Neil I’m listening now to Tonight’s the Night from Bluenotes Live! The best version ever (for me)! Horn and guitar, bass stomp and drumming … Fantastica!
Thanks for all … stay well
Thank you for being there!
LOVE
Neil
be well
I am a Union Man.
See: www.PHASE4.us
WE NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
GET A NEW PRESIDENT
LOVE NEIL
BE WELL
Hello Neil,
As Time Explodes, the RSD vinyl, just came in the mail. My local record store didn’t have it and I was pleased to find out from the owner that it could be available online to order from another store on the RSD marketplace site. Feels good to at least support a store—in this case, We Got the Beats in Ft. Lauderdale—instead of paying an eBay seller where a few are already marked up to close to $100. Normally, I’d just wait for the Greedy Hand release date but having attended the show at the Shoreline, I was eager to get an early RSD copy. Anyhow, now I’m thinking of having a listening party with a couple of friends who attended the Shoreline show with me. I noticed Vampire Blues was recorded there
I look forward to reliving that very cool moment listening to it again here in my living room with friends. Nothing beats being there live, of course, but really thrilled you and the Chrome Hearts decided to release this album. I’ve seen you play more than a handful of times over the years and this lineup with these great songs ranks among the best shows of yours I’ve ever had the privilege of attending. Finally, and I know it’s way too early for such a request, but would love to hear the entire Shoreline show down the line in a Timeline Concert. I rarely request shows but it was THAT GOOD!
Peace and love EARTH.
Brian
p.s. one thing missing from the RSD release was a hi-res download code that comes with Greedy Hand purchases. Any chance to get that when it officially comes out? If not, no worries but in the future it’d be cool to have that if you do RSD again. I’d really love to put it on one of my PONO players. I have the Crazy Horse edition and a Clear one and it would sound so good in balance mode. Yep, I still dig my PONO. 🙂
Thanks and Happy listening!
LOVE
Neil
be well
Hi Neil, as always thanks for the music. That is the driving force behind this wonderful community at NYA. I am just writing to say how much I enjoy reading the “Letters” section of the Times-Contrarian. I learn a lot, find new music and get to read wonderful stories such as the one written by Joe Ray Skrha about his mother who recently passed at 96 years and attended 48 of your shows. I’ve “only” seen you 11 times and have all the ticket stubs saved to prove it.
All the best to you and yours,
Matt from CT
Keep on Rockin’ in The Free World/Throw Your Hatred Down
Thanks Matt
LOVE
Neil
be well
I am setting up what we are terming “the world’s smallest festival” in June in East Sussex, England. 2026 will be the first year and we are not charging for anything. We are gathering together a few people to solve some problems including the ecologist James Thorton. Link to my interview with him here.
I thought of you, somewhat as a figurehead and free of any responsibility. I am thinking through a playlist now and wish to include your music.
Separately, do you remember playing HarbourFest in Hong Kong in October 2003? I was there. The temporary stage was built out over the harbour and you made a merry racket and it was great!
Thanks
HarbourFest was cool.
LOVE
Neil
be well
Hi Neil!
Me and my wife just bought our first house together. We’re currently listening to Silver and Gold as I’m writing this and it makes me wonder: do you have any advice for two 27-year-olds starting the married life?
Best regards,
Leon
Leon:
LOVE ON!
LOVE
Neil
be well
Hi Neil,
I just want to reach out to recommend an awesome experience for you.
This week I went to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Land of Hope and Dreams tour in Chicago. If you have the opportunity, I would strongly recommend trying to attend one of the shows.
The night perfectly encapsulated all of the emotions I feel at the current situation in the USA ranging from rage and frustration to profound disappointment and sadness.
The show was perfectly sequenced and presented a super clear message that this is not normal and it’s on the citizens to turn the tide given that the politicians and courts have all turned a blind eye.
The show presented themes of many of the injustices occurring and gave us several rallying anthems too. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine played with them as well, which was a stellar addition and complement to the songs.
Both my friend and I remarked after the show that it very much reminded us in some ways of your shows in 2025, which were also very therapeutic for us.
The last show on his tour is in Washington DC on May 28th. I know it’d be a haul for you, but I really think you’d be glad for the experience.
Peace and love,
Doug
Thanks Doug
Bruce and the band are dong a great thing here!
LOVE
Neil
be well
Hi Neil
I am I correct in recalling that you will be Touring Europe again next year?
If so will this include Manchester England as this was cancelled this year?
Regards
Jon
Jon
NO TOURS PLANNED AS OF TODAY.
LOVE
Neil
be well
When you recorded the ‘World Record’ album at Shangri-La Studios you accompanied it with a video that chronicled the making of the album.
It was great to see a film of how the record was made.
When you went back to Shangri-La to record the new album ‘Second Song’ did you film any video of the making of the new album?
Harris
Harris,
Yes and it is coming
LOVE
Neil
be well
Hello Neil,
I can’t wait to hear your new album!!
I’m so proud to have been part of your big fan family over the years.
Right now, I’m sitting in my living room with my son, and I see you looking at me from the
“Neil Young—Oceanside Countryside” LP, a beautiful cover that sends me such good vibrations.
But what really amazes me is this letter space that you keep sharing with us it’s a precious gift.
It’s a connection that makes you truly special to me.
Because of your music—a lifetime of music—I sometimes feel you as a friend, sometimes as a brother,
sometimes as a father,
sometimes as a son, and always as a beautiful human being.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
With love,
Gianluca from Italy
Thanks Gianluca
LOVE
Neil
be well
Dear Neil,
Your song declares:
Old man look at my life, 24 and there’s so much more.
. . . . Old man look at my life, I’m a lot like you.
If you could, what would you tell your own 24-year-old self is the meaning of that song? What was it to you then? And today?
Finally, might you be prone to giving any advice to that 24-year-old based on the continuum of the meaning through time and space?
Peace and Love
Your fellow “Old Man!”
Chuck Naughton
Chuck
Just keep doing what you are doing and love others!
LOVE
Neil
be well
Subject: The Slide Rule of Joseph Bonanno: The Engineering DNA of Lionel (1931–1963)
Neil,
I have a piece of Lionel history that represents the literal technical foundation of the “Golden Era.”
It is the personal Keuffel & Esser slide rule of Joseph Bonanno, Lionel’s Chief Engineer from 1945 to 1963. This is the custom-ordered instrument that helped engineer the “Lionel Magic.” It is factory-stamped by K&E with his name: J. L. BONANNO.
The Provenance & Physical Evidence:
The Serial Number: 33279 dates the manufacture to late 1922, perfectly aligning with his freshman year at Stevens Institute of Technology in 1923.
The Personal Inscriptions: Bonanno didn’t just mark this once; he inscribed it twice in the tiny, precise grooves of the rule: “Joseph Bonanno Stevens Institute ’26” and “J. Bonanno Stevens Tech.”
The Case: The original leather case features the word “STEVENS” drafted by hand in meticulous, high-precision block letters—a testament to the drafting skill he would later bring to the Lionel design room.
The Workhorse of the Factory:
Bonanno joined Lionel around 1931. Because an engineer’s slide rule was a lifelong professional companion, there is an incredibly high probability that he carried this exact rule from his college desk directly into the Lionel factory. It was likely on his desk as he designed the innovations we still celebrate today, from Magne-Traction to complex operating accessories.
I have spent countless hours researching this history, but I know that with your archives and resources, you have the ability to verify the final link in this tool’s work history at Lionel. I believe this relic of the “Lionel Brain” belongs in a collection that respects the engineering heroes of the post-war era.
chris breedlove
Thanks Chris
Any pictures?
LOVE
Neil
be well
Very interesting that you recorded the upcoming album with analog & digital masters. I saw you had both John Hanlon & Niko Bolas at your listening party. Did you have to do two independent mixes as well or were you able to do some sort of clever hybrid mixing handling analog & digital at the same time?
Thanks,
Tom
Two separate mixes Tom!
LOVE
Neil
be well
;’
Hi Neil~
Cheers to the new album. Looking forward to some sweet sounds and inspiring messages. We are all so thankful for your music. Thank you for your passion and dedication to assist in the healing of our Mother Earth in these times of change.
Much love,
Linda
Thanks again Linda
LOVE
Neil
be well
Hi Neil, hoping you’re doin’ good. I want to quickly go back to the Harvest-era recordings, linking them to the unreleased versions of “The Bridge” from Island Studios in London in February 1971. I carefully read the story of Harvest in the book that accompanies Joel Bernstein’s 50th anniversary version of the album. Joel writes that, in addition to “The Bridge” and “Dance Dance Dance,” you also recorded another version of “Journey Through the Past” there in London, which is obviously unreleased. So if you add “Alabama” from Quadrafonic and maybe the version of “Words” that you hear while you’re doing the interview with David Myers lying on the lawn, then we’d have a truly complete picture of the sessions. I hope you’re well, and I can’t wait to hear the new studio album.
Stefano from Rome
Stefano
Good idea. Hope I have time!
LOVE
Neil
be well
Good Morning Mr Baker;
Please provide my compliments to Shakey and the NYA brass for providing that awesome video of ‘Free World’ from Jones Beach 2025! Made my day!
J
v
Hey J
Thanks to you!
LOVE
Neil
be well
Hello Neil,
I haven’t written in a while and thought I’d connect. I have always loved everything you’ve done and have been a fan since the Springfield. I had to relay what a great show the recently posted Hamburg show was. Your guitar playing was absolutely stupendous especially On the Beach, Cortez and Don’t Let it Bring you Down. It’s amazing how you can make your guitar playing sound like two or three instruments playing together. Makes an amateur player like myself want to put down the guitar and say why bother when I can listen to you and be awed. I had at one point figured out of the 3 Vicar Street shows which was the show used for the issued DVD but now I’m not sure. As far as I know the entire show with the additional tunes after the Greendale portion have not been posted on the Archives. Hopefully someday we will get to see and hear the songs done on that date.
Thanks again for the great artist you are and your activism for our planet and country.
Love Earth
Roadeye
Roadeye,
Thanks man!
LOVE
Neil
be well