January 31st, 2022
My Dear America:
I've loved the Music of Neil Young for a long time, Many Decades, in fact.
Although I had heard of the "Buffalo Springfield" Band I was never very familiar with their music at the time that they were playing together. It was only more recently when I downloaded their music to Spotify that I was able to recognize what a dynamite musical group they were.
I think that the first time I ever heard of Neil Young was when he joined David Crosby, late of the Byrds, Graham Nash, late of the Hollies and Neil's Buffalo Springfield Bandmate, Stephen Stills who had started the group: Crosby, Stills and Nash. Someone in the Crosby, Stills and Nash Orbit suggested adding Neil Young to the Musical Mix and Crosby, Stills Nash & Young burst onto the Musical Scene with a great studio album called "Deja Vu". Deja Vu was followed up by the Crosby, Stills Nash and Young Live Album titled "4 Way Street".
During the late Sixties I discovered Neil Young's First few Recorded Solo Albums: "Neil Young" which was released on Neil's 23rd Birthday in November of 1968 and "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere," and "After The Gold Rush" all of which featured some of Neil's really classic songs. On both of these albums Neil Young featured only songs that he had written. In fact, on most of his Solo albums he featured almost exclusively songs that he had written. From the late Sixties on Neil Young has recorded an astonishing number of Albums, most of which are masterpieces but some, such as "Trans" an album of odd and almost annoying Electronic Music, caused Neil to have some very serious creative differences with his record companies.
Suffice it to say that Neil Young has recorded an incredible amount of Neil Young Music over his long career. He has played with quite a few Musical Groups backing him up including "The Stray Gators", The Shocking Pinks, The International Harvesters, Promise of The Real and Pearl Jam. The Group that seems to have been his Favorite Go To Back Up Band over the Years, however, has been "Crazy Horse" who he has played with and recorded with the most over the years. One of the First Concerts My wife and I went to together back in the Seventies when we started dating was the "Rust Never Sleeps" Concert with Crazy Horse. I wrote a Review of it for "PA East", a short lived Counterculture Newspaper in Eastern Pennsylvania. It was an Awesome Concert. I saw Neil Young on other occasions also and was never disappointed with his performances.
Over the years Neil has never shied away from Controversy and in some cases seems to have deliberately courted them. Neil's song "Southern Man" which commented on southern attitudes regarding race inspired the band, "Lynyrd Skynyrd" to write a song in answer to Neil's song using the following lines:
"I wish Neil Young Would Remember A Southern Man Don't Need Him Around"
Recently Neil Young wandered into controversy once again by very publicly challenging Spotify and telling those individuals who run the online Music and Podcast Platform that if Spotify did not cancel The Joe Rogan Podcast that Neil Young wanted all of his music taken off the Spotify Platform.
What has taken place after Neil's ultimatum to Spotify is that Spotify chose to take Neil's music off their platform and Keep Joe Rogan, who Spotify has paid millions of dollars to keep on the platform.
I have very mixed feelings about the entire controversy.
I agree with Neil that it is very important that Spotify listeners get the correct information about Covid 19 but I listen to Neil Young's music and play along with it a lot, or at least I used to.
I have never listened to Joe Rogan's Podcast and I never plan to. I feel sorry for the fact that a lot of people get their medical information from someone who is obviously making millions while being on the wrong track when it comes to Covid.
Neil is correct in trying to shine a spotlight on how wrong Rogan is. I feel, however, that Neil should be thinking about his fans and the fact that his music will not be influencing anyone if it is not available to stream.
No, Spotify is not a perfect platform and Rogan might very well be spreading lies but no online platform is without issues. Sirius XM, Apple Music and Amazon are all platforms that have issues that could be protested just as readily as Spotify.
Bill Maher had a guest on "Real Time With Bill Maher" on HBO this past week named Ira Glasser, who was the former head of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). Mr. Glasser when he was ACLU Director defended Nazi's marching in Skokie, Illnois, the home of many Jewish Refugees from the Holocaust. Mr. Glasser, who is Jewish pointed out that he had relatives killed in the Holocaust but still felt as though everyone has a right to Freedom of Speech and Expression.
Clearly Joe Rogan is a person who who nobody should be listening to on major issues. The problem, however, is that there are millions of people who are listening to him.
I have to say this. When I came across an ad on Michael Moore's Podcast advertising Anchor and Spotify and suggesting that I could start my own Podcast very easily and for Free I found it hard to believe. It turned out to be true, however, and I have been Podcasting since July of 2020.
No I am not making millions of dollars like Joe Rogan does and I don't have anywhere near as many listeners as Rogan has but I have been broadcasting my Left of Center views for nearly a year and a half and I have never had Spotify contacting me suggesting that my content should be altered in any way. I think that to me that counts for something. If Spotify is required to begin censoring content that to me will not be a good thing. That will be a very bad thing.
I hope it isn't true but I saw today on Twitter that we Spotify users might, in addition to losing Neil Young, might also be losing the following Performers from the Spotify Platform: Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, Queen, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Dave Grohl, Joni MItchell Pearl Jam and Nils Lofgren and others.
I hope that Neil Young and his supporters realize that in a world where books like "To Kill A Mockingbird" are being banned and the world is becoming more Authoritarian Every day that becoming more Authoritarian and Demanding of Others is not the way to go for Spotify.
Please Spotify bring back Neil and all of the others for the sake of Freedom and Responsibility in a world that has too little of it already.
Please Neil and Your Musical Friends Don't abandon those of us who love to hear your music on Spotify. Bring your music back to the Streaming Service As Soon As Possible.
We miss you. We love your music and we want you Back.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
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