Category: All One Song

This week is going to be slightly different. This week, we’re talking about a song that was not written by Neil Young. Nevertheless, it’s a song that is very much a part of the Shakey multiverse: Danny Whitten’s “I Don’t Want To Talk About It,” which appeared on Crazy Horse’s debut LP in 1970. Here to guide us through the impossibly lonesome landscapes of “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” is singer-songwriter Rosali Middleman — or just Rosali if you prefer. She’s been a longtime fixture over at Aquarium Drunkard. But even though we’ve loved pretty much everything she’s done, she somehow seems to get better with each new album. Her latest release, Bite Down on Merge Records, may well be her best effort yet.

Welcome back to ⁠All One Song⁠, A Neil Young Podcast presented by Aquarium Drunkard. We’re spending the summer talking to a few of our favorite artists and writers about their favorite Neil Young song. This week, we’ve got someone very special: Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth. Steve spent about 25 years behind the drum kit for Sonic Youth as the band radically redefined and reimagined rock and roll. He’s easily one of the greatest drummers of the past four decades, as heard on such classics as Sister, Daydream Nation, Washing Machine, Murray Street and beyond. His style is explosive, sensitive and always imaginative. Steve is so much fun to listen to, in pretty much any context, but especially here as he dives into Neil’s Ditch era classic, “Vampire Blues.”

This week, you’re getting two fantastic guests for the price of one: ⁠Meg Baird⁠ and Charlie Saufley. Meg first came to my attention thanks to her work with the innovative Philadelphia psych-folk collective ⁠Espers⁠, and since then she’s created a pretty much flawless solo career — her most recent record, 2023’s ⁠Furling⁠, is a perfect showcase for her pristine guitar work and beautiful vocals. Charlie Saufley co-produced that record with Meg and the duo also played in ⁠Heron Oblivion⁠ with Ethan Miller and Noel Von Harmonson — a group that only managed one studio record during their existence, but that’s ok. That one studio record was awesome. Charley also played in the Bay Area psychedelic rock group ⁠Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound⁠; he’s a killer guitarist, and — like Meg — is a serious Neil head.

Our guest this week is Jeff Parker, best known as the guitarist for the long-running Chicago post-rock group Tortoise. Now Jeff might not seem like the most obvious All One Song guest — his and Neil’s styles feel miles apart. At least at first! But as we get into in our conversation, Jeff has found some serious inspiration in Young’s unique approach to the acoustic guitar. And the acoustic guitar is central to the song he selected to talk about: “The Needle and the Damage Done.” This haunting solo number from 1972’s Harvest remains one of Neil’s signature tunes. It’s a song that even the most casual of fans knows by heart. But Jeff’s perspective on this warhorse opened it back up — and hopefully it’ll do the same for you. 

For his All One Song appearance, guitarist Chris Forsyth selected “Lookout Joe,” which first appeared on Tonight’s the Night just about 50 years ago in the summer of 1975. It’s a darkly humorous tune that has all the hallmarks of Neil’s Ditch era—that seedy swagger, a druggy vibe, Ben Keith’s wild pedal steel and backing vocals, and some dangerous guitar work. It’s a deep cut, but it’s a deep cut that’s very much worth getting into. 

Welcome to the very first episode of All One Song: A Neil Young podcast, presented by Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions. Join liner notes author, musician, and Shakey historian and Doom and Gloom from the Tomb host Tyler Wilcox along with an array of great musicians and writers discussing their favorite Neil Young song, diving deep into Shakey lore and getting personal about this amazing body of work. It’s a series for Neil heads by Neil heads. Up first? Steve Gunn, with a look at Neil’s epic fish daydream.

All One Song: A Neil Young Podcast is coming this summer from Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions, hosted by Shakey historian and superfan Tyler Wilcox. Tune in via the Transmissions feed starting Wednesday, June 25.