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Post by Potsie Hoofman on Oct 29, 2023 23:04:24 GMT
Nobody knows more about Neil Young than daved
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Post by stevehthegreat on May 5, 2024 1:10:55 GMT
Up his own ass so much he writes this shit and then offers not one but two links to read his smug thoughts elsewhere.
Are Crazy Horse really better when they're sloppy?
David Briggs didn't think so.
Oh, they're better when they're out on the edge of the cliff — when it's a rollercoaster ride and it's not clear whether the song is going to make it back to Earth or burn up on re-entry.
Moments of madness, too—like when Billy Talbot derails the otherwise spectacular Atlanta 1991 gig by succumbing to sudden-onset stage fright—are all part of the fun.
But that's not plain-boring sloppiness — it's craziness. The band lives up to its name.
I think it's easy to do Crazy Horse an injustice. Yes, the unpredictability is part of the thrill. But at their best (see: 1990 to 2001) they're also a far tighter unit than meets the eye.
David Briggs hit the nail on the head with this comment:
"Ralph's genius is that when Neil goes wandering away into dreamland, where he creates out of the cosmos, Ralph's there to catch him when he hits the brick wall. That's what allows Neil to go sailin' out where no other people go but him, 'cause when he gets to the end of it all and falls off, there's Ralph. He's the catcher on a trapeze act."
If Neil plays it safe with Crazy Horse, or doesn't go anywhere interesting, then nothing happens. If he goes out on a limb, Crazy Horse are (at their best) there to stop him falling.
And that's what has sometimes been missing with Ralph in the 21st century:
The sense that Neil can trust Ralph to catch him if he goes out exploring.
Particularly on the 2007-2008 tour, and 2014, where Ralph was thrust into a band without his musical "other half", Billy. But also in the last few years.
On F**kin' Up, we start to see them developing that sort of relationship again. I think we hear it within the first minute of the very first hair-raising track: where Neil's guitar soloing is not yet firing on all cylinders, but Ralph propels him along.
The trapeze catcher does his job.
Changing tact, notice how the Pitchfork review (referencing everything from pad thai to private cathedrals — take that, AI!) essentially justifies a higher overall "score" for F**ckin' Up than World Record, Earth, Colorado or Toast (!), based on the original Ragged Glory's enduring reputation.
The lesson for creatives:
If you want to impress, don't aim for new masterpieces. Don't go exploring. Instead, go and re-build (or otherwise return to) the old ones.
This, of course, might be questionable advice.
PS:
From my "Scotzman" alter-ego, more notes about F**kin' Up here — alongside @onlycastlesburning and @davybhoy.
And also some excited thoughts about Cortez the Killer from San Diego #1, here.
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Post by Mediocrates on May 5, 2024 13:41:04 GMT
Up his own ass so much he writes this shit and then offers not one but two links to read his smug thoughts elsewhere. Are Crazy Horse really better when they're sloppy?
David Briggs didn't think so.
Oh, they're better when they're out on the edge of the cliff — when it's a rollercoaster ride and it's not clear whether the song is going to make it back to Earth or burn up on re-entry.
Moments of madness, too—like when Billy Talbot derails the otherwise spectacular Atlanta 1991 gig by succumbing to sudden-onset stage fright—are all part of the fun.
But that's not plain-boring sloppiness — it's craziness. The band lives up to its name.
I think it's easy to do Crazy Horse an injustice. Yes, the unpredictability is part of the thrill. But at their best (see: 1990 to 2001) they're also a far tighter unit than meets the eye.
David Briggs hit the nail on the head with this comment:
"Ralph's genius is that when Neil goes wandering away into dreamland, where he creates out of the cosmos, Ralph's there to catch him when he hits the brick wall. That's what allows Neil to go sailin' out where no other people go but him, 'cause when he gets to the end of it all and falls off, there's Ralph. He's the catcher on a trapeze act."
If Neil plays it safe with Crazy Horse, or doesn't go anywhere interesting, then nothing happens. If he goes out on a limb, Crazy Horse are (at their best) there to stop him falling.
And that's what has sometimes been missing with Ralph in the 21st century:
The sense that Neil can trust Ralph to catch him if he goes out exploring.
Particularly on the 2007-2008 tour, and 2014, where Ralph was thrust into a band without his musical "other half", Billy. But also in the last few years.
On F**kin' Up, we start to see them developing that sort of relationship again. I think we hear it within the first minute of the very first hair-raising track: where Neil's guitar soloing is not yet firing on all cylinders, but Ralph propels him along.
The trapeze catcher does his job.
Changing tact, notice how the Pitchfork review (referencing everything from pad thai to private cathedrals — take that, AI!) essentially justifies a higher overall "score" for F**ckin' Up than World Record, Earth, Colorado or Toast (!), based on the original Ragged Glory's enduring reputation.
The lesson for creatives:
If you want to impress, don't aim for new masterpieces. Don't go exploring. Instead, go and re-build (or otherwise return to) the old ones.
This, of course, might be questionable advice.
PS:
From my "Scotzman" alter-ego, more notes about F**kin' Up here — alongside @onlycastlesburning and @davybhoy.
And also some excited thoughts about Cortez the Killer from San Diego #1, here.He's confusing Crazy Horse with Cirque Du Soleil
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