Bob Dylan And Neil Young Are Friends Now, But They Once Engaged In A Bitter Creative Feud
In the modern music world, it often seems like the media loves covering stories about artists feuding more than anything else. For that reason, it is common knowledge that Madonna and Mariah Carey don't get along and there has been a lot of coverage about Pink and Christina Aguilera's relationship.
What some younger people may not realize is that musicians feuding isn't anything new as anyone who likes Fleetwood Mac should already know. Amazingly enough, one accomplished music journalist believes that Bob Dylan and Neil Young once had a bitter one-sided feud.
Why A Journalist Thinks Bob Dylan Feuded With Neil Young Musically
In rock 'n' roll history, there are very few artists who've achieved anywhere close to the kind of success that Bob Dylan and Neil Young have enjoyed. For that reason, Dylan was inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and Young was inducted as a solo artist in 1995 and as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997.
More than two decades before Dylan was honored in the Hall of Fame, he rose to fame in the '60s. Looking back at music history, there is no denying that Dylan's music influenced an entire generation of fans and many of his peers as well.
Since Dylan influenced so many artists, most people would likely assume that he would embrace that. However, when Dylan spoke to the journalist Scott Cohen from Spin magazine in 1985, he went out of his way to call out how much Young was influenced by him.
According to what Dylan explained while talking to Spin's interviewer, he resented one of Young's most famous songs because he felt it was too similar to his own work.
"The only time it bothered me that someone sounded like me was when I was living in Phoenix, Arizona, in about '72 and the big song at the time was "Heart of Gold." I used to hate it when it came on the radio. I always liked Neil Young, but it bothered me every time I listened to 'Heart of Gold.'"
Dylan continued, "I think it was up at number one for a long time, and I'd say, 'S**t, that's me. If it sounds like me, it should as well be me.'"
"There I was, stuck on the desert someplace, having to cool out for a while. New York was a heavy place." Dylan continued explaining what he was going through, "Woodstock was worse, people living in trees outside my house, fans trying to batter down my door, cars following me up dark mountain roads."
"I needed to lay back for a while, forget about things, myself included, and I'd get so far away and turn on the radio and there I am, but it's not me." Dylan finished by saying he hadn't let go of his frustration, "It seemed to me somebody else had taken my thing and had run away with it, you know, and I never got over it. Maybe tomorrow."
Over the last several decades, the English writer Clint Heylin has written extensively about Dylan's work. As Heylin has explained, he does extensive research about each of Dylan's songs including accessing the singer's notes, looking at liner notes, and more.
According to Heylin, Dylan's anger at Young ripping him off partially inspired his song "Forever Young". Written when Dylan was in Arizona avoiding the world as the singer described during the aforementioned Spin interview, Heylin reported the song was a shot at Young.
Keeping in mind what Heylin reported about "Forever Young", it is important to note that he is considered a credible reporter. With that in mind and what Heylin has said about his research, it makes sense to take his claim seriously.
On the other hand, many fans have looked at what Heylin claimed about "Forever Young" and simply think he is wrong. A great example of that is there is a Reddit thread where several fans question Heylon's reporting.
The reason why fans have trouble with Heylin's reporting mostly relates to "Forever Young's" lyrics. As fans point out, "Forever Young" is a very sentimental song lyrically that appears to be about Dylan becoming a father. Whether Heylin is right or not, the fact remains that Dylan has admitted to resenting one of Young's biggest songs.
Are Bob Dylan And Neil Young Friends?
Putting aside any anger Bob Dylan once had for Neil Young, the two men have had a truly extraordinary friendship for many years. Seen performing onstage together before, Dylan and Young have also praised each other in lyrics.
In Dylan's song "Highlands", he played tribute to Young with the line "I’m listening to Neil Young, I gotta turn up the sound". Young returned the favor with his song "Flags of Freedom" which includes the lyrics "Listening to Bob Dylan singin’ / In 1963/ Watchin’ the flags of freedom flying".
More evidence that Dylan and Young are pals comes from someone named Joel Bernstein. A photographer who has worked with both men, Bernstein once described how much respect they have for each other.
“Bob has watched Neil perform from the side of the stage many times. He has the greatest respect for him. It’s a real accolade for Bob to watch another artist. And Bob is probably the greatest influence on Neil as a singer-songwriter. They have a deep understanding about each other.”
Most importantly, there have been amusing anecdotes from the past that illustrate Young and Dylan's friendship. One example of that is in 1986, the two singers were interviewed by a reporter together when Dylan put his arm around Young's shoulder and they answered questions playfully.
Perhaps the most amazing story about Dylan and Young centers around a beloved vehicle. Many years ago, Young would travel to gigs in a hearse he adored partially because the curtains allowed people to enjoy smoking a green substance in the back.
One time when he was with Young, Dylan decided to take a nap in the back of the hearse without telling anyone. Unfortunately for Dylan, a friend of the duo decided to take the hearse for a spin not knowing anyone was in the back.
When Dylan came to and realized the hearse was moving, he started banging to let the driver know he was there. When the driver saw Dylan in his mirror, he was so freaked out thinking he saw a ghost that he drove the vehicle off the road.
With Dylan in the back of the hearse where there were no seatbelts, he easily could have been in mortal danger. Thankfully Dylan was able to calm the driver down, and he exited the hearse fully intact.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiYq51dl7yjecOyo5qmXZa7pXnNnqClZamkwq%2BzjJ%2Bpop2emcBuus6wZJqepJq%2Fbq%2FRnpitoaaaeqex1J1m