Music Fact #16: Fell asleep and woke up today with Neil Young’s Heart Of Gold (on Harvest, 1972). Great song, great ‘instructions’ for boosting your day. Makes you wanna cross the ocean for a heart of gold..

Perhaps it’s the hat and jacket, or perhaps it’s the way he holds his guitar with his right elbow resting on the body, while his left leg is bent sticking out sideways; Jimmy Fallon perfects imitating Neil Young’s distinctive lankiness from the early 1970s. As he strums the basic chords a “Heart of Gold”-style harmonica solo plays. Suddenly this imposter Young starts sweetly singing “a story all about how, his life got flip-turned upside down” and tells how he became the Prince of Bel-Air. In stark contrast to the carefree and fast talking way Will Smith rapped, Fallon hits the right tone by perfectly portraying Neil Young’s typical melancholic vocals–but without it being overbearing.

Jimmy Fallon never really came off as a character actor who could get the job done back in the days when SNL still had decent skits. Instead, he always appeared the same with his nervous, annoying-looking motions and his laughing at every joke in every skit. Perhaps having his own talk-show suits him better, so that most of the time he doesn’t have be a character. That is unless he’s got the right costume on to hide behind; which is one of many reasons why his impersonation of classic rock legend Neil Young performing Will Smith’s “Prince of Bel-Air” is so brilliant.

Both Neil Young and Jimmy Fallon have got the street cred to walk on my street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan any day now!

–Charlie Weeks

My current music obsession…

Here’s another video from last Thursday’s karaoke session. It involves Neil Young:

I would gather that “Rockin’ in the Free World” would also be an excellent karaoke jam.

UPDATE – AUCTION HERE: http://myworld.ebay.com/iowajulz/

Attention Art Lovers!

You may know the story of Manie, the baby born with Transposition of the Great Arteries (video link – see also: footage of Manie crying after his air tube was removed – mom unable to hold him as a newborn -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHuCMcnihj8). The family has a case pending against GSK for Manie’s heart defect caused by Paxil, a case which is not moving quickly… and medical travel expenses for Manie are hitting the family hard.

Currently dad Russell is looking for work and Julie is unable to work due to caring for Manie and her other kids. The family is now auctioning off some of their artwork. Check back for updates and additional photos, paintings, and other artwork being submitted for auction.

Ten percent of the sales will be donated back to the UNITE / MADNAP cause for public awareness to help save other babies. For more information on how we utilize donations send an email to amy@uniteforlife.org.

To donate commissioned artwork or other goods to this auction, contact Julie & Russell at give2manie@yahoo.com.

We welcome artwork by children or adults, professional or not. Any other items you would like to donate to the family for an auction, as well as direct monetary donations, are appreciated. The auction will most likely run on eBay through December 25.

Here are some samples of the amazing artwork by Julie & Russell (stay tuned for updates):

Who’s America

http://wp.me/phViU-vK

Tattoo

http://wp.me/shViU-tattoo

Happy birthday to one of the best singer-songwriters to ever come out of Canada.

Posted by Garvey

Happy birthday Neil Young.

il est toujours fascinant de constater à quel point Neil Young est brillant aussi bien dans la douceur que dans le bruit. mais il y a une logique là-dedans, il s’agit d’exprimer un sentiment, une sensibilité: que ce soit la douceur, donc, ou quelque chose de plus rageur ne change finalement rien à l’affaire.

en tout cas, c’est énorme.

vive Neil Young, et vivement son prochain passage par ici (ou ailleurs).

bien @ vous,

nicogé

Neste programa, os grandes caipiras da música mundial, que desde os anos 60 influenciam não as festas de rodeio, mas o bom e velho rock n’ roll.

Bloco 1

Bloco 2

PLAYLIST DA SEMANA – CAIPIRAS

#1
“Girl From The Notrh Country”
BOB DYLAN
Ouça: The Freewhellin’ Bob Dylan (1963)

#2
“Ranger’s Command”
WOODY GUTHRIE
Veja este raro clipe de 1945, AQUI

#3
“Handle With Care”
THE TRAVELIN WILBURYS
Ouça: Travelin Wilburys (1988)

#4
“Blue Yodel N0. 1 (T For Texas)”
JIMMIE RODGERS
Veja este raro clipe, AQUI

#5
“For What It’s Worth”
BUFALLO SPRINGFIELD
Ouça: Buffalo Springfield (1967)

Veja o clipe

#6
“Mr Soul”
BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD
Ouça: Buffalo Springfield Again (1967)

Veja o clipe

#7
“The Emperor Of  Wyoming”
NEIL YOUNG
Ouça: Neil Young (1968)

#8

“Down By The River”
CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG
Veja a apresentação desta música, no Music Scene Tv Show (1969), AQUI

#9

“Wasn’t Born To Follow”
THE BYRDS
Ouça: The Notorious Byrds Brothers (1968)

#10
“Heart Of Gold”
NEIL YOUNG
Ouça: Harvest (1972)

Veja o clipe

#11
“Comes a Time”
NEIL YOUNG
Ouça: Comes a Time (1978)

Veja o clipe

# MUITO BOM, MUITO FODA, TOCOU DEMAIS!

“Bad Moon Rising”
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
(1969) Johnny Cash Show

*Assista também às imperdíveis entrevistas de Louis Armstrong e Roy Orbison no Johnny Cash Show.

*DISCOGRAFIA – NEIL YOUNG
Para acessar e ouvir a discografia completa de Neil Young, clique AQUI

LISTA DE BANDAS RELACIONADAS

- Grateful Dead
- Ten Years After
- Country Joe & The Fish
- Steve Seasick
- Cat Stevens
- Bruce Springsteen
- Monsters of Folk
- Kings of Leon
- The Band
- The Broken Family Band
- The Derek Trucks Band
- Ernie Chaffin
- Fraternity of Man
- Roger McGuinn
- Willy Mason
- Yusuf Islam

I had my 35 week appointment yesterday, and I was very much NOT expecting to hear that I’m anywhere close to labor.  I was expecting to have at least five more weeks — the car seat is still in the box, I don’t have a bag packed, nothing’s washed …  there’s a LOT left to do. 

Quick stats (from what I remember — I think there are probably little bits of my brain still in the exam room from where my head exploded after hearing the doc tell me all that):

• gained (according to their scale) 4 lb in two weeks
• blood pressure still fine, I didn’t ask what it was or peek in my file
• got my strep B swab, so won’t know results for a little while
• his heartbeat is 140ish; it bounced between 139 and 150 depending on where she was holding the doppler
• I didn’t even ask what my fundal height was, he measured me but had already told me about the dilation so I was in shock
• the boy is head down; doctor said that he’ll probably have no problem fitting through my pelvis since he could already feel the skull
• and I know I should have asked about effacement, but he didn’t tell and I didn’t think about it at the time

Manly was/is thinking that this past weekend may have contributed to the dilation.  I took Friday off and we worked on getting the nursery to be, well, a nursery instead of an office.  We have a split level house, and I ended up carrying all my 47 billion textbooks downstairs, which required a whole lotta trips up and down the stairs.   A long afternoon, and I was definitely feeling it in my calves and sweating by the time we were done.  Then Saturday we went on a Ghost Walk downtown — it wasn’t a really long trip, maybe a few miles spread out over 2 1/2 hours, but still a good clip.  Sunday I went to both Sam’s and the grocery store to get stuff (another few hours on my feet).  And finally on Monday, we drove up to Chattanooga and spent the day at the Aquarium.  We went through both buildings, as well as walking around the plaza to eat lunch, go to the fudge shop, and stop by Ben & Jerry’s. 

I think that all that walking probably didn’t slow anything down, but I also feel like this probably was already in motion.  After my appointment, I went back to work.  Right before I left last night, I ran to the potty and … bloody show.  Which I know could have been triggered by the internal exam, but still another little sign that things are moving along.  Much less today — only tinged mucus, but at the same time, it feels like he’s beginning to engage.  My groin just aches, like someone kicked me in the crotch.  I had a dentist appointment today, and I can’t tell you how good it felt to be tipped backward while they were cleaning my teeth.  All that weight just lifted out of my hips and pelvis, and it felt comfortable for the first time in a while.  I hadn’t noticed how unpleasant I was feeling since it’s been gradually increasing over the last few weeks, but sitting back up after that, I realized how much pressure I’m actually feeling down there.  My left leg actually kind of feels like it wants to have a muscle cramp in my thigh, but never quite gets there.  Which makes me suspicious that there’s some pressure on my spine or tailbone hitting those nerves.  I’m not having any contractions per se, but I keep getting these rather sharp cramps/pains in my lower abs.  Which dr. google says could be braxton-hicks, or could be someone irritated at my position and punching me in my internal organs.  It’s hard to tell.

So now I’m about to get up and go wash some more clothes and get my bag packed for the hospital just in case.  It’s a day at a time now, from my point of view — even the doctor said yesterday that I could go into labor that night (obviously not) or I could walk around for weeks like I was (dear god, please no, I understand now why people WANT to go into labor to make the discomfort go away).  Either way, I’ll keep somebody in the loop and if something happens, that’s why text messages were invented.  So thanks everybody for the good thoughts!

This song, from a 1971 Neil Young concert, combines two awesometastic Neil Young songs, Man Needs A Maid and Heart Of Gold. Spotify.

Heart of Gold

It turns out that the expression “Heart of Gold” has a biological basis.  The highest concentration of gold in humans is found around the heart.  Because of this, a radio-isotope of gold has been developed (the Au-195 isotope), which can give an image of the blood-containing structures within the heart, a process called ‘heart-imaging’ or “radio imaging”.

Año de Publicación: 1972
Nacionalidad: Canadá
Discográfica: Reprise
Producción: N. Young, E.Mazer, J. Nitzsche & H. Lewy

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Lista de temas:

01 Out On The Weekend

02 Harvest

03 A Man Needs A Maid

04 Heart Of Gold

05 Are You Ready For The Country

06 Old Man

07 There’s A World

08 Alabama

09 The Needle And The Damage Done

10 Words (Between The Lines Of Age)

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“Heart Of Gold“

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“Old Man“

Neil Percival Young, de la Orden de Manitoba (no es coña) es un tipo que ha experimentado con todos los instrumentos que hay y con todos los géneros, pero seguramente su faceta más conocida es la folk – acústica de este Heart of Gold. Bueno, también está su versión más dura en temas como “Cinnamon Girl” o “Rockin’ in the Free World“, hasta el punto de que han llegado a llamarle el “padrino del grunge” (Pearl Jam fueron su banda de sesión para el disco Mirror Ball…)

Momento tierno: Neil es diabético, epiléptico, y además con 6 años cogió la polio (es esa cosa de la que te vacunan de pequeño) y por eso el hombre cojea un poco. Empezó a tocar muy joven, con una banda llamada The Squires, que tuvo algo de éxito a nivel local, el suficiente para empezar a conocer a otros músicos, como por ejemplo Stephen Stills. Con él y con Richie Furay y Dewey Martin hicieron un grupo llamado Buffalo Springfield. Con los que sacó un disco homónimo en 1967, donde se incluía el hit For What It’s Worth, que os puede sonar de la banda sonora de Forrest Gump, por ejemplo.

Llegaron a grabar otro album ese mismo año, Buffalo Springfield Again, pero realmente era un disco en solitario de Neil, porque los miembros del grupo casi ni se hablaban. Para acabar el contrato tuvieron que hacer deprisa y sin ganas un último disco, Last Time Around (1968). Parece que no hicieron las paces: cuando les metieron en el Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, en 1997, Young no fue con ellos (a él le incluyeron el 1995 como artista en solitario).

Neil sacó su primer disco en soliatario ese mismo año, Neil Young, y para el segundo, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, reclutó a una banda llamada The Rockets: Danny Whitten, Billy Talbot y Ralph Molina aunque Young prefirió llamarlos Crazy Horse.

Tras esto, se unió a su ex colega Stills en la banda Crosby, Stills, & Nash, con la condición de que añadieran su apellido al nombre. De ahí nació un discazo, Déjà Vu (1970) pero no dejaron atrás las broncas que habían tenido en Buffalo Springfield.

Como no puede parar quieto, además publicó su tercer disco en solitario, After the Gold Rush, donde también colabora Stills, no sabemos muy bien por qué. En este trabajo se incluye, además de Cinnamon Girl, “Southern Man,” sobre el racismo imperante en el sur de los Estados Unidos, y que inspiró a Lynyrd Skynyrd a responderle musicalmente con un tema que a lo mejor os suena: Sweet Home Alabama.

Al final, sin otra banda en la que le quisieran (Crazy Horse estaban tocando por su cuenta), sacó otro disco en solitario en 1972, con unos músicos de sesión folk reunidos por su productor a los que llamó The Stray Gators. Ese disco era Harvest y ahí estaba Heart of Gold, que fue su primer (y único hasta hoy) número 1. Además en este álbum colaboran Crosby, Stills y Nash, aunque sus partes fueron grabadas en otro estudio, en Nueva York.

Heart of Gold es la 297ª mejor canción de la historia según Rolling Stone. Yo creo que es mejor. Los coros son de James Taylor y Linda Ronstadt, que estaban en Nashville para salir en el programa de televisión de otro conocido, Johnny Cash.

Os dejo la versión original y una rareza: la versión de Roxette en directo.

Neil Young

Roxette

I want to live,
I want to give
I’ve been a miner
for a heart of gold.
It’s these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching
for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.
Keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.

I’ve been to Hollywood
I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean
for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind,
it’s such a fine line
That keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.
Keeps me searching
for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old.

Keep me searching
for a heart of gold
You keep me searching
for a heart of gold
And I’m growing old.
I’ve been a miner
for a heart of gold.

Por alguna razón creo que en los aeropuertos siempre hay historias, ya saben, para se contadas. Desde el o la que espera a la novia/o, esposo/a, amante, o los que por alguna razón se quedaron varados en el aeropuerto sin donde dormir mas que el frío suelo o los que esperan a esos parientes que no han visto en un chingo de tiempo o en algunos casos, los que se van a despedir de alguien que no esperan ver en un buen rato. Y en casos mas extremos aquellos que tienen que ir por un accidente aerea

Pero en general ir a un aeropuerto como que siempre da lo que es la nostalgia ¿o no? En alguna ocasión me toco ver a una familia como de 15 personas esperando a alguien, ya saben todos emocionados, y todos esperando para dar el beso y el abrazo al ser querido. Hace unos dias fui al Aeropuerto y me toco ver a un señor con el ramo de flores, y todo el desmadre, no pude mas que pensar: “haaaaa que lindo” mi lado femenino afloró muy cabrón, hasta diría que me preocupo un poco (ojo mi lado femenino tiene VERGA).

Pero bueno, por alguna razón siempre me pongo en mood de escuchar esta gran canción del Sr. Neil Young, cuando ando de viaje, piquen y disfruten.

Heart of Gold

]]> http://sharah.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/we-have-a-gendered-pronoun/ Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:55:13 +0000 sharah http://sharah.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/we-have-a-gendered-pronoun/

… and “it” is now a “BOY”!

Sorry for the wait, this week has been insane.  But the ultrasound Tuesday went fantastically.  We walked in, I laid down, and then had to get Manly to take out my belly-button stud for me (for the record, no one told me ahead of time).  That done, I got some rather warm gel slathered on my belly and the nurse set the wand-thingy down on my stomach. 

And immediately asked if we wanted to know the sex.

Apparently our little one was laid out all spread-eagle and showing off.  I will confess right here that I STILL don’t know what she was looking at — I even have a printout with an arrow, but all I see is a head and some shadows. 

Everything else was “normal”.  I didn’t bother to get any measurements, because, eh, I really don’t care.  They won’t mean anything to me anyway.  Did get to hear the heartbeat again, but since she did it with the ultrasound I didn’t get told the count.  And the machine is estimating that the baby weighs about 15 oz at the moment.  The one thing about the whole experience (imagine me giving you an accusing look here) is that NO ONE told me that the technician would hit a frequency that would make my baby suddenly turn into Jack Skellington on the screen!  It’s kind of disconcerting to be thinking, “aw – that might be foot … no a nose” and then suddenly your baby turns into a jumble of vertebrae and ribs.  Which is cool and all, you know, that he has the correct skeletal structure, but really?  Kind of a sudden surprise.

Everyone has asked if we started crying at the moment, but no, we were both just so happy … we were laughing and joking with the technician, and it was just really beautiful.  Now later that night, when Manly laid his head down in my lap and snuggled his cheek up against my belly, yeah, I lost it a little.

The next question on everyone’s mind seems to be if we have a name yet, which we do — and we’re about 90% sure that it will be the final name.  But much as I love y’all, I’m not broadcasting it out to the internets.  Just accept that it’s very traditional and combines two family names.  It still seems strange to actually call him by that name though — we are still talking about “he” or “the baby” or “your baby.”  I think it will be a while before I can make it through the transition to an individual inside of me.

And now I’m off to go attend another friend’s surprise 30th bday party — we had one last weekend too, and at least 4 more before the year is over.  Y’all have a safe weekend!

Manly’s grandfather passed away two weekends ago.  I never actually got to know him; he had Alzheimers, and it was already fairly advanced when we met.  I think he spoke to me once, but I could always tell that he never really grasped who I was and why I was there.  Almost all of Manly’s family came to town, and I can’t begin to describe how happy it makes all of them that I’m pregnant.  They are 2nd/3rd generation Americans, and many of their values are still traditional Italian values — big families, lots of babies, lots of food, and good red wine are enough to make any family gathering a memory.  I don’t think I’ve ever said, but Manly is the oldest of 5 and his father is one of 9.  The quote that keeps coming back to me that just breaks my heart is one from Manly’s aunt.  She had two children from a previous marriage and her oldest asked Granpa once (he was four at the time), “Whose grandfather are you?”  He answered, “I’m everyone’s grandfather, and I’m yours too.”  We had both been hoping that grandpa would still be alive when the baby came, and I cannot help but feel SO guilty that it is MY fault that Manly won’t be able to take our child to go see him.  If only…

I’ve been feeling the baby kicking for about 3 weeks now.  He/she/it is actually flickering against the edge of my laptop right now.  I will admit, I will frequently call Manly mid-afternoon just to share that the baby is moving around.  He’s ready to be able to feel him/her as well.  In one of our barely-awake, just-before-falling-asleep in bed conversations recently, he admitted that it’s still a little hard for him to feel connected since there’s no physical symptom other than my expanding waistline.  I love it though that he will rest his hand on my belly when we’re out together or as we curl up for bed.

Next Tuesday we find out whether the baby is a he or a she.  Everyone who has voiced their opinion so far has said “boy” — so much so that we both have admitted that it’s hard to think of the possibility of having a girl.  We’ve even picked out a name for a boy already, so if it’s not, um, we have some rethinking to do.

We have a crib and a mattress, way earlier than we thought we would.  Our order was supposed to be delivered the last weekend of July, so we haven’t even started clearing out the office yet.  And before we do that, we’re putting in new carpet and painting downstairs.  Have I mentioned that we haven’t ordered the carpet yet?  Oh yeah, we’re all on top of this organization thing.

I had my “16″ week appointment last week at 17w2d.  I had (at that point) gained 5 lb, my blood pressure was fine, and the baby’s heartbeat a lovely 158 bpm.  I’m set for an ultrasound and my “20″ week appointment at the end of June, when I’ll actually be a little over 21 weeks.  I think I’ve been feeling the baby move a little; it’s sporadic and very faint, but it’s there.  Maybe.  Or it may be my imagination.  And I was brave enough today to call the hospital and ask about childbirth classes, although I didn’t make it to the point of actually registering for one yet.

And now, for everyone’s favorite — all the bullet points of ideas that I don’t have the time/interest/motivation to delve deeply into, but are interesting to me:

• All of my recently-become-mother friends, when I complain or ask about something, are all “Oh yeah, that happened to me too and it sucked!”  But they NEVER warn me ahead of time.  I’ve started wondering if they simply don’t remember until I remind them.
• I am very much over this whole eating thing.  I’m tired of it.  I’m tired of being hungry and yet so indecisive that I can’t figure out what to eat.  This morning, I wanted a snack by the time I got to work, realized I had forgotten my lunch on the coffee table, and just about lost it.  And it wasn’t like it was anything special that I really wanted, or that I didn’t have snacks in the office, or that I couldn’t leave at lunch to get something else.  I’m just so TIRED of having to deal with food.
• It really sucks to start losing your mind, and yet be self-aware enough to know it’s happening.  See above comment about lunch — I knew rationally that it wasn’t worth getting upset over, and yet I was barely able to not start bawling in the parking lot.
• I just started sleeping with a body pillow (just the regular rectangle kind that I’ve had since I was in college), and the past few nights have been good.  Manly says I’m not tossing and turning as much, and I feel like I’m sleeping much deeper.  I think part of my problem has been that I like to sleep on my stomach and that’s starting to be uncomfortable.  Also, I highly recommend the tempur.pedic mattress; it has been SO good to lay down and have my back completely supported.
• I am starting to really get worried about work.  Not that I’m worried about keeping my job, I’m worried about how all the things we already have under contract will get done with me out for mat. leave.  We’re interviewing and trying to find someone for me to train as an addition to our team, but time is so short that there’s no way they will be completely up to speed and capable without me there.   And I REALLY don’t want to be working any while I’m technically on leave, but I’m beginning to think that that may not be a possibility.  Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t so invested in my job, but I love the work and I love the people I work with, and I know exactly where the extra work will fall with me gone, and I already feel bad about that.
• We ordered our crib and we really need to get cracking on getting the furniture moved out of that room.  I think the only other thing we’re going to buy is a rug; we’re getting Manly’s rocking chair from his parents’ house and the chest of drawers from my parents’ and will refinish as needed.

———–

PS — don’t tell Manly, but I would totally have Chris Osgood’s babies if I had the opportunity.

Expresii cu GOLD

as good as gold * cuminte ca un îngeraş (despre copii sau animale domestice)
a heart of gold * o înima de aur
worth its weight in gold * extrem de valoros

A continuación tenéis la crónica del grandioso concierto que Neil Young ofreció el pasado domingo en San Sebastián, una experiencia realmente inolvidable.

Ayer domingo mi amigo y yo llegamos a las inmediaciones del Velódromo de Anoeta 10 minutos antes de que se abriesen las puertas. Para entonces había ya una cola de unos 150 metros, que no se fue enpequeñeciendo hasta que se abrió la entrada al público con unos 10 minutos de retraso. Como anécdota comentar que había un grupo medio secta medio religión repartiendo folletos con mensajes típicos sobre que ellos tienen la respuesta y tal y cual y que nos entretuvieron a los de la cola bailando durante unos minutos.

Al entrar al velódromo, ya con camiseta de Neil incluida, nos abastecimos de un par de bocadillos de tortilla para no perder fuerzas durante la noche e inmediatamente bajamos a la pista, donde mejor se vive un concierto. A esa hora todavía no había mucha gente, lo cual nos permitió colocarnos a uno 15 metros del escenario, teniendo una excelente visión sobre él durante todo el recital. Tras unos minutos de espera, saltó al escenario la telonera, Rebeca Jiménez acompñada de un guitarra y otro que al cajón. Lo primero que hizo fue agradecer la oportunidad de abrir un concierto de Neil Young y desear a todos que disfrutásemos de él, tras lo cual empezó su actuación. Estuvo bien, pero no será nada que recuerde por mucho tiempo.

Llegaron las nueve y media, hora a la que en teoría iba a comenzar el concierto, pero allí los operarios seguían con su trabajo, como un cuarto de hora antes. A las diez menos cuarto, algunos ya empezaron a impacientarse, pero todos empezamos a aplaudir cuando el viejo maestro salió de la parte izquierda del escenario acompañado de su “Electric Band”. Vestía de una forma muy humilde: tejanos y camisa a caudros abierta sobre una camiseta de Emiliano Zapata. Sin más dilación, empezaron a sonar los acordes de “Mansion on the Hill”, una gran canción del gran disco que Neil publicó con los Crazy Horse en 1990, “Ragged Glory”. La euforia se desató entre todo el público, en especial en la parte delantera donde nos encontrábamos. Tras la primera descarga de adrenalina, vino la mítica “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”, cuya ausencia en algunos conciertos de esta gira me preocupaba, pero que hizo su magnífica aparición el otro día en el Velódromo. Cuando la sucia guitarra de Neil empezó a tocar la famosísima canción, todos empezamos a enloquecer y muchos coreamos la mítica letra. Sin duda, uno de los mejores y más intensos momentos de la noche.

Después llegó la bonita “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, del homónimo disco de 1969, que fue también muy bien recibida en la parte delantera donde nos encontrábamos. Este álbum fue uno de los álbumes que más temas aportó al setlist junto con “Harvest”. “Pocahontas”, también del disco “Rust Never Sleeps”, el mismo que “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”, calmó un poco la pasión rockera desatada hasta ese momento y “Spirit Road” hizo que la cosa se tranquilizase un poco más aunque todos cantasemos el estribillo con muchas ganas. Pero una épica “Cortez the Killer” nos hizo entrar en calor de nuevo, una canción realmente emocionante donde los solos del maestro Mr. Young inundaron los oídos de todos los asistentes. Una potentísima “Cinnamon Girl” cogió el testigo y terminó la primera parte del concierto con muchísima energía.

Y el recital entró de lleno en su parte acústica, comenzando por “Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)”, que Neil interpretó con el hammond que había en la parte trasera del escenario. Después de este himno ecologista, llegó el turno de “The Needle and the Damage Done”, que tocó estando sólo él con su guitarra sobre el escenario. “Goin’ Back” y “Unknown Legend” continuaron la sesión acústica, está con el estribillo coreado por todos: “Somewhere on a desert highway, she rides a Harley Davidson…”. Finalmente, dos de sus canciones más conocidas, “Heart of Gold” y “Old Man”, finalizaron la parte intermedia del recital. Ambas fueron cantadas a viva voz por prácticamente todo el público.

“Get Back to the Country”, del álbum Country “Old Ways” de los ochenta, inició la tercera y última parte del concierto, ya de nuevo con la guitarra eléctrica. El siguiente tema, “Down by the River”, fue también sin ninguna duda uno de los mejores momentos del concierto, con largos solos de Young intercalados entre las partes vocales. Después llegó el momento de presentar un par de canciones del nuevo disco “Fork in the Road”. Las elegidas fueron la aceptable “Get Behind the Wheel” y la realmente bonita “Just Singing a Song”. Ésta última con la mujer de Young (en sus propias palabras, “my lovely wife”) en los coros.

Tras finalizar “Just Singing a Song” todo el Velódromo se quedó en silencio. Quizás era la hora de una de las mejores y más conocidas canciones del canadiense, la canción que en parte lo hizo reflotar tras los altibajos de la década de los ochenta. Sí, era la hora de “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Muchos de los del público lo dimos todo en la canción, saltando y gritando como posesos. La canción se alargó alrededor de minuto y medio, repitiendo el estribillo. Grandioso.

Tras esto, todos se retiraron del escenario. Sin embargo, nadie del público hizo lo propio, ya que todos estábamos bien informados de que Neil Young ofrece un bis en todos los conciertos de esta gira. Normalmente suele ser una versión, bien el “A Day in the Life” de The Beatles o bien “All Along the Watchtower”, compuesto por Bob Dylan y popularizado por Jimi Hendrix. Pero no, esta vez no. Esta vez la canción elegida no fue ninguna de esas dos, sino la perla que un servidor deseaba con todas sus fuerzas fuese interpretada en el concierto: “Like a Hurricane”. Impresionante. Espectacular. Sublime. Inolvidable.

It’s late… I should go to bed and so I shall, right after I write this.

I’m writing this now because I just read a breathtaking interview from the king of the ice.

See, I don’t know how much you two people who are reading this blog are interested in this wonder of a man, but I know I had a huge crush on him when I was young and I still admire him to bits.

So today I’m totally recommending his latest interview… An interview we could all learn from. His words are breathtaking. It can be found here.

I never had much access to him or his work, except for the Skating World Championships, when I got to see him on tv (didn’t even manage to get his autobiography called Heart and soul, although I really wanted to read it, but I’m gonna try and order it somehow, and I also hope I can get the cd eventually. Can’t wait to hear him sing).

Yet I so admired him and his style. After he quit amateur skating, I never watched the championships again. There was nobody like Elvis Stojko and he had been robbed of what was his to own.

Stojko was a phenomenon and I’m really glad to hear he’s going back to skating. It’s a shame the world didn’t understand his work.

As for me… If I ever have a kid, I’d surely not name him Elvis, in spite of being a fan of Elvis Presley and Elvis Stojko. I wouldn’t name him that because I think it nobody deserves the Elvis name. And because I think it’s a burden for the one who wears it… As far as I’m concerned, anyone with that name has to be completely outstanding. However Elvis Stojko managed to be just that – outstanding. He never failed his name. And for that I again bow.

I’ll post one quote, in regards to how he thinks people should respond to men skating, a quote that left me breathless and reminded me of his performances: ”Wow, look at the strength, look at the power, look at the energy, look at the clarity of movement.”

You have them all, Elvis!  You are amazing! Good luck with whatever it is that you plan on doing next. I’m sure you’ll succeed.

And one other quote from his website: “As soon as I got home I sat down with the only person I had left, the last person I thought would know what to do, but I was desperate… I sat down in front of the mirror… I sat down with Elvis.“

Gorgeously said and done!

Ladies and gents… I give you… Elvis Stojko (take a look at his website too, it’s really good). A champion, a winner, a bloke who always went his own way, a philosopher with a heart of gold, a man who dared to dream the impossible dream… An inspiration: