Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Are legends at work!

July 12th 2014

London, Hyde Park, UK

***

Is still Rockin' in the free World!!!

British Summer Time

Neil Young and Crazy Horse *** (Main Stage) has the most cut down stage show of all the bands that have headlined this years British Summer Time festival run, well Neil Young is a legend so he probably doesn't think he needs and outlandish show and let the music talk for itself. Their is just a wooden Indian in the corner and a dream catcher right above the set, and the Indian on a horse logo that is the symbol of the Neil Young and Crazy Horse project. He opens the set with the Blues inspired 'Love and only Love', and I am told by someone next to me that the bass player is not the usual Crazy Horses man. Well if that is true he is doing a great job of laying down a steady bass line, But 'Love and only Love' is more about the stand out guitar sound and Neil's distinctive vocals.

When these vocals hit in you can see all the smiles on the faces in the audience. When you hear these vocals your taken right back to the 60's and 70's the time when Neil Young was at the top of his game. These Blues vibes of this song mix up nicely with the 70's Soft Rock sound of the vocals and melody to make a great track to start off with. The second track 'Goin' Home' off his underrated solo 'Are you Passionate?' record is a slow emotional number which helps to set the scene in Hyde Park on this hot Summer time. This is not the first time that Neil Young has headlined Hyde Park in the last few years so he should really know what the London crowd wants, but the real question is, does he... this is a very slow number to put in so early in the set.

'Days that used to Be' is a Crazy Horse song that most of the crowd seem to know, so their is a quite a few people in the audience singing it round me. This is a very nice chilled little number that really gives the feel of decades before it was written because this actually comes of the 1990 album 'Ragged Glory' but has a great late 60's feel to it. This is a classic song and sounds as good as it has ever done before as Neil and the band jam to it in the centre of the stage. Talking about classic material by Neil Young, their is nothing more classic than the solo album 'After the gold Rush' which the title track of is a song that everyone in the World must know. This is a song that you grow up with throughout the years and is featured in many a films. It's a little too slow and 60's sounding to make an impact on me, but has a really nice piano part and the lyrics are really cleaver.

I prefer the next song up 'Love to Burn' also off 'Raggedy Glory' which they are almost having a full on Blues, Groove jam to onstage and goes on for longer than it does on the record. This is a true Blues song at it's best and if you want to get into Blues more then this is a good song to listen to, it has a mainstream Soft Rock vibe to it that is just backed up with the Blues and simple lyrics that hit hard when they come in... in various places. Also on this track the guitar solo is really nice and sounds great when it drifts out on the large audience that have gathered in Hyde Park to see the legend at work.

In 'Separate Ways' Neil Young really uses his Gospal Esq. singers at the back to make the song sound great, back up with his distinctive guitar playing and voice. This song is great but the fact it's so slow, has meant people have started chatting amongst themselves in the crowd when they should really be listening to the music. So he hasn't really grabbed them into the entirety of his live performance, so something must not be quite right or they have no respect for someone who demands it every time he plays.

'Only love can break your Heart' is almost acoustic and is a song I have always loved, so sounds great with everyone in Hyde Park singing it. This is a truly beautiful song and probably the highlight for me in his set. For a lot of people it probably is when he is on his own doing a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind' because this is also quite magical just not one of my favourite songs, but i can understand why people like it. This is a classic song so when he is singing it with the help of a harmonica strapped around his neck, their are some nice moments... like with next song up 'Heart of Gold' too. This song was always a classic Neil Young song and one of the ones he is best known for, so how can you go to wrong with playing this.

The band come back on for a Rockin' version of 'Barstool Blues' and 'Psychedelic Phil' the second of which has the lyrics almost shouted out "She's looking for a good Time'. Both of these songs picks up the pace in the performance a bit and lead on to the fantastic 'Cinnamon Girl' which for me really lifts off, and is a track I waited to hear the original done live since I first heard Type O Negative cover it. If this isn't enough we are introduced to a ten minute version of 'Rockin' in the free World' which at first sounds brilliant then almost goes in the jam... you keep thinking it's finished then you hear "Keep on Rockin' in the free World". I think this song goes on a little too long and looses peoples attention a little, like second encore song 'Down by the River' which just seems to go on forever. First encore song 'Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?' is a little short doesn't do much for me and the close of the set is a little drawn out so doesn't close the night in the way I would want.

This was an ok evening with Neil Young I got in a little more to his music and can really respect what he does, but I think you really need to be a big fan and know all the songs to appreciate it to it's full potential. There is no gimmicks or flashing lights or things to watch in his set, it's all about the music and I can understand why he wanted it like this because the music is good. I think I will listen to more of his music and then check him out again to see if I think differently the next time.

Neil Young - Setlist
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Love and only Love
Goin' Home
Days that used to Be
After the gold Rush
Love to Burn
Separate Ways
Only love can break your Heart
Blowin' in the Wind (Solo Acoustic)
Heart of Gold (Solo Acoustic)
Barstool Blues
Psychedelic Pill
Cinnamon Girl
Rockin' in the free World
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Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth
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Down by the River
(Greensleeves)