"Caroline No" in Neil Young's "Long May You Run"

[harrisonjon]

Apologies if there's an old thread on this but I was wondering if Young has ever discussed the song that inspired the lyric:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neilyoung/longmayyourun.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nszR0tfp4Es&feature=autoplay&list=PL0670EE5F78A60D52&playnext=4

[I. Spaceman]

Yes. He also placed the song Let's Go Away For A While at the end of his Journey Through The Past film and soundtrack, and has expressed a love of the Surf's Up album.

[Matt Bielewicz]

More than that, wasn't the insomniac ruster himself in the 1999 Brian Wilson On Tour DVD, professing his love of the artist in question on camera in no uncertain terms? Wasn't he even on camera WITH Brian at one point (in a dressing room trailer, or some such place), saying how much he admired him?

If so, safe to say he is indeed a fan.

Or was it Beautiful Dreamer?

Or was it both?

Or have I dreamed the whole thing?

Friday night... Brain cells... SLOUGHING... [falls asleep]

[Aegir]

The Beach Boys played shows with Buffalo Springfield, and according to Mike Love they all sang Good Vibrations on a bus "all stoned and drunk".

[roll plymouth rock]

He's also played the old CSNY Pipe Organ on the bridge to Good Vibrations & sung backing vocals on Barbara Ann when Bri played his Bridge School Benefit concert....both times. Which by the way is a fabulous festival - highly recommended! Oh! And before the show starts at BSB he always has Stack-O-Tracks playing. Heard it 3 different years there, always makes me smile 

[Mikie]

He's also played the old CSNY Pipe Organ on the bridge to Good Vibrations & sung backing vocals on Barbara Ann when Bri played his Bridge School Benefit concert....both times. Which by the way is a fabulous festival - highly recommended! Oh! And before the show starts at BSB he always has Stack-O-Tracks playing. Heard it 3 different years there, always makes me smile 

Yep! I was there. Right down the street from where I work.  And of course the post-concert party where Brian showed up at I think it was Neil's house. The story about the cake. Ha Ha Ha!

Neil's tribute in 2005:

http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2005/02/salute-to-brian-wilson.html

[harrisonjon]

Would Young's interest stem from CSN&Y days? We know that Nash was huge on Brian.

[I. Spaceman]

As has been pointed out in this thread already, Buffalo Springfield toured with The Beach Boys and were great friends. That's why The BB's covered Rock And Roll Woman. Neil and Dennis were buddies.

[The Shift]

Womderful that Neil and the BBs are my top fave acts and were so close. Young seems to have been a great supporter of Brian's over the last decade or so too. Long may he run…

[Chocolate Shake Man]

The ongoing discussion that situates The Beach Boys in a Beatles context has unfortunately obscured a potentially more interesting conversation, which is The Beach Boys in a California rock context. Yes, we have heard that Pet Sounds is a response to Rubber Soul. But certainly there were lots of things going on locally that would have made an impression on Brian - The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Love, The Association, The Monkees, etc.

[Mikie]

Would Young's interest stem from CSN&Y days? We know that Nash was huge on Brian.

So was Crosby.  Check the IJWMFTT video doc.

[Aegir]

CSN(Y) is so obviously Beach Boys influenced. I think music in that sort of vein but more idiosyncratically Brian-styled could've kept the Beach Boys relevant in the US during the late 60s/early 70s.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Nothing could've kept the Beach Boys relevant in the US during the late 60s/early 70s apart from a cultural sea change. What kept the Beach Boys irrelvant during that time had virtually nothing to do with the music they were making, which was better than just about anybody else's music from that time.

[EgoHanger1966]

I wouldn't say that was true at all. The public's perception of The Beach Boys may have put them in an irrelevant category, but the music they were making was very relevant to that time period. It wasn't like they were playing off nostalgia (on the records) and doing surf and car songs. The lyrics were conscientious of what was happening - maybe a little too much - check out most of the Surf's Up album. The entire Holland album. Carl & The Passions showed them doing something entirely different. It might not be their best, but you can certainly see the effort to break the mold of the 'Help Me Rhonda' image. Yes, they had to do the oldies in concert, because people came for that - but don't think for a minute that just because they took that route in concert doesn't mean they weren't in tune with what was happening outside of the Beach Boys bubble.

[I. Spaceman]

Neil was also one of the people, along with Randy Newman and Van Dyke Parks, who convinced Lenny Waronker to sing The Beach Boys to Warners.

[GatherTheForest]

Wow, really? I don't recall reading about someone liking Surf's Up album. The song - maybe, but not the entire record. Anyhow, thanks for the info, I. Spaceman! That's very cool to have the same musical preference (even if it's minor) with the famous artist since I also like that album.

I saw him with Crazy Horse earlier this week, and one of the shirts at the merch table has the Surf's Up cover art on it, so I can confirm this. I bought it of course. There's a picture of it here.

[EthanJames]

I Also herd somewhere (not sure if this is true) that Paul McCartney wanted to sign BB To Apple

[Smilin Ed H]

Wasn't there a suggestion that Neil was going to sign with Brother in the late 60s?

[The Shift]

I heard that McCartney was going to sign Brother to Young in the late Reprisals.

[Shady]

I wonder if Brian is a fan of Neil Young?

I know he wasn't a fan of Dylan so I'd guess not

[lee]

I've been reading Neil's book and he mentions the Beach Boys a few times though out.