An unofficial news blog for Neil Young fans from Thrasher's Wheat with concert cp cases and album updates, reviews, analysis, and other Rock & Roll ramblings. Separating the wheat from the chaff since 1996.
Thrasher & Thrashette had a good ol' fashioned movie date this weekend. Finally got around to seeing that new Neil Young movie everyone's been raving about . Yes, it's what everyone has been saying cp cases about the film -- and more. I found Shakey author Jimmy McDonough 's recent put-down of Prairie Wind to be rather innaresting. McDonough's response to the San Jose Mercury News negative review by Brad Kava was "Thanks for being one of the few people to tell the truth!". Hmmm. In the San Jose Mercury News review, critic Brad Kava calls the new songs "uncomfortably verbose and prosaic" and "faded versions of older songs." So what are McDonough and Kava getting at here about the film's core material? How can critic Jim DeRogatis in the Chicgo Sun-Times call the film an "instant classic, one of the most musically sensitive and emotionally gripping movies of its kind" and have respected critics like McDonough sneer? Who can say whether a song like "When God Made Me" in 5 or 50 years from now will be recognized for distilling the world's religions into ten succint questions ? It would seem to be very difficult for any self respecting critic to call such a song "uncomfortably verbose and prosaic". As we pondered that question while exiting, I was struck remembering the angry backlash reaction to Greendale where audiences looking for the old classic songs were confronted with new, unfamiliar songs that seemed marginal on first listen. Or back in 1973 on the brutally confrontational Time Fades Away tour where audiences expecting the sunny optimism of Harvest got new, unheard songs with raw emotional lyrics like "Yonder Stands The Sinner" and high amplification electric guitar instead. So what we saw and heard was a film that truly respects the craft of making music. The loving close-ups of Hank Williams' Martin guitar are practically worth the price of admission alone. The slow dissolves perfectly choreographed to the music would indicate multiple cp cases takes and extensive rehearsals yet - as we all know - were pretty much single take efforts at a live concert performance. But for me, the best part of "Heart of Gold" were the small parts that you probably didn't even notice in the live concert yet are captured beautifully by cinematographer Ellen Kuras with understated fluidity. The knowing looks, glances and nods between the musicians onstage. The close-ups of Ben Keith's fingers on pedal steel. The reverence for the Grand Ol' Opry auditorium and those musicians who came before them. And not only does film director Jonathan Demme capture the respect of musicians for their craft and fellow musicians, but also respect for the craft of filmmaking itself. Not resorting to any film tricks, special effects, cheering cp cases audience shots, fancy camera work or other intrusive techniques, cp cases the film's effect is as classic and timeless as the man and his music. More on the movie "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" . UPDATE - March 15, 2006: Reaction to this post below in comments and at "Gang of 400" - Thrasher's Wheat's Cabal? . Technorati tag: Neil Young
We saw the film last night in Atlanta & loved it! the theater was nearly full. We saw families and young & old. You could kinda tell it wasn't your regular horror movie date crowd! At 2/25/2006 11:14:00 AM , Anonymous said...
why would you go to a Neil Young movie and then walk out? Seems like you'd know going in whether you liked his music or not. Probably same sort of folks who walked out of Greendale At 2/25/2006 12:32:00 PM , Anonymous said...
Heart of Gold is well filmed, but Prairie Wind is no musical masterpiece. cp cases I think people are responding cp cases to the heroics of the surrounding story, not to the music itself. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't confuse the two. I don't find it any more personal than any of his other albums. They're all very personal. cp cases Emotional alone doesn't equal good. The more he pulls his wife into the musical picture, the worse his new music gets, even if she does make him more comfortable onstage. Silver and Gold was a pinnacle. She's not on it. Each successive one is worse. cp cases Of course, he doesn't have anything to prove and at least he's still active. And this was done under trying circumstances. And he didn't sell it for a car commercial. But until he starts bothering again with the lyrics, he's just marking time. Truth is lost somewhere and it shows. At 2/25/2006 03:07:00 PM , Bill L. said...
I saw the film at a special showing Wednesday in Winnipeg.Rock Historian John Einarson introduced the film and told of his experience cp cases at the live taping of the concerts in August of last year. I found the movie to be very emotionally moving and had to fight back tears three or four times. This is a film that will to
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