Page 23 - Write Away November Issue

Neil Young

anada has produced some serious artists over the Russia and United States,” Sampedro recalled to Mojo in a 2018
years. Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Michael Buble, Joni interview. “Russia was getting Neil Young and Crazy Horse and
CMitchell and of course, our featured artist Neil Young. we were getting the Russian ballet! All of a sudden, whoever
was promoting the deal, a guy in Russia, took the money and
I have to admit, I have never been a real follower of Neil Young split. We were all bummed, and I looked at him and said, ‘Man I
until recently, totally my bad. I have been missing out on one guess we’re just gonna have to keep on rockin in the free world.
of the most talented artists of our time. When I looked at his He said, ‘Well, Poncho, that’s a good line. I’m gonna use that, if
influences, I felt a bit of admiration which encouraged me to you don’t mind.’”
listen a little more. Groups such as The Venture, The Shadows,
Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jonny “So we checked into the hotel in Portland,” the guitarist
Cash to name just a few dominated his music preferences. A continued. “And we needed a song. We needed a rocker. We’d
selection that I have to admit, I also share. written some songs and they were good but we didn’t have a
real rocker. I said, ‘Look man, tonight, get in your room, think
Young’s real professional career started in 1966 when he formed about all this stuff that’s going down - the Ayatollah, all the stuff
the band Buffalo Springfield with Bruce Palmer, Stephen Stills, in Afghanistan, all these wars breaking out, all the problems in
Richie Furay and Dewey Martin. The band released three America… “Keep On rockin in the free world,” you got that:
albums until management issues added to the bands already put something together man, let’s have a song!’ And the next
strained relations which ended in the band splitting in 1968. morning, we got on the bus to leave and he says, ‘OK, I did it!’”
The lyrics negatively reference the George H. W. Bush
After the split, Young went solo for the next year releasing a administration, then in its first month, quoting Bush’s famous
couple of albums until meeting back up with Stephen Stills “thousand points of light” remark from his 1989 inaugural
which lead to joining Cosby, Stills and Nash. Even in the early address and his 1988 presidential campaign promise for
times of recording their first album, Young and Stills argued America to become a “kinder, gentler nation.”
frequently, mainly over control of the band. Stills maintained
that Young wanted to turn the Rock sound into Folk. Despite The song also refers to Ayatollah Khomeini’s proclamation
this, the Quartet featured in the line up of Woodstock. that the United States was the “Great Satan” and Jesse Jackson’s
1988 campaign slogan, “Keep hope alive”. The song was first
In 1970, Neil Young again, went solo releasing his third solo performed live on February 21, 1989, in Seattle with The
album ‘After the Goldrush’ in August of that year. After his Restless, without the band having rehearsed it.
success with CSNY, Young purchased a ranch in the rural hills
above Woodside and Redwood City in Northern California The song was also played during Donald Trump’s grand entry
where he lived until his divorce in 2014. He wrote the song preceding his formal announcement that he would run as
“Old Man” in honor of the land’s longtime caretaker, Louis a Republican candidate for the 2016 presidency. Young, a
Avila. The song “A Man Needs a Maid” was inspired by his longtime supporter of Bernie Sanders, said that Trump’s use of
relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress. “Heart of Gold” was “Rockin’ in the Free World” was not authorized. Sanders has
released as the first single from Harvest, the only No. 1 hit in his since used the song at his own political rallies. The contention
career. “Old Man” was also popular. was later determined to be a licensing issue, was resolved, and
Trump’s campaign used the song. Young explained to Rolling
Over the coming years, Young performed with Bob Dylan, Joni Stone that he had no issue with the campaign using the song.
Mitchell, reformed temporarily with Cosby, Stills & Nash and
also reformed Crazy Horse. But his real strength was always As we said, this was Young’s major success in songwriting. It
his solo playing earning him a place in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of inspired not only the music fraterninty but also those that
Fame as well as Grammy and Juno awards in varying categories. sought freedom becoming an anthem for many.

Rockin’ in the Free World Neil Young is still a powerful force in the world of Rock ‘n Roll,
still performing with Crazy Horse. In August this year they
The next few decades saw Young in many experimental phases, recorded the album Colorado with a release date of October
not really making a huge impact until 1989 with the realease 2019 including the songs, Rainbow of Colors and Milky Way.
of the album, Freedom. In particular, the track Rockin’ in the This is the first studio album from the band for seven years.
Free World reached No:2 in the US charts. Rockin’ in the Free
World dealt with homelessness, terrorism, and environmental In 2018, Young married actress Daryll Hannah who he had
degradation, implicitly criticizing the government policies been in a relationship with since 2014. The couple currently live
of the time and was publicly thought of as Neil Young’s best in Malibu, California.
recording. The song was also ranked 216 on Rolling Stone’s 500
Greatest Songs of All Time. I think you will agree that Neil Young is definitely one of the
most influential Rock ‘n’ Roll artists of all time. To this day,
Young wrote the song while on tour with his band The Restless his hit Rockin’ in the Free World remains an anthem for US
in February 1989. He learned that a planned concert tour to the freedom and has been covered by many artists including the
Soviet Union was not going to happen and his guitarist Frank band Pearl Jam who performed the song with Neil Young.
“Poncho” Sampedro said “we’ll have to keep on rockin’ in the However, Young has stated that he is very particular who
free world”. performs the song. With such power it is not surprising.

“There was supposed to have been a cultural exchange between https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnAgc1kgvLc

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