Thrasher's Blog

50+ Reasons Why Neil Young's Music Matters

Bob Dylan, Neil Young & Eric Clapton,
Madison Square Garden, New York City - 1992

Not that we really needed any proof, but here are 50 reasons why Neil Young is the second most influential singer-songwriter of the 21st century still performing today.

Hopefully, you'll find it interesting. It's been a lot fun. Enjoy!

(Note: See methodology approach at bottom of post)

The Allman Brothers Band and Neil Young

Led Zeppelin and Neil Young

Stevie Nicks and Neil Young

Frank Zappa and Neil Young

Dave Grohl and Neil Young

Emmylou Harris and Neil Young

Johnny Cash and Neil Young

Buffy Sainte-Marie and Neil Young

Tom Waits and Neil Young

Ben Harper and Neil Young

Levon Helm and Neil Young

Sheryl Crow and Neil Young

Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music) and Neil Young

The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson and Neil Young

Norah Jones and Neil Young

Jakob Dylan and Neil Young

Gov't Mule and Neil Young

Ron Sexsmith and Neil Young

Devo and Neil Young

Jewel and Neil Young

Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) and Neil Young

Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Neil Young

Randy Bachman and Neil Young
Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Neil Young

The Everly Brothers and Neil Young

Dan Fogelberg and Neil Young

Six degrees of separation from Neil Young.

(NOTE on methodology to compile listing: This listing does NOT include musician in the core bands Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash Young, or Crazy Horse. See those links for more details on band's musicians.)

And Neil has some pretty cool friends, too.

UPDATE: Over on Far Out Magazine, the editors have compiled a list of every musician to appear on Neil Young's studio albums. (Thanks Alan!)

While we did not do an exact count, it looks like well over 50 musicians. In a similar vein, we here at Thrasher's Wheat started a similar endeavor 25 years ago and this is what we came up with above on 50+ Reasons Why Neil Young's Music Matters.

Every musician to appear on Neil Young studio albums:

Ry Cooder
Jack Nitzsche
Jim Messina
Carol Kaye
Earl Palmer
Merry Clayton
Gloria Richetta Jones
Danny Whitten
Ralph Molina
Billy Talbot
Nils Lofgren
Stephen Stills
James Taylor
Linda Ronstadt
David Crosby
Graham Nash
Ben Keith
Tim Drummond
Kenny Buttrey
Rusty Kershaw
Tim Drummond
Rick Danko
Levon Helm
Frank Sampedro
Russ Kunkel
George “Chocolate” Perry
Joe Vitale
Joe Lala
Nicolette Larson
Emmylou Harris
Spooner Oldham
Rufus Thibodeaux
Joe Osborn
Larrie Londin
J. J. Cale
Johnny Christopher
Ray Edenton
Shelly Kurland
Bruce Palmer
Larry Byrom
Anthony Crawford
Waylon Jennings
Ralph Mooney
Hargus “Pig” Robbins
Gordon Terry
Terry McMillan
Béla Fleck
Bobby Thompson
Gove Scrivenor
Marty Stuart
Gail Davies
Janis Oliver-Gill
Kristine Oliver-Arnold
Steve Jordan
Danny Kortchmar
Chad Cromwell
Rick “The Bass Player” Rosas
John Fumo
Tony Marsico
Astrid Young
Maria Newman
Israel Baker
Donald Dunn
Wayne Jackson
Curtis Wright
Lukas Nelson
Micah Nelson
DRAM
Nico Segal
Robbie Robertson
Stan Szelest

See anyone missing? Drop a comment below or send us an email to:

thrasher ATSIGN thrasherswheat.org

Labels: collaborations, influences, musicians, neil young

The Monkees and Neil Young

Buffalo Springfield Meets The Monkees

Neil Young, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin, Peter Yarrow, Stephen Stills, Peter Tork + Others

Brian Wilson and Neil Young

Brian Wilson and Neil Young
Photo via | WireImage |

Paul McCartney was honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year by an array of musical stars in Los Angeles, CA on February 10, 2012.

Brian Wilson and Neil Young were among the many musical star attendees.

Fore more, see Paul McCartney Honored at Musicares by Neil Young & Crazy Horse, others.

Labels: Brian Wilson, musicares, neil young, paul mccartney

Wilco's Nels Cline and Neil Young

An interview with Wilco's Nels Cline where he discusses the influence of Neil Young's music from Detroit Free Press:

Q: The last time Wilco was in town you were opening up for Neil Young at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Did you get to spend much time with Neil on the road?

Nels Cline: Not really. But I've been a huge fan of Neil's since his days in the Buffalo Springfield. His early solo work was the soundtrack to my teenage depression. His guitar style was crucial to me growing up.

On tour he was focused working on new material for his latest album, the one nobody likes ("Fork in the Road"). ... I sat and listened to every sound check and he seemed to be in a constant state of concentration on his new music. He seems like a total workaholic, with a super-powerful fierceness.

The last night of the tour for us with him was at Madison Square Garden, and he invited everybody onstage, including us and the band Everest. So we were all on stage with Neil doing "Rockin' In the Free World." I was so exhilarated watching Neil goin' at it I started crying.

More on Wilco and Neil Young and other musicians inspired by Neil Young.

Jay Bennett and Neil Young

Jay Bennett: 1963-2009

From Jay Bennett 1963-2009 - A Final Interview - Glide Magazine by Brian Robbins where Jay Bennett discusses Neil Young's musical influence.

Jay Bennett, the former Wilco multi-instrumentalist, passed away in his sleep on early Sunday morning (May 24, 2009) due to unknown causes. He was 45. Bennett was best known for his work with Wilco, the group for which he wrote and recorded on 1996's Being There, 1999's Summerteeth and 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as well as the band's Woody Guthrie themed albums with Billy Bragg, Mermaid Avenue and Mermaid Avenue, Volume 2.

Bennett was recently in the news for as he sued Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy for breach of contract stemming from his work for Wilco. The suit came less than two weeks after Bennett publicly revealed that he needed hip replacement surgery which he could not afford due to lack of health insurance.

Brian Robbins spoke with Bennett in late 2008 for a revealing and uniquely written Glide feature that explored Bennett's creative ramblings. Robbins last heard from Bennett around May 6th, just after news of the lawsuit broke. He had been corresponding to Robbins about the hip procedure and appeared as Robbins states - "in good spirits and sweet as ever."

Read on for one of Jay Bennett's last interviews, published in Glide last September 25, 2008.

Suddenly I hear a voice over the wires – is that Jay? No, I don’t think so … kind of a mumbling sing-song … but as it gets louder, I realize it is Jay, walking back to the phone. I begin to make out some words:

"What do you mean

He had bullet holes in his mirrors

He tried to do his best

But he could not

Please take my advice

Please take my advice

Please take my advice

Open up the tired eyes"

Wow.

“Tired Eyes” from Tonight’s The Night, Neil Young’s fractured 1975 tribute to recently dead friends. If the original wasn’t weird enough for you, you ought to hear Jay Bennett at the tail end of a long awake spell doing a weary Neil Young impression over a speakerphone.

Wow.

Jay Bennett: Okay, I’m back.

BR: Uhhh … Neil Young?

JB: Oh, (laughs) yeah. I kinda OD’d on Tonight’s The Night while we were working last night. My studio manager was playing it over and over and over. I finally said, ‘Look, I’m going to start weeping or fall asleep or pass out … you’ve got to play something up-tempo here – I’m trying to stay awake and stay focused and that ain’t gonna do it.’ But, hey: Neil Young – beautiful slop, you know? Can’t beat it.

BR: Oh, man – “Heart Of Gold” was the inspiration for my taking up the harmonica when I was a teenager. First time I heard “Heart Of Gold,” I said, ‘I want to do that; I can do that. It can’t be that hard - but it’s perfect.’

JB: Well, that’s the beauty of a harmonica – no wrong notes.
***
JB: When I sequence, I still sequence in terms of two sides. I still conceptualize it as a record with a side A and a side B.

BR: Really?

JB: Oh, man, I’ve been listening to so much vinyl at the studio lately … we must’ve listened to Nebraska and Tonight’s The Night about a hundred times apiece. It’s great: you’ve got, like, 15 minutes of music to a side – Neil’s records were always short – with an opener and a closer on each side. It really makes the process of sequencing a lot easier if you can define your opener and your closer on side A and side B … then you just have to fill in the gaps. It’s really an easier approach for me.