When he was young it was hard to imagine Neil Young would ever be an icon. Instead he had the look of someone who wouldn't go the distance, who may just fade away, as one of his songs says.
Instead, Young at age 60 remains at once present with a unique sound that evokes nostalgia, and continues to explore new territory.
His new movie (he has made several others), "Heart of Gold," was helmed by Academy Award winning feature film director Jonathan Demme. The film opens today, April 14, at the Magic Lantern in Ketchum.
Great concert movies don't come along all that often, but this one counts as a great one. It was propitiously recorded at Nashville's storied Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, over the course of two nights in August 2005.
The first half of the film includes songs from his recent album, "Prairie Wind," while the second features some of his gems from his early years, including the "Old Man," that were originally recorded in Nashville.
Young, attired in a cool countrified hat and western suit, plays up his introspective country rock style. He is joined on stage by his wife Pegi, who sings backup, as well as stalwart mates steel guitarist Ben Keith, bass guitarist Rick Rosas and singer extraordinaire Emmylou Harris.
Former Hailey resident Erin O'Neil, who worked on the concert, remarked recently, "It was kind of about the theater. We all, Neil included, felt honored to be there. The history of the place was really like a church."
One of the reasons Young was in a ruminative mood during the writing of the album and resultant movie may have been a brain aneurysm he suffered earlier that year. It may have been his forthcoming birthday, and his father's recent death. Whatever the cause, the result is a rich, personal, engrossing and gentle concert flick.
Neil Young performs in his new movie "Heart of Gold."
