...A BAND ON THE ROCKS - Excerpt #8 (Neil Young)

[GreggPraetorius]

(From "BABYSITTING A BAND ON THE ROCKS" - available at Newbury Comics locations throughout the Northeast and online at LTCDS.com > Webstore > Books.)

"...the music was more than enough to keep me
occupied, particularly Neil Young's wavering tenor and his oh-so-deep
yet fathomable lyrics. I had become a huge fan not from my sister’s
odd ownership of his early recordings, but once again because
of Bill. He brought home Neil along with his other finds, in the
form of the singer’s earlier incarnation with Buffalo Springfield
and his own After the Goldrush, which led me in turn to Harvest
and then the legendary Time Fades Away. The latter was an early
experiment in fan loyalty: a live album exclusively featuring
previously unrecorded work that left behind what had become
Neil’s signature sound and took an even darker turn. My tastes had
already become more eclectic than most kids my age, and I was
particularly smitten with “Don’t Be Denied,” a rebuke of his career
thus far, chronicling an unlikely path from high school outcast
to respected artist to pawn of the recording industry. I loved that
song, and my grandest hope that day at Roosevelt was to hear Neil
sing it.

Neil delivered, sitting solo center stage and squeezing in my
favorite just before my curfew forced me to start out on the almost
four mile walk home while the music still played. If I hadn’t already
been hooked on rock I most certainly was now. Rock concerts
became an addiction for me; I just couldn’t get enough of the
artistry and energy, the wattage and spectacle, the synchronicity
of thousands of strangers sharing an exhilarating, one-of-a-kind
experience. I quickly realized that I needed to be a bigger part of it,
and I needed to be on the inside..."

Review Link to Classic Rock History

https://www.classicrockhistory.com/book-review-babysitting-a-band-on-the-rocks/

Roosevelt Raceway, September 8, 1974.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, T he Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, 77,000 Fans and Me

[BeatleloverKT]

Neil Young. Heart of Gold. Rockin in the free world. Could go on. Awesome 👍

[GreggPraetorius]

I met Neil only once, briefly before he hit the stage for the "Trans" tour.  It was just Neil, his guitar (a black Les Paul) and an electronic drum machine.  I saw him with CSNY  in 1974, then I saw the "Rust Never Sleeps" tour in 1978.  I personally prefer Neil Young over Bob Dylan.