Cary
10-19-2007, 07:40 AM
Its midnight in Boise, and my wake up call is four hours away. The early flite will get Garrison to school on time, and I won’t have to take a vacation day. Ran into some old friends, including NoMojo, who posts on this site from time to time. We used to crew on as sailboat together in SoCal, one that won more than its share of races. Sour-graped competitors said we handicapped well. It was good to see you, Markus. Lets go fishing soon.
Neil opened his Chrome Dream II tour tonite at Boise State, putting on a half and half show that, as near as I could tell, only had three cuts from his new release. The acoustic set was solo, Neil and six guitars, with Hank’s D-28, tuned one step down, getting most of the play. The set opened with Hank to Hendrix, with a few interruptions to tune the high strings. Next came a rarity that I’ve never seen live, one of my favorites. Ambulance Blues. Entrancing, that one. Harvest got a lot of play, with Man Needs a Maid, Harvest, and Heart of Gold, with the four chords he made famous in ‘72 ringing out of the D-45. Garrison sang along, word for word. Other scarcities included Campaigner, played on a D-28, standard tuning capo’d on the second fret, and Mellow My Mind on the banjo.
Neil was talkative tonight. Seems after the aneurism, he has more to say that “How ya doin?”
Intermission
The electric set took the roof of with The Loner, Neil led on a vintage gold top Les Paul while Keith busted rhythm on a Tele (’59?). ‘Ol Black was unsheathed on Everybody Knows… that song is 40 years old… A new cut, Dirty Old Man followed, sounds like something that would have fit well in the Catalyst shows. Rough around the edges, catchy, and single note ear-spitting riffs. Another new cut, Spirit Road, played on a solid Cherry Les Paul, one I haven’t seen Neil play before. Unlike ‘ol Black, this one seemed to stay in tune, perhaps because the tailpiece is sans the Bixby wah wah.
Rick the bass man Rosas, and Ralph Molina competed the band. I guess Billy and Pancho are waxing carrots this tour.
The Gretch White Falcon was unleashed on Bad Fog of Loneliness, another song written in the late 60s or early 70s, and one I saw Neil play during his acoustic set at RedRocks in 2000, and has yet to appear on any studio release. Winterlong followed, then the Gretch was cased.
Hank was put into play, capo’d on the fifth, for Oh Lonesome Me. It sung the high notes with grace, Hank would have been proud. Another new cut, The Believer. The set ended with the thundering No Hidden Path, a 25 minute 12 verse (?) reminiscent of crossing Cowgirl with Crime in the City. ‘Ol Black was rode hard, screaming out a vociferous lead with full use of the Bixby tailpiece. Edgy, powerfully fuzzy, and brilliant. A perfect contrast to Keith’s springy, bright rhythm on the Tele.
Encore 1 – Cinnamon Girl, with Dueling vintage Les Pauls. Keith on the gold top, and Neil with ‘Ol Black. Commanding, raucous, distorted, and the descending base line that you can’t help but mimic with some sort of overbite-ridden, squinted facial expression.
Encore 2 – TtN. Bruce was channeled. Late at night when the people were there we heard him pick up Neil’s guitar, and heard that shaky, shaky voice.
So, we had Harvest, On the Beach, Harvest Moon, Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, TTN, Decade, and After the Goldrush in the room, and it was all it should have been.
Neil opened his Chrome Dream II tour tonite at Boise State, putting on a half and half show that, as near as I could tell, only had three cuts from his new release. The acoustic set was solo, Neil and six guitars, with Hank’s D-28, tuned one step down, getting most of the play. The set opened with Hank to Hendrix, with a few interruptions to tune the high strings. Next came a rarity that I’ve never seen live, one of my favorites. Ambulance Blues. Entrancing, that one. Harvest got a lot of play, with Man Needs a Maid, Harvest, and Heart of Gold, with the four chords he made famous in ‘72 ringing out of the D-45. Garrison sang along, word for word. Other scarcities included Campaigner, played on a D-28, standard tuning capo’d on the second fret, and Mellow My Mind on the banjo.
Neil was talkative tonight. Seems after the aneurism, he has more to say that “How ya doin?”
Intermission
The electric set took the roof of with The Loner, Neil led on a vintage gold top Les Paul while Keith busted rhythm on a Tele (’59?). ‘Ol Black was unsheathed on Everybody Knows… that song is 40 years old… A new cut, Dirty Old Man followed, sounds like something that would have fit well in the Catalyst shows. Rough around the edges, catchy, and single note ear-spitting riffs. Another new cut, Spirit Road, played on a solid Cherry Les Paul, one I haven’t seen Neil play before. Unlike ‘ol Black, this one seemed to stay in tune, perhaps because the tailpiece is sans the Bixby wah wah.
Rick the bass man Rosas, and Ralph Molina competed the band. I guess Billy and Pancho are waxing carrots this tour.
The Gretch White Falcon was unleashed on Bad Fog of Loneliness, another song written in the late 60s or early 70s, and one I saw Neil play during his acoustic set at RedRocks in 2000, and has yet to appear on any studio release. Winterlong followed, then the Gretch was cased.
Hank was put into play, capo’d on the fifth, for Oh Lonesome Me. It sung the high notes with grace, Hank would have been proud. Another new cut, The Believer. The set ended with the thundering No Hidden Path, a 25 minute 12 verse (?) reminiscent of crossing Cowgirl with Crime in the City. ‘Ol Black was rode hard, screaming out a vociferous lead with full use of the Bixby tailpiece. Edgy, powerfully fuzzy, and brilliant. A perfect contrast to Keith’s springy, bright rhythm on the Tele.
Encore 1 – Cinnamon Girl, with Dueling vintage Les Pauls. Keith on the gold top, and Neil with ‘Ol Black. Commanding, raucous, distorted, and the descending base line that you can’t help but mimic with some sort of overbite-ridden, squinted facial expression.
Encore 2 – TtN. Bruce was channeled. Late at night when the people were there we heard him pick up Neil’s guitar, and heard that shaky, shaky voice.
So, we had Harvest, On the Beach, Harvest Moon, Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, TTN, Decade, and After the Goldrush in the room, and it was all it should have been.