Fans, many enthralled with Young for forty plus years, know better. Though he’s the subject and object of the two decade long, ongoing and only partially completed project, Young clearly shares their fascination. He’s observing his own spectacle as another outsider even as he stars in it. All the while you watch, there are those eyes: fierce, brooding, inviting and off-putting at the same time.
That’s the impression you get watching Young being interviewed, performing and even assembling this set in some of the bonus footage: a force of nature unleashed and withdrawn as needed, refreshed and renewed each outing.
The more Young you watch here, the less sure you are of who he is and exactly why, after all these years, you remain a fascinated, perhaps even obsessed fan. Young is at the same time self-effacing and self-absorbed, vulnerable yet clearly ready to turn and strike out against anyone he perceives as a threat. Few musicians who came of age in the ‘60s have managed as well as Neil Young has to maintain an “of the moment” stance onstage and in the studio (another would be Dion but that’s for another discussion).
That’s why Young is as vital today as he was back in 1967; different but equally essential. Not an oldies act, even when singing those old familiar tunes.
Like the fans that will be attracted to this set, Young seems to be a collector, a hoarder, and a completist. He just happens to include himself among his collectibles!
As you watch and listen, you’ll realize that Young (and others) saved and archived virtually every note he recorded and every scrap of paper upon which he wrote just about anything. Well, he did, along with his trusty photographer/archiver Joel Bernstein who saw early on that Young would be both an enduring and important artist and a generous employer. In Bernstein Young found a friend, confidant, supporter and first class photographer as well as a meticulous archivist.
In a recent Charlie Rose interview Young referred to his talents and abilities as “a gift.” Back in 1968 on the bonus “Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbury House” DVD/CD Young described himself as a “radio” that received songs whole. He described transcribing “Mr. Soul” word for word and not changing even one once it was finished. He asks the audience to suggest improvements if they can think of any, because he can’t.
Early on, Young wrestles with his financial success and hippie image. Between songs during the 1971 Massey Hall concert he sort of mocks himself and expresses ambivalence and perhaps some guilt about being a rich hippie ranch owner. He also gets on a photographer’s case for snapping shots during a song, going on a bit too long about it, attempting to win over the already sold audience and to express his artistic purity. It may remind you of a less severe version of the recent Christian Bales on-set dustup that made the internet rounds.
Fame and fortune came relatively early to Young, though he’d been gigging since the 9th grade, well before The Beatles hit. Elvis was his first inspiration as his ever-present sideburns hint. After The Byrds issued “Mr. Tambourine Man,” June, 1965 thousands of kids formed bands and/or flocked to Los Angeles in the mid-sixties looking to join one. Few made it. One of those kids was Stephen Stills, whom Young had met in Canada earlier that year.
While looking for Stills in New York later in 1965, Young met Richie Furay and taught him “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing.” In January of 1966 Young and fellow Canadian musician bassist Bruce Palmer along with two other friends headed to L.A. in a hearse looking for Stephen Stills whom Young had met the previous year in Canada. In February of that year Richie Furay got a call from Stills, whom he had met in Greenwich Village back in 1964 and headed to L.A. to join him. While looking for Stills in Los Angeles, Young made ends meet by renting out the hearse to shuttle concert goers between clubs and Canters, the famous Fairfax Jewish Deli and after hours hangout. By early April of ’66 Young hadn’t yet found Stills and was about to give up and head home when, by chance, they met in the street.
As the box set’s “Early Years (1966-1968)” Blu-ray disc announces musically and the sumptuous bound scrapbook demonstrates graphically, shortly after reconnecting with Stephen Stills, Young, Stills, Furay and Palmer added drummer Dewey Martin and Buffalo Springfield was formed. Within weeks of reconnecting with Stills, Young and the band played a Monday Hoot at the Troubador, were heard by Chris Hillman and soon thereafter were opening for The Byrds at The Whisky A-Go-Go.
Signed to Atco, they released three albums only one of which, Buffalo Springfield Again could be considered truly great. The first had some good tunes, including “For What It’s Worth” (which hadn't been included on the original pressing) and the third Last Time Around was a mop up operation produced after the band had essentially broken up. It too contained some good, even great tunes, but some good, even great tunes does not a great album make!