Friday Night Music Byte

Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1995 and also as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997.

Young’s work is characterized by deeply personal lyrics, distinctive guitar work, and signature tenor singing voice. Although he accompanies himself on several different instruments—including piano and harmonica, his clawhammeracoustic guitar style and often idiosyncratic electric guitar soloing are the linchpins of a sometimes ragged, sometimes polished sound. Although Young has experimented widely with differing music styles, including swing, jazz, rockabilly, blues, and electronic music throughout a varied career, his best known work usually falls into either of two distinct styles: acoustic folk/country (“Heart of Gold”, “Harvest Moon” and “Old Man”) and electric-charged hard rock (like “Cinnamon Girl”, “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”). In recent years, Young has adopted elements from newer styles like industrial, alternative country and grunge. Young’s profound influence on the latter caused some to dub him “the Godfather of Grunge”.

Although Young has lived in northern California since the 1970s and sings as frequently about U.S. themes and subjects as he does about his native country, he retains Canadian citizenship, which he has never wanted to relinquish.

In 1978 Young  set out on the lengthy “Rust Never Sleeps” tour, in which each concert was divided into a solo acoustic set and an electric set with Crazy Horse. Much of the electric set was later seen as a response to punk rock’s burgeoning popularity. “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” compared the changing public perception of Johnny Rotten with that of the recently deceased Elvis Presley, who himself had once been disparaged as a dangerous influence only to later become an icon. Rotten, meanwhile, returned the favour by playing one of Young’s records on a London radio show. The accompanying albums Rust Never Sleeps (new material, culled from live recordings, but featuring studio overdubs) and Live Rust (a mixture of old and new, and a genuine concert recording) captured the two sides of the concerts, with solo acoustic songs on side A, and fierce, uptempo, electric songs on side B. A movie version of the concerts, also called Rust Never Sleeps (1979), was directed by Young under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey. Young worked with rock artist Jim Evans to create the poster art for the film, using the “Star Wars” Jawas as a theme.”

Please enjoy this terrific clip from the film Rust Never Sleeps in which Neil Young and Crazy Horse perform a great rendition of “Like A Hurricane“.

Here’s To You, Mr. Robertson!

There is a special place in Hell reserved for Pat Robertson. If you do not believe that, simply take a closer look at some of his vile quotes above. Those statements alone reveal this alleged “Man of God” to be a misogynistic, gay hating, racist, murder plotting  sorry excuse for a human being. And that is being kind.

He added to his hit-list of hate filled quotes this week while commenting upon the recent Haitian earthquake which killed thousands and left millions more clinging to existence. Did he offer sympathy? Did he offer prayer? No, he laid blame for the natural disaster on the victims thereof. He said they deserved what they got because their forefathers had made a pact with the Devil. Here are his words:

Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French … and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French’. True story. And so the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal.’ They kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got themselves free. Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. [Haitians] need to have a great turning to God, and out of this tragedy, I’m optimistic something good may come,

Nothing more need be said about the very reverend Pat Robertson, except maybe today’s very topical song parody. Please enjoy.

Remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with the song parody.

Mrs. Robinson song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlTn5xnozE

MR. ROBERTSON

(sung to the Simon and Garfunkel song “Mrs. Robinson”)

And here’s to you, dear Pat Robertson
Jesus loathes you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
You’re a disease, Mr. Robertson
You are a disgrace to those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey…hey, hey, hey)

The things you said of Haitians expose you as someone vile
You need some help to learn to help yourself
How do you believe you’ll fare when you’re before God’s eyes?
I think Satan’s hounds,  will make you feel at home

And here’s to you, dear Pat Robertson
Jesus loathes you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
Down on your knees, Mr. Robertson
Beg forgiveness for the things you say
(Hey, hey, hey…hey, hey, hey)

You are in a deep dark place where only sinners go
Blaming all those victims for their heartaches
Please keep your intolerance out of their sad affairs
Most of all, don’t pin the blame on those poor kids

Here’s shame on you, Mr. Robertson
Jesus loathes you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
And won’t you please, Mr. Robertson
Take your hate and quickly fade away?
(Hey, hey, hey…hey, hey, hey)

You’re a preaching joker every Sunday afternoon
Blaming the Haitians for the earthquake
And there is no doubt about it
You don’t have a clue
Ev’ry way I look at it, you lose

Your mind has gone and now you should go
Our nation does not need a jerk like you (Woo, woo, woo)
What’s that you say, Mr. Robertson?
Fox News tells you what they want you to say?
(Hey, hey, hey…hey, hey, hey)