Hands up if you have heard of the 'Jerusalema Dance Challenge' ?
With the NEWS seemingly on rewind and full of nothing good these days, this song may provide an antidote. The full story of the 'Challenge' I will let you research if you want. The brief outline is South African DJ Master KG released this single last year - real name Kgaogelo Moagi, it features female vocalist Nocembo Zikode. Wikipedia calls it 'Gospel-house disco dance'.
I'm not sure about the music. Somedays I like it and others it's more "I can't get this tune out of my head" kind of feeling, in the way that a happy song can also be annoying. But the dancing is great ! And in these socially distanced times, ideal.
During the Covid pandemic and various lockdowns videos of people dancing to the song sparked a global trend and there are versions everywhere of groups taking up the challenge to join in - bringing hope from Africa to the World.
The South African film industry put this video together which I really like. Initially there was a long action intro but I found this edit, however it requires a time frame I think: 

Video timeline is: 

Action Intro to 1:20 - and it's a wrap !
Music starts 1:40
Dancing starts 1:55
Silent credits from 5:50 onwards, to the end 

- This then is 'Jerusalema' by Master KG >

Click here for more dancing (joyful, rubber limbed kids in this one):

I only heard this song a few weeks ago and while the 'riff' is going to remind you of a lot of other tracks, it was something else that triggered in my brain that said 'I recognise this' ?

Sure enough the artist Kurt Vile was on the very same 'Ragged Glory' CD I wrote about last week. I knew it !

His laidback hippy vibe is very Neil Young (though less obvious on this catchy track), while on other occasions he sounds more Lou Reed or even Tom Petty.

Anyway this is the best riff I've heard in ages and by far his most popular video viewed on YouTube. "Pretty Pimpin'" was released in 2015 as a single and made No.1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart >

A different 'live' take from WFUV > www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSr8uR-jxg 

With any new discovery I would urge you to explore further:

A bit Neil Young: 'One Trick Ponies' > www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7OmWKy6_8E 

Vocally a bit Lou Reedy: 'Wakin' on a Pretty Day' > www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2qA4wkjOhM  - This is a 9 minute track 

Then there's 'Never Run Away' > www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq5sb6_W4LU  

And 'live' from Glastonbury in 2019 we have 'Loading Zones' (and the moment Kurt straps on his Les Paul guitar you know it's happening) > www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbCRzPiDsMY  

Hope all these links work 😇

About a year ago to celebrate 50 years of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Mojo magazine ran a feature and gave away a free CD: "It's all one song" - tracks that go on and on ! 

This 'Ragged Glory' CD introduced artists dedicated to the power of electric guitars, who'd been inspired by the longform explorations of Crazy Horse.  

Someone who has channeled their inner Neil Young better than others, one Joseph Donald Mascis best known as singer, guitarist and main songwriter of the rock band Dinosaur Jr.  

This is their track 'Lost All Day' from 2016 (sorry no video) and those guitars are right there - it's wonderful.

 

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary. Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out ! Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

The Neil Young and Crazy Horse extended electric 'live' jams, that I'm quite prepared to admit often sound the same, yet in the way that you really like something (a lot) you never really mind hearing it over and over again, I always loved these excursions that took up large parts of 'live' performances in the 1980s and 90s.

To quote Young's producer John Hanlon: "Crazy Horse musically paid attention to what Neil was doing and were not afraid to make mistakes. They were not perfection players. They were going for the vibe that supports Neil's vision for his music. It was like improvised jazz, but it was not jazz."

Here then are Neil Young and Crazy Horse 'live' at Farm Aid in 1994. 'Jamming' in their little cluster of playing off each other (really cookin'), Neil Young on lead guitar, Billy Talbot (bass) and Ralph Molina (drums) with Frank Sampedro (rhythm) > 8 minutes of 'Country Home'. 

NB: The rather shrill introduction only lasts a few moments.... then we're off and jammin'

 

As mentioned Neil Young and Crazy Horse are no strangers to long tracks. 'Driftin' Back' at over 27 minutes is probably their longest.

So if you have the time and inclination I recommend 'Ramada Inn' (16:39 min); 'Love And Only Love' (10:18); 'Change Your Mind' (14:39) and of course 'Like A Hurricane' (originally 7:50, but 14:00 minutes by 1991 and the 'Weld' album. 

It was back in 1970 that I fell in love with Neil Young. Since then we've been through some times together... It all began with 'After the Gold Rush' and basically continues to this day. 

Through all those different phases, I have LPs and CDs, tapes and downloads - Crazy Horse, the extended electric 'live' jams, 'Rust Never Sleeps', 'Sleeps with Angels', 'Harvest Moon', 'Chrome Dreams', 'Mirror Ball' with Pearl Jam, Living with War protest songs, 'Psychedelic Pills', even the 1983 electronic experiment that was 'Trans'. It's been quite a journey (through the past) - "Flying Mother Nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun".

The reason for my timing is that it is 50 years since 'After the Gold Rush' - it was released in the US mid September 1970, but came out a month later in the UK, meaning it was probably November before a mate played me this album and I was hooked.

Picking from such a long list of favourite tracks was always going to be impossible (no doubt you all have a different list to me) but in the spirit of the occasion I'm starting with the very first song I heard, namely side one, 'After the Gold Rush' LP - track one: 'Tell Me Why'.

 

I found a 'live' version from 1976 > www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH0T8QkGOgs 

but the harmonies on the original are just the best, so no video, just the album sleeve.

> This record is the only ever album I wore out playing. I actually replaced the original as it begun to sound a bit fuzzy. I still have both copies though !   

This is just the start of a special Neil Young related session. Log back in Midweek for more. 

 

Here's a track from an album that does exactly what it says on the label: "Blues with Horns" by Chris Daniels and The Kings, released in 2017. Chris Daniels is a bit of an old timer, having just turned 68 two days ago (clearly 1952 was a good year, he says modestly).

Chris shares vocals with Freddi Gowdy on this track while along with those horns some Louisiana slide guitar is added by Sonny Landreth, who caught my notice when he played with Mark Knopfler during his 'Swinging Golden Hearts' live shows* in 1996. 

Back to now, this has an unusual and interesting video, like a walk through town - so I hope you enjoy - 'Sweet Memphis' 

* Check out Sonny Landreth on this great intro to 'Cannibals' from this 'live' show > https://youtube.com/watch?v=UD4LWIy675Y