He may have become perpetually grumpy, but he’s got a heart of gold.
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Almost 70 now, Neil Young has become an old man who forged a sense of musical consciousness onto the nation for the past five decades.
A Canadian songwriter and musician, Neil Young moved to California in 1966 where he co-founded the band Buffalo Springfield, later joining Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969.
He forged a successful and acclaimed solo career, releasing his first album in 1968; his career has since spanned over 50 years and 35 studio albums, with a continual and uncompromising exploration of musical styles. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website describes Young as “one of rock and roll’s greatest songwriters and performers of all time.”
Young’s work is characterized by his distinctive guitar work, deeply personal lyrics and signature alto or high tenor singing voice. While Young has experimented with different music styles, his best known work usually falls into two primary styles: acoustic folk and country rock, and electric hard rock.
Although he accompanies himself on several different instruments including piano and harmonica, his stylistic electric and clawhammer acoustic guitar playing are the defining characteristics of a varyingly ragged and melodic sound.
An outspoken advocate for environmental issues and the welfare of small farmers, Young co-founded the Farm Aid benefit concert in 1985. A year later, Young helped found The Bridge School, an educational organization for children with severe verbal and physical disabilities and performing at its annual supporting Bridge School Benefit concerts.
Young lives on his ranch in La Honda, Northern California, with his three children: sons Zeke and Ben, who were diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and daughter Amber Jean who, like Young himself, has epilepsy.
Old Man is a song written and performed by Young on his 1972 album Harvest. It was written for the caretaker of the Northern California Broken Arrow Ranch, which Young purchased for $350,000 in 1970. Comparing a young man’s life to that of an old man’s, the song underscores that the young man has, to some extent, the same needs as the old one.
Heart Of Gold is also a song included on Harvest. Young’s only U.S. #1 single, it originally featured the backup vocals of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt and is one of a series of soft acoustic pieces which were written partly as a result of a back injury. Unable to stand for long periods of time, Young could not play his electric guitar—so returned to his acoustic guitar which he could play sitting down.
His message for us all? Keep searching for that heart of gold.
by Skippy Massey
This post originally appeared at the Humboldt Sentinel. Reprinted with permission.
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Photo: Getty Images