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I just rode the subway with Neil Young

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by The Big Ragu, Jan 7, 2008.

  1. ifilus

    ifilus Well-Known Member

    As I recall, Young says in the book 'Shakey' that he made "Trans" in an effort to better communicate with his son, who was born with cerebral palsy. He'd been inspired to experiment with electronics when he discovered that using a vocoder elicited a response from the boy.
     
  2. friend of the friendless

    friend of the friendless Active Member

    Sirs, Madames,

    For a time I moved into Scott Young's old job at the Globe and Mail. Off in London for the under-17s the other day I found a copy of his "The Leafs I Knew" (1966).

    Story that I've recounted here before: I was sitting in a cafe and working away on a feature about the business of the Leafs in 1988 (I was just a struggling freelancer then) when Scott Young walked in. At that very moment I had on my person a library copy of Heaven and Hell in the NHL. I went up to him and asked if he'd sign it ... probably the goofiest signing he ever did. He eevn personalized it: "To the borrower, Best Wishes, Scott Young." I had a few conversations with him years after and he loved that story. He was a hard case by some accounts and less of a father than Neil was a son--but then again, Neil was very kind to his father late in his life. And Neil has turned into the spitting image of his father.

    YD&OHS, etc
     
  3. I read that someplace. Had I known that in '82, I might not have loathed "Trans" quite as much.

    What stops me from being a big fan of his is his voice -- it gets on my nerves after a while. I guess the good thing about "Trans" is that you can't really complain about that.
     
  4. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Ha. Do you really imagine me to be a cross between Mr. Magoo and a Howard Stern whack job? This isn't the first time you have characterized me that way, you know!

    You did make me reflect on the fact that yesterday I ran 13.5 miles in the morning and rode the subway with Neil Young in the afternoon. The way my life has been going, that is a damned good day. I may have peaked. I'm thinking about ending it all, because really, where do I go from here?
     
  5. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Liza in LaGuardia.
     
  6. Bill Brasky

    Bill Brasky Active Member

    I'm jealous of you. I probably wouldn't have been able to speak, or I would have blurted out something silly, like "OhmyGod.I'mahugefan.CinnamonGirlisthegreatestsongeverwritten!Yourethebestguitarplayerever."
     
  7. cranberry

    cranberry Well-Known Member

    I was beginning to think Neil was losing his fastball following his brain aneurysm and the melancholy Prairie Wind movie that followed it. But I was pleasantly surprised with the new Chrome Dreams cd, which I'm enjoying quite a bit. Acoustic and electric sets were great in the show I saw at the United Palace last month, too. As an aside, the Palace is a magnificent venue for any New York area folks who get a chance to see a show there.
     
  8. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    He seemed pretty sharp. And he came off as really happy-go-lucky. Laughed, and even kind of slumped over and giggled at something. He does have a face and body that looks like it has been put through a lot, though. It might be a little bit that he has a young person's demeanor, so you lose sight of the fact that he is kind of old.
     
  9. cortez

    cortez Member

    "Word, words, between the subway lines.''
     
  10. beardpuller

    beardpuller Active Member

    In the mid-90s I attended the NHL awards ceremony in Toronto because a player from the team I covered got an award. Neil Young was there, with his father, but not anywhere near where I was most of the night.
    Finally, when I was done filing my story, I was walking out when I saw Neil and his dad right in front of me. Neil was giving an animated recap of his encounter with a FOX exec at the ceremony ... FOX was broadcasting the NHL then, and was using these cheesy robot graphics to liven up the presentation, which was considered new and innovative at the time. Neil was telling his dad how he ripped the FOX guy a new one because of the stupid FOXbots. I had maybe a minute before our paths diverged to quicken my pace and say hello, but they were so obviously engaged with one another, it seemed like an intrusion. I let 'em get away, never saying anything.
    It was an opportunity I'll probably never have again, but on the other hand, if I'd interrupted and come off like a dick, I probably would regret that more.
     
  11. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    Old man lying by the side of the road
    With the lorries rolling by
     
  12. patchs

    patchs Active Member

    This could start a new thread, celebrity transportation sightings.
    I rode an Amtrak train with James Taylor and a plane with Franco Harris.
    When I saw Harris at the gate, I knew this would be a safe flight.
    When was the last time a celebrity died in a commercial plane crash?
    Ragu, that was a cool story. Did anyone else besides you and that other guy realize who it was?
     
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