Year of the Horse

Rating:
Summary: Play it LOUD!
Review: Neil Young fans - this it the real deal. All meat no filler.

Rating:
Summary: this is a masterpiece
Review: One bandmate jestingly complains that some artsy filmmaker from NYC can't get to the essence of Crazy Horse (and what they've gone thru for 30 years) , but Jim Jarmusch gets as close to it as you can in 107 minutes. The band members open up, each individually interviewed in a basement with a washing machine in the background, in their hotel rooms, and on the tour bus. And the concert footage from different eras is often stunning. Some of the complaints below are essentially that the film is non-linear but these critics miss the point because this is an artists depiction of fellow artists and the artists he's depicting are masters of the psychedelic experience. It's NOT supposed to be linear. My favorite parts were Jarmusch's visual dipictions to go along with the music (far better than any MTV videos), they are simply stunning compositions, they are as true to the music as can be, they add to the music. This is a must for those into the artistic psychedelic experience. Roll one up, have a few bottles of wine, strap yourself in and enjoy the trip!

Rating:
Summary: Jim Jarmusch and Neil Young Collaborate Again
Review: The method of Jim Jarmusch has worked, to this point, to minimalize the actor's environment as means of accentuating the spoken word. Relationships are shared usually between the audience and an intimate few; 3 (Stranger Than Paradise), 2 (Night on Earth, Coffee and Cigarettes), 1 (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai). Banter usually focuses on juxtaposing decisions made in the past with the decisions, although often not apparent, that are to be made within the quagmire of what is routine. Transient characters use expression and subsequent argument as the auteur's mouthpiece to confront this routine. Year of the Horse is Jarmusch's exception; rockumenting the band Crazy Horse and their lead man Neil Young on their 1996 world tour.

Jim Jarmusch, after teaming up with Neil Young for the soundtrack to his 1995 film Dead Man, has collaborated with Neil again, under the guise of Shakey Pictures, Neil Young's pseudonym and label, to document Crazy Horse's Broken Arrow tour. Old tour footage (1976 tour footage was directed and filmed by One West, the 1986 footage was taken from the film Muddy Track, a Shakey Picture, directed and filmed by Bernard Shakey) is included as means of juxtaposing the band's transition in sound, set design and apparel, a testament to their consistency. The band - Neil Young (guitar/vocals), Ralph Molina (drums/vocals), Frank "Poncho" Sampedro (guitar/keyboards/vocals), and Billy Talbot (bass/vocals) - question Jarmusch's ability to capture the essence of what truly is Crazy Horse as their tenure as grunge gods with an iconic leading man cannot be easily summarized. Or can it? "Some artsy-fartsy New York director gonna ask a bunch of stupid questions and pretend like you're explaining what's been a 30-year relationship." Or can it?

As Crazy Horse's tour meanders through the United States and Europe, Jarmusch's camera documents each step of the way, the highlights of which allow the audience to witness a tour bus fight regarding the harmonies on the song Cortez the Killer, a hit off of the 1976 album Zuma. In fact, many of the references, and subsequent song and footage selection revolve around Zuma. Their 1976 tour/footage was captured while promoting the album, and the songs Barstool Blues and Stupid Girl both appear on the Year of the Horse setlist, and are played admirably well some 20 years later. Jarmusch decided to use Super 8mm film stock to capture their 1996 concert footage, an obvious testament to the raw edginess to the band's music. Behind the scenes footage is by way of interview, working as an homage to lives lost and as a celebration of continued success.

In an interview with Emmanuel Tellier from "Les Inrockuptibles" magazine, Neil intimates that with Year of the Horse "you can really feel the personal view of a film maker, and above all the movie is about the band. It's more than a simple story; it's an impression, a succession of feelings. I had the idea of doing this movie - I like this kind of stuff and I like to have a camera with me, but Jim made it possible...With Crazy Horse, we always work hard. Sometimes, people don't understand how hard it is. Jarmusch's film really shows that."

The film's setlist, like its footage, is a blend of old favorites and new(er) tracks off of the bands 1996 Broken Arrow album. Neil says in the film that he "always hated calling the band Neil Young and Crazy Horse...we together are Crazy Horse." The iconic frontman has wavered very little from his aptitude for great songwriting, leadership that has kept this grunge band in check and sounding great for over twenty years.

1997
Directed by Jim Jarmusch
106 Minutes

Setlist:

1. @#$%^&* Up
2. Slip Away
3. Barstool Blues
4. Stupid Girl
5. Big Time
6. Tonight's the Night
7. Sedan Delivery
8. My Girl
9. Like a Hurricane
10. Music Arcade


Rating:
Summary: By the album instead
Review: The video is fine. But Amazon's "marketplace" provider, a company in Canada, sent me a FRENCH version. When I pointed out the order had specifiec ENGLISH, they apologized for their error. Per their instructions, I return-mailed the FRENCH video June 28, almost 9 weeks ago. They claim the mail hasn't arrived and refuse to send me the correct ENGLISH version until the mail gets through Amazon won't do anything to help, nor will they let me post my "feedback" on the transaction. They claim I'm not allowed to post feedback after 60 days pass. I love Neil Young, I hate Amazon. I'll never shop here again. Watch out for the "A-Z guarantee." It's worthless. Their customer service employees probably used to work for Enron.

Rating:
Summary: A must see for the die hard Neiler fan
Review: This film will grow on you, just like Neil Young does,after you have seen it a few times.Sit back with some old friends,and watch some old friends,Neil, and the always great Crazy Horse,get down and do what they do best,make great rocknroll! From the director of "Dead Man" and playing the role of a soda jerk boy from "Sling Blade",Jim Jarmusch brings you a gritty look at life on the road with one of the last real guitar heroes, one role that is still vital for Neil Young, and for us,his fans.Hey Hey, My My.