Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
He's lurking.
  

    
Dave, this probably falls in the category of a question about
something missing in the book. But as you're a CSNY expert and have an
overall dedication to documenting their career, I'm curious.

On a recent bootleg of their June 4, 1970 show, I came across the
information that their entire six-night stand there that week was not
only recorded, but filmed. With so much archive stuff coming out on
video and DVD these days, it seems like a carefully culled video
representation of the Fillmore East concerts would be interesting. Do
you know if that material still exists, and whether there might be
plans to issue any of it in the future?
  

    
Hey Richie ... thanks for joining the discussion here ... while none
of the writings in the book include discussion of bootleg recordings,
CSNY's June 1970 run at the Fillmore East is covered in a great Melody
Maker article by Vicki Wickham.

In answer to your question about the whereabouts of video footage from
that concert stand, to the best of my knowledge, Neil Young (or his
Shakey Pictures producer, L.A. Johnson) has it all. Back in the early
'70s, Neil used some snippets from those concerts (a good chunk of
"Southern Man," in particular) in his film, "Journey Through the Past."
Since then, bits and pieces have also turned up VH1 Legends profiles
of Neil and CSNY. 

Like you, I think it would be an excellent idea to release a DVD
featuring "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Live at the Fillmore East,
June 1970." 

As there have been rumblings for two years now of a CSNY 2002 Tour of
America DVD being released, perhaps there could be a CSNY "then and
now" DVD package released featuring CSNY in 1970 on one disc and CSNY
from 2002 on another.

The most recent comments I've heard about the fate of the Tour of
America DVD were from Nash, who essentially said that the release
timing would probably be determined by Neil. 
  

    
lurk....lurk.......
  

    
Whoa, that's a little small-world.
  

    
Dave...

I was driving into work yesterday thinking about your book and
thinking a lot about the cliche "The more things change, the more they
stay the same."

Here we are in 2004, America is entrenched in a war most of us want
nothing to do with (or at least growing numbers of us) in a country
that really doesn't seem to want us there.

We have a president that very few seem to believe and a growing number
of people believe is a liar (I mean, you know, more than the average
politician)...

You could write out this scenario as if your were talking about 1969,
could you not?

Except for one major difference. Back then the musicians spoke to us.
As many have said CSN wrote many songs that spoke for a generation.

I'm not saying there are no longer musicians with that ability, but is
there any longer a vehicle or platform for them to use? I mean if a
group were to write a song about the recent beheading of the American
or of any of the tragedies that have befallen us... the cogs in the
wheel of the machine are just to freaking big to allow a band to cut a
single and have it broadcast within a week, like CSNY did with Ohio,
aren't they?

Croz?
  

    
There's a lot of protest music being made.  I think the difference between
then and now is the structure of radio, and the balkanization of the charts.
In the 60s, there was still a "Hit Parade" that everybody listened to, even
the parents who bitched about all that jungle music.    Now, if you put out
a CD, you have to decide which musical ghetto you're going to sell into.
  

    

Quite true, Rik ... but... I think vehicles and platforms *are* still
there for musicians to comment, through their music, on events, actions
and atrocities of the times ... the Internet, for one thing, and, of
course, the concert stage.  

That said, it probably is true that the chain of action that got
CSNY's single "Ohio" (b/w "Find the Cost of Freedom") into the market
so fast in 1970 would not happen today ... at least not through a major
record company.

Now ... rewinding back a bit to post <98>, Tony ... with regard to
your open call for questions about "favorite parts" or "anything
missing" in 4 Way Street (the book) ... I'll jump into the void here
and admit that something I wish was in the book is more information on
the backgrounds and experiences of the contributing writers and
photograpers.  Given the chance to do this project over again, I most
definitely would have made sure that there was an "About the
Contributors" section, with their credits and remembrances of doing the
interviews with the guys and writing the articles as well as taking
the photographs. I would also have made myself more invisible and axed
the "About the Editor" section.  This book is about *CSNY* through the
eyes of the *contributors* ... of which I am just one.

     
  

    
You know, I disagree with that, waterbrother. With the Internet and
MP3, I think protest songs could end up coming out *faster*.
  

    
The qualifier is "... at least not through a major record company.  And I
 think that's right.

But the sturcture of radio still works against you.  While it's possible to
get an mp3 out to everybody who listens to, say, alt-country-techno-
skatepunk, and get it out almost instantly, nobody outside that subset will
hear it.  When my band was having hits in the 70s, every white kid in the
country was aware of them, like 'em or not.  Now you've got dozens of
pidgeon holes to deal with.   And if you're on a major label, you'll have
to deal with the fact they're not going let you do anything to anger Clear
Channel and friends.
  

    
yes the structure of radio is so segmented and so controlled that if
you did write a truly strong protest song now about any of the main
things that are wrong Clear Channel ( those wonderful boys from Texas )
would not play it EVER .....Ohio got airplay ....so did For What it's
Worth and Chicago and Long Time Gone ....I will bet anyone that my song
They Want It All about Enron and other greedy bastards will not see
the light of day on any radio ....neither will the great one that James
and Nash wrote about Yucca Mt. ...Don't Dig Here ....sure is fun to
sing them live though 
  

    
To that point, if I may share an opinion briefly... 

A musician friend once told me "man, if we had the money we could go
into any studio in america and record a copy of jingle bells. We could
say 'yeah, we have a record' but it doesn't mean anybody is going to
buy it or sell it or even hear it."

Even though the tools are different, I think it still holds true. I
don't care if you've got the biggest baddest computer fully loaded with
the latest version of pro-tools and all the whistles. You can cut a
great song, turn it into an mp3 and post it where ever the hell you
want to... if you don't have a marketing machine behind you, forget
about it.

I'm just sayin'.
  

    



John McLaughlin writes:



Check out FOLKDJ-L, the Internet discussion list for folk-n-bluegrass DJ's.
THose guiys, on NPR, college & community statiunos across the US and areound
the world, are playing the protest music right now. If you havent heard it,
you're not listening, sorry to say. Ketchup - John
  

    

The Beastie Boys had their protest song, "In A World Gone Mad,"
available for free download almost instantaneously, days before the
invasion of Iraq began.

If a major-label artist with enough clout decided to turn out a quick
protest single, I don't think the label would decline to put it out.
Getting it played on Clear Channel stations would be unlikely, but we've
seen recently that being censored by Clear Channel can be something of a
PR bonanza (despite all the talk of being blackballed, the Dixie Chicks
continued to sell out arenas, and their album had a new surge of sales
after an initial drop); and Howard Stern's ratings are suddenly soaring
to new highs since his war with CC and Bush broke out.
  

    
As mentioned briefly before, I'm still hoping more artists, including
CSN, CPR and (the next time they're out) CSNY, will start selling CDs
of DAT recordings of their live shows at venues along the tour trail
... talk about *instant messaging* ...
  

    
Just talked to a couple of guys working with Sonia Dada who say that they
will be doing the same.
  

    

Bob Weir and Ratdog had a cool instant CD program going on their last
tour. You went into the show, went to the merchandise counter, gave 'em
your money and got a wristband. Show is recorded, limited edition of
150 CDs burned. 20 minutes after the last note, line up at merch stand,
trade in your wristband for CDs of the complete show. I heard a couple
of 'em and they sounded great.
  

    
That's the new revenue model.   Bands who sound good live and can produce
good product can exit the old system and do just fine.
  

    
Dave, are there any contemporary singer-songwriters that you think really 
have The Stuff?  Not just good, but spine-tingling?
  

    
The Pixies apparently did that at their sold out show here in Boise.
  

    
Answering Steve's question here ... one contemporary singer-songwriter
who I thought had The Stuff and certainly tingled my spine was Elliott
Smith.  I just loved this songs, his voice, his whole musical
sensibility.  Like many listeners, I got turned onto him listening to
the "Good Will Hunting" soundtrack. The last CD of his that I bought,
Figure 8, also had some real stunners on it, particularly "Somebody I
Used to Know," "Stupidity Tries" and "Bye." I cried when I heard the
news that he died in LA last fall -- ruled a suicide. Very, very
tragic.  

I also love Amiee Mann's songs a lot -- most of which trigger some
deep feelings. I even liked her back in the mid '80s when she was in
the band 'Til Tuesday.  But I think she's a much better singer and
writer now. Her songs on the "Magnolia" soundtrack were quirky
masterpieces.  And her last album, Lost In Space, is superb.  Even
though I already owned it, I bought the CD again in "Special Edition"
format in January because it added a second CD of live performances of
songs like "The Moth" and outtakes (including the wonderful "Nightmare
Girl").  Excellent, natural feels ... it's like when Aimee sings, she's
just exhaling naturally. Nothing sounds forced. An exceptional,
stirring talent.

My favorite contemporary composer is Thomas Newman, who writes a lot
of movie and television music ... My current favorites are his "Six
Feet Under" theme and the score he wrote for HBO's "Angels In America"
(maybe the most brilliantly acted and moving television programming
I've ever seen). He mixes natural instruments with techno sounds in a
way that, to my ears, is definitely The Stuff (though I know he's not
technically a singer-songwriter).

Lastly, my favorite song of the moment ... I must confess ... is
"Clocks" by Coldplay (I picked up the 2004 Grammy nominees CD at Costco
a couple months ago). I've heard the song a hundred times or more and
it still gives me chills.  Have not checked out any other Coldplay
songs yet, but I will, though ...
  

    
<rik> wrote: <<That's the new revenue model.   Bands who sound good
live and can produce good product can exit the old system and do just
fine.>> 
Then <slf> wrote: <<The Pixies apparently did that at their sold out
show here in Boise.>>

My sister and her children, with extended families, have lived in
Idaho Falls since 1979 ... 

Would agree with the idea that the "hear it live and take it home"
could be a new revenue model for many musicians. It could also help cut
into the bootlegger's slice.  That said, there are many archival
recordings that continue to be sold out there ... though, thankfully,
the free "weeding" system among fans seems to be runnin' rampant --
with is a good thing.

When gathering content for 4 Way Street and pouring through the CSNY
Archives maintained by my friend Scott Oxman, I came upon an old "Neil
Young and Friends" vinyl bootleg (with a stamp reading: "Not Made in
the U.S.A") that was a real hoot.  On the cover, with a pencil sketch
of a '70s looking Neil, were the words (mangled): "Neal Yong and Fiends
Greast Hits" On the back was a list of some song titles (seemingly
purposely wrecked), among them: "White King," "Short Time Up,"
"Hopeless," "Yong Boy" and "Plastic Boats."  The music was from the
1974 CSNY tour and the quality actually pretty decent ...



 
  

    
 re: instant recordings - I've heard some venues are offering this to the
performers.  BB Kings club in NYC has it set up to go for any act playing
there.

The June 1970 Fillmore show I saw was just amazing. If the shows were
available for viewing today there shouldbe good interest.  Hoping...
  

    
I'm thinking in terms of "live, plus."   Passing out board recordings is the
low end.   But a subscription service at the show could get a CD mailed to
you that had been gone over for a couple of days by an engineer to bring
up the production values to something closer to a studio release.    I'm
thinking in terms of splitting the difference between a board tape and a
studio recording, where they bring in ringers and spend a month in the
studio.    Just spend a couple of days cleaning it up and getting a clean
mix.

Another possible enhancement would be to add a surcharge to the ticket price
and get a "Best of the Tour" CD in the mail a few months after the show.
This could include video clips, interviews and the kinds of add-ons that
the movie makers use to induce people to buy DVDs of the movie they saw last
month.
  

    
Dave, have you heard of Mark Kozelek, the founder of the Red House
Painters?  He has a new band called Sun Kil Moon, whose new album is
called "Ghosts of the Great Highway."  Kozelek is obviously a huge Neil
fan -- he did a cover of "Midnight on the Bay" for an earlier album that
sounded more like Neil than the Stills/Young version!  I also hear a
certain meditative quality in Mark's best stuff that reminds me of early
Croz.  "Ghosts" was my favorite album of last year, and I'll send you a
link to my favoite recording by him, a solo acoustic version of "Duk Koo
Kim,"  which is featured on "Ghosts" in a full-blown electric apocalypse
Crazy Horse-esque version.  That album is well worth getting -- it sounds 
to me like a fusion of Nick Drake, Neil, and Wilco.  But he's got his own 
thing.