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Neil Young: Heart of Gold
 
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Neil Young: Heart of Gold

Neil Young (Actor), Emmylou Harris (Actor), Jonathan Demme (Director) | Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | Format: DVD
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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"I just want to play well, share the stage with my friends, give the best I can," says Neil Young before the concert that is the centerpiece of Heart of Gold. No problem, dude. Working with filmmaker Jonathan Demme, Young has come up with a gem--not all flash and bling-bling, but as understated as a single pearl, musically restrained yet emotionally open. Of course, neither Demme (an Oscar winner for The Silence of the Lambs; he also helmed Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense) nor Young would call it "a concert film"; the director describes it as "a dream concert, something that's literally being dreamt by Neil," while the singer-songwriter himself calls it "a multi-level story." Whatever, the project came together in 2005, as Young was finishing his Prairie Wind album (the latest in a string of lovely, country-flavored acoustic recordings dating back to 1972's Harvest) and preparing to debut the music at Nashville's fabled Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry. The fact that Young had also recently experienced a brain aneurysm might or might not have influenced his decision to film the show, but it certainly seems to have had an effect on the music. He and his band (which, with the addition of horns, strings, and backup singers, including Emmylou Harris, occasionally numbers forty or more musicians) perform Prairie Wind in its entirety, and there is some deeply moving, highly personal material here; in addition to the gospel-tinged "When God Made Me" and the dirge-like "No Wonder," Young sings about his recently-deceased father (the title song), his newly adult daughter ("Here for You"), the guitar he plays that once belonged to Hank Williams ("This Old Guitar"), and even his dog ("He Was the King"). Demme's direction is ideal for conveying the music's restrained acoustic textures, rich backing vocals, and simple, elegant melodies. Shots are held much longer than is usual in such films, and while there are lots of close-ups, there are no gimmicks. This superb DVD package is filled out by a second disc of bonus features, including a variety of featurettes and a solo performance of "The Needle and the Damage Done" from The Johnny Cash Show in 1971. --Sam Graham

Description

Academy-award winning director Jonathan Demme beautifully captures Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend, Neil Young as he prepares and presents the performance of a lifetime with the help of his wife Peggi and friends country star Emmylou Harris, steel guitarist Ben Keith and more at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

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11 Reviews
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4.9 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great, but..., July 4 2006
By 
Randall Barnhart (Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Neil Young: Heart of Gold (DVD)
I've always loved Neil Young, from back in the day with Buffalo Springfield and Crazy Horse, through CSNY to "Living with War." Don't get me wrong:this is an excellent film and certainly something any real fan of Neil Young's work will want. HOWEVER: please remember that it was filmed just prior to Young's operation for an aneurysm (it is alluded to in the film) and just after the death of his dad, Scott Young,from senile dementia. It is quite clear issues of mortality are much on Young's mind during the concert, and one friend of mine even suggested this film might have served as a goodbye if the aneurysm operation didn't come off as it should have. Happily, it did, and long may Neil Young wave. Just be careful, though, cuz there are long tracts of this film I cried through.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars SIX stars for Heart of Gold, Oct 24 2006
By 
Scott Greer (Bonshaw, PEI Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Neil Young: Heart of Gold (DVD)
Rarely have I seen a film, much less a concert, as powerful, moving, personally revealing, and emotionally honest as Heart of Gold. I have admired Neil Young for a long time--since After the Gold Rush I guess--and I always knew he had the soul of a poet, and (let's be truthful) the voice of ...well, someone who reads poetry well. He has always written and sung about his life and experience; but this is definitely different. His aneurism and loss of his father have caused him to stop, turn, and appreciate what his life has brought him. You never get the sense that he feels sorry for himself, or wants others to feel sympathy for him. Live or die, life had brought him many great times and hard times, and, at this turning point in his life, he wanted to convey (what I sensed was) a profound gratitude for his family and friends. Having them close to him on stage gave him a connection and perhaps continuity to his life that, in light of recent events, had become meaningful in a very existential way.
Neil's a bit of a laconic fellow, and it's that bit of emotional restraint that makes this DVD (and the CD) so incredibly moving. He sings, really, to his friends and loved ones, and we get to listen in. It's a kind of personal embrace, and a message of love and appreciation that perhaps you can only conjure up when you are truly faced with your mortality. Of all the wonderful songs, "It's a Dream" is absolutely the heart of this concert. This is one of his best songs (all time), and one of the most moving and beautifully conceived songs in recent memory. His dad, daughter, even his dog, are all recognized in some of the most genuine, heartfelt lyrics you've heard for a long time.

Even if you're not a Neil Young fan, get this DVD, and let Neil 'embrace' you. This is a message about life and love, about connection to people, and taking nothing for granted.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Intense Performance, Aug 27 2006
This review is from: Neil Young: Heart of Gold (DVD)
This is basically Neil Young unplugged. No heavy electric guitar or hard drums here. You hear Neil's voice and the outstanding playing of his band. In between song's Neil tells anecdotes about his life growing up. It's a really intimate film and every song is damn perfect. Buy this dvd and watch it. You'll be on the edge of your seat. It's intense.

P.S. Fans new to Neil Young should not buy "Decade". They should buy "After The Gold Rush". It's a masterwork.
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