Dylan, in a note his manager passed to me, says it’s clear why Young has not tumbled into musical dotage: “An artist like Neil always has the upper hand,” he says. “It’s the pop world that has to make adjustments. All the conventions of the pop world are only temporary and carry no weight. It’s basically two different things that have nothing to do with each other.”
“Waging Heavy Peace” faithfully catalogs the disappointment Young has produced in those around him, but he expresses little regret today. “I work for the muse,” he said. When he swerved into techno and country after Geffen Records signed him in the early ’80s, Young was accused of making “unrepresentative” music. He responded by taking a pay cut of half a million dollars for each of his next three albums. “I’m not here to sell things. That’s what other people do, I’m creating them. If it doesn’t work out, I’m sorry; I’m just doing what I do. You hired me to do what I do, not what you do. As long as people don’t tell me what to do, there will be no problem.”
Thursday, September 20, 2012
SHAKEY: The NYT's David Carr got to hang out with Neil Young for a few days in advance of next week's release of Young's memoir. Great not-that-longread:
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"a time machine back to when music was ecstatic and ill considered"
ReplyDeleteA nicely turned phrase and a valid and relevant insight. Ecstatic and ill considered music is, however, still being made daily. Thank god.
Anyone who hasn't seen the documentary "Page One," about the NYT in the era of new media, really ought to do so -- David Carr is a breakout star, apparently unable to utter a sentence that is not simultaneously insightful and hilarious.
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