@AirplayBeats reacts to Neil Young - Southern Man Like comment and subscribe patreon.com/user?u=81569817 Airplay Beats 3609 Bradshaw Rd Ste H #337 Sacramento, CA 95827 Www.Airplaybeats.com
Just a scathing indictment of civil rights injustices, the KKK, lynchings and the turmoil in the South in the 50s and 60s. Neil had big balls to write and sing this burner. He risked alienating many in the Southern cities but he's truly a man of principle. I love the guy. A true music icon and legend from the mid 60s through now, still going. Almost 60 years of a musical legacy.
Neil Young is NOT afraid to speak about the Darker Side of life in most of his music. Great example is: Down by the River or The Needle and the Damage Done.
Made me proud as a Canadian that he wrote this. Always disliked Lynard Skynard for telling him to mind his own business. "Black Day in July" by the late Legend Gordon Lightfoot is another great song about injustice that never received enough attention.
Neil is all about justice and freedom except when you happen to want to listen to Joe Rogan, then Neil wants to restrict your freedom to listen to Joe's podcasts. Neil told Spotify to remove his music if they didn't censor Rogan. Fortunately, Spotify told Neil to go to Hell and choose Free Speech over censorship.
Neil at his very best. Perfect storytelling or should I say wishful thinking of a change or a right done wrong. You can feel the pain and suffering in the music!A legendary album as well!
Being a Canadian, Neil Young observed U.S. racism from a distance, before he moved there. Next you should play the response to this in "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
This was 1970, Neil released Alabama in 1972, and then Skynyrd responded to both songs with Sweet Home Alabama. Alabama is arguably the best song of the three. And Sweet Home was no 'clap back'. It was a pathetic response really. They would've been better off not responding at all.
So you are confirming that his IS holier-than-thou. Known that for almost 50 years. If he would just bathe once and while. The hippie still don't believe in doing it. Unreal.
I just wish he would stay out of health care. He is kind of out there. .He probably thinks Trudeau is doing a great job .Hey , Hey , my ,my, get. your clotshot or you're gonna die.
Never the one to shy away from subjects others believe to be taboo. Neil has no problem pointing out injustice of any kind and making it sound great! If you ever want an album to do a full review I'm casting my vote for After the Goldrush.
Beautifully ugly. No one is going to place Neil on their favorite vocalist list but man they should. I dig his singing so much. Famously broke a string in the middle of the solo and the break you hear before he starts up again is him switching to a different guitar and ripping right back in. Great, great record. Maybe my favorite song by him. He’s always on the brink of falling over a cliff on this but fearlessly keeps on while balancing on a knife’s edge. He is an amazing artist.
Fella's check out the 13 minute live version he did of this song with Crosby Stills & Nash on the album 4 Way Street. Guarantee you won't be disappointed
Neil Young has some bangers for sure, and his lyrics are often, like here, pretty hard-hitting. Sometimes, again like here, he overshoots to make a valid point, but it's better than silence. "Ohio" is another such classic. "Cinammon Girl" GROOVES, and the fuzzy guitar tone is to die for. "Rockin In The Free World" is as angry (and yet inspiring in some ways) as you'll hear him, which is saying a lot, and as rocking as he can get, also saying a lot.
Went to school in Canada, listened to *a lot* of Neil Young. Recommend "Old Man" "Like a Hurricane" and "Down by the River" or "Cowgirl in the Sand" for some insane, insane electric guitar.
Neil Young is another of my favorites. Great guitarist, on both electric and acoustic, genius songwriter, great pianist, great pump organ player, and a lot more. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen him. But my favorite was when he was on tour with his band Crazy Horse around 1996. He loves jamming with that group of friends. He was jumping up and down for two and a half hours, mostly rocking hard. Great show. And it opened with Patti Smith, another great singer songwriter. At some point, I encourage you to play something from his 30th album, “Le Noise”! A great hard rock version of him from 2010, almost 50 years after he began performing in Canada. Thanks for playing this. As usual, you guys are great. Thanks.
Fun fact: Nils Lofgren, a much respected recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist played the piano on this song. Lofgren, was, at the time, only 17 and a guitarist who had virtually no experience playing piano. He reportedly practiced his parts around the clock and during breaks in recording.
Yeah Nils and the drummer Ralph Molina came up with the part on the spot while all the others took a lunch break...Nils played acordian from a very young age, was an award winner with that instrument as a kid, so the keys translated for him
what a track, what an album. after the gold rush is his best album ( in my opinion ) this track is pure raw , never gets old . all my best to you and yours from liverpool
Neil's guitar lyrics and vocals are always underrated. This tune has a flow and social commentary from way back in the day. Love Neil Young, I hope y'all look at some of his work like KEEP ON ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD and LIKE A HURRICANE, CORTEZ THE KILLER.
Neil Young expresses his anger through his guitar so effectively. He addresses this subject again on Alabama (from Harvest). And of course Lynyrd Skynyrd answers Neil on Sweet Home Alabama.
DOWN BY THE RIVER and CORTEZ THE KILLER are must reacts. They are some of the best work in Neil Young's catalog. Cortez in partis like a portrait in slow motion. Enjoy
Awesome choice, this and his song 'Alabama' are what got Neil name-checked in the opening verse of 'Sweet Home Alabama', although he and the boys from Lynyrd Synyrd were actually good friends. Fun fact on this one - the great little piano riff was actually played by Nils Lofgren, a guitarist - he showed up for the session and Neil told him he wanted Nils to play piano instead. Nils was surprised, but sat down and quickly had this part figured out - can't imagine the song any differently. Oh, and nothing else in the world sounds like a Neil Young guitar solo 😎.Another great reaction - peace and love from Canada!
I put this song in the same playlist as "Ohio" by CSNY for intensity and incisive guitar/lyrics...they've lost none of their bite after all these years...
Something that always tripped me out, Rick James and Niel Young were very good friends, band mates and roommates. To me they were polar opposites. That's what made their friendship work.
Canadian here. Thanks for the reaction guys, Neil is a legend up here. You might want to try 'Cortez the killer', 'Powderfinger' or 'Albequerque' next. Cheers!
Always say it, Neil Young is The MAN. And as a native Canadian, he is a great American. Lyrically one of his strongest songs, that caused a mild rift in his career, but Neil quickly recovered and made friends with the guys in Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Neil and Ronnie Van Zant would wear each others T shirts at concerts, just to show there was no hard feelings. Neil is still active, he released an album called "Barn" last year.
You heard this, so you must now listen to Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynard. They mention this song in it. Neil Young is so awesome. Fellow Canadian !
For the twits here who don't have a clue... Ronnie Van Zant: “We wrote ‘Alabama’ as a joke. We didn’t even think about it - the words just came out that way. We just laughed like hell, and said ‘Ain’t that funny’. We love Neil Young, we love his music.” Neil Young: “I think “Sweet Home Alabama” is a great song. I’ve actually performed it live a couple of times myself. My own song “Alabama” richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record. I don’t like my words when I listen to it today.” Not only were Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young tremendous fans of each other’s work, there were actually plans to collaborate on “Powderfinger,” written by Young specifically for Lynyrd Skynyrd shortly before the October 20, 1977 crash that ultimately claimed the lives of Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie Gaines, and Steve Gaines. In the weeks after the crash, Neil extended his deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and paid tribute to Ronnie Van Zant at a Miami, Florida benefit concert with “Alabama” and a brief segue into Van Zant’s own “Sweet Home Alabama”
Ronnie Van Zant wears a Neil Young Tshirt on Skynyrd's last album cover for Street Survivors. The feud is a myth. Although Skynyrd didn't know the song was about Lillie Belle Allen when they mentioned it. Skynyrd's response was to Young's song Alabama off of Young's Harvest album but Skynyrd mentions Southern Man because it was a hit single .. the line "Sweet Home Alabama" is in response specifically to Young's song Alabama. Alabama is another great Young song, one of his many amazing deep cuts.
@@alphajava761 yep. It always cracks me up when people think Sweet Home Alabama was a response to Southern Man when Neil has a scathing song titled Alabama. I mean....it's quite the clue. 🤣
@@benjammin7729 not a bad opinion but I think it's warranted. It's generally considered light ridicule. And seeing as how it was aimed at people who are obviously triggered by the song and the artist and are here to express their uneducated opinions using their keyboards, I guess twit from the keyboard will do.
For anyone else who might want to chime in....I'm a southern man and the song was never about me. The only people I've ever known who think this song is about them have been the one's the song is about. I've found that's the way things usually work.
Absolute classic that’s become part of our lexicon. I suggest for his hard side, react to “Cinnamon Girl” or “Down By The River”, and for perhaps the softest, most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, his 90’s hit “HARVEST MOON”; it’s angelic.
I think it's Nils Lofgren on piano, He plays or has played alot with Bruce Spingsteen. Neil especially requested Nils to play piano on this one, He had a hunch about it. Nils said He hadn't played piano for years but after some practice in the studio He got the Piano down just like Neil had envisioned by making it into kind of like a Polka-beat. Lynyrd Skynyrd later replied to this song with the mega-hit 'Sweet Home Alabama' since 'Southern Men' is on the theme of rasicm in general and racism in the south in particular :)
Now Neil was from Canada and back in the day this bass player from the U.S. was avoiding the Vietnam Draft by heading across the border. He runs into Neil and they become roommates and are in a band together called The Mynah Birds. The bass player was Rick James. Ain't that funky? Plus I was at the game against San Diego where Mookie hit a lead off HR that hit more than halfway up the foul pole. Great shirt.
Southern man ,Bad just doent stereo type them all the same, Thats like saying all Irish peoples are Drunk, Niel played a tribute to Sweet home down in Miami ❤
Great call guys! Such a powerful song! Great reaction! Between Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Neil Young solo and Neil Young and Crazy Horse, rarely disappointed. So much really great music, always a great writer, unique guitar player, even the most recent Crazy Horse albums, I love them!!
This song speaks for itself. His song Alabama from the Harvest album speaks to the same issue, the Jim Crow South. These two songs were mentioned in Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama.
As a Testament to his ability/talent Young wrote Cowgirl in the Sand, Down by the River and Cinnamon Girl back to back to back while lying in bed with 102° fever. I also encourage you to watch his live performances of Like a Hurricane and Cortez the Killer.
I was very curious about your reaction to this song..written by a Canadian…I like the version from 4 Way Street, CSNY, which is a long jam (about 20 mins) …there is a phrase in Lynard Skynard song, Sweet Home Alabama that has a rebuke to this song, which I found interesting as all I ever got from this was a listenable jam…your allusion to Black Sabbath was very interesting and insightful! Thanks for that…Cheers
So seeing the many comments below, I''m responding as someone who lived through this era as a teenager in the the 70's and was blessed with such great creative music. With that said Neil Young and many of his contemporaries were very political in their music and this song is a statement from him. Now, what is awesome is that the legendary seminal Southern Rock band Lynryd Skynyrd pushed back with their iconic song Sweet Home Alabama. Read the lyrics. They gently pushed back. And the great thing that almost nobody knows about it that Neal Young and the Skynyrd original band members became friends and respected each other. That's what are is all about IMHO. Push the boundaries and respect.
I've never considered how early Neil was playing his guitar like this. While this is nothing as revolutionary or inventive as Sabbath is, it is still quite remarkable to consider this period of rock. In the course of a couple of years we went from the loveable mop-top "Hold Your Hand" Beatles to stuff like this, Sabbath, Hendrix, Purple, etc etc etc. The dark and ugly side of rock exploded fast, in every concievable direction, and it's still moving and evolving today. A true musical Big Bang those late 60s were.
People always thought that Bob Dylan was a protest singer, he never was, he told stories. Neil young was. Great tune and so is "Down by the river "give it a go, you will love it 🔥🇬🇧👍
Thanks guys. I actually heard this song for the first time recently and was blown away. A new side of Neil Young I hadn't seen. Even without the subject matter I think it really kicks, and I especially like the guitar at the end.
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama" Well I heard Mr. Young sing about her Well I heard old Neil put her down Well I hope Neil Young will remember A southern man don't need him around anyhow
