NEIL YOUNG: COASTAL (2025, doc)

April 14, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. Over his 60-year career, Neil Young has proven to be one of a kind. As an incredibly talented songwriter with an instantly recognizable singing voice, he’s also acclaimed for his guitar playing. Few musicians have cut a wider swath of diverse music than the Canadian-born Young. His success began in the 1960’s with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. A solo career with two amazing albums (“After the Gold Rush”, “Harvest”) took him to new heights in the 1970’s, followed by some hard-rocking tunes with Crazy Horse. Since then, he’s kept fans guessing as to what style each successive record would feature.

He has also dipped his toe into directing movies, and the most recent one I saw was MOUNTAINTOP (2019) directed by Young’s nom de plume, Bernard Shakey. The film was an interesting look at the uneasy process of Young and Crazy Horse collaborating on a new album. This time out, Young/Shakey is not directing. Instead, it’s Neil’s wife, actress Daryl Hannah. She spends most of her time behind the camera, though we do catch a few glimpses of the SPLASH (1994) star. She gets full credit for the crisp black-and-white look of the film.

It opens with Neil Young writing in the sand as the waves flow in and out. It’s a reminder that writing is his true gift, and this occurs just as he’s undertaking a short tour on the west coast. Each show will be held at an outdoor venue … including the stunning amphitheater, The Ford. Thanks in part to COVID, this is Young’s first tour in four years, and his son Ben joins him for one leg of the tour. As the miles go by, we eavesdrop as Neil and his Silver Eagle bus driver, Jerry Don Burden, chat about a few topics … including Howard Hughes.

The conversations aren’t particularly interesting (and neither man appears to be wearing a seatbelt), but we do gain some insight that Young’s activism remains in place as he hopes the crowd will understand the meaning behind his song, “Love Earth”. A later singalong reinforces this. Of course, Young’s blistering “Ohio” in 1971 solidified his voice on social topics.

Beyond all of that, this film, and most of Neil Young’s career, has been about the music. In these beautiful venues, Young digs deep into his catalog for some rarely (maybe never before) played live songs. His musicality is expressed through many guitars, a piano, a reed organ, and his ever-present harmonica. This solo act is something to behold, and it raises another question: has the renowned curmudgeon softened? This appears to be a kinder, gentler Neil Young. He even serves up playful banter with his audiences. Perhaps recovering from a brain aneurysm has caused this, or maybe it’s the steady presence of his wife. Either way, it’s a good look for the 79-year-old musical genius – the one who sips tea from a Willie Nelson porcelain mug.

In theaters for one night only on April 17, 2025

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

MOUNTAINTOP (doc, 2019)

October 24, 2019

 Greetings again from the darkness. A trip to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado takes us more than 1.5 miles above sea level (8750 ft) to the Studio in the Clouds. It’s here where Neil Young and the band Crazy Horse have gathered to record yet another album in what has been a 50 year (off-and-on) musical relationship. It’s a rare opportunity to watch a band work out the finer points of their songs while in the studio.

Between deep hits from their oxygen tanks, these four musicians and producer John Hanlon deal with multiple takes, re-writes, and technical glitches. Sometimes the mood is quite tense, and other times quite laid back. Mr. Hanlon is suffering from a case of poison oak at the time of recording, making for a stressful environment when Neil Young scolds him for too much feedback, or not enough volume, or some other irritant that is likely related to as much to the artist’s general frustration with creating as it is to the antiquated wiring of the studio.

In addition to the expected guitar, piano, bass, and drums, an impressive array of instruments are utilized. Also in play here are: a pump organ, harpsichord, glass harmonica (very cool), and a xylophone. We even get to see Nils Lofgren tap dancing! Many will recognize Nils as a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen’s The E Street Band. Lofgren’s ability to keep Crazy Horse in step with Neil Young is underplayed here, yet still quite obvious.

“It doesn’t have to be good. It’s going to be great.” This is a line uttered as the band hears the playback on a particular song. It drives home the importance musicians put on performing, and perfectly complements what we see from Neil Young – love and commitment to the music. He’s still the amazing songwriter and rebel who wrote “Ohio” in a just a few minutes after seeing the photos from the Kent State tragedy in 1970. This current album proves his songs of societal awareness are not a fad, but rather a belief system.

The documentary is “In memory of Elliot Roberts, the greatest manager of all-time.” Mr. Roberts died in June of this year, and in addition to being Neil Young’s long-time manager, he also managed the careers of Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, and The Cars. A driving force behind the music phenomenon from Laurel Canyon in the 1960’s and 70’s, Mr. Roberts was a very popular and talented figure in the music industry. Although the vast majority of the film takes place inside the studio, we do get a few clips from Neil Young performing songs live, and periodic shots outside – mountains, sky, and clouds. With this being billed as ‘a film by Bernard Shakey and DH LoveLife, it should be no surprise that the real folks behind those names are Neil Young and his long-time partner, actress Darryl Hannah. The film may not be an extraordinary work of art itself, but it’s very interesting to see one of the most successful and dedicated musicians of the past 50 years hard at work, doing what he does.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson