Young's at first (How can that be? I always say his voice is unmistakable!)...but it turns out it was an really OLD recording from 1971....so maybe that's why. Anyway, the track was a medley of two songs: "A Man Needs a Maid/Heart of Gold" from Live at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada. Wow. Wow. Wow...is all I can say. I must must must hear it again. I've already ordered it from Amazon:

Live at Massey Hall

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

Patti
Posts: 1019
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 7:50 pm

Postby Patti » Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:07 pm

Talk about the soundtrack to your life...Neil Young's Decade...wouldn't have made it through highschool without it.

The quality of this recording at Massey Hall is incredible. Might have to order it myself, the 30 second samples are such a tease.

Thanks Karen

paddyinthepub
Posts: 3768
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:44 pm
Location: Philadelphia

Postby paddyinthepub » Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:35 pm

Neil Young's early solo suff...maybe post Buffalo Springfield and pre CSNY was some of the coolest music I'd come across in some time.

Everybody Knows This is Nowhere in particular. Lots of great tunes from this amazing icon of our times. I saw Neil from London circa 1971 on an old BBC piece aired recently on VH1 Classics....WOW!!!

I saw the record being discussed here...the live one now on sale, in the record store the other day and didn't give it much thought. I usually don't give these things much attention. Guess I needed the nudge!!!

I saw a new Van Morrison release as well, title "AT The Movies" ~ songs of his that were in various movies......I might have to take a second look at the track listing now...... :roll:
"once we're inside, it's a carnival ride" ~ ellis paul
paddy

User avatar
KarenZ
Site Admin
Posts: 4446
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:12 pm
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:

Postby KarenZ » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:47 pm

So....my copy of Neil Young's Live at Massey Hall arrived in the mail yesterday. It includes a DVD so I started with that and watched his performance of "A Man Needs a Maid/Heart of Gold" medley. I'm not sure why I am so moved by this song...but today I did some research and it turns out that this version was an early incarnation of the song with some different lyrics from those that appeared on Harvest. I also read several recent reviews (Live at Massey Hall was just released this year) which pretty much all say that this version is considerably subdued and brings to the fore the crushing lonliness of the lyrics. Another review said that this version "removes the bombast of the Harvest arrangement, revealing the fragile sweet song that it is." I can't say I know the Harvest version, but yeah...on this one....you can just feel his....lonliness. The most noticeable difference in lyrics - and the line that brings me to my knees - is that instead of "A maid. A man needs a maid" which appears on Harvest after the first verse - in this earlier version Young sings "Afraid. A man feels afraid." I can't tell you how spine-tingling that line is....oh my.

And I finished the end of the book "Bel Canto" last night. Oh my again.

Both ot these experiences slammed home to me the power of music.

I am so very happy to be the audience - appreciating art.

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

Patti
Posts: 1019
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 7:50 pm

Postby Patti » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:24 pm

Wow Karen such an impact. And as much as I lived/loved Neil Young for many years this song always "bugged" me. I am going to have to go back and give it a listen. I'm sure at my young:) age I pushed it aside as Man Needs a Maid? Huh Do it yourself!! The word afraid could easily change the entire meaning.

User avatar
KarenZ
Site Admin
Posts: 4446
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:12 pm
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:

Postby KarenZ » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:43 pm

Patti,

Yes...at first glance the title could be taken for sarcasm or worse.....but when you hear his voice and the words.....this is a man thinking it would be easier to have a platonic someone looking after his domesic needs than to suffer the pain associated with being left. A man feels afraid. And so he falls in love with the actress in a movie - much less painful.

At least that's my take on it. ;)

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

paddyinthepub
Posts: 3768
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:44 pm
Location: Philadelphia

Postby paddyinthepub » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:04 am

I'll toss this out there...could it have been that Neil was watching a few of the popular television shows of the day that happened to show families coming close to falling apart in several situations, only to be saved by the maid, who often lived with the family.

Some that come to mind: The Brady Bunch had Alice. Another show featured Mr. French as the butler to widower Brian Keith and his kids Jody and Buffy. The Cartwrights had Hop Sing to help out around the Ponderosa.

I remember watching these shows as a young boy and thinking to myself how cool it would be to have a live-in maid to take care of all the little things that go wrong around here.

Perhaps Neil was just thinking it would be nice to not have to worry about the mess he was likely looking at if he was living alone, on drugs, and surely in lifestyle that afforded him the luxury of big digs, lots of folks to party with, ie....mess up hs house for days on end and then bolt on him. I would think it was Neil looking at the aftermath of such gatherings that influenced the song idea: A Man Needs a Maid.

Personally, I didn't care for the sonics of the song. Loved the album...often suffered through this partcular song.

Can't wait to hear this new version.
"once we're inside, it's a carnival ride" ~ ellis paul
paddy


Return to “Looking for My Friends”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 68 guests