Neil Young ‘The International Harvesters’ ‘A Treasure’ - REVIEW

In recent years on several occasions, I've been referred to as the 'English Neil Young' and, as life-long fan of the artiste, I wanted to review his latest release Neil Young, International Harvesters, ‘A Treasure’.

I was pleasantly surprised to see an official Neil Young track, Grey Riders, come onto Soundcloud (the brilliant free music-sharing and promotion website) a month ago. The tune sounding to me like NY & Crazy Horse meets Country with its fiddle and Weld-type electric-guitar leads. The song buzzes along at almost 6 minutes long with the last minute filled with a searing Les Paul scream. Neil sings about the dog howling in true Dogman style and that had my antennae up high. Listening to the song was enough to encourage me to buy the CD, Neil Young, International Harvesters, ‘A Treasure’ which I now realise is a live album from a 1985 tour. In truth, as I already own every official Neil Young album, I would have bought this soon anyway.

Here's my official review of Neil Young, International Harvesters,

‘A Treasure’.

The album opens with a live announcement ‘Here’s Neil Young’ and then kick starts with Amber Jean, which I read from one of my many Neil Young reference bibles, is a 1985 sentimental tribute to his daughter. The fiddle-driven song with Ben Keith’s lap steel backing track, sets the scene for what is obviously a Nashville-theme album that comes from a time when Neil Young took the International Harvesters on the road for two years.  The second track, a live version of a hoe-down song from the Harvest album, Are you ready for the Country has him telling us what this album is all about. Harvest is one of his many fans favourite NY albums but is hardly pure country. I think I needed to ‘be there’ to really appreciate Neil Young in this style. There is a very cool Rolling Stones ‘Honky Tonk Woman’ style lap-steel lead in there that really caught my ear. The next song is It might have been is a rare cover from Neil Young credited to Ronnie Green and Hamet Kane. I choose to pass on this standard country tune.

The next track Bound for Glory is a song Neil Young said was his favourite and which was, ‘Written on the back of his bus whilst rolling and having a couple of beers’. This was released on his Nashville album Old Ways (a record that freaked David Geffen out - who promptly sued him for making a record that was ‘uncharacteristically Neil Young’). I bought Old Ways on CD years ago to complete my collection but if I am brutally honest I rarely play it.

Bound for Glory is followed by a previously unreleased song first registered in 1984, Let your fingers do the walking, a jaunty country track where he bites back at technology. Described as uproarious composition in Johnny Rogan’s Neil Young biography Zero to Sixty, I would say it’s more typical of the throw away songs he writes.

What then follows is a sweet version of Flying on the ground is wrong, that is clearly in sharp contrast. This is a real favourite Buffalo Springfield song of mine (along with Broken Arrow), that first got me into Neil Young as a teenager listening to pirate broadcasters, Radio Caroline.

The album then picks up steam with a 1980 song, Motor City, first heard on the album Re-Ac-Tor (1981) and Soul of a woman. I discover Motor City was first played live at a gig I attended at NEC Birmingham UK in the 1983 during Trans Tour. I clearly remember the voice-coder tunes Sample and Hold and Computer age but I don’t remember this song. I can see Nils Loffgren bouncing onto stage via a trampoline. I seem to also remember great live versions of Like an Inca and Cortez the killer (from the cracking 1975 album Zuma - a Neil Young & Crazy Horse venture) and hearing a stomping, Like a Hurricane, another live favourite taken from his American Stars‘n Bars album but I can’t hear Motor City in my memory bank.

I should perhaps apologise for that previous ‘memory lane’ distraction and continue with my review of International Harvesters, ‘A Treasure. Next up is Get back to the country also from Old Ways but this is a ‘Pure Nashville’ tune that is completely blown away by Southern Pacific also from Re-AcTor. A twice-released B side to other songs, this tribute to North American trains, ‘on silver rails’, bounces along with banjo and twanging guitar (Crazy Horse providing backing) and this is probably my other favourite from this album.

Nothing is perfect another story song slows everything down. This comes from 1985 the same as Grey Riders, which finishes the album. I am not going to say this CD is up there with my Neil Young solo favourites like After the Goldrush, Zuma, Tonight’s the night, On the beach, Rust Never sleeps, Comes a time, Silver and Gold and Harvest Moon, but it reveals the genre of music that is probably closest to Neil Young’s old heart. We all know he can do grunge, epic songs and gentle acoustic tunes. In the end, to sum up my review of Neil Young, International Harvesters, ‘A Treasure’ all I can write is ‘what’s not to like musically about Neil Young?’ Having reinvented himself through the decades the country ghost is now inhabiting his alter ego.

If you enjoyed my review of Neil Young, International Harvesters, ‘A Treasure’, and are a true fan of the folk-country-Rock King, you might also like my music.  My new Dogman album, The cat that solved the String Theory (and other stories) released by Expat Records in May, includes Neil Young inspired tunes like Small acts of kindness.  See the official video for Small Acts of Kindness here http://youtu.be/SP_4Vv7ZdzY.

To hear more of my recorded material, check out my soundcloud page http://soundcloud.com/drdavidsands

I really don’t mind that they call me the English Neil Young. It’s a great compliment to link me with my all time solo musical inspiration. One day I am hoping to speak to him face to face and tell him about my tribute song - written for him, Like an Inca (forever young), to be released on my ‘Dogman goes ambient-electro’ in a side project, The Crossbreed.  Teaspoon, the lead singer in the fabulous Queen and Country band says this aspect of my music should be called ‘High Energy Ambient’, possible a new genre! A full length Crossbreed album is due to be released by Expat Records later this year.

David Sands aka Dogman July 2011

http://soundcloud.com/drdavidsands

SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS - THE DARKER SECRET BEHIND THE SONG

Small acts of kindness

Dogman explains how this song from his new album was inspired by real life sad stories

The photograph, taken by Dogman in the beautiful hill countryside close to his home, was not posed. The couple were simply enjoying the sunshine and the incredible view and were not aware a picture was being taken.

‘Small acts of kindness’, as an expression, was the inspiration behind an idea - not to use people’s names - but to use a phrase that would say everything about them. The song was first a simple Dogman poem that, when it was first read out loud, brought tears to his wife. She even insisted that it should remain as a poem and not become a song but Dogman could not resist suing it as a lyric. The song melody came quickly to him, in part inspired by the music of Neil Young, and was the subject of an emotion about bullying.

Dogman was saddened by the story of East Lancashire teenager Sophie Lancaster who was so brutally killed and her partner seriously injured when drunken youths attacked them in a park. All, can anyone really believe, because they were dressed in Goth-style clothes. That bullying can go on in school, in work, in relationships upsets Dogman because, like many children that experience a dysfunctional childhood, he was once bullied.

Small acts of Kindness which first appeared on the Dogman ‘The Whisperer’ album is loved at Dogman live concerts. It is often quoted as a favourite track on his new album when its theme is explained. Incidentally, the brief guitar lead is played by Dogman’s son, Jonathan Sands, a Liverpool based musician who was visiting the studio during a recording session. It’s played on Dogman’s favourite Guild acoustic. Friends, family and fans who bought his new album, ‘The cat that solved The String Theory’, have sent in photographs, many with dogs, cats and pets, with the album and these have been used in the Expat Records video which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNuMZaDkBxw

WE KNOW HOW IT ENDS - DOGMAN'S HAPPY TUNE

We know how it ends (Let’s make a film of our lives)

Dogman explains how the happiest song from his new album turned into a fun studio session

“Camera’s rolling - come on friends

Lights - action - we know how it ends!”

So starts this popular Dogman song, appropriately, the last main track on the Dogman album ‘The Cat that solved The String Theory’ has attracted many ‘happy track’ comments on Soundcloud. The banjo introduction was first brought into the arrangement in a Dogman-Mikans (The Crossbreed) demo when Mikans suggested a Sufjan Stevens feel to the song.

The song is again about Dogman’s love affair with his wife, “ You be Bergman I’ll be Tarantino,”  and playfully singing, “Who plays me - who plays you and who rescues who?”

Martyn (studio producer) kept a small camera rolling throughout the various booth recordings and for the group-singing for the chorus, “Let’s make a film of - our lives - we can dream it in colour - or dream it in black and white. Let’s make a film - of our lives.  First love, Happy - Tears - it’s our lives!”  The cast are listed in the video [http://youtu.be/jvZvX1vawuY]. 

It is Matt Pawson, ace guitarist in the Dogman, who shouts ‘It’s a wrap!’ at the end of recording.

VALENTINE LIGHT - THE STORY BEHIND THE DOGMAN SONG

Valentine Light

Dogman explains how this new 'tradional style' folk song is the favourite of live audiences and band members alike

This song is the name of this painting I made from my wife on Valentine Day in 2003. In subsequent years I have photographed many different flower arrangements that she has placed before it on our fireplace shelf.

Valentine Light was born out of my self motivated challenge to write my own new, ‘traditional sounding’, folk track instead of singing one that was long established like Lucy Wan. At first, my opening verse lines were repeated, ‘Walk with me in the Valentine Light’, which made it sound very ‘folky’ indeed but as I played it live the song evolved into more Ryan Adams vibe. 

Lines like ‘Dance with me in the Valentine Light, don’t catch a chill my Lilywhite, watch our reflection in the river’s flight’, nicely roll off my tongue when I am singing it now. The almost erotic line,  ‘Lie with me on this Valentine Night, under the willow in the twilight’, is traditional 'English' in the quintessence sense and could even be a sub plot for a 18th Century landscape painting.

The mandolin riff was put it by producer Mr Smith using my own instrument which he borrowed without informing me of his idea.

It’s a true romantic song that is dedicated to my wife at every gig and I can imagine in years to come it will become one to play for lovers on Valentine’s Day. Dolly Parton would probably make a fine job of singing this as a cover I’m sure. Members of the band love the song and so do many of my friends who are also musicians.

The final song lines, ’and remember this, every Valentine night, every single night’, is now repeated over and over in a rocky folk style by me since the original recording was made in early 2010.

A video with many of my atmospheric cloud photographs used to set the scene can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/JuQ1oBA8V4c

THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG 'IT'S A LOVE THING'

It’s a Love thing

Dogman tells the story behind the song that is the band favourite and the easiest for him to compose

LOVE BUTTERFLIES IN THE DOGMAN HOME GARDEN

‘It’s a Love Thing’ is possibly going to be the most universal of Dogman songs. Two London DJs announced on first hearing that a dance remix would take nightclubs by storm (coming soon).

This song came to being as I was playing around with alternative capo setting. The lyrics came into my head as though they had been given to me by a higher being. That may seem ridiculous on first reading but it’s honestly true. I love singing, I love the birds singing which is a good thing as I live in a rural village in Northern England and the dawn chorus is deafening! I was a Green Peace member long before it was fashionable and still have my original jacket buttons.

‘I believe a Higher Being wants us to sing, wants us to sing, wants us to feel the beat, to tap our feet; wants us to sing; wants birds to sing, wants the day to break, help us to wake for singing’s sake - wants the Whales to sing, wants the oceans to ring.   It’s a love thing’

Mr Smith, my producer, used to take his sheepdog, Tod, into the studio often working late into the night. When he began mixing my vocal and guitar track with his percussion and Andy’s bass line together with Matt Pawson’s ace lead guitar the dog was beginning a downward path that would eventually lead to him passing away. On one night, Mr Smith and Tod sat together working right through into morning daylight and found some kind of peace with my song. It was an emotional period in the making of my album, 'The cat that solved the String Theory' that will forever be associated with ‘It’s a Love Thing’.

THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG 'GALILEO GALILEI'

Galileo Galilei

Dogman tells the story behind the song that became his bass player’s obsession

LIGHT ORBS CAUGHT BY DAVID SANDS AKA DOGMAN

This song came from an instrumental piece I had been playing around with for a year or more. I remember getting into a ‘round’ sequence of the chords and the name Galileo as a sound ‘popped’ into my head. I scribbled down a rough lyric and the song was finished in a flash. I just wanted to be expressive and, secretly, 

falsetto like Sufjan Stevens.

What was more important to me at the time was Galileo became a ‘test song’ that I chose to record at Mr Smith’s ‘Audiofile’ studio, a modest unit hidden within a large industrial building in East Lancashire. The enigmatic Mr Smith - I have since named Nighthawk because of his nocturnal habits - previously had only ever been a telephone conversation. I heard a track on MySpace he had recorded and produced for another artist (Teaspoon) and thought I would see if we were compatible (bit like a blind date).

The opening of the song, which he surprisingly kept in the recording, has me announcing ‘out loud’ what all neurotics ask – “Why do we put ourselves through this?” I was feeling tense about getting the recording right on a cold Winter’s night exactly a year before my album ‘The cat that solved the String Theory’ was released. 

This gentle song is just me, strumming my Martin Dreadnought acoustic Guitar and singing solo. When I finally heard the result a week or two later I was quietly pleased. A bass player friend of Mr Smith - Andy Penney, later to become an integral part of the Dogman band, was soon driving around with a premix version playing on continual repeat.

The song sentiments are about how zealous religious belief can distort reality. Andy and Mr Smith felt as strongly about that and it could be said to be very relevant today. “Did they get you say that black was white and were the stars your shining light?”

I enjoy playing Galileo live when the audience quietens to listen.

A video can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJEj9A7-19Y&feature=player_profilepage

THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG ' WOLVES OF WINTER HILL'

The Wolves of Winter Hill

Dogman tells the story behind the song that gets the audiences ‘howling’

This song was ‘born’ of a comment I posted on MySpace. I wrote on my music page that: ‘Dogman was a feral child, raised by the Wolves of Winter Hill’. This sentence has an element of truth in it because, alongside my brother and four sisters, I was raised in a home after the disappearance of our mother and father before her. We initially lived together in a 'Family Group Children’s Home'. From here we could view what seemed to be me to be vast moorlands, including Winter Hill, Bronze Age sites and a Napoleonic Beacon used to warn of the invasion. We often picnicked there because it was a local tradition for thousands to go up the hills. This was especially undertaken on 'Good Friday' and on every Easter Monday when an exciting fair was held there.

I wanted to write a ‘rock song’ that would contrast against my own gentle folk melodies and that I could hear every other person with a guitar singing at open mic events. So, I had the opening line to the song and used major chords to blast out a strident melody, ‘I was raised by the Wolves of Winter Hill and shared their kill and learned to use my wits and use my skill’. I don’t know where I first used the howling but when playing a cover of ‘All along the watchtower’ [Bob Dylan] and I often howled to emphasise the line – ‘ A wild cat did howl’ . My sudden ‘howling’ at the beginning of 'Wolves' at gigs and in the album recording may have subconsciously come from that. Comments have suggested that my 'howl' is 'Bono-like' and that the song is a stadium rocker! 

My epic chorus, ‘I came to sing for you and sing my songs’ , is a truism in that I have always enjoyed singing, an experience that came from being chosen for the school and church choir as a boy. The second verse, ‘I never understood, your dog-eat-dog eyes, when you’re supposed to be so civilised’, is my stab at how some wealthy (and greedy) members of society can stand by and watch other people suffering. 

My original lyrics were extended and more complex than the recorded song is now. This came from ‘fine tuning’ the lyrics by playing the song for more than a year at my gigs. I currently play small venues, pubs and bars and enjoy the kind of intimacy it is possible to get with people who are live-music orientated. Some members of the audiences are even howling when I start playing the opening chords to the ‘Wolves of Winter Hill’.

Finally, Mr Smith, my studio producer, suggested Dogman should ‘twin’ with a ‘Winter Hill’ in the United States from a fun media publicity stand point. When I ‘Googled’ the place name and was first amused and then aghast to discover that the area was infamous for being associated with an Irish-American gang who, it would appear, have broken every law from First Degree Murder to kidnapping, money laundering extortion and rape. At that point it was an easy decision not to request to twin.

One of my dreams is to play live on the Later, Jools Holland Show, like so many emerging artists. However, there is so, so much music out there that I do worry how my songs will survive. However, I know that one Dogman song played on BBC Radio 2 in the UK or on a leading American radio station – maybe playing ‘Wolves’ and you never know.....