Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Neil Young - Out on the weekend ( Harvest )




First harmonica solo I ever nailed. This is the National Anthem for every artist who moved to the L.A. music scene, from the Byrds to the Eagles to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

When you are from someplace other than Southern California, you imagine that all of your problems will be solved when you move there. Every guy is as funny as Johnny Carson and every woman is as beautiful as Elizabeth Taylor all set in a place that is just like Hawaii.  

Next thing you know you're looking up at a smoggy sky that looks like the stuff inside a vacuum cleaner bag and starring up at a popcorn stucco ceiling in a hot, cheap, musty apartment building with a bunch of old people just waiting to die.

That leads to the type of depression this song alludes. Out on the weekend trying to make it pay refers to trying to land gigs on Sunset Blvd, and the Troubador on Santa Monica and or peddling your songs to record companies.