Neil Young asks: “What year is this?”

A legitimate question, as he beat Justin Bieber for ‘Artist of the Year’ at last night’s Juno Awards in Toronto.

“…what can you say? It’s totally incomprehensible that I’m here” said Young, who’s avoided such shows and honours for most of his career, making his first Juno appearance in 29 years.  He was also presented with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award.

Last year, I wrote about Neil receiving a similar honour as “Musicares Person of the Year” at the 2010 Grammys. I also wrote about the black snap shirt and bolo he wore during that entire weekend.….hey, wait a second…..what’s that he’s got on hanging out with those Mounties on the red carpet?

And, here he is two weeks ago, after inducting the “indescribable” Tom Waits into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Readers may recall my post about Neil’s version of Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me”, which also talked about the denim sawtooth shirt he wore for many years.

Last night, last week, and last year, among performers who don’t seem to be able to wear the same thing for more than an hour, Neil demonstrated his dedication to slow fashion and anti-consumer values.  His work for places like The Bridge School and events like Farm Aid also speaks for itself, or, rather to how he sees himself. “To try to do this humanitarian-y kind of thing, you need to look inside yourself,” he said as he accepted the award.

Backstage after the show, he continued to be incredulous about being up against Stratford’s teen phenom Bieber. “I’m in the same category as him — I’m not in the same time zone. It’s some kind of a warp.”

But, 17 yr old fashion icon Biebs seems to be in his own warp, using a recent cover story interview for Vanity Fair as a platform for his right-to-life views. Here’s hoping he had a listen to Neil’s comments about humanitarianism before his next wardrobe change.

Neil Young spends Grammy weekend in a snap shirt

Jack Black hosts the Neil Young tribute

This year’s Grammys were an onslaught of wardobe. While more interesting than the usual red-carpet fare, elevated by Lady Gaga’s “Cher” factor, Beyonce’s array of dresses so odd you don’t know what to make of them, and the rest of the Fergie-Pink-Taylor show, it was a refreshing break to see Stevie Nicks looking great in the goth look that’s dominated her closet since 1975. (worst for her was getting stuck with that duet. it’s ok, I still love you, Stevie)

Stevie Nicks and guest

But, rising above the stylist’s stranglehold on the music business, proving beyond a doubt that his roots are in rock rather than retail was the big 2010 Grammy tribute honoree, Neil Young–wearing the same outfit all weekend.

Neil Young at the MusiCares tribute

It could be Neil’s way of subversively celebrating his hippie beginnings, or being on the cutting edge of the “Bad Blake” influence about to hit fashion, thanks to Jeff Bridges’ role as the washed-up country singer in Crazy Heart. Young’s generally known more for flannel than westernwear, as I said in my earlier post about Neil’s snap shirts in the late 60s and early 70s. It includes couple pictures  of Young in a sawtooth denim shirt. I’ve seen several more if him in what I think is the same shirt, like this one:

Neil Young, 1970

Inspired, I made a new version.

dark denim sawtooth

Like me, as evidenced by the fine example he set during Grammy weekend, Neil Young is clearly a proponent of slow fashion, where clothes are made to be worn for years, not minutes. Here he is with further proof in 1972.

Neil Young, 1972

At his star-studded tribute on Friday (I had no idea Young was Elton John’s role model!) Neil dressed up in a black snap shirt and jacket with a turquoise bolo.

Neil Young, 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year

The next night most of the awards were handed out, including a first for Young, who may have slept in his clothes, and given his bolo to Elton.

Neil Young accepts his first-ever Grammy, for art direction. With collaborators Jenice Heo and Gary Burdon

It’s great to see Neil getting all this recognition in such fine style.  The press has not neglected his historic comments about hating the Grammys. Is it a case of not liking awards till you get one yourself? Is there some correlation between the Grammy tribute hoopla and his upcoming induction into the Order of Canada, an honour Young’s reputedly refused up until now? All he said when accepting his award was an enigmatic,  “Thanks a lot, everybody”.

Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Don Gibson

Bob Dylan often wears western clothes. There will be more about Bob’s wardrobe (and his admiration for Hank Snow) in later posts.  Below, he wears a short jacket with chainstitched flowers at the Greek Theatre with Neil Young in 1988.

Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Berkeley California, 1988.

(the same one worn by Pete Farndon on the cover of Pretenders II)

Pretenders II, 1981

I was looking at more pictures of Neil Young and saw a few of him in snap shirts, like this one with his Gretsch White Falcon in 1969.

Neil Young, 1969

Young’s flannel shirts have become one of his trademarks but back then, he was often seen in a denim sawtooth shirt along with heavily patched jeans, which he wore at the Filmore East in 1970.

Neil Young, Filmore East, 1970

Another of Young’s wardrobe trademarks, the jeans are on the back of his 1970 LP After the Gold Rush.

After the Gold Rush, back cover, 1970

 

All the songs on this seminal record were written by Young except one, “Oh Lonesome Me”, a rearrangement of a 1958 hit by country singer and songwriter “The Sad Poet” Don Gibson. Released as the first single from After the Gold Rush, it failed to chart.

Oh Lonesome Me, Reprise, 1970

Fortunately, the next single, “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” went to number 33 and the album (in spite of Rolling Stone’s bad review)  seems to have done OK.

Young says he worked out his arrangements for “Oh Lonesome Me” while still living in Toronto around 1965 or 66 and  first played it  at The Bohemian Embassy in North Bay, Ontario. He still does it today, the same way. Fans have posted many live versions-the Irish crowd sings along in this one from June 2008. I’ve heard Young chose it because it was the saddest song he could think of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0tp0JpExgA&feature=related

Don Gibson was a country singer known for his songs about loneliness and heartbreak, but not for westernwear or Nudie suits, although he did have at least one.

Don Gibson

In 1957, Gibson was in dire straits, in spite of being signed to RCA by Chet Atkins and Faron Young taking his song “Sweet Dreams” to number 2 the year before. After seven years of failed deals and lacklustre recording he wrote two songs in one day: “Oh Lonesome Me” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You”.  Produced by Atkins,  who had just assumed creative control at RCA, they were released together on a single. “Oh Lonesome Me ” was the first hit recorded at RCA’s brand-new Studio B-number one on the country charts for eight weeks, number seven on the pop charts. It marked the beginning of the reign of the Nashville Sound.

It’s worth checking  Don and Chet out doing the song together in the 1990s. They are both still real hep cats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOEMIm0zMP8

With the Nashville Sound, the recording establishment wanted to leave their hillbilly image behind, and that included the cowboy clothes.

Mel Tillis, Jim Reeves, Don Gibson and BMI rep Frances Williams, 1960

Country music stars started looking more Rat Pack than rodeo. Patsy Cline went from wearing western outfits made by her mother (and later Nudie) to elegant cocktail dresses. A big deal was made of country singers playing Broadway and Carnegie Hall. Johnny Cash was on both charts with “Oh Lonesome Me” in 1960. Five years after it was written, Ray Charles had a major hit with “I Can’t Stop Loving You” in 1962, number one on all the charts, number one of the year. Kitty Wells, Frank Sinatra, Conway Twitty, Van Morrison, Elvis and many others had success with it too. There are many versions of this song on YouTube, I like Don doing it with a great band in Rotterdam, 1979:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c961_zqCUgw

Don Gibson, I Wrote A Song, 1963

Patsy Cline recorded Gibson’s “Sweet Dreams” in early 1963. It was released a few months after her death and in spite of only reaching number five then, it’s now one of her most famous songs, selling millions.

Don Gibson in Studio B

Roy Orbison did a whole album of Gibson’s songs in 1967. Hank Snow, also on RCA, recorded many Gibson numbers (a good one is “A Legend in My Time”) and Gibson did Hank’s “I’m Movin On”.

Johnny Cash covered Gibson’s “Sea of Heartbreak” in 1996, surprisingly late considering he put it on the list of ten essential songs he gave to his daughter Roseanne in 1973, which was the basis for her 2009 album The List (which also includes “I’m Movin’ On”). On it, she sings “Sea of Heartbreak” with Bruce Springsteen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3LSrcKksCo

Too bad I couldn’t find a better view of Johnny’s shirt. Looks like chainstitching.

Rosanne and Johnny Cash

“Oh Lonesome Me” was covered on another big album this year, M Ward’s Hold Time. His arrangement covers Young’s rather than Gibson’s style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shCLfu8Pn5k

Young recorded “Oh Lonesome Me” in 1969 in California, a long way from North Bay, Ontario. Just today it was announced he’s finally being made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Neil Young, 1969