Neil Young Gets "Passionate"
Neil Young is planning to release a new solo album, tentatively titled "Are You Passionate?," this spring. The follow-up to 2000's acclaimed Silver & Gold, the eleven-track set will feature "Let's Roll" -- a song inspired by Todd Beamer, who is believed to have led a group of passengers against hijackers on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11th. The song was released to radio last month.
The new album was recorded with keyboardist Booker T. Jones on keyboards, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, drummer Steve "Smokey" Potts and Crazy Horse's Frank "Poncho" Sampedro on guitar. Jones, Dunn and Potts will also support Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on their 2002 tour, which launches February 6th at Michigan's Palace of Auburn Hills.
The tentative track listing for "Are You Passionate?":
You're My Girl
Mr. Disappointment
Differently
Don't Say You Love Me
Let's Roll
Are You Passionate?
Goin' Home
When I Hold You in My Arms
Be With You
Two Old Friends
She's a Healer
JOHN D. LUERSSEN rollingstone.com
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
New Neil Young song inspired by doomed passengers
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock legend Neil Young has written and recorded a song about the passengers who fought back against their Sept. 11 hijackers -- a song described by one record company executive ``as so chilling you feel like you are on that plane.''
The song, a salute to heroism called ``Let's Roll,'' was shipped to radio stations this week but will not be sold in stores, Young's recording company Reprise Records said Wednesday.
It was inspired by the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11 who apparently decided to fight back against their hijackers after hearing by telephone of the three suicide plane attacks earlier that day on the Pentagon (news - web sites) and the World Trade Center.
Flight 93 crashed into a Pennsylvania field shortly after passenger Todd Beamer was heard on an onboard phone telling fellow passengers ``Let's Roll''.
Young wrote the song after reading a newspaper article about Beamer and recorded it two weeks ago. It was sent out to radio stations around the nation and is now getting airplay.
``It's a Neil Young song all the way. It starts kinda ominously. You can hear cell phones ringing,'' said Reprise spokesman Bill Bentley.
``I got the chills when I heard it. You feel like you are on that plane,'' Bentley said.
Bentley said the song would not be available commercially, although it may appear on Young's next album, which is due out in February or March.
``Neil felt this song, and wanted it to be heard. But he thought that commercializing it would be the wrong way to go,'' he said.
``Let's Roll'' joins a number of charity singles and re-releases of patriotic songs following the Sept. 11 attacks, including new recordings by Michael Jackson and former Beatle Paul McCartney.
USA TODAY, December 4, 2001
NEIL YOUNG PAYS TRIBUTE TO FLIGHT 93
Neil Young’s Let’s Roll, a tune recounting the bravery of flight 93 passengers who thwarted terrorists on Sept. 11, is heading to radio, with a commercial singledue in stores by early January. Recorded for Young’s upcoming studio album with Booker T and the MG’s, Let’s Roll opens with sounds of a jet engine and a ringing cellphone. The title refers to passenger Todd Beamer’s parting words on a call from the plane, and the lyrics capture his perspective: “No time for indecision, we’ve got to make a move. I hope that we’re forgiven for what we got to do. How this all got started I’ll never understand. Hope someone can fly this thing and get us back to land. Time’s running out. Let’s roll.”
ROLLING STONE Online, November 29, 2001
Queens Ready "Songs for the Deaf"
Queens of the Stone Age will release their third album, Songs for the Deaf, next spring. The album is the follow-up to the group's major-label breakthrough, 2000's Rated R.
The band has been in Los Angeles and San Francisco studios recording the album with producer Eric Valentine (Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth). Initially, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl planned to drum on three tracks, but their collaborations proved so successful that Grohl ended up drumming on the majority of Songs.
Other guests include Ween's Dean Ween, who recorded three songs ("Six Shooter," "I'm Gonna Leave" and "Mosquito Song") with the band, in addition to former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan and Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork.
ANDREW DANSBY
NEIL YOUNG ROCKS THE SITE IN 5.1
Marin County, Calif. –October 23, 2001 -- The Site Recording in Marin County, California has made extensive use of their new 5.1 surround capabilities recently. Neil Young was at the studio this summer, tracking and mixing with Booker T. & the MG’s. The Site’s 72 input custom Neve has been fitted with a Class A 5.1 monitoring section and surround panning mixdown modules, making it possible to mix for 5.1 while still utilizing the characteristics of a classic analog console. The sessions also took advantage of the studio’s recently built reverb chambers.
The Site’s classic Neve 8078 runs the GML 2000 Automation system. Monitoring for 5.1 surround is typically done with Tannoy 10Bs. Another recent addition to the studio’s surround-capable services is the installation of a Pro Tools Mix Plus 5.1 system.
The Site was pleased to welcome back Booker T. Jones & Donald “Duck” Dunn of the MG’s, who recorded their album “That’s The Way It Should be’ at the studio. Neil Young is a recent addition to the Site’s long list of clients, which includes recording artists Emmylou Harris, The Grateful Dead, Keith Richards, Pearl Jam & Metallica.
