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Nashville Nights by jiguma [Email]
Genre: Acoustic Rock

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 1888
Comments: 32
Votes: 22
Plays: 331
Last Played: Oct 05, 2008 - 01:53:34 PM
Downloads: 39
Fans: 18
Uploaded: Sep 04, 2006 - 03:44:19 AM
Last Updated: Oct 16, 2007 - 01:58:33 AM
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Keywords:
Neil Young (6), Heart of Gold (1)
Description:
Saw Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold” movie recently and was inspired to write this by the warmth of the man and his band and in recognition of his enormous musical contribution to my life (among many others!). No political message here, just a descriptive lyric about my feelings immediately after the show – I’ve been a fan since the early 70s. Also a big fan of Emmylou Harris – wasn’t everyone in love with her? : )
The verse about “The Needle and the Damage Done” acknowledges one of the strongest (to me) lyrics of all time – when I first heard the line “every junkie’s like a setting sun” I literally had to tell someone - one of the guys in the band.
There is one acoustic guitar rhythm track (recorded with the on-board mic in the right channel and with my Rode NT3 in the left), doubled for extra depth in the soft parts. Also separate “electric” and slide tracks. Drums by DoD. Thanks to Nolan for running a critical ear over it.
If you’ve ever liked a Neil Young song (especially his “softer side” country stuff), I can highly recommend seeing the movie.

As usual, loud is best!

Lyrics:
Nashville Night
© 2006 Neil Porter

You were up there on the silver screen
With Hank’s guitar playing sweet and clean
On the silver screen
Family and friends on a Nashville night
Perfect songs with the sound just right
What a Nashville night!

You’re living in the moment
Take me through the past
Once again

Emmylou was a young man’s dream
An angel voice in a cowgirl theme
Still a young man’s dream
Felt a chill when I saw her there
With her voice so sweet and true and rare
When I saw her there

You’re living in the moment
Take me through the past
Once again
Take me back through memories
You’ve got me looking at my life

Those two nights at the Ryman
Left me dreaming Prairie Wind
You’ve been around for years
Now you’re coming ‘round again

You sang about the needle and the damage done
Still makes me cry like it did back then
The damage done
Couldn’t wait I had to tell someone
“Every junkie’s like a setting sun”
I had to tell someone
I had to tell someone

You’re living in the moment
Take me through the past
Once again
Take me back through memories
You’ve got me looking at my life

You were up there on the silver screen
With Hank’s guitar playing sweet and clean
On the silver screen
Family and friends on a Nashville night
Perfect songs with the sound just right
What a Nashville night!
What a Nashville night!

Hardware:
Seagull S6 acoustic guitar
Fender Precision Bass
Rode NT3 mic
Behringer UB802 mixer/preamp
IMac G4
Glass slide


Software:
Logic Express
Drums on Demand
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Neil &mdash 09/04/06 - 04:36:33 AM
Neil Young/ Neil Porter ?
Whatever!
Great accousic song Neil.
I love your guitarplaying.
Es ist ein wnderschner Song und der Text ist auch wundervoll
geschrieben.
Was fr eine Nashville Nacht!


[ Reply to This ]
Danke Tanja! &mdash 09/04/06 - 04:57:18 AM
Es freut mir sehr da du mein Song mchtest - vielen Dank!
Neil

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Im a fan &mdash 09/04/06 - 07:29:17 AM
Im a fan of Neil as well!! Great sound on the guitar..Very well writen...It hit
home . I really like the mix... Sometime Id like to play some bass on one
of your songs. Great job!! thanks for trading

[ Reply to This ]
Neil Aussie &mdash 09/04/06 - 07:44:34 AM
The sound of the recording is better than that always.
The tone of the guitar is also wonderful.
Your voice is also similar.


[ Reply to This ]
A nice blend... &mdash 09/04/06 - 09:30:31 AM
...of the jiguma sound with the Neil Young sound...

Being a fan of both, this really sounds good to me. I love layered
guitars., and you've done an excellent job with these...

Is there a Lovesick Emmylou Fan Club and Support Group? Sign me
up...

Great foundation of bass and drums here, and very clear treble in the
acoustic guitars that doesn't get brittle...

Nice job, Neil... Gotta go order that DVD, I guess... (Just ordered the
Richard Thompson '1000 Years of Popular Music'...another of my
heroes....)

Ed

[ Reply to This ]
Nice inspiration &mdash 09/04/06 - 11:00:40 AM
young Porter! You got a tune here, fine job I might add.... Same here, fan of both you's Niel guys. The contrast is severe in the difference in vocals, but a fit to the country-fied rendition you've given us, and supported with that CSN&Y style of harmony. Great job. I think a harder (louder) kick drum lining up with the low bass would fit well.....

. - Harold

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Yeah! &mdash 09/04/06 - 11:58:57 AM
Sweet! Thanks for reminding me about that movie, I've got to see that. Excellent song, Neil... nice writing and singing, and your guitar recording sounds so crisp and harmonious; really quite amazing. Harvest and After the Gold Rush are two of my favorite albums and had a huge influence on me as a teenager. After one of my friends became a setting sun, that particular line (and song) struck me as unbelievably apt. Your mixes sound to me like they're getting cleaner and more balanced; you really nailed it this time.

[ Reply to This ]
Nice sound &mdash 09/04/06 - 12:00:20 PM
enjoyed listening to it. Cool ending and like that tradmark Jig vocal!
Guitar sounds spot on as well.



[ Reply to This ]
Such a classic sound... &mdash 09/04/06 - 12:09:50 PM
that acoustic guitar background! The whole song is so reminiscent of
the early seventies sound. Your guitar fills are such great added
touches... so much texture you've got in this song (as in many of your
tunes). I have nothing but kudos for your Neil.
... and those vocal harmonies!
Jack

[ Reply to This ]
Super song &mdash 09/04/06 - 04:30:45 PM
Well done Neil...this is really great stuff...love the acoustic textures and
the harmony vox. I am a big NY fan too of course and this is a fine tribute
to the man and his music
Thanks for sharing it with us
Steve

[ Reply to This ]
simple and clean &mdash 09/04/06 - 04:31:55 PM
I like how you kept the instrumentation on an easy level around the acoustic guitar. Letting it be the force in the groove. Your voice sounds confident and strong on top of this. You are doing great recordings now Neil. Impressive:)

[ Reply to This ]
Emmylou rules! &mdash 09/04/06 - 07:23:27 PM
Ed, thank you for your listen and comment to NN. I hadn't heard from
you for a while, so I am especially pleased to see you back! I'm off to
buy the DVD this morning - Richard Thompson's is also very much on
my shopping list.
Emmylou rules!
Neil

[ Reply to This ]
Cheers Harold &mdash 09/04/06 - 07:29:24 PM
Harold, appreciate your visit and comments - I maybe could have given
the kick a little more bass - noted for future reference!
Peace,
Neil

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Must see! &mdash 09/04/06 - 11:21:46 PM
David - you really should see the movie - NY does a killer version of
Needle and the Damage Done, but every single song is just so
beautifully performed. There are 12 acoustic guitars on stage at one
point!
Glad you noticed the mix - I was getting sick of having to go back and
re-record songs I'd done poorly, and am now trying to take more care
with the finished product.
Neil

[ Reply to This ]
just there ... ! &mdash 09/05/06 - 05:16:32 AM
perfect work jiguma ... the guitar pickin just why
this song so pwoerfull ..... liked the lead so much
and ye ...your singin fits in all that ... well done !!


[ Reply to This ]
Bill, Jack, Steve, Thor, Feter &mdash 09/05/06 - 08:41:57 AM
Thanks for stopping by and having a listen - I really appreciate it.
Sorry I can't reply separately, but it all gets too disjointed without the
reply function. Simon says maybe next week : )
Peace,
Neil

[ Reply to This ]
Neil double-vision &mdash 09/05/06 - 11:22:49 AM
Nice nice songwriting and performing here, really like the chorus break
too... and your singing is quite smooth, love your low note there too.

There are a couple of little things that bothered me a little, it seemed
there was little breathing room, the guitars were everywhere on every
beat, making it feel quite busy... I wanted guitars to line up in rhythm
sometimes and give a little more defined texture, it was almost too
smooth... maybe at the end of each A section before the chorus, get
more rhythmic/choppy with open spaces between notes. The little
guitar solos in between were delicious. Also there was a LOT of high
midrange jangly guitar, and the nice bass didn't stand out as much...
dunno how to bring it up without making it boomy, but I wanted a little
more growly bass-bite. Great lyrics, as usual... so, you gonna drop a
link to this on that "other Neil"'s web site? :)
ttfn,
Drakonis

[ Reply to This ]
Drak! &mdash 09/05/06 - 05:04:43 PM
Thanks for the suggestions Eduard. Those low notes were almost
impossible for me to reach - thought I might have to get in a low-note
specialist like stevel to do them for me. Ths jangling sound was what I
was after, but it seems that on some systems, the bass may have
suffered as a result. I have lots of headroom for the bass, so boosting
it isn't a problem (maybe adding alittle grunt is also possible). I
purposely cut some sub-bass from the bass track on this so I could get
better definition. Maybe I cut it a bit too far. Your guitar suhhestions
are interesting, and try them out if/when I do a re-recording of this.
Not sure if NN fits the "topical" requirement for NY's site. Could always
send it and see.
Peace,
Neil

[ Reply to This ]
perfect Neil &mdash 09/06/06 - 05:42:25 AM
you did the name right... your guitars are sounding absolutely perfect
in my speakers... and when the slide comes in, your mix and
performance are dead spot on... exellent playing and writing... I have
to say your production and performance grabbed me right out of the
box

I say CSNY 2 weeks ago with my oldest son... the main reason I went
was to see them with Mr Young... I wasn't expecting him to have such a
great command of the stage and music... when you hear his recordings
you think he might be more of a controlled train wreck... but instead I
saw true a master... ya need to see people live

[ Reply to This ]
yer best &mdash 09/06/06 - 09:46:07 PM
I got the movie for my birthday.

Didn't inspire me to anything like this dammit all.

But seriously Neil, this is a tour de force, a benchmark and the
culmination of all your GB work to date.

[ Reply to This ]
Awesome &mdash 09/07/06 - 07:34:51 PM
This rocks Neil! Your voice really suits this style and your lyrics in this are brilliant. I especially love, "An angel voice in a cowgirl theme". Nice. An honest, touching and open tribute to one of the enigmas of popular music. I haven't always like Mr Young's stuff, but damn I respect the guy. Have you seen 'Deadman' the movie. His soundtrack is masterful.
More please.

[ Reply to This ]
yeah &mdash 09/08/06 - 01:11:20 AM
definitely a good neil young homage here. beginning reminds me of
cinnamon girl. guitars are great.

has that kind of bluesy feeling. dark and almost country. great sound!

[ Reply to This ]
Brilliant! &mdash 09/09/06 - 05:44:31 AM
I love this song. You've tidied up beautifully.

Such a rich and interesting arrangement. Drums rock, as does the
bass. The slide is great. Harmonies are really cool. I've spent some
time in the South, and this seems to have the right 'feel'.

This could be my favourite of yours...

[ Reply to This ]
Scott, snow, Ross, Darren, Nolan &mdash 09/10/06 - 01:04:39 AM
Thanks for the positive comments guys - special thanks to snow for
encouragement over the past year or so, and to Nolan for letting me
borrow his "critical ear".
Cheers,
Neil

[ Reply to This ]
Nashville &mdash 09/10/06 - 10:13:25 AM
I like the song. The guitar playing is great and your voice fits the mood.

[ Reply to This ]
Well now... &mdash 09/10/06 - 11:40:50 AM
I may be out of practice here, but certainly, I can hear that you're not - You are the first MJR to draw chills up my spine, as I listen to the warmth of your delivery of this very nice piece of work here, Neil. Immediately, I'm hooked on this place again. I should have known that it would happen like that-

I don't know how many pieces that you've put together since my absence, and it was always easy to hear how somehow, on each peice you would go to the next level, but hearing where you've stepped to from two months ago is outrageously satiating - I would imagine that what I'm feeling right now is not unlike what a junkie feels like after receiving a fix after not having one for way too long ago... This is really good stuff you're playing around w/ here buddy - REALLY - You've gotten me excitedd about making my way 'through the past here'... - Can't wait to hear what I've missed - Thanks my friend - Cheers! Dion

[ Reply to This ]
Re: Well now ....... &mdash 09/13/06 - 12:16:29 AM
Hey Dion, Welcome back and thanks for the kind words (you probably don't
realise how much your comments mean to us here in MJ land!). My last few
have definitely been a gear up from previous songs - I'm trying to take a bit
more care with writing, production and performing these days after
something you said in an email in the not so distant past. This is and I
suspect will remain, a favourite of my songs for me.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/24074"> Nashville Nights</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/24275"> Headful Of Smiles w SIL-VER</a>

[ Reply to This ]
hippie-soul &mdash 09/10/06 - 04:31:29 PM
Great steel guitar song, and what a wonderful production once again. I've seen these pictures of yours in the 'mugshot' forum threat (haha) and I can't get them out of my head listening to this song, you hippie-soul man :-) Oh yes, you must know by now that i really dig your smooth and friendly voice. I guess you had tons of fun with this song, Neil. So had I listening to it...

Walter

[ Reply to This ]
hippie-soul &mdash 09/13/06 - 12:50:48 AM
Thanks for the comment Walter, I really appreciate it (like I really appreciate
being able to write replies again!). Those pics are a bit of a giveaway aren't
they : )
If you want to hear a different aspect of my younger days, have a listen to my
new colab with SIL-VER. I could never do the instrumental work to do those
all the time, but it's a style I love.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/24074"> Nashville Nights</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/24275"> Headful Of Smiles w SIL-VER</a>

[ Reply to This ]
Nice &mdash 09/13/06 - 09:30:38 PM
Neil

Great guitar palying and layering of sounds. I was very impressed with to
quality of the guitar sounds. I have been struggling layering several guitar
sounds on the project you helped me out on. Maybe one you can give me
some advice. Great Lyrics and vocals as usual.

Ed

[ Reply to This ]
Well done! &mdash 09/17/06 - 06:28:45 PM
Great trib! Love the sound of your acoustic git. Of course, i've always been
a fan of your vox and bass-work. The slide work was a real treat. Wish I'd
heard this one before I recorded "Suspects..."---I might have worked a
little harder on my slides! Neil Young, yeah.---such a vital part of our
musical heritage. By the way, "Needle..." is my second favorite NY tune
("Running Dry" is my fave). Oh, and I love the ending. Nice work. You
sound more pro with each recording.

Peace!

[ Reply to This ]
Bloody Phenom! &mdash 09/18/06 - 07:57:24 PM
Man, that's Some Guitar Work, Brother!

Ralyy Fine Listen.

Fond Regards,
Coop

[ Reply to This ]
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