Neil Young

Neil Percival Young is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and social activist who is looked upon as one of the most influential musicians of his generation, and for many in today's generation as well. If you haven't heard of him, that's kind of sad BUT, maybe after reading my review you'll look into Neil. Anyways back to the man himself. Young first started to perform in a Canadian band in 1960, before moving to California in 1966 to pursue his music career there. After a span of 40 years he concluded with a rather large, 35 studio albums that sold 79 million copies around the world. WOW, he really got around. Luckily I got to see him preform live right here in St.johns, What a treat. I was so close I could see the sweat dripping off his head when he was making the guitar talk. Literary he could make sounds with that guitar that would amaze Santana(The best guitar player in the world). I really have a passion for Neil, it's not even the fact that the music he produced is the best , but the words and stories behind half of them are amazing. Every song has a internal meaning to Young and often times its the stories he shares before he sings each song that makes the crowd stay so focused, at least it was for me anyways. Many people dislike the man because of his voice, look beyond the voice and listen to the damaging, joyful, dark words that create a large variety of non fictional stories. They really are worth listening to. Neil was always my favorite singer/song writer and he will always be a man with large quantities of wisdom.  

Picture day

                         








                           

This is my baby. Her name is Tori, a little tiger I guess you could call her. A sly, quick, raga-tang! I'm being completely serious, DON'T leave your sandwich anywhere near this shark!! I mean if you have a cat, is it known for eating sandwiches. Its her little inconspicuous mood changes. All cuddly and then WOO lets eat Christiens sandwich. Adopted at our local S.P.C.A and still living strong 7 years later I love my cat and its very difficult being away from her while in university.    

    

This is my cousin and I. If you have read my first blog you will know that I have quite a passion for music. I find it amazing how something so simple like plucking a guitar sting, can amaze the mind of a young child. The inconstant pitches led her to sit and pluck for hours.After some uncertainty and unpredictability she became familiar with the different sounds and would look at me and smile with amazement.  

Mr.Chapin

                                                        "Cat's In The Cradle"

                       
                                                      Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqwKfgLaeA

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you, Dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, Dad
I don't know when, but we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, Dad
I don't know when, but we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

Well, he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son
I don't know when, but we'll get together then, Dad
You know we'll have a good time then

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin' home son
I don't know when, but we'll get together then, Dad
We're gonna have a good time then

Ahh my favorite childhood song, and just when I thought I had the beat out of my head its back again. Everyone has one of these songs, a somewhat meaningful tune?? I guess you could call it that. This song is composed by Harry Chapin. Some know of him others don't, like myself. Its the artist himself that gets all the credit for this meaningful song. The words say it all. The song inspires the idea about a busy father commenting on the idea that he is in absence for his sons childhood. The father seems to be portraying himself as too busy to be a significant part of his sons life..which I think can be characterized as a "bad thing". This song has a lot of repetition. When Harry uses the line "I'm gonna be like him,yeah you know I'm gonna be like him" I took the interpretation that Harry was trying to foreshadow the fact, that his son was actually gonna grow up to be just like him. At the end of the song the truth is revealed, the idea of his son growing up to be like him became a reality. 

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"


In this verse you can create a particular image of a child not having a father figure. The father is intensely busy, but the child understands. A parent plays a huge part in the process of  molding children. Again with the repetition of "I'm gonna be like him" Also Harry uses the technique of addressing plain folks with this particular song. Every parent either rich or poor can connect to the experiences of raising children. Harry didn't make this song out to address rich, Hollywood  people, just plain everyday people, that experience difficultly with distance father childhood relationships. Harry's song expresses an amount of different interpretations, depending on the reader. Some say the child was beaten, but that's not how I feel while listening to this song. When the child was small the father didn't have time for him. Now that the child is grown up, the dad wants to spend time with his son, but now the son doesn't have time for the father. If the father had spend more time with the son as a child and taught him the value of family and relationships the son might have learned the lesson and made time for his now elderly father. I've experienced this at a young age, and in fact to this very day. My father worked off shore for all of these years, I might have seen him 3 months out of each year, but those 3 months were always fulfilled with joyful, and the experience of exhaustion before every meal, because of activity. I always had a friend when he was home. Who you are and what you become is strongly affected by the influences of the other people you have in your life, what they do and say will create the person that you will become. 

Thanks                

  

Background check

- I grew up in a small town out of Trinity bay. Some might call it a ghost town, some others like myself call it home. I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 5. After all the weeks of atrocious hospital food and endless nights in the uncomfortable bed I started to develop a passion for music. My parents picked my up a guitar with no real outcome for success but my spark for the music became real. I quickly became musical, but not just with my guitar, anything that had strings I could pick away and become familiar, when some people spend years paying for lessons when all I had to thank were my ears. Besides music its a family tradition to watch a Montreal Canadians vs. Toronto Maple leafs NHL game. I wont comment on my favorite team because I know many people consider bother teams terrible. That's me in a nut shell music and hockey!


Thanks