by Jim McGuinn, Program Director and Host, Y-Rock on XPN

Neil Young remains a true icon and artist. Sure, there were about 15 years in the wilderness interrupted by only occasional glimpses of genius, but overall, I can think of no artist who has time and again re-defined himself and his music in so many ways, leading us as listeners down incredible paths and journeys. From his early work with the Buffalo Springfield, it was apparent that Neil Young was writing songs that were timeless – songs that still inspire and motivate. He won my vote for favorite artist on last year’s 885 Countdown, thanks to an incredible and diverse canon including Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Goldrush, Harvest, Tonight’s the Night, On the Beach, Zuma, Rust Never Sleeps, Ragged Glory, dozens of minor masterpieces, and even a new ‘old’ concert album that could end up being my favorite record of 2007, Live at Massey Hall. I’ll take his primitively emotive guitar work over the flash of technique any day, and similarly, prefer his singer-songwriter works to his more famous contemporaries. And there’s his quote about wanting to head for the ditch as soon as he had his first ‘middle-of-the-road’ hit, because the view was a lot more interesting. THAT is the attitude that keeps me there through his many missteps too – the fact that he’s had a 40-year career by treating his career as anything but. I’ve seen him do solo shows that hushed thousands, and also push crowds to frenzy with his ability to build intensity on epic guitar jams like “Down By the River.” I met him once, backstage after a Crazy Horse show, and it was one of those Chris Farley moments, when there’s really nothing you can say to a hero. Except maybe “Thanks.”

Neil Young “Out on the Weekend,” 1971, recorded for the BBC.