Neil Young & Crazy Horse

The British Summertime concert in London's Hyde Park offered an intriguing line up of bands topped by the - and I don't use the word lightly - legendary Neil Young. Last year I attended Young's 'Alchemy' tour stop at Newcastle, which was a full frontal Crazy Horse assault on the senses which relied heavily on the excellent 'Psychedelic Pill' album. The current tour has found Young having to make some late adjustments to whatever he might have had due to regular Crazy Horse bassist Billy Talbot suffering a mild stroke a few weeks ago and, sensibly, sitting the latest round of dates out on doctor's advice in order to ensure to make a full and speedy recovery. In response, Young has drafted in Rick Rosas, who played in the reformed Buffalo Springfield a few years back, and two backing vocalists Dorene Carter and YaDonna West. Some fans have argued that this, therefore, is Crazy Horse lite, but Young and band still served up a magnificent performance spanning his career from 1969's 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' through to 2013's 'Psychedelic Pill'. Unlike the Newcastle show, Young surprised many by performing electric versions of the classics 'After The Goldrush' and 'Heart Of Gold' that had the older members of the audience hastily grabbing their cameras to snap selfies of themselves grooving to the classic tunes while also capturing Young on the big screen. Young has such a formidable back catalogue, that you could watch him perform ten shows in a row, playing a different set every night and still feel aggrieved that he didn't play a couple of your favourite numbers. Yes, if he didn't jam many of these songs out into 10 and 15 minute epics, he'd fit more numbers in, but that's not what the Horse are about. Taking a riff and riding it to its crest and then some is what the audience expect from the band and that's what they continue to deliver. The 'Ragged Glory' and 'Zuma' albums were well represented making up a third of the setlist, and hearing tracks like 'Goin' Home', 'Days That Used To Be' (which saw Young exchange "Old Black" for the first of several appearances of his beautiful white Gretsch Falcon), 'Love To Burn' and 'Barstool Blues' was an absolute joy. Just like at Newcastle there was another unreleased song, this time 'Who's Gonna Stand Up And Save The Earth' as well as blistering versions of 'Cinnamon Girl' and 'Rockin' In The Free World' and an encore of 'Down By The River'. It was a wonderful performance from the 68-year-old Young who plays with the passion and intensity of a twenty year old, and on this form it's easy to see why so many younger musicians cite him as an influence. Earlier in the day, Tom Odell admitted he couldn't believe he was on the same bill as Young and Jack Savoretti also on the bill recently covered 'The Needle And The Damage Done'. Special mention too to Poncho Sampedro, now seemingly fully recovered from last year's broken hand, who was sporting a t-shirt showing an x-ray of his hand, middle digit feistily extended. It actually took until the second song before I noticed it, and I admit, it made me laugh out loud.

Sit tight and strap in because Neil Young & Crazy Horse are guaranteed to take you on one wild musical journey.
With their newest album, Psychedelic Pill, Neil Young & Crazy Horse have produced their longest album to date, which consists of fuzzy, psychedelic jams spanning over long periods of time. These lengthy songs of extended jam sessions present themselves best in a live setting when it is more natural for Neil Young & Crazy Horse to take the reins of their music during anytime of the performance to enhance the song. It is also exciting to see the band create some new additions to the songs right in front of your eyes. Although the songs go on for large amounts of time, it feels like they go by in a flash, entrancing the audience with immediate hooks that are continually resonated throughout the songs in various ways.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse clearly display they have great chemistry with each other, effortlessly playing off one another in the most natural portrayal of organic music making. Going to a Neil Young & Crazy Horse concert is like going to a psychedelic rodeo. Hazy lights of purple and blue shimmer on the stage with the crazy horse logo lit up behind the band. Neil Young is often seen sporting a cowboy hat while playing his crunchy, western influenced guitar riffs, sometimes, which he puts through a phaser creating interesting psychedelic tones.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse show magnificent signs of tenacity and dedication, effortlessly blazing through extensive jams such as “Driftin’ Back” like they were born to do so. The band is all in perfect sync when they play the inspirational, “Ramada Inn”, making the audience feel like they could stay in this psychedelic trance, listening to the song forever.

This was the last show of Neil Young and Crazy Horse's European tour. Part of the local Foire aux Vins which is like a UK County Show with burlesque and rock & roll instead of sheepdog tricks. The show followed a similar format to the earlier part of the tour but as it has rolled on the message both environmental (Be The Rain) and political (Living With War) has become sharper. Set list - thanks to sugarmtn.org 1.Love And Only Love 2.Be The Rain 3.Standing In The Light Of Love 4.Days That Used To Be 5.Like A Hurricane 6.Living With War 7.Blowin' In The Wind 8.Heart Of Gold 9.Powderfinger 10.Down By The River 11.Name Of Love 12.Rockin' In The Free World --- 13.Who's Gonna Stand Up And Save The Earth? There are few performers as electric as Neil & the Horse when they're on and they were on last night. The set lasted a couple of hours but the audience would have danced all night. And the best sound I have heard at one of his shows since Hammersmith 2008.