Released in 1981 on Re*ac*tor, “T-Bone” is perhaps the most boneheaded, monomaniacal tune in Neil Young’s entire discography, a grinding, nine-minute three-chord Crazy Horse jam that features only these words to guide us: “Got mashed potatoes, ain’t got no T-bone.” Our guest today is far from boneheaded, however. Matthew Specktor is a novelist, a memoirist, a critic, a screenwriter, an editor and much more.
Category: All One Song
All One Song :: Simon Joyner on “After The Gold Rush”
Welcome back to All One Song. Today, our guest is Simon Joyner, discussing “After the Gold Rush.” The Omaha-based singer-songwriter has a career stretching back to the early 1990s; you might call him a songwriter’s songwriter—at least he’s got a ton of peer admiration. To accompany his all Neil Young Lagniappe Session, he joins us to talk Shakey.
All One Song :: Micah Nelson on “Change Your Mind”
This week, Micah Nelson drops into Aquarium Drunkard’s Neil Young podcast to talk “Change Your Mind.” Since 2014, Nelson has served as one of Neil’s closest collaborators, playing guitar first in the Promise of the Real, then in Crazy Horse, and now in the Chrome Hearts. He’s toured all over the globe with Young, delivering epic, deep-cut heavy sets. During that time, he’s appeared on such records as The Monsanto Years, Earth, The Visitor, Fuckin’ Up, and last year’s Talkin to the Trees.
All Song Song :: Scott Bunn on “Boom Boom Boom”
For his appearance on All One Song, AD and Recliner Notes contributor Scott Bunn picked a truly deep cut: “Boom Boom Boom.” This is a song that you might know better … though not much better…as “She’s A Healer,” which closed out Neil’s 2002 LP Are You Passionate?, recorded with Booker T and the MG’s. But “Boom Boom Boom” is the original Crazy Horse version of the song, which was cut in the year 2000.
All One Song :: James Jackson Toth on “Thrasher”
And here to talk with us about “Thrasher” is James Jackson Toth, a terrific songwriter whose career matches Neil in terms of eclectic, exploratory and highly personalized vibes. He’s been a man of many monikers over the years; there are records under his own name, there are records under the ever-morphing Wooden Wand designation; there’s DUNZA, there’s James and the Giants, there’s One Eleven Heavy and more. Whatever you end up checking out, you’re guaranteed to be transported to strange, funny and powerful places. The man who has a “What would Neil Young do” tattoo weighs in.
All One Song :: Brigid Mae Power on “Albuquerque”
Neil Young’s “Albuquerque.” A Ditch Era classic, it was recorded with the Santa Monica Flyers in 1973 and released on 1975’s Tonight’s the Night. Like the Southwestern town its named for, “Albuquerque” is stark, beautiful, and lonesome—leaving in its wake melancholy and a craving for fried eggs and country ham. Joining us to discuss the various landscapes of “Albuquerque” is Brigid Mae Power. Since her debut a little over a decade ago, the Galway-based singer songwriter has built up a visionary and cosmic discography. Tune in as we explore the contours of yet another number in the ever-rolling “All One Song” saga.
All One Song :: Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) on “Big Crime”
Welcome to All One Song season two. We kick off this exploration of the Shakey-verse with Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo. The indie trio has a long history with Neil—the b-side of their second single was a sweet cover of “For The Turnstiles.” But Kaplan doesn’t want to talk about an old classic, but rather the most recent Neil song, as of the time of this taping at least. Strap in for “Big Crime.”
All One Song: A Neil Young Podcast and Big Ears 2026 Live Streaming Morning Show
Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions is returning to your podcast feed. We are pleased to announce season two of All One Song: A Neil Young Podcast and Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions’ streaming morning show at Big Ears. Join us March 26 for a special episode featuring Thurston Moore and Kramer, and then April 1 for Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo on AOS.
Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts :: Denver 2025
We wrapped up the first season of our All One Song podcast last week, bringing to an end a summer’s worth of heady conversations with some great musicians and writers about their favorite Neil Young tunes (and much more). And in a pleasing bit of synchronicity, Neil himself showed up in Denver a few days later to play his first show in Colorado in almost a decade—and we were there to witness it.
All One Song :: Jason P. Woodbury on “When Your Lonely Heart Breaks”
We’ve spent the summer talking with some great musicians and writers about the strange and wonderful Neil Young universe. And we’ve had a good time. But all good things must come to an end! After today’s episode, we are handing the keys back to Jason P. Woodbury, the host of Transmissions. He’s got an incredible season of interviews coming your way as summer turns to fall. And speaking of Woodbury, he joins us today to discuss the lost Neil classic “When Your Lonely Heart Breaks.”
All One Song :: Ethan Miller on “Music Arcade”
This week, our All One Song guest is Ethan Miller. Ethan has been a longtime fixture in the underground, first coming to my attention back in the early aughts as the co-founder of the psych noise pioneers Comets on Fire. But Ethan is nothing if not prolific — he’s played with an array of awesome bands over the years, from Howlin Rain to Feral Ohms to Odyssey Cult. Ethan was also one-fourth of Heron Oblivion with our previous guests Meg Baird and Charlie Saufley … and he’s one-third of the Orcutt Shelley Miller trio, with another previous guest Steve Shelley.
All One Song :: Rosali on “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”
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.
All One Song :: Ilyas Ahmed on “Arc”
Welcome back to All One Song: A Neil Young Podcast. We’re spending the summer talking to some great musicians and writers about their one favorite Neil Young song. Or at least one of their favorite songs. Here this week to examine the mysteries and magic of Arc is Ilyas Ahmed. The Portland, OR-based musician has been making consistently fascinating music for well over two decades now, whether all on his own or in close collaboration with fellow travelers like Grouper, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Golden Retriever, Dania Shihab and many more. He also serves as guitarist in Grails, an awesomely uncategorizable collective that just put out one of the 2025’s best records—the appropriately named Miracle Music.
All One Song :: Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) on “Vampire Blues”
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.”
All One Song :: Meg Baird and Charlie Saufley on “Interstate”
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.