My Conversation with Neil Young

I talked with singer/songwriter Neil Young about his music, his marriage, and his faith. You can see excerpts on all three topics in the clip embedded below:

Comments

[RedDogBear]

This may be heresy to lots of people here but Neil is a pretty average singer and not that great a guitar player. Which is why I love him. No one can make as much out of a few notes or chords on the guitar as he can or can get as much emotion out of his voice. When so many rock stars go on tours where they perform lame versions of old hits (sort of keep on rolling we might say) Neil continues to try new stuff. I thought the Greendale CD was one of his best works ever. At the same time the first time I heard the Greendale music -- live in concert at the Shoreline in San Jose -- I felt like throwing something at the stage to stop the ridiculous (IMHO) stage show (did like the girl jumping up and down though). But that is what I like, Neil doesn't play it safe, he is always trying something new.

[yossarrian]

I like neil's philosophy on religion although I struggle to be as tolerant as he. I grew up with his music, it is part of me. He's a self-admitted model train geek and he became an inventor for the love of his son. He survived a rupture of a cerebral artery and he adores his wife....what's not to admire?

[Arielman]

I thought I heard him singing in a mangove by the beach in Florida under the stars back in March of 1971. If it wasn't, sure sounded like him, and what I'm thankful for, he has inspired others to give it a chance. Weirdest was, CSNY was to play the huge War Memorial Auditiorium, in Buffalo, NY, 1974 I think, everyone had to leave, one of them had a terrible bit of the flu and couldn't go on. Just saw his band do "Day In the Life" by the Beatles, wonderfully. My video link's not working but heh, my, my...

[alsm9]

As a Canadian I'm proud that Neil Young comes from here. I hear a song like "Helpless" and I just get it. However, for a man who I always thought of as a humanitarian, I'm surprised he would hold religion in such high esteem. I'm not judging, I just find it interesting that he would not take issue with the hypocrisy, homophobia and misogyny one finds in most of the religions of the world. I appreciate "spiritual", walking through a forest, feeling that peacefullness, but I have no time for "faith or religion".

[SoFlaJet]

I tried to DVR that show but a Florida rainstorm recorded nothing-thanks for putting it up Charlie

[WarrenPeace]

The disappoinment is that this interview -- at the time of my comment -- has five comments, and a news story about yet another John McCain surrogate saying yet another outrageous comment about Islam has hundreds. I hope more people watch these excerpts -- because although Neil Young is a genius musician, as a person of faith, he is unexceptional, which is to say, like you and me.

[AurigaRa]

Neil's music. A total joy in my life. When I die, I can put in on my list after family and friends, good health and good work. Really.

thank you,

[Teckwreck]

I am so pleased this interview is here. As I watched, I wanted to wake up everyone in the house (except that would mean I had to leave the room) so they could share the experience. Thank you both.

[normathumb]

He is a deist.

[NoSillyName]

He didn't say he believes in god.

[CindyMax]

Charlie Rose's interview with Neil Young is one of the best I've ever seen. It was life altering for me.

Young's remarks about honoring and respecting his creative flow were revelatory. He stops whatever he's doing to give the creative urge an outlet. I've been creative all my life in music, art, and dance, but too often guiltily squelch creative inspirations to finish whatever piddly chore is in progress. Young is so right. Creative drive has to be given an outlet immediately or it's lost. It's to be honored and acted upon, not wasted.

[trailblazer]

I'm trying to write a book, and I have done precisely what you describe. Thank you for your comment. I will pay more attention to my "moments" in the future.

[Ahyoka]

I agree totally with Neil about religion...I feel faith in the forest also. Somehow I always knew he felt that way!
Neil's the best. My husband and I have considered him our favorite entertainer (and 'faraway' friend) forever (since teenagers) and we are now in our fifties. We have always wished we could meet him (like a lotta other folks I'm sure)
Good on his wife too...she must be a wonderful lady.

[Wilburrr]

Hi Neil,
Thanks for letting me play with you these oh so many years ago in Yosemite. "Let's play something that's not so damn depressing." I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that story...

Music can change the world by influencing people to change behaviors. "Keep on rockin' in the free world."
--Wilburrr

[DisgustedTexan]

Neil Young. That's me. That's me without his talent. I have always believed that the greatest gift you can give to a spouse or another person is to allow them to be themselves. His wife has allowed him to do that.

Faith? I've survived some potentially very embarassing situations (no law breaking) and I always credited it to my guardian angel who came from I know not where. God is too big and too comprehensible for me to possibly understand so I depend on my angel. She, he, it, whatever has never failed me.

[greencowgirl]

Uh Huh - and where were all these angels when mothers and babies were rounded up by the Einsatzgruppen in 1944? And those people had more Faith than most of us. Plenty of people have no faith and die fat, happy and rich.

[DisgustedTexan]

Everybody has to find their own guardian angel. I don't know if my angel could save me from the gas chamber but my belief bridges the gap for me between religion and atheism so I'm a happy camper.

[NoSillyName]

Why cite that example when there are so very many more in our own time?

[capitalismisntamoral]

Saw a little bit of it last night. Apparently after Neil's recent bout with mortality
and a nurse's superstition-based kindness, Neil now has 'faith'. In what
he doesn't know, but that won't stop the religious from offering it as
further 'proof' of their evidence-contradicting beliefs.

Shouldn't slam faith too hard, I suppose. One could argue that every action
in life requires some measure of faith - driving when the light turns green,
boarding an airplane, punching in your PIN, clicking on a link, flipping a
lever, etc etc.

Of course the faith in these examples is in the universality of the laws of
physics and in one's fellow man. No direct evidence, but presumably
evidence-based faith nevertheless.

Still love Neil for what he's done all these years.

[ga4ry]

thank you for saveing me the typing time, perfect