Video: Neil Young - "Johnny Magic"
Another self-made video from Neil's latest distraction, Fork in the Road, due April 7. There's an alternate version of the video available at the Huffington Post. Accusations of lazy songwriting will probably not be abated by this song.
I really like Trans, Everybody's Rockin', and Old Ways, but I won't be buying this album. I even like a lot of Greendale and some of Living with War, so I don't consider myself a fair weather fan. I enjoy Neil's kookiness and crankiness and contrarianism. But this just doesn't sound musically or lyrically interesting enough for me to spend my time on...
Advertisement
Comments
Ugh
Phil and I just made a remarkable discovery. Turns out that if you delete every other line in Neil's lyrics, it ends up being a much cooler song:
Had a way with machines
He met destiny
She was born to run on a Proud Highway
People losing their jobs
Wichita
Where the Motor-Head Messiah was tuning the system in
Johnny Magic, Johnny Magic
Disappearing down Douglas at lightning speed
In Wichita
See? Not bad!
Of course, you have to lop off the whole last half of the song because there's not much you can do with lines like "Now she goes long range on domestic green fuel / 100 miles per gallon is the Continental Rule." But still. Ten lines is plenty of lyrics for a song. Add a badass guitar solo, and repeat.
Neil: we're available if you're interested in hiring an editor. Call us!
This service is open to Ryan Adams as well. We have reasonable rates and offer discounts and a customer loyalty rewards program.
"Neil's latest distraction"
You're spot on, as always, Jake. Any excuse not to release the Archives. Sigh.
Ain't got no T-bone, got mashed potatoes!
Gentlemen please.....the single thread that makes Neil such a keeper is that his wave is always changing, never hitting the beach the same way twice......sometimes good, sometimes not so good, but you can always count on another wave coming.....you can either surf it or sit on your board in the sand....but its out there nonetheless...