It’s a statement of fact that Neil Young is Canadian born, November 12 1945,a singer-songwriter and musician, producer, director and screenwriter, a co-founder of Farm Aid, an activist against war and very much for, saving the planet. It is also fact that he has the passion of a teenager in love for playing music .
This latter fact was very much in evidence after last night’s fabulous performance at the Milan Market Sound along with the very able ‘Promise Of The Real’ band to back him up. The latter led by Lukas Nelson have a’ Crazy Horse’ feel to them which must of endeared them to NY but having recorded an album together ‘The Monsanto Years’ and after the best part of a year touring, they are a unit and allow the magnificent “Godfather Of Grunge” to lay bare his soul as he sings his wonderful songs about life, planet earth, racism, war and love that are deserving of extreme care and attention even more so now than when the songs were written; still with that angelic voice, pristine and enchanting as it was in 68. But even more so, the band play to his every whim on stage, staying as close as a shadow to Neil’s wailing and simply ‘rockin’ guitar play
It was 20 years ago I last saw Neil Young and to be frank he was more alive and focused now than back then. Unstoppable it seemed as he and the band ably built up the songs especially when he had “Old Black” Gibson Les Paul strapped up on his back. Indeed the stretch of songs from “Winterlong” to “Love to Burn” were quite staggering in their intensity and delivery. A whirlwind of sound with perfect clarity, played with total commitment.
As his autobiography repeats, he suffers from terrible back problems but tonight he was jumping around with the band seemingly at ease. Maybe it was the magic of the psychedelic Italian cherries he regularly distributed to band and crowd, having lauded their goodness, this being one of the few spoken asides of the evening.
Neil Young opened the show solo playing piano, acoustic and organ, the band coming in on “From Hank To Hendrix” with NY playing his Gretsch White Falcon and a few mellow gems ensued culminating in “ Are there anymore real Cowboys” where joyously Willie Nelson joined the stage as he would again for the final encore “Homegrown”. Wow; stuff of legends
After about two and a half hours on stage, when the band finished off with “Rockin’ In The Free World” he had the whole crowd in the palm of his hand having done, along with Promise Of The Real, ample justice to his magnificent songs.
Truly there is no one in the rock and roll world who has managed to lead by example, to try and express, indeed live and try to realize the 60’s dream for mankind; grown and endured as a true artist as only fine wines can do, as much as Neil Young,along the way, delighting us with his musical genius: Fact!
Neil Young, Italy, setlist
Neil Young Solo
After the Gold Rush (from After The Gold Rush, 1970)
Heart of Gold (from Harvest, 1972)
The Needle and the Damage Done (from Harvest, 1972)
Mother Earth (Natural Anthem) (from Ragged Glory, 1990)
Neil Young with Promise of the Real
From Hank to Hendrix (from Harvest Moon, 1992)
Out on the Weekend (from Harvest, 1972)
Comes a Time (from Comes A Time, 1978)
Old Man (from Harvest, 1972)
Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare)
Are There Any More Real Cowboys? (from Old Ways, 1985)
On the Road Again (with Willie Nelson) (Willie on lead vocals) (Willie cover)
Winterlong (from Decade, 1977)
Alabama (from Harvest, 1972)
Words (Between the Lines of Age) (from Harvest, 1972)
Powderfinger (from Rust Never Sleeps, 1979)
Cowgirl in the Sand (from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, 1969)
Mansion on the Hill (from Ragged Glory, 1990)
Love to Burn (from Ragged Glory, 1990)
Western Hero (from Sleeps With Angels, 1994)
Vampire Blues (from On The Beach, 1974)
After the Garden (from Living With War, 2006)
Revolution Blues (from On The Beach, 1974)
Seed Justice (from Earth, 2016)
Rockin’ in the Free World (from Freedom, 1989)
Encore
Homegrown (with Willie Nelson) (from American Stars N Bars, 1977)
by Danny Gandolfi, Music-News.com
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