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.

All One Song :: Jeff Parker on “The Needle and the Damage Done”

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. 

All One Song :: Chris Forsyth on “Lookout Joe”

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. 

All One Song :: Steve Gunn on “Will To Love”

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.

Neil Young :: Honey Slides V

Somehow, Neil Young turns 80 this year, and we’re getting the celebration started early with the fifth edition of Honey Slides, our annual Shakey rarities roundup — this one focused on the acoustic side of things. Even with the outrageously expansive Archives Vol. III being released just a few months back, there are plenty of dusty cabinets of the man’s discography (both official and semi-official) to rummage through. From live oddities to unusual arrangements, from solo performances to full band renditions, Honey Slides V covers plenty of ground, despite its generally stripped down vibes.

Neil Young’s Archives Vol. III :: 16 Unreleased Highlights

Look, it’s just too big. Weighing in at 17 compact discs (198 tracks!) and five Blu-Rays (11 films!), Neil Young’s upcoming Archives Vol. III box set is a monster that we’ll be grappling with for years to come. Covering the songwriter’s ridiculously prolific / ridiculously divergent span of 1976 to 1987, Vol. III can’t really be summed up in a meaningful way in one cursory review. So, what we’ve got here is a little addendum to Takes, the 16-track Vol. III sampler — 16 more unreleased highlights that give a hint of the treasures in store.

Broken Arrow Devotion :: Neil Young Obsessives In Conversation

On July 2, 1996, Neil Young released his 22nd album, Broken Arrow. Recorded with his long-time running mates Crazy Horse, it was also the first record that Young had released since the death of David Briggs the previous fall. To break down all things Broken Arrow, two Neil Young devotees—Joel Berk and Scott Bunn—are here to answer the question: what is the purpose of Broken Arrow?

Another Bummer :: Neil Young’s On The Beach At 50

Is On The Beach a bummer? Well, maybe. But it’s a brilliant bummer. To celebrate 50 years of the record, dig into an alternate version of the album, made up of rare live renditions and fireside sessions. Neil didn’t often return to many of these tunes onstage, but when he did, he gave them his all. Some of it is solo — “alone at the microphone;” elsewhere, Young is joined by CSN, Ben Keith and, most interestingly, Britfolk legend Bert Jansch, who shows up on a 2006 version of “Ambulance Blues.”

Neil Young :: Honey Slides 2024

Neil Young kept promising us that Archives Vol. 3 was coming in 2023 … but guess what? It was delayed. That’s OK, any Neil fan worth his/her/their salt is accustomed to the waiting game. And anyway, there was plenty to keep us occupied last year in Shakeyland — a return to touring (and subsequent live album); several”officialbootleg” releases; and ongoing shenanigans on the wild/wooly Archives website. This fourth annual Honey Slides mix gathers up some choice rarities that Neil has sprinkled throughout his site, alongside several cuts that have yet to see the official light of day. As always, a few honey slides won’t hurt.

Neil Young & The Stray Gators :: Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia, January 29, 1973

As a followup to the Time Fades Away (Again) collection we shared earlier this year, break out the Jose Cuervo and get into one of the best audience tapes from Neil Young’s somewhat ill-fated early 1973 North American tour.
“Neil was pretty strange on his big tour,” former road manager Leo Makota told Rolling Stone. “[He] was trying to get a certain sound out of the band that he apparently could never find. The band would jam at soundchecks in the afternoon and sound great. Then they’d come in and do the show at night and never make it.”