The Rascals’ Felix Cavaliere was born on this date in 1942. A few of his band’s hits are included on today’s playlist.
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Tunes Du Jour Presents Neil Young
Distilling Neil Young’s half-century-plus career into a mere 30 songs is, to put it lightly, a tall order. For an artist who’s explored nearly every facet of American and Canadian folk, rock, country, and grunge—not to mention electronic and experimental music—each track here offers just a glimpse of his expansive vision. Yet, even within this condensed selection, Young’s restless creativity and refusal to be pigeonholed shine through, capturing a legacy that continues to grow with each decade.
Take “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man,” two of his most well-known songs from the early 1970s. Both tracks reflect Young’s introspective side, a man grappling with aging, relationships, and the very nature of wisdom. These are songs that echo across generations, carrying lyrics that balance tenderness with the weight of lived experience. “Harvest Moon,” recorded over two decades later, feels like a companion piece to these earlier reflections—a seasoned, bittersweet look at enduring love that feels both familiar and fresh.
Young’s power isn’t limited to gentle musings, though; he’s just as revered for his biting social commentary and unflinching political anthems. “Ohio,” recorded with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, is a visceral response to the Kent State shootings and remains one of rock’s most searing protest songs. “Rockin’ in the Free World,” with its stark verses and raw energy, reminds listeners of Young’s willingness to confront societal issues head-on, even when they’re uncomfortable. These songs reflect Young’s complex relationship with his North American roots, a deep love for the land tempered by a sharp awareness of its faults.
Then, there’s Young’s bold experimentation—what he once referred to as a desire to avoid becoming a “human jukebox.” Tracks like “Like a Hurricane” showcase his noisy, distorted electric side, tapping into the rawness that inspired later generations of grunge and alternative rock musicians. He’s unafraid to explore darker themes, as seen in “The Needle and the Damage Done,” a haunting portrayal of addiction’s impact. Meanwhile, songs from his Buffalo Springfield days, such as “Mr. Soul” and “Broken Arrow,” highlight his knack for introspective storytelling, even at the beginning of his career.
Whether he’s singing about broken dreams, love, social justice, or life on the open road, Neil Young brings an authenticity that’s hard to match. The tracks on this playlist, though just a small slice of his work, reflect the remarkable range of one of rock’s most fearless and unpredictable artists. For Young, evolution isn’t a phase—it’s his way of life, one that keeps his fans and listeners perpetually guessing and undeniably engaged.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-5-24
A handful of Steve Miller tracks are on today’s playlist, as it’s his birthday.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 5-11-24
Eric Burdon rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band The Animals, which was part of the British Invasion that took the music world by storm in the 1960s. With his powerful and distinctive vocals, Burdon helped the band achieve international success with hits like “House of the Rising Sun” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”
In the late 1960s, with a new set of Animals, Burdon embraced the psychedelic sound that was popular during that era. This incarnation of the band showcased Burdon’s ability to evolve with the changing times, as they incorporated elements of funk, soul, and psychedelic rock into their music.
In 1970, Burdon introduced the world to the band War. Their collaboration resulted in the hit song “Spill the Wine,” which fused elements of rock, funk, and Latin music. I’m impressed by Burdon’s versatility and willingness to explore new musical territories.
Eric Burdon was born on this date in 1941. A few songs from him are included on today’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 7-5-23
I just learned that Robbie Robertson, who was the lead guitarist and songwriter for The Band, is of Cayuga and Mohawk descent and has supported causes such as the American Indian Movement and the Native American Rights Fund. He has also spoken out against the misrepresentation and appropriation of Indigenous cultures by non-Native people.
Robbie Robertson turns 80 today. Some of his work is included on today’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 11-12-22
Today’s playlist celebrates the November 13 birthdays of Booker T., Buffalo Springfield’s Neil Young, Blue Öyster Cult’s Buck Dharma, Bikini Kill/Le Tigre’s Kathleen Hanna, Darlene Edwards (a/k/a Jo Stafford), Hot Chocolate’s Errol Brown, Brian Hyland, Bay City Rollers’ Les McKeown, The Mello-Kings’ Jerry Scholl, Tevin Campbell, and Grace Kelly; and the November 13 birthdays of Timmy Thomas, The Teddy Bears’ Carol Connors, Cass McCombs, Onyx’s Sonny Seeza, and Idris Muhammad.
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Neil Young’s Homophobia and AIDS-phobia
“You go to a supermarket and you see a faggot behind the fuckin’ cash register, you don’t want him to handle your potatoes.” – Neil Young in Melody Maker, September 1985
It sucks when anybody makes an ignorant and offensive statement, particularly when it’s somebody the public eye. For this post I‘ll focus on homophobia (and related AIDS-phobia).
It sucks when Pat Boone says children are being “indoctrinated with an appreciation for homosexuality,” but that didn’t hurt me too much as Pat Boone is a talentless has-been who built his career on taking songs recorded by Little Richard and Fats Domino and making them safe for uptight white folks. I wasn’t his target audience (notwithstanding that I wasn’t born yet when he rose to fame).
It sucks when Donny Osmond says he condemns homophobia and opposes gay marriage, but at least he’s (inadvertently) condemning himself, thereby saving me the trouble. Also, he’s marginally more talented and slightly less of a has-been than Pat Boone, and while I love “Morning Side of the Mountain,” if someone told me I had to delete all Osmonds recordings from my iTunes library, I wouldn’t put up much of a fight.
It sucks that Eminem’s new song has the lyric “Happy as Anderson Cooper having a tuba crammed in his pooper.” It’s not so much that it’s homophobic per se. It’s that a 42-year-old feels he has to resort to such juvenilia to feel relevant and not see his career go the way of Pat Boone and Donny Osmond. He doesn’t need to stoop to this. He still sells truckloads of records, despite having made only one or two good singles in the past decade. He could probably keep coasting for a while. And seriously, a tuba? That doesn’t even rhyme.
It sucks that The Beastie Boys wanted to title their first album Don’t Be a Faggot, with a couple of song lyrics that were interpreted as homophobic. However, in 1999 the trio’s Ad-Rock sent a letter to Time Out New York that read “I would like to … formally apologize to the entire gay and lesbian community for the shitty and ignorant things we said on our first record, 1986′s Licensed to Ill. There are no excuses. But time has healed our stupidity. … We hope that you’ll accept this long overdue apology.”
It’s odd that director Jonathan Demme reached out to Neil Young to compose and record a theme song for his 1993 film Philadelphia. Demme told The Toledo Blade that the film was “intended to reach an audience in desperate need of sensitization on the issue of homophobia. We thought how the right movie could help young males – the most rigid of all – open up to the humanity and courage of gay people. So I had this idea that I would start it off with a giant Neil Young guitar anthem and it would relax all the young uptight homophobic guys.” So he asked a guy who thought AIDS was spread via potatoes touched by faggots. Young recorded a song for the film, and while it wasn’t the anthem Demme was expecting (Bruce Springsteen ended up providing that), it fit the film well and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, which it lost to Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia.”
I don’t recall Neil Young ever apologizing for his boneheaded homophobic and AIDS-phobic remarks; however, I don’t recall him making similar statements since the mid-eighties, and that may be better than an apology.
In his 2002 biography of Neil Young, Shakey, Jimmy McDonough writes “I had found out that Young was planning on donating the proceeds from the ‘Philadelphia’ track to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis center. He acknowledged it was true but didn’t seem anxious to publicize the fact. I got the feeling there were other chartable acts I didn’t know about. ‘I’m not trying to score any social points,’ he said.”
Today Neil Young turns 69 years old. Here are twenty career highlights. (NOTE – “Philadelphia” is not on Spotify.)
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