Rescued From Obscurity: Don't Be Denied

In the pantheon of Neil Young rock anthems, a number of tunes vie for that coveted #1 slot. There are Girls, of both the Cinnamon and Cowgirl In Sand varieties, as well as a Southern Man. There are Hurricanes, Powderfingers, Words, and Country Homes. You can go for My My, Hey Hey or possibly Hey Hey, My My. Oh, and there's another baker's dozen that would probably be any other band's finest moment of ragged glory. But, my favorite of all is unique in the Young pantheon because it's not even available to the average Neil fan. I'm talking about the title song of today's post, "Don't Be Denied."

Neil Young - Don't Be Denied [Album Version] [Lyrics]

If you're unfamiliar with the tune chances are it's because it's trapped on Time Fades Away, a wobbling, feisty document of the ill-fated Harvest tour, where Neil defied audience expectations by not giving them winsome tales from a content folkie. No, no, we'll have none of that, sir. What audiences got, and what that monster of an album captures wonderfully, was an exercise in nightly demon-purging. This is why Time Fades Away went out-of-print approximately 47 minutes after its release. The reception to the album was not unlike that of the tour ... a bit frosty-ish. Here's a few reviews unearthed by my crack research team:

"Where's the 'Heart Of Gold'? Where's the 'Old Man'? Doesn't Neil know he represents the folk/pop genre???"
--D Geffen, Los Angeles

"I'll wait for the CSNY reunion, thankyouverymuch. At least there I know I'll get a little honest music-making."
--Ex-girlfriend of C, S, or N, we're not sure which, East Village, NYC

"Is he drunk? Totally unprofessional. This is 1973, not, not, Woodstock!!!"
--D Geffen, Los Angeles

And so on. Just sayin' that it's probably not accidental the album is out-of-print. As proof, here's the depressing Amazon.com page.

Too bad because Time Fades Away, for all its flaws, acne scars, and tuneless tumult is about as honest a recording as you'll hear. "Don't Be Denied," in particular, is both one of folk music's most searing moments and one of rock music's most honest moments. It's a no-flinching, no-bullshit account of an innocent made cynic, the dream of becoming a rock star fulfilled and discovering precisely what that means. "A millionaire through a businessman's eyes." Fucking brilliant.

I long thought this would be the perfect song for a kickass rock band to sing at an awards show, preferably unannounced a la Elvis Costello on Saturday Night Live. Of course, that was back when people actually watched awards shows. Tell me this wouldn't have been perfect for The Replacements circa Don't Tell A Soul, about the time they were getting invited to awards shows and dealing with the trappings of (relative) fame themselves. Now, I don't know. Maybe a My Morning Jacket could do this justice, but I don't think they're really struggling with fame. They, in fact, seem to enjoy it. That's the key. The discomfiture with the public eye combined with the narrow-minded expectations of a mass audience drove Neil to write "Don't Be Denied," and that reality is what gives the song its balls.

Neil Young - Don't Be Denied [Maple Leaf Gardens Version] [Lyrics]

I'm including two versions of this song, the album version above and this one from an early performance on the Harvest tour. As Neil correctly notes, "It's a folk song. It tells a little story." It also contains the fabled "Oh Canada" verse, included on the lyric sheet that came with the album, but not actually part of that recording. One presumes that the song was a work-in-progress and that verse ended up on the cutting room floor, so it's kinda cool to compare the two versions. From a big-picture perspective, it's also cool that the "Oh Canada" verse is sung at a show in Canada, specifically in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens. I think the home crowd probably appreciated that. I also think the lo-fidelity recording plays to the strengths of the tour and album, which is to say that imperfection is good if it's honest imperfection.

For those of you interested, check out Thrasher's Wheat, a Neil Young fan site that has started a petition to release Time Fades Away on CD. Interesting that the post to which I'm linking is dated April 2009. Apparently, this petition comes to us from the future, which is both creepy and comforting. They may be spying on us, but at least there is a future. Personally, I think if Neil wants to reissue this album, he should do so on 180 gram vinyl. Remaster it a little bit, include the lyric sheet, and maybe some other LP-sized goodies. This is a recording meant for analog, so if you're gonna do it, do it right.

NOTE FROM THE MANAGEMENT

Earlier this evening, I received a call from my lawyer (pictured left) demanding that my Neil Young video be taken outside and have its kneecaps broken. I'm paraphrasing, of course. According to the email forwarded to me from said lawyer, "A copyright owner has claimed it owns some or all of the audio content in your video 'Neil Fu**ing Young [BBC]'. The audio content identified in your video is 'Tonight's The Night' by Neil Young. We regret to inform you that your video has been blocked from playback due to a music rights issue." Sorry kids. It was a cool clip, but rules is rules.

Despite the legal setback, my love for Tonight's The Night remains steadfast. As noted in the earlier version of this post, I discussed this LP several months ago in Six Degrees: Headed For The Ditch. Check it, yo.