# Neil Young’s guitar playing?



## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

A lot of people can’t stand his solos. They are little different. He goes his own way. You can’t say he lacks skills. This is a virtuoso performance, just him and a big hollowbody guitar. If I was able to emulate any tone and style this would be it. The first couple of minutes are him talking. If you’re not into that skip over it to the song.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

He's a badass. Nothing wrong with that.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

I've never had a problem with Neil's playing, he has always had great taste in gear and a gnarly tone. His voice is not my favourite but to each his own. That being said, I didn't like that performance, hopefully it was a free concert and not a paid production


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

He played by himself in his hometown here in Ontario last year and I'm pretty sure he didn't use a pick. I like playing without a pick myself so it made me feel less like a no pick playing loser. Anyone else like playing without a pick?


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

vadsy said:


> I've never had a problem with Neil's playing, he has always had great taste in gear and a gnarly tone. His voice is not my favourite but to each his own. That being said, I didn't like that performance, hopefully it was a free concert and not a paid production


I disagree on the performance. Not many could play a hollowbody with that tone, sing at the same time, without a backing band. Acoustic singer/songwriter is hard enough. With an electric, at least for me, it is very hard to pull off. I’ve done it once at an outdoor venue with a semi hollow. There is no room for mistakes. It was very scary. With a band behind you it is much easier to hide the mistakes like open strings ringing out, misplaced fretting fingers muting strings that should be played etc. A hollowbody by itself you hear every mistake.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Saw NY several years ago in London and thought he played very well. His tone was superb, articulate, dialed in to maybe three distinct tones with variables that seemed to be fingers. His catalogue is huge with a lot of variety in style, which says to me that he’s very versatile.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The summer of 1970, I was writing for a small music tabloid in Montreal that promoter Donald K. Donald was bankrolling. I did mostly album reviews, and got a LOT of free albums that summer (some of which I still have). It was also the summer that the Kent State killings occurred. Like many, I went down to the U.S. Consulate, with former CHOM DJ Angus McKay (who also worked on the magazine), on Dr. Penfield Avenue (then with a different Anglo name, was it McTavish?) to protest, until they turned the fire hoses on us. It was a big crowd and since we weren't the first to arrive, we were at the rear of the crowd, so we didn't get sprayed. 

That autumn, exhausted from all the free albums I had to review that were not my first choice, I bought Young's "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" with my own money, and spent many an hour that autumn playing along to that album in my room, trying to emulate his tone and feel. He's not a highly technical player, but he knows how to go for broke. Some of the live Youtubes of "Cortez the Killer" may strike one as excessively long, but on closer inspection he manages to build melodic solos in a methodical way that maintains your interest. Not flashy, just sincerely emotional. He also knows how to use the butt of his picking hand to restrict sustain in useful ways, which he clearly demonstrates here. Maybe it's just something you have to work on when you play a big hollowbody that is always at risk of feeding back if you let things ring out too long.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Saw Neil in Barrie one year (Molson Park?) a long time ago. Anyway, it was an all day thing with bands. Screaming Trees, See Spot Run, Jewel, etc. etc. Then Oasis came on and then Neil headlined the show with Crazy Horse. IMHO, Neil WAS the show. Stunning performance. A bunch of electric tunes, then him solo with the acoustic, then more with the band, a few more acoustic numbers, then the band joined him again. Had to have been 4 encores. He rocked the place. A real icon of the music industry.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

He played at my first high school dance in 1963. Small mining town in Northern Ontario. With the Squires. They came in the hearse (_Long May You Run_).

My little teenage mind was blown. I didn't know the guitar could be played higher up the neck than the nut. I talked to him. I still like some of his songs in spite of his annoying celebrity-saviour persona.

I liked the performance you posted @Kerry Brown. I didn't think much about the incident at the time and I was quite surprised at my "square" parents outrage. "You don't shoot kids!"


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## JHall55 (Dec 6, 2016)

Jim DaddyO said:


> Saw Neil in Barrie one year (Molson Park?) a long time ago. Anyway, it was an all day thing with bands. Screaming Trees, See Spot Run, Jewel, etc. etc. Then Oasis came on and then Neil headlined the show with Crazy Horse. IMHO, Neil WAS the show. Stunning performance. A bunch of electric tunes, then him solo with the acoustic, then more with the band, a few more acoustic numbers, then the band joined him again. Had to have been 4 encores. He rocked the place. A real icon of the music industry.


That was an awesome show. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

Jim DaddyO said:


> Saw Neil in Barrie one year (Molson Park?) a long time ago. Anyway, it was an all day thing with bands. Screaming Trees, See Spot Run, Jewel, etc. etc. Then Oasis came on and then Neil headlined the show with Crazy Horse. IMHO, Neil WAS the show. Stunning performance. A bunch of electric tunes, then him solo with the acoustic, then more with the band, a few more acoustic numbers, then the band joined him again. Had to have been 4 encores. He rocked the place. A real icon of the music industry.


08/31/96. I was at that concert as well. I normally have a good memory but don't recall much about it.


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## YaReMi (Mar 9, 2006)

I love Neil's guitar playing. Learned a lot from him, specially on an acoustic (no pick!). 
I like his syncopated strumming like in _Cowgirl in the Sand _- acoustic version from Live at Massey Hall or 4 Way Street with CSNY. I like his overdriven electric tone and solos in _Powderfinger_ or _Southern Man_ or many more...
Thanks to Neil I never use a pick on an acoustic. Hitting strings down with fingernails is not as precise of course but that's the beauty of this style.
I love Neil's guitar playing.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I was always a big NY fan, although I will admit to being turned off in later years by his annoying celebrity-saviour persona as mentioned by @KapnKrunch.

He always puts on a good show.


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## jfk911 (May 23, 2008)

I'm a bit younger and didn't get into Neil Young until my late 20's, currently 34. There is just something about his raw passion and song writing that just amazes me. He can take something that is seemingly quite simple and make it a master piece. As of late i have been influenced by his playing and even my 7 year old asks to Listen to some Neil Young. A couple weeks ago my kids asked to look at a picture of Neil to which they responded "ohh, Grandpas cuter"


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Jim DaddyO said:


> Saw Neil in Barrie one year (Molson Park?) a long time ago. Anyway, it was an all day thing with bands. Screaming Trees, See Spot Run, Jewel, etc. etc. Then Oasis came on and then Neil headlined the show with Crazy Horse. IMHO, Neil WAS the show. Stunning performance. A bunch of electric tunes, then him solo with the acoustic, then more with the band, a few more acoustic numbers, then the band joined him again. Had to have been 4 encores. He rocked the place. A real icon of the music industry.


I was there too, and I was there only to see Neil (even though we sat through all the other bands). It seemed like that was the same for most of the people there as well judging by how much bigger the crowed got when Neil and Crazy Horse came out. 

That's still my all time favourite show. I think they played for a solid three hours. The only song they didn't do that I wanted to hear was Cowgirl in the Sand, but I heard everything else I wanted to hear, so I was good. 

Here's the set list from the show: 

Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) / Pocahontas / Big Time / Slip Away / The Needle And The Damage Done / Helpless / Heart Of Gold / Sugar Mountain / Cinnamon Girl / F*!#in' Up / Cortez The Killer / Music Arcade / Like A Hurricane // Sedan Delivery / Tonight's The Night / Roll Another Number (For The Road) // Prisoners Of Rock 'n' Roll / Rockin' In The Free World


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## YaReMi (Mar 9, 2006)

Kerry Brown said:


> A lot of people can’t stand his solos. They are little different. He goes his own way. You can’t say he lacks skills. This is a virtuoso performance, just him and a big hollowbody guitar. If I was able to emulate any tone and style this would be it. The first couple of minutes are him talking. If you’re not into that skip over it to the song.


I just watched the video you posted in the beginning. Playing solo on a distorted guitar and this syncopated rhythm that I mentioned and like so much .. love it. Great topic!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I've seen Neil Young live twice--completely different periods & styles--bti enjoyed both.

I think he is seriously underrated as an acoustic guitarist--and even on the electric guitar.
He's written some great riffs and he has been a huge influence on y playing.
Cowgirl in the Sand, T-Bone and Hey Hey My My are etched into me as far as feel and just going for it--and not worrying about technique.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

His work with Crazy Horse is an obvious beginning of the Grunge era, long before Grunge was a concept.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

zontar said:


> I've seen Neil Young live twice--completely different periods & styles--bti enjoyed both.
> 
> I think he is seriously underrated as an acoustic guitarist--and even on the electric guitar.
> He's written some greta riffs and he has been a huge influence on y playing.
> Cowgirl in the Sand, T-Bone and Hey Hey My My are etched into me as far as feel and just going for it--and not worrying about technique.


Many critics have noted how Greta Van Fleet copies Led Zeppelin a lot. But if Neil is doing Greta riffs, does that mean he's *really* trying to copy Jimmy Page?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I love Neil Young's writing. I love his acoustic work.

I don't enjoy his electric guitar style. I think he's an amazing talent and that's just the way he likes to play. It just doesn't appeal to me and that's ok.

There's no explaining it.


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## mick.335 (Sep 23, 2020)

My guitar teacher in the 70s asked me "is there a style you'd like to emulate". I said "Neil Young". He said "why would you want to play like that?" I replied with one word "crunchy". He didn't get it.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

I didn't "get" Neil Young until I saw a couple of things:

1) I saw him play "No More" on SNL. His solo during that song sounded like his singing. It was a bit ragged, but somehow right.
2) I heard a live recording of "Old Man." I had thought he was a weak singer until that. He sounded like he always does, but with _power_.

I should also mention that I think "Harvest Moon" is a wonderful song.

I weighed in on a debate over the solo in "Cinnamon Girl" at another guitar site. Someone said it was a lousy solo, and I said that it was perfect for the song, and asked what they would play in it's place. I submit that there isn't anything else you could play there that would work better.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

I love listening to his music and his conversations...I especially like his take on analog to digital conversion...a focused man.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Rollin Hand said:


> I didn't "get" Neil Young until I saw a couple of things:
> 
> 1) I saw him play "No More" on SNL. His solo during that song sounded like his singing. It was a bit ragged, but somehow right.
> 2) I heard a live recording of "Old Man." I had thought he was a weak singer until that. He sounded like he always does, but with _power_.
> ...


It's seldom a matter of "getting" something or not.

It's what you like or don't like.

In these sort of topics, anytime you have someone saying a solo is "lousy" you're wasting your time in my opinion.

I love the song Cinnamon Girl. The solo is a part of the song I could have lived without or with someone else playing it.

I wouldn't call it lousy.

It's not hard to "get". It's whether or not you want it once you get it.

I would add, that for years I would have said that my wife just doesn't get Rush.

Now I realize that she always got it. She knew and never denied that they were masterful musicians. She's not dumb. She just didn't enjoy the songs.


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## YaReMi (Mar 9, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Many critics have noted how Greta Van Fleet copies Led Zeppelin a lot. But if Neil is doing Greta riffs, does that mean he's *really* trying to copy Jimmy Page?


 Neil wrote whole lotta good riffs 🤪


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Love electric Neil and acoustic Neil. Huge influence on my playing and me playing guitar at all.

How can you not love someone who got sued by his own record company for not sounding like himself?

Or took a shotgun to crates of vinyl as there was an error in the master process and it didn't sound right and then paid for the albums to be repressed out of his own pocket?


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## Jay E Morritt (Nov 17, 2017)

Wow. Amazing performance. And of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but i have a difficult time understanding what could be problematic for anyone about that electric guitar playing. Killer riff, mean as hell tone, amazing song....what more could you want?


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## Jay E Morritt (Nov 17, 2017)

Here is Neil working on his score to Jim Jarmusch’s western “Dead Man.” Again, if you dun ged this, nut sher whad ya ged...


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Kerry Brown said:


> A lot of people can’t stand his solos. They are little different. He goes his own way. You can’t say he lacks skills. This is a virtuoso performance, just him and a big hollowbody guitar. If I was able to emulate any tone and style this would be it. The first couple of minutes are him talking. If you’re not into that skip over it to the song.


your timing for posting this particular song is spot on, close at least. just saw that it was 51 years ago today


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

vadsy said:


> your timing for posting this particular song is spot on, close at least. just saw that it was 51 years ago today


The event and the song had a profound effect on me.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Jay E Morritt said:


> Wow. Amazing performance. And of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but i have a difficult time understanding what could be problematic for anyone about that electric guitar playing. Killer riff, mean as hell tone, amazing song....what more could you want?



What more could I want?

For him to play the same song on a Martin D28.


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## Jay E Morritt (Nov 17, 2017)

Milkman said:


> What more could I want?
> 
> For him to play the same song on a Martin D28.


I see. Well, maybe you can one day be the guy at his concert yelling “play OLD MAN!” ??


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Jay E Morritt said:


> I see. Well, maybe you can one day be the guy at his concert yelling “play OLD MAN!” ??




Right, funny.

No I wouldn't attend a show I wasn't likely to enjoy.

I would attend an acoustic Neil Young show.

Different strokes.


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## alphasports (Jul 14, 2008)

That's a great vid, I love Neil, play a lot of his stuff, just so hard to find a key that I can play and sing to (Old Man, Heart of Gold for examples)


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

The amount of genres he's tackled and the number of times he's reinvented himself is remarkable.
Probably won't be with us for all that much longer, and I think people will probably be quite surprised with the size of his legacy in retrospect.

I love this non-traditional version of the classic. Apparently Nils Lofgren really enjoys playing it too.


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## mnfrancis (May 24, 2010)

I have seen Neil live 7 times and full disclosure I am a super fan.

I think that his electric playing is like controlled anger and feedback that transcends more than it is technically impressive. His acoustic playing live, in the right venue, is as close as I have come to religion - It is truly something to marvel and should be experienced by every guitar player before they die. I love both and I love the fact that they are so different like split personalities.

Best show I ever saw was in Buffalo New York in 2008 and he did the first set fully acoustic with just him sitting in a circle of guitars and playing, singing and the occasional harmonica. Then there is a set break and he comes back out with the full band, grabs "old black" and a wall of tweed amps and just rocks the place.

Long may you run Neil


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Any guitarist who thinks Neil is not a good guitarist needs to learn to play Needle & The Damage Done exactly as Neil plays it and then talk to me.


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## kelowna (Dec 22, 2010)

There are many covers of Beatles' songs that are better than the original (Joe Cocker "With a little Help from my Friends"). In contrast, there is something very earthy about Neil Young that cannot be easily copied or improved upon. Many musicians have tried to do covers of his songs but they never sound the same. It just doesn't work.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Another thing that bears mentioning, is the fact that he has released a blues album, a country album and even a heavy rock album like the Trans album. I have a lot of his albums and it's interesting how he has progressed over the years. Of course, he always goes back to his earlier stuff specially these days.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Guncho said:


> Any guitarist who thinks Neil is not a good guitarist needs to learn to play Needle & The Damage Done exactly as Neil plays it and then talk to me.


I think that could be said of any number of Neil Young songs. He gets amazing sounds out of a D45, such a dynamic player and he really seems to be able to exploit the deep bass a D45 will provide.


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

Here's the man himself,... "The Grandfather of Grunge" explaining his sound and other pertinent information about his approach to his craft.






















And for those of us who can't afford the real deal stuff
Getting Neil Young's sound
Neil Youngs Whizzer and how it works
Cortez the killer - a tweed deluxe demonstration
Legends of Tone: Neil Young
What Is The "Tweed" Sound?


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## Mr Boggie (Dec 4, 2012)

Neils the primary reason I got into the guitar. Just amazing!


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## Jeff MacKillican (Jan 23, 2021)

Neil is a great songwriter and performer- more than just a guitarist, so we have to cut him some slack. Always liked his simple arrangements and acoustic playing, but some of his electric solos are a little painful ...
Saw Dylan play a lengthy solo one time with only about 2 notes, and it reminded me of Neil. I love em both, but find another note!


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

^ Totally agree. I think Neil and Dylan are more musicians than guitarists.


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

I have mixed feelings about Neil and always have. Artistically speaking, I love his electric playing, because he sounds like nobody else. His style is instantly recognizable, his tone naturally overdriven, and his solos so feral and raw. _Rolling Stone_ magazine called him the world's greatest shi**y guitar player, and I had to laugh, but there's a grain of truth to that statement. He's a fine acoustic player as well. Vocally, he's also very individual and recognizable.

Personally though, I think he's self centered and selfish, certainly no team player, who has hurt band mates, friends and even family over the years with his actions. To his credit, he is idealistic and does speak out against the problems of the world in an age when most artists are more concerned with entertainment. I don't know what I would say to him if we ever met. I think I'd start with, why did you screw over Buffalo Springfield so many times?


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

DrumBob said:


> I don't know what I would say to him if we ever met. I think I'd start with, why did you screw over Buffalo Springfield so many times?


Well,... as you have probably experienced at some time during your life as a musician,... a band is like a marriage. Sometimes after the honeymoon is long over relationships, for various reasons, do not work out for a long term commitment and you just have to move on for the best interest of all parties.

Went through the band breakup thing a few times as the chemistry between certain bandmates became volatile and unworkable. However, there was always another opportunity for the better over the horizon,... such is life on planet Earth. The positive take-away for me would be that at least while they were together Buffalo Springfield created music that we can enjoy for decades to come.

That's my 2 cents,... For What It's Worth.


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

Neil Young's electric guitar playing is extremely identifiable and all his own. He sounds like no one else and you immediately know it's Neil when he plays. His acoustic music doesn't interest me very much, but his electric playing usually knocks me out. Watch the clips from Saturday Night Live on YouTube. "Rockin' In The Free World" just may be the best rock performance I ever saw on TV. He burns the studio down. It's killer.

_Rolling Stone _magazine called Neil "The best shitty guitar player in the world," and I agree.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

DrumBob said:


> Neil Young's electric guitar playing is extremely identifiable and all his own. He sounds like no one else and you immediately know it's Neil when he plays. His acoustic music doesn't interest me very much, but his electric playing usually knocks me out. Watch the clips from Saturday Night Live on YouTube. "Rockin' In The Free World" just may be the best rock performance I ever saw on TV. He burns the studio down. It's killer.
> 
> _Rolling Stone _magazine called Neil "The best shitty guitar player in the world," and I agree.


I think he is highly under-rated for his acoustic playing, but I tend to prefer his electric stuff, and when he does a song in both electric & acoustic versions, I tend to prefer the electric version, but am appreciating the acoustic playing one as well.


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## Peel Ferrari (Jun 22, 2017)

On labour day weekend, my band did a private gig for a guy that worked on Neil's property in late summer in the Kawarthas. Neil signed the guy's Martin, but declined a photo saying " You know I signed it!"...Apparently he has a crappy ol cottage and was playing his own music super loud. Darryl Hannah was there too. Waiting out he USA and covid is what I understood. 

Thats all for celebrity gossip. Stay tuned for more.


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## Grainslayer (Sep 26, 2016)

Ive always enjoyed Neil's music/guitar playing..It baffles me why people/fans get so opinionated about a performers personal life when its really none of their business.lol


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Kerry Brown said:


> A lot of people can’t stand his solos. They are little different. He goes his own way. You can’t say he lacks skills. This is a virtuoso performance, just him and a big hollowbody guitar. If I was able to emulate any tone and style this would be it. The first couple of minutes are him talking. If you’re not into that skip over it to the song.


I love his playing and tone. He always sounds so big. I wouldn't have been chanting "No More Deaths". I would have been chanting "Four Too Many".


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

DrumBob said:


> Neil Young's electric guitar playing is extremely identifiable and all his own. He sounds like no one else and you immediately know it's Neil when he plays. His acoustic music doesn't interest me very much, but his electric playing usually knocks me out. Watch the clips from Saturday Night Live on YouTube. "Rockin' In The Free World" just may be the best rock performance I ever saw on TV. He burns the studio down. It's killer.
> 
> _Rolling Stone _magazine called Neil "The best shitty guitar player in the world," and I agree.


Neil Young without a Bigsby is simply unthinkable. The way he shakes notes to death, like a terrier with a death grip on the neck of a rat or weasel, is the most identifiable thing about him. Lots of other players have a very identifiable finger vibrato: Kossoff, B.B., Angus, Robin, and many others. But they're all tickling the note to make it interesting. Neil shakes that damn note until he *knows* it's dead.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

YaReMi said:


> I love Neil's guitar playing. Learned a lot from him, specially on an acoustic (no pick!).
> I like his syncopated strumming like in _Cowgirl in the Sand _- acoustic version from Live at Massey Hall or 4 Way Street with CSNY. I like his overdriven electric tone and solos in _Powderfinger_ or _Southern Man_ or many more...
> Thanks to Neil I never use a pick on an acoustic. Hitting strings down with fingernails is not as precise of course but that's the beauty of this style.
> I love Neil's guitar playing.


You make it sound like Neil never plays acoustic with a pick which would not be accurate.


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## YaReMi (Mar 9, 2006)

Guncho said:


> You make it sound like Neil never plays acoustic with a pick which would not be accurate.


You are correct. I learned to play some of my favourite Neil’s songs years ago, from records (no YT videos). I thought at the time that there was no pick .. they sounded better that way. They still do .. that’s all


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