Neil Young is one of the most well-respected musicians on the planet from past to modern day.
The ‘Godfather of Grunge’ has inspired so many to pick up the guitar and try their hand at songwriting. Many of our favourite alternative artists from the 1980s, ’90s and beyond owe a lot to Young’s pioneering endeavours in the 1960s and ’70s, and if you were to trace the lineage of alt-rock back to its roots, there at the start, you would find everybody’s favourite Canadian troubadour. (Faroutmagazine)
In 1979, ex-Beatle, Paul McCartney sent Young a telegram which read: “Neil, Linda and I have been listening to Live Rust over and over, side four kicks ass. Lotta Love, Paul”. To receive this kind of praise from a Beatle was a huge thing for Young, as he, like everyone with any musical taste from his generation, loved the ‘Fab Four’.
Paul McCartney and Neil Young perform the Beatles A Day in the Life and John Lennon”s Give Peace a Chance live at Desert Trip in Indio Ca on October 8, 2016
In March 1999, Young was presented with the opportunity to give some love back to McCartney. He was chosen to induct McCartney into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s surprising that by that point, he wasn’t already a member.
Young said: “The first song I learned to play was a Beatles song – ‘Give Me Money, That’s What I Want’. Paul McCartney is one of the greatest songwriters ever. He’ll be remembered hundreds of years from now”.
It is no secret that Young and McCartney have since performed together on a handful of occasions and are good friends. Memorably, in October 2004, the pair reunited for the Adopt-A-Minefield benefit, which raises awareness and funds to clear minefields across the world. Performing in Los Angeles, Young played a stellar set which was followed by an equally dazzling McCartney set. The ex-Wings man brought Young back onstage for ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ and ‘Hey Jude’.
McCartney told the audience: “We have a bit of fun but, as you can see, we do a lot of good along the way. That’s one of the magic things… When you’ve worked hard, and you’ve had a lot of luck, you get to a position where Neil and I are at; you can do a little bit more. It’s a magic thing”.
