Born on November 12: Neil Young, a life of "Mad Horse"

Born in Toronto in 1945, this Canadian artist has been defying genres for over half a century. From folk to country, rock, and even electronic music, he excels in every genre he explores...

How can one summarize the eclectic, often fascinating, and sometimes slightly repetitive career of this Don Quixote of the six-string? Frequently outspoken and often raging, the artist has never been one to mince words. Take, for example, the now-iconic "Rockin' In The Free World" in 1991, a scathing critique of triumphant capitalism. With age on his side (he's 79 today), he was nonetheless one of the first to sell the rights to his music catalog for the tidy sum of $150 million. This can be interpreted as a form of endorsement of the capitalism he once vehemently denounced…

I readily admit, Neil Young is the only musician who has ever made me want to pick up a guitar. This remarkable man has never needed either excessive smoke machines or extravagant stagecraft to reinvent not only rock but also folk. Just a guitar, sometimes acoustic, sometimes fiercely electric... Since "Freedom" in 1989, and for a time at least, Neil Young rediscovered his former verve and the protective embrace of Reprise, his beloved label since his solo debut. Even today, he tirelessly refines the same formulas, like a meticulous chef. But he also never hesitates to experiment with new flavors and try out sometimes incongruous combinations.

Soon to be eighty, he remains, now more than ever, one of the essential musicians of his generation. With his eccentric preacher persona, after a few years devoted to poetic folk, he managed to win over all the young guns of the 90s American grunge wave, Pearl Jam chief among them. And we prefer to forget his incredible flirtation with conservatism. The support he offered Ronald Reagan in the mid-80s remains etched in everyone's memory. Even though he remained discreet—to my knowledge—during the recent American presidential elections, his open letter to Donald Trump in 2020 ("you're a disgrace to my country," in his own words) also made a strong impression.

In late 1988, from the Pixies to Nick Cave, from Dinosaur Jr. to Sonic Youth, many artists put their own spin on lesser-known songs by the patriarch on the album "The Bridge," the proceeds of which were donated to the association of the same name, which supports a school for disabled children that he founded with Pegi, his partner of 34 years. The singer's two sons, incidentally, have cerebral palsy. The life of the electric bard, now in a relationship with actress Daryl Hannah, is far from being a smooth ride...

Still elusive, the man of a hundred faces continues to decipher reality with the eye of a philosopher worn down by life's trials. More than ever, his snapshots of an America searching for new reasons to believe in the future possess undeniable relevance. Sometimes stark, sometimes raging, Neil Young has several very different anthems in his repertoire. Here are a few entry points for those discovering this great man today: "Down By The River" with The Crazy Horse (1969), "Cortez The Killer" on the album "Zuma" (1975), "Harvest Moon" (1992), "Heart Of Gold" (1972), "Crime In The City (Sixty To Zero)" and "Eldorado" on the album "Freedom" (1989). And of course, "My My Hey Hey (Into The Black)," a track originally released in 1979 that has seen many different versions. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana borrowed a few lines from this song ("It's better to burn out than to fade away") in his suicide note.

It's clear that, at 79, Neil Young remains an artist without equal…

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Neil Young with The Crazy Horse on stage at Forest-National in Brussels (Belgium) on May 28, 1987