Hi Neil,
I hope all is well with you and your close ones after hearing you had to cancel the European Tour.
Having said that, I’m glad to read you’re working on Archives Vol. IV ! This volume will indeed be very rich in terms of video content (I’m really looking forward to seeing (and hearing!) Weld and Unplugged in HD/Hi-Res for the first time).
Speaking of Unplugged; not all songs that you played during the 1993 recording were also released. Sample & Hold, Winterlong, War of Man and Dreamin’ Man were among the songs played, but not released. It would be really great to finally get an official release of these songs as part of Vol. IV; the Stray Gators sounded amazing that day!
I’m also hoping for songs like Live to Ride, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay and Separate Ways with Booker T & the MGs from the 1993 tour.
Regards,
Harm
Harm
Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Re V4
Some of the music that was missing will be included in Archives Vol 4 and we are taking a look now.
LOVE
NEIL
BE WELL
Hi Neil,
First of all, it’s so unfortunate that you have felt the need to cancel your summer tour here in the UK and over in Europe though I’m sure you have made the right decision. I just hope it’s precautionary and all is going well for you.
Having discovered your music in 1967, in my mid-teens, via the first Buffalo Springfield album and in particular from my first hearing of “Clancy,” I think it’s about time I wrote to thank you for all the joy, comfort and inspiration your music has given me since then. I would also like to thank you very much (at last) for playing “Clancy” for me at the Royal Festival Hall on 27th February 1971, following my request when we met after your BBC In-Concert recording—such memorable and enjoyable gigs and it was so special to hear one of my favourite songs sung by you, just for me.
Over the years your music, and especially your songwriting skills, have been a source of inspiration to me. I am an avid writer and you have given me the incentive to write creatively—not song lyrics, as I have no talent in that direction, but mostly short stories from my imagination, some of which I have posted on my website, Chasqui’s Writing World (I choose to remain anonymous online, where possible, hence the pseudonym). Like you, I have a great interest in the civilisations of the American continent so, not surprisingly, one of my favourite songs is “Cortez,” and I have long been fascinated by the last verse which inspired me to write a two-part story, under the general title of An Aztec’s Tale. It revolves around an Aztec man I pictured having lost his way while fighting against the (eventual) Conquistadores. I hope you don’t mind that I continued the story in my own way. I know you are very busy but should you ever have time and inclination to give these tales a glance, below are the links to each on my website. These will take you to a list of all the titles on the site but if you scroll down to below those you’ll find the stories. Anyway. here are the links (hope they will open easily):
AN AZTEC’S TALE – Part 1 Onward
AN AZTEC’S TALE – Part 2: A Turning Point
Having rambled on remorselessly, I shall leave you in peace with many thanks again for all the music and words which have accompanied me through my adult life.
Take care of yourself.
Love and all good wishes to you and your family,
Lauretta
Lauretta
Thanks for your kind thoughts!
A new version of Cortez is on the Live Album.
Our family is doing well.
LOVE and PEACE
Neil
Be well
Dear Neil,
Last year was rough, but the two shows I caught on the Love Earth tour were my saving grace. I have been going to your concerts since I was in college (Chrome Dreams II) and have caught pretty much every tour since then. I felt the need to write in, because the two shows I saw last year rank among the more transcendental times I’ve seen you, and at a time when I really needed it.
Earlier in the year, I bought a couple of nice seats for Jones Beach when they went on sale (thanks NYA!). I know you’ve played there a bunch, so I thought I’d see what you liked about the place. I was dealing with life bullshit at the time—hopelessly job-hunting and dealing with a broken laptop, tariffs as a small business owner, and a pricey a tooth implant. I bought the tickets assuming things would clear up, knowing this would be a nice treat six months down the line.
I finally landed a new job, but it meant working seven days a week and after a few months, I ran myself ragged. I was feeling low but kept things in perspective, as my cousin had just lost both of his parents within a couple of weeks of one another. I first heard about you through my cousin, Joe, and his naming of his dog, Harvest. Your North America tour was about to begin in Charlotte, and since he lives in North Carolina, I thought it would be the perfect time to catch a show together. Unfortunately, Surfer Joe couldn’t swing it, but I had already gotten myself worked up to see a show down south.
Richmond was the next stop, and a doable drive from Philly, so I bought a lawn ticket for later that day, practically shaking from the guilt and shame of driving that long of a distance to see a show by myself, and not with Joe or a friend, which was my original intent.
I left late Philly in a frantic state and ran into car issues about a couple of hours out. I managed to make it to the venue right before Reverend Billy’s set, and somehow found a spot dead center of an overcrowded lawn. In hindsight, I was glad to be alone, because there was no room for another body that day. I sat next to a local resident who was quite impressed I drove all that way last minute, but simply being at the venue I was quickly reminded there is no place I’d rather be than a Neil show. I love seeing all the instruments, the amps (!), the set design, and the colors. The crew’s sound quality and lighting make it a truly special experience every time.
The concert started and the next couple of hours were magical. It was as if you and the universe knew what I needed to hear, see, and feel. As lonesome as I felt heading to the show, hearing “There ain’t nothing like a friend who can tell you you’re just pissing in the wind” made me feel at peace. After Ambulance Blues and tuning issues, you made some comment, “maybe we’re nervous because this venue is new,” and proceeded to launch into a Cowgirl worth the price of admission alone.
The guitar playing reminded me of Outside Lands 2012—a remarkable Crazy Horse show that opened with a 19-minute Love and Only Love where you seemed to be soaring through the galaxy.
The Richmond performance had the same festival energy—as if you were daring the audience to walk to another stage. Corey’s bass was straight out of a gutter—the sound was NICE that night. After Cowgirl, I turned to the lady next to me, and said, “I couldn’t get that in Philly tonight!”
Your guitar sounded HUMONGOUS. It may have been the tallest I’ve ever heard it sound – and that is not an adjective I’ve ever used to describe music. The growl was glorious and drenched in thick, crunchy fuzz I could listen to all night.
I loved The Chrome Hearts sound, too. Spooner’s organ breathed new life into songs I thought I’ve heard every iteration of: Cinnamon Girl, Fuckin Up, Love & Only Love. And God bless Micah’s versatility to pull off such a wide array of songs from your catalog.
His slide guitar on One of These Days was so beautiful. That song holds a tremendously soft spot in my heart, and I had never heard it live before. Before I met my wife, I was in a long-distance relationship with a girl living in Nashville. We met at a cousin’s wedding in Louisiana, and wrote to each other for months, eventually meeting again after winning a Neil Young cover song contest to go to a tribute show at Carnegie Hall. The song was One of These Days, and it’s a hard listen for me nowadays, as she tragically died a few years ago. Her death had such a profound impact on me, and when your vocals came in, I had no other choice but to weep my eyes out. I am not sure if I’ve ever cried more—hearing “From down in LA, all the way to Nashville, New York City!” I could have flooded the lawn with tears.
A gorgeous Harvest Moon followed, and so did all sorts of serendipity. The sound (what a venue!) was perfectly loud and clear, and the scenery cinematic. A freight train slowly rolled along the river next to the venue, perfectly complementing the wooden instruments. The only thing that was missing was the moon, and I could hear others on the lawn asking where it was.
Then came the mom and dad songs, Daddy Went Walkin’ and New Mama. My cousin may not have been able to join, but I could feel him, along with my aunt and uncle, with me on the lawn. New Mama was so bare and raw. I said, “Wow” to no one when it was over.
The Greendale songs were fantastic—Be The Rain had this primordial chug from the rhythm section, and Sun Green was particularly killer that night—possibly the best example of the Chrome Hearts sound. Having been a fan since 2007 (thus missing the Greendale shows), I literally never thought I’d witness the Greendale megaphone and mic stand theatrics in person. How cool!
I’m not sure what miscommunication occurred, but the Stringman dove started descending a song early. You waved it off—not verbally—but rather by playing the opening riff of Hey Hey, My My over and over in an alerting and ominous fashion. This disorientation resulted in a minute long instrumental intro to the song—a mistake (?) that turned into a radical moment of sludge rock.
The fuzz was still fresh, but the end of Hey Hey would go down as one of the most far-out moments I’ve ever seen in concert. An unbelievable full moon rose behind the band during the distorted feedback finale. Dead centerstage. It’s as if you could sense it rising behind your back. By the time the moon fully set, the opening riff of Hurricane kicked in. It was one of the most transcendental experiences of my life. The woman next to me asked if I was seeing this, and I think I scared her away with my enthusiasm screaming, “THIS IS INCREDIBLE!”
Immersed in this trance state, I was treated to more supernatural grooves: gusts of wind during Hurricane’s chorus, fireworks during Name of Love, and a shooting star during Old Man. If any doubt lingered in my mind whether the last-minute trip was worth it, this string of coincidences made it obvious I made the right decision.
A weird thing happened during Old Man though. I would’ve assumed I’d be thinking of my cousin and his dad, but instead I thought of my dad, who strangely enough I never really think of when I listen to your music. I owed him a visit, or at the very least a call.
A powerful Rockin’ in the Free World closed the show. The repeated lines of “Where’s the man of the people?” charged me up. I was ready for action!
I came out of there a changed man. I had hours of driving ahead of me, but felt I could run home. Like many Neil shows, I left wanting to be a better person. I wanted to write thank you letters, a dragging task of mine that had been glued to my to-do list since my birthday months prior. I wanted to catch up with friends and family whom I ignored because of my work schedule, and this newfound energy finally gave me a push in the right direction.
Obviously, I was excited to see the concert again in a couple of weeks with my wife. I was living off the high of the Richmond show, but the following week more bullshit crept back in. My dad was taken to the ER, then the ICU for severe kidney failure. I drove down to North Carolina in the middle of the night Thursday to see him. He was in terrible shape and not peeing any toxins out, so he continued to look worse by the hour.
I was faced with a dilemma as the Jones Beach show was the following day, and I just arrived at a grim situation. My guilt state returned. Was I really going to leave my sickly father for a Neil show?
As hard as it was, my wife and I decided, along with my dad’s blessings in the morning, to drive back north to the show. Much like the frantic drive to Richmond, we were now on a parallel path for Jones Beach. We left the hospital at 10am and somehow managed, yet again, to get to the venue right when Reverend Billy hit the stage. I was elated to sit down. An emotional wreck from lack of sleep, running on fumes, and pushing hard in summer traffic.
Our seats were amazing (thank you, NYA!). Again, dead center, perfect view of the whole production. A scenic riverboat to the right of the amphitheater. A gorgeous night. It felt right being there, and we were in good company as everyone around us seemed to have been Rusties that bought their tickets through the Archives.
You could easily guess it, but hearing Ambulance Blues at that moment meant everything in the world to me. In that setting, with that lighting, with those lyrics, in that tone and mood; it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. The Riverboat was most definitely rocking! It was incredibly comforting in such a difficult time with family, and hearing, “You’re just pissing in the wind,” while my dad was blocked up 600 miles away, felt therapeutic to say the least.
As much as I loved Cowgirl in Richmond, the Jones Beach version was a ripper. Again, the sound and production were top notch. The brilliant light show got an additional boost that night due to Hurricane Erin flooding the pit during high tide, leaving behind a halo of colors around the stage. Along with the full moon in Richmond, this ranks up there as one of the most surreal experiences I’ve ever witnessed—concert or not.
Anthony’s drums were pounding and menacing. We got some really stellar performances. Another intense Fuckin’ Up, followed by a personal favorite and one I wished for on the ride up, When You Dance I Can Really Love. Micah’s piano sounded just like the record. A couple of songs later, we got to see your long-lost guitar on Mr Soul, which felt like a transport in time. The new (old) guitar brought in a completely different energy than previously seen versions of Mr Soul with Old Black.
Hearing Southern Man and Ohio, I was amazed, yet angered at the relevancy of songs written decades ago, and how much they still ring true. It was interesting to see Southern Man up north, compared to down south. Maybe it was just the Rusties around me, but the fans were REALLY into it compared to a couple weeks earlier below the Mason Dixon line. There was a similar unified energy during Ohio, of which Micah sounded just like Crosby in the 70s pleading “How many more?”
Long Walk Home was devastating. Looking Forward brought hope. Hearing, “I’m going to live like a free-roamin’ soul on the highway of our love,” made me feel extra gratitude that night for my wife and our enduring love, given the amount of time we had spent on the highway in the past 48 hours.
Meanings changed between the two weeks of the show. The tears from One of These Days weren’t there—maybe I had cried them all out a couple weeks earlier. This time it was almost comical. I couldn’t believe I still hadn’t written those thank you letters!
The night’s biggest surprise—a complete shocker—was hearing Singer Without a Song. My wife and I attended several beloved Alchemy shows, and to hear that song completely out of the blue made our night. I told her, “If he had brought back the woman carrying the guitar case, I would’ve lost it!”
The night ended with a fantastic Rockin’ in the Free World. Spooner’s organ notes were electrifying, as was Anthony’s drum fill after “machine gun hand.”
After the show, I felt like I could run home again. I drove back down to NC to tend to my father and passed Richmond for what felt like the 60th time that week. I get very emotional now whenever I pass that downtown exit, as if there’s a spiritual vortex that lives there.
Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the new album to see if any of the tracks from the two shows made the cutting floor (I see from the cover the flooded pit did 😊 ). If not, fingers crossed for a Timeline Concert in the future. Thanks for making life better—hope to catch you down the road!
LAOL,
Michael
Michael
Thanks!
it is true that many of the Chrome Hearts performances on the LOVE EARTH TOUR 2025 were Transcendental. I hope to be back with them on the road soon. What a wonderful band!
I don’t remember doing Singer Without a Song
Glad you liked the Greendale songs! They are on Volume 4
LOVE NEIL
BE WELL
Hi Neil,
Hope you’re well. Could we please get some more outtakes and sneak peaks, please?
Love to you!
Jake
Jake
Workin on the outtakes. many new ones coming with a re-organization of the OUTTAKES feature.
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Dear Neil,
My name is Justin, and my mother Catherine and I have been longtime fans of your music. It is her who first introduced me to you. It has been a dream of mine to take her to one of your concerts but sadly due to her worsening Alzheimer’s traveling far for a show is no longer an option. We reside in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and I’m hoping that if you do another US tour, you’d consider the Bridgeport amphitheater as a venue. This would enable me to take her to a show and I would be very grateful. Music is one of the last things to go for a person with Alzheimer’s and I’m grateful that we will have your music to connect with even after other memories have faded.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Justin Whitham
Justin
Thanks!
We will try to be at the Bridgeport Amphitheater. Its on the list now. No promises though!!!
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Dear Neil,
It was truly sad for me to read about the cancellation of the 26 tour, especially the gig in my lovely town of Glasgow. I can only imagine how difficult that decision must have been, and I hope with all my heart that you, your family, and the band are healthy, safe, and doing well.
As I read your updates about NYA Volume 4, I wanted to remind you to check the video and audio recording from July 10, 2001, at the Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival. I’m sure it’s worth watching.
I wish you all the best, and I hope to see you playing live again when the time is right for you.
Love, and only love,
Dror
P.S. I’m sending you a clip from the gig that can be found on YouTube.
Thanks Dror
Hope to see you down the road.
We decided to put Erfurt out because we like the performance better.
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Hi Neil
Sorry to hear of the tour cancellation. Not sure how aware you would be of this, but many fans had booked hotels and travel that are not able to be cancelled.
I think that fan-base would really appreciate a more granular explanation for the sudden cancellation than ‘decided to take a break.’
Thanks Ian
HEY IAN
THANKS!
I listen to my body. That is why i cancelled.
LOVE and PEACE
Neil
Hi Neil,
Hope you are doing well.
I am so, so disappointed that you have cancelled your European tour. I saw you with the Chrome Hearts three times last year in Europe and they were such wonderful shows. You and the band looked to be having a real blast and enjoying yourselves, and I was really looking forward to part two and had tickets for two shows.
Can you share a bit more information on your reasons for cancelling? Hopefully it’s not health issues of yourself or your family. Health is much more important than playing songs in a windy field in Europe for sure.
Are the reasons political? Do you have more pressing plans for a new album and protests in the US, for example?
All the best and bumper stickers should be issued!
John
John
I listen to my body. That is why i cancelled.
LOVE and PEACE
Neil
Dear Mr. Neil Young,
What can start as something not cliché, not bland, yet not wild? I do not know, this early morning. I will just present my ”agenda” in somewhat fear it sounds too plain and formal, as the ”Are you Passionate?” album is pumping on the stereo in the background. Here goes.
My name is Isak and I live in Sweden. I lived in America between ages 8–22. I saw you in concert in Tinley Park 2000; The Pretenders opened. I own many of your albums. I have quoted your (hopefully, this, ok) music many times; including in poems, essays, and the like on a Swedish poetry site; I write for. This introduction, does, sound much bland. I was wondering if you wanted to comment on a piece I wrote where I look at the lyrics of ”My My, Hey Hey.’’
Would you? I can send the piece.
Warm regards,
Swedish-American fan
Thanks
Send me the piece
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Hey Neil,
Will the “Coastal” movie be available in the Movietone Library at some point?
Last year at the cinema—it was such a heartwarming moment to see Daryl’s wonderful intimate film from these fantastic gigs. Hearing these wonderful matured versions with the fantastic audience around you made this moment magical.
For me it was a time for dreaming. Lookin’ back on all the years … from the very first time I heard your songs in the late seventies … and a few dozen of my harmonicas and guitars later, which changed my life a lil’ bit.
Thanks and stay well
Falk
Falk
I am putting COASTAL up on the site
LOVE NEIL
be well
Neil,
I just wanted to say “get well soon!!!” I have had type 1 diabetes for 50 years and both my kids have it as well. I hear you’ve been under the weather and wanted to send healing love and light to you. I was hit by an intoxicated driver in 2011 and was gifted a brain injury. My kids have taken me to see ya twice since my wreck and I’m so thankful for those shows!! Your music means so much and it helped me tremendously in hospital after brain injury. The light from your music was priceless in that dark time.
Get well soon!!! Keep on rockin
Ben
Ben
Glad I could be there for you!
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Hi, Neil:
I just changed the strings on my guitar and was wondering how often you change your strings. Especially when you’re on tour. If strings get changed for every show, have you considered recycling the old strings and selling them via the Greedy Hand store as “concert used strings.” I bet there would be a lot of takers for something like that! Stay warm!
Peace
Jim
Jim
Almost every show we change the strings.
Interesting idea for Greedy Hand Store.
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Hi Neil,
I am sending you these few lines to tell you that my thoughts sent to you, to your home in Colorado, or to wherever you are by reading them.
You informed us a few days ago that you canceled your European tour. Sad news.
But the most important thing is that you must first give priority to yourself and your loved ones before anything else, including the concerts you love so much.
Although I live in Alsace (cf. Strasbourg and the European Parliament) in France, I had taken a ticket to Nîmes, which is 800 km from my home. Nîmes and its splendid Roman arenas, in which the NYCH would have transmitted to us thunderous vibrations!
Each of your concerts is unforgettable.to me.
Just know that your music has been with me for almost 50 years, and that it will do so until the end, and beyond.
Be well and take care.
Friendship and Love,
Raphael
Thanks RAPHAEL
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Hi Neil, I just wanted to thank you for your kind words about the tribute show my band Harvest played in Dublin, and the article I wrote about it. It meant a huge amount to all of us to see you acknowledge it on your site. Playing that show was already a joy—seeing your message last week was the icing on the cake. Grateful for the inspiration you’ve given us for so many years. LOVE right back at you 🙂
Sean O’Leary / Harvest
Dublin
Sean
Thanks man
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Hi Neil,
First off, thank you so much for all of the incredible music throughout the years and your willingness to be outspoken about political issues!
I’m a (relatively) younger fan—I was born just a year after Ragged Glory came out! As such, I’m still catching up on a lot of your music since you’ve been so prolific. I just discovered the song “Razor Love” for the first time and it’s become an immediate favorite. Do you have any fond memories of writing and/or recording it? The ’80s version from Archives Vol. 3 is also great! What influences your decision to hold on to a song for years before putting it on an album? Radiohead is my favorite band and they do that a lot, so I’ve always been curious.
Thanks for reading!
Razor love is included on VOLUME 4
in a new version by CRAZY HORSE.
It was first released when it was brand new.
Check it out in the archives!
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
Hey Neil,
Today I was recommending This Old Homestead to a new Neil fan who’s just discovering your catalog and has been digging into your mid-70s records. There’s so many amazing songs on there that have never seen release elsewhere. Which reminded me that we still haven’t received a standalone release. Is that still in the cards? Would love to listen to this album on my turntable.
Hope to see you back in Winnipeg this summer!
-Kevin Neil
Kevin
Maybe we can have a stand alone Old Homestead vinyl release on the archives!
LOVE
BE WELL
NEIL
I first rented Harvest at the public library in san Sebastián Spain as a 19-year-old girl. My world changed. I remember tears down my face while listening to Like a Hurricane on my headphones, staring at the ocean, realizing that I had all my life ahead of me, a beautiful unknown, and that Neil would be my soundtrack all the way to the end. And that’s how its been.
I met you in Biarritz years later, the day after I had started my own booking agency for small rock n roll bands, Zuma Bookings, we took a photo together. Met my husband, we bonded over On the Beach, B. Springfield and moved to USA. I’m 43 to be next month, US citizen now. In L.A. What a journey and I’m only halfway through. Always with you to make sense of it all, to color it pretty. I look up to you so much and I thank you for adding so much to my experience of life. You are the absolute best.
Iranzu
Iranzu
Thanks and Good luck to you always!
LOVE Neil
Be Well