Neil's Fans (3)

Neil Young

Author profile

born

November 12, 1945 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

gender

male

website

http://www.neilyoung.com/

genre

Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction, Entertainment

About this author

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Neil Percival Young OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and film director.

Young's work is characterized by deeply personal lyrics, distinctive guitar work, and signature nasal tenor (and frequently alto) singing voice. Although he accompanies himself on several different instruments—including piano and harmonica—his style of hammer-on acoustic guitar and often idiosyncratic soloing on electric guitar are the linchpins of a sometimes ragged, sometimes polished sound. Although Young has experimented widely with differing music styles, including swing, jazz, rockabilly, blues, and electronic music throughout a varied career, his best known work usually falls into either of two distinct styles: folk-esque acoustic rock (as h...more Neil Percival Young OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and film director.

Young's work is characterized by deeply personal lyrics, distinctive guitar work, and signature nasal tenor (and frequently alto) singing voice. Although he accompanies himself on several different instruments—including piano and harmonica—his style of hammer-on acoustic guitar and often idiosyncratic soloing on electric guitar are the linchpins of a sometimes ragged, sometimes polished sound. Although Young has experimented widely with differing music styles, including swing, jazz, rockabilly, blues, and electronic music throughout a varied career, his best known work usually falls into either of two distinct styles: folk-esque acoustic rock (as heard in songs such as "Heart of Gold," "Harvest Moon" and "Old Man") and electric-charged hard rock (in songs like "Cinnamon Girl", "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"). In more recent years, Young has started to adopt elements from newer styles of music, such as industrial, alternative country and grunge, the latter of which was profoundly influenced by his own style of playing, often bringing him the title of "the godfather of grunge".

Young has directed (or co-directed) a number of films using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey, including Journey Through the Past (1973), Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Human Highway (1982), and Greendale (2003).

He is also an outspoken advocate for environmental issues and small farmers, having co-founded the benefit concert Farm Aid, and in 1986 helped found The Bridge School, and its annual supporting Bridge School Benefit concerts, together with his wife Pegi.

Although Young sings frequently about U.S. legends and myths (Pocahontas, space stations, and the settlement of the American West), he remains a Canadian citizen and has never wanted to relinquish his Canadian citizenship. He has lived in the U.S. for "so long" and has stated, about U.S. elections, that he has "got just as much right to vote in them as anybody else."
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Books by Neil Young

Average rating: 4.16 · 31 ratings · 9 reviews · 50 distinct works

	Greendale 3.60 avg rating — 10 ratings — 2 editions	My rating:
	Neil Young. by Neil Young, Tom Appleton 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1998	My rating:
	Neil Young Complete 1974-1979 (Neil Young Complete, 1974-1979) by Neil Young, Warner Brothers 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1994	My rating:
	Neil Young -- Complete Music, Vol 1: 1966-1969 (Piano/Vocal/Chords) 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1999	My rating:
	Neil Young: Testi Con Trad. A Fronte 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1928	My rating:
	Freedom 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1990	My rating:
	Neil Young: Anthology Easy Guitar 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1999	My rating:
	Neil Young -- Complete Music, Vol 2: 1969-1973 (Piano/Vocal/Chords) by Neil Young, Warner Brothers 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1999	My rating:
	Waging Heavy Peace 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — expected publication 2012 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Neil Young Archives, Vol. 1: 1963-1972 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2009	My rating:

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Quotes by Neil Young

“If you follow every dream, you might get lost.”
― Neil Young

28 people liked it

“It's bettet to burn out than to fade away”
― Neil Young

tags: rock

28 people liked it

“Once I thought I saw you
in a crowded hazy bar,
Dancing on the light
from star to star.
Far across the moonbeam
I know that's who you are,
I saw your brown eyes
turning once to fire.

You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
To somewhere safer
where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but
I'm getting blown away.

I am just a dreamer,
but you are just a dream,
You could have been
anyone to me.
Before that moment
you touched my lips
That perfect feeling
when time just slips
Away between us
on our foggy trip.

You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
To somewhere safer
where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but
I'm getting blown away.

You are just a dreamer,
and I am just a dream.
You could have been
anyone to me.
Before that moment
you touched my lips
That perfect feeling
when time just slips
Away between us
on our foggy trip.

You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
To somewhere safer
where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but
I'm getting blown away.

The song was written in July 1975 after Young had just undergone an operation on his vocal chords after a cocaine-fueled night with friend. "We were all really high, fucked up. Been out partying. Wrote it sitting up at Vista Point on Skyline. Supposed to be the highest point in San Mateo County, which was appropriate. I wrote it when I couldn't sing. I was on voice rest. It was nuts - I was whistling it.

I wrote a lot of songs when I couldn't talk.”
― Neil Young

16 people liked it

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC - 1001 RECORDINGS TO HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE	340	310	May 28, 2012 08:36am

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