Neil Out-Curmudgeons Us All, Again

Ahh, Neil Young, shape-shifting through the 1980s and 90s fast enough to give us whiplash, then giving us Greendale and Living With War in rapid succession in the 21st century. He's a constant role model for modern curmudgeonry. The New York Times now tells us he's offering a film documentary of the 2006 Crosby Stills Nash & Young tour, called CSNY: Deja Vu. He went the distance, hiring former war correspondent Mike Cerre to be "embedded" with the tour, and badgering his bandmates to center on the antiwar songs he'd recently completed ("benevolent dictator," said Graham Nash). Young also seemed to sport a certain glee, Dixie-Chicks-style, when the audience offered middle fingers and obscene words for the antiwar songs. Really, what did these people expect? Graham, after all, is touring this year with a revamped "Chicago" that asks people to "please come to Denver, show your face." Young is spurring his other aging CSNY pals to be constant reminders of the dark side of American life, and we should relish that he will apparently remain a contrarian to his last breath.