Daryl Hannah’s Neil Young ‘Coastal’ movie is beautiful and rare behind the scenes insight into Neil’s first live shows after four years in 2023 in California.
For ‘Coastal’, Hannah is a perfect balance of off stage, backstage and performances. The first 10 minutes is the ultimate reality show. Neil and tour bus driver Jerry Don Bordon (JD) are seen driving to the Hollywood gig down the Pacific Coast Highway and just talking shit. Neil talks about how glad he is to have been born before AI. JD talks about how every computer update he has to do fucks up. JD also knows way too much shit about Howard Hughes, but that’s another story, probably in a bar over a beer if you ever see him out. This is exactly the kind of reality a reality show never delivers. You know, shit real people actually talk about.
The tour bus footage makes a lot of sense in the context of any musician’s life. They all spend a lot of time of a tour bus. The tour bus is their sanctuary. Daryl Hannah captures the solitude and peacefulness away from the chaos of putting a show on in a different town every day simply by including the downtime.
That is the wonderful thing about Neil Young. Unlike elusive and mysterious Bob, Neil is not afraid to show you his world. We witness the extraordinary love Neil has for his song Ben, born 1978 with cerebral palsy. Ben is never mentioned by name. The camera occasionally captures him on the tour bus with Ben perched behind JD while Neil rides side-saddle. Neil glows when Ben is near.
Likewise is the glimpse of Joni Mitchell backstage at the Hollywood Bowl concert. There is no focus on Joni. Neil walks in, Joni is backstage, they smile at each other and that’s it. Daryl has made her point right about acknowledging the lifelong friendship and respect without either Neil or Joni having to say a word.
The intimate offstage vision juxtaposes the intimate onstage performance. The ‘Coastal’ shows were just Neil. No band, no backing singers. There was one stage prop, the Lionel trainset on stage. Neil was such a huge model train enthusiast that he bought into the Lionel model train company and was once a major shareholder. (Hey, does that mean the train scenes are “product placement” Neil? I thought “this note was for me” ). By showing us the trains, Daryl Hannah has dropped yet another insight into Neil’s private world.
Oh yeah, the music, we should talk about the music. “All the hits” as Neil calls them. For people like me, these song are “hits” (to me) because I knew every one of them. Then again, I’m one of those Neil nutters who owns every album and not only bought the three box sets, including the last box which contained the previously unreleased ‘Oceanside Countryside’ album, but I also bought the standalone version because the same songs were in a different order. (Disclaimer: maybe use that as a benchmark when evaluating this review).
Of the songs in the movie, three songs are from ‘Mirror Ball’, Neil’s 1995 album with Pearl Jam. Neil has only ever performed ‘I’m The Ocean’ and ‘Song X’ on the 2023 ‘Coastal’ tour. ‘Throw Your Hatred Down’ was played a handful on times for mainly benefit shows in the late 90s.
‘When I Hold You In My Arms’ from 2002 and ‘Prime of Life’ from 1994, had never been played live before this tour.
‘Vampire Blues’ was played once in 1974 and once in 2020 before ‘Coastal’. Of the Buffalo Springfield songs, ‘Expecting To Fly’ is rare to hear, ‘I Am A Child’ slightly more common. The only “hit” (for want of a better word) was ‘Comes A Time’.
For Neil Young fans, the ‘Coastal’ setlist was a rare opportunity to hear a lot of songs you never in your lifetime expected Neil to play.
‘Coastal’ is a wonderful treat for those of us who have spent decades on the Neil Young train track. If you get the chance to see it in cinemas, do it. Like the songs in the movie, the screening will be equally as rare.
The soundtrack album is out now. It features:
Side One:
1. I’m The Ocean (from Mirror Ball, 1995) (played 17 times)
2. Comes A Time (from Comes A Time, 1978) (played 239 times)
3. Love Earth (from World Record, 2022) (played 18 times)
4. Prime Of Life (from Sleeps With Angels, 1994) (played 14 times)
5. Throw Your Hatred Down (from Mirror Ball, 1995) (played 16 times)
Side Two:
1. Vampire Blues (from On The Beach, 1974) (played 8 times)
2. When I Hold You In My Arms (from Are You Passionate?, 2002) (played 15 times)
3. Expecting To Fly (from Buffalo Springfield Again, 1967) (played 30 times)
4. Song X (from Mirror Ball, 1995) (played 7 times)
5. I Am A Child (from Buffalo Springfield, Last Time Around, 1968) (played 90 times)
6. Don’t Forget Love (from Barn, 2021) (played 15 times)
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE
Follow us at https://bsky.app/profile/noise11.bsky.social
Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook
