Neil Young, Cortez the Killer - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction

#neilyoung #cortezthekiller #virginrock
Another first for me! And in this song, I noticed some strong similarities with Bob Dylan’s style, although Neil Young clearly has a distinctive style of his own as well. A pleasant, relaxed musical experience - with a tantalizing bit of mystery in the lyrics, too!
Here’s the link to the original song by Neil Young:
• Cortez the Killer (201...
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by Neil Young
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[@LeeKennison]

I absolutely loved this reaction and your commentary, particularly since Neil is my all-time favorite individual artist, in terms of the one I have listened to the most over the last 50 years, and Cortez is one of my favorite songs. Tough choice though since he has such a wide variety of songs I love that show different facets of his work over many years, from his acoustic folk to his various rock styles, along with other styles. I was a bit nervous as to what you would think (particularly with the long guitar intro and his voice), so I was thrilled that you enjoyed it so much. I knew you would have great commentary on the lyrics and story telling, and you didn't disappoint. Once you made the Dylan association I knew that you really got Neil, in terms of his lyrics and story telling. I imagine this is also why I am such a big fan of Ren, since I put him in this same group. This was indirectly affirmed when you referred to his bardic story telling. And like Dylan and Ren his songs often have social commentary on the times they live in. As is usually the case, you are able to articulate in words what you are experiencing from just one listen, far better than I can after having listened to this song many times for almost 50 years. I have had that same image of Cortez's ships crossing the ocean during the guitar intro, and you were able to put this image into very descriptive words. I was relieved that you caught and commented on when he shifts from 3rd person historical story telling to 1st person present day, with your logical interpretation that fits with the theme of the song. Whereas I have always taken it as more surreal mystical reflection and journey of the mind across time and space, in which he feels he belongs back in that world and doesn't know how he ended up in our present day. Neil is one of those who speaks about his muse, since he says a lot of his lyrics and songs just seem to come out of nowhere. So it is not surprising that this has a bit of a surreal or mystical dream like quality. Since if our muses are really just our subconscious, that is the same place some of our more fantastical and surreal dreams come from. One thing I find interesting is that the songs title makes you think it is about Cortez, but it is more about the lives of the Aztecs with the reminder at the end that this world was lost, because of the destructive nature of our societal greed that leads to the desire to dominate or destroy anything that is different and opposes our world view. Of course much of this destruction was unintentional, due to the diseases they brought with them that the Aztecs didn't have an immunity or resistance to.

[@heartoftherose]

"Guns, Germs, and Steel" - I'm sure you know it.

[@heartoftherose]

By the way, Lee, I appear as GHBrady on Patreon. Set up both accounts years ago.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Cortez just wanted the gold, lots of his men left and went to live with the local tribes. I think most of the tribes wanted to end Montezuma and the Aztecs bloody reign. The arrival of Cortez coincided with a prophecy that ships of bearded white men will arrive with gifts from the Gods so when Cortez arrived they were expected and that’s why Cortez was treated like a god, and that’s how Cortez was able to build and army to defeat Montezuma.

[@LeeKennison]

@@heartoftherose While I never read the book, I am aware of it. I saw the National Geographic documentary based on the book many years ago. Good to know about about your Patreon persona which, which means you have seen a version of this comment there.😉 I usually wait until they show up on YT before I comment, but I was so excited about this one I couldn't wait.

[@LeeKennison]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Good to know, thanks. As someone who loves history, I really should know more about this particular event (it has been a while since I studied it), and consider all the perspectives. History does need to be considered from the different perspectives. History does have the word "story" in it, and like all stories it often depends on the agenda and perspective of the story teller. The best history takes into account all the perspectives and tries to impartially evaluate them. Things are rarely as simple as black and white, good or bad. We are complex creatures after all with a wide variety of contrasting motives and perspectives.

[@gablen23]

Neil Young can tell more with his guitar than all the fast playing "guitar gods", what he knows cannot be learned and cannot be taught.

[@markriobr]

I call them quick fingers without soul, very technical but no melody

[@hippydippy]

@@markriobr Absolutely my friend! All bling, no zing.

[@kevinmcconnell3641]

Shredders bore me!

[@artvallejos1460]

Neil Young Born To Rock

[@ORWELL_USA]

Compare Neil Young to Mark Knopfler...Neil is a peasant!

[@ronaldwilhelm3449]

This song has many layers of depth to it. It is a song about Cortez and the Aztecs, but in the context of the whole album, Zuma, it also serves as an allegory to human relationships, which is what the entire Zuma album is about. The theme of the album follows the singer's emotions as he deals with a personal break-up. How he blames the woman (Don't Cry No Tears, Danger Bird, Pardon my Heart), how he tries to restart his life (Looking for a Lover, Barstool Blues), how he shows contempt for the women in his life (Stupid Girl, Drive Back) and how he realizes, finally, that the fault is his (Cortez) dancing in and destroying the life of another person ("I still can't remember when or how I lost my way"). "Through my Sails" ends the album, with the singer reaching a new realization about himself and relationships. In the context of the album, it all makes sense. It is amazing to me, that the climax of the album, when he finally realizes that he is Cortez, Neil uses an allegory to the destruction of the Aztec civilization. What happens when a selfish spirit, invades the tranquility of another person and destroys their world. Since individual relationships, and civilization relationships are all "human relationships", Neil is giving the Zuma singer the ultimate moment of realization. He is Cortez.

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Stop....we always LOVE the pompous music critics that make up stuff just to sound important...going on and on babbling

[@emanuelmota7217]

@@DENVEROUTDOORMAN Sounds like ronlandwihelm knows what he's talking about. As a Neil Young fan who's not that familiar with Zuma - I'm going buy it now and do some research.

[@tonysbluesstream]

Thanks for explaining Zuma for me. I have that album and one of my favorites by Mr. Young.

[@artvallejos1460]

pay no attention to denveroutdoorman he's NOT a true Neil Young fan.

[@imeabmusic]

When I play this song, I often tear with the lyrics of the last verse. A past personal relationship that is gone.

[@parttime9070]

Brings me to tears every time...

[@110341]

You and me both.

[@rk41gator]

Deceptively simple. Natural. Organic. I can't but think this review would bring a smile to Neil Young's face.

[@alphajava761]

The entire Zuma album is a masterpiece, every song is a gem. His albums Tonight's The Night and On The Beach during this time are also masterpieces. No one has made an album like Tonight's The Night before or since, as raw as emotions can get. Neil's therapy is his music.

[@lupenieto5167]

Rust never sleeps.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Comes a Time. Alpha knows his Neil

[@alphajava761]

​​@@Hartlor_TayleyComes a Time. Haha the album Neil shingled his Barn with and thank goodness kept the masters, great album.

[@alphajava761]

​@@Hartlor_TayleyExcellent analysis by Virgin Rock. The music keeps singing the story during Neil's vocal breaks.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I could not agree more.

[@Rael_486]

Also of note is that the song fades out after nearly seven and a half minutes, as (according to Young's father in Neil and Me) an electrical circuit had blown, causing the console to go dead. In addition to losing the rest of the instrumental work, a final verse was also lost. When producer David Briggs had to break this news to the band, Young replied, "I never liked that verse anyway." The additional verse has not been identified or recorded officially. 🤔

[@hippydippy]

Interesting.

[@markpenfield5314]

Wow something new

[@christopherecatalano]

Wow, I never knew that! I must have listened to this song a gazillion times through the years without paying much attention to how abrupt the fade out was, (masterfully preserving a beautiful dying lick, mind you) like on a good number of 60s pop classics..."Let's just grab that big old fader and pull 'er down fast!"

[@elysium619]

Not a virtuoso opening solo but rather an "atmospheric solo." How well said, very accurate. Captures the feeling perfectly. The music is "undulating"; it imparts, "time passing." It "impacts the story being told." Always amazed at how spot on her analysis is both musically and especially in articulating the emotion the music expresses.

[@originalhgc]

I think of it as a lyrical solo. I was so intently following what was expressed by the guitar that it was a surprise when Neil's voice came in, as if I was already listening to the story.

[@rk41gator]

Amy's close association with serious music brings a unique viewpoint. She hears music in ways few of us do. As a result I am anxiously awaiting her taking a deep dive into Genesis. Their musical expressions and atmospheres are like no other. I would love to hear what Amy ferrets out.

[@davemick7216]

​@@originalhgcNeil Young was the host that inducted Tom Waits into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... Tom Waits gets no love. He's a genius with over four decades of recordings, yet no one reacts to him. Please do a Tom Waits song if you can find the time. Cheers!

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Stop NO such thing as virtuoso opening...great opening although he had much better songs like Down By The River and Southern Man

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

​@@originalhgcStop the bogus pompous crap virtuoso??? Way better than most songs

[@TheMarkEH]

The music washes over you in this atmospheric piece. I never tire of listening to this song. I think this is an example of synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

[@off-stagemic3337]

Another Neil Young story worth listening to, in my opinion, is "Powderfinger". Studio or live, it doesn't matter.

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Nope Down By The River much better

[@Cfchild1]

Neil Young's Live Rust album showcases both Powderfinger and Cortez the Killer. Great 70's era Neil Young.

[@markriobr]

Have to mention the one people all over USA met Neil Young. Also all the controversy it brought along. Made the album a top seller, and with money earn from it. He bought his ranch, After The Gold Rush and the song Southern Man

[@mrmotono1]

My late best friend and I shared our love for many musicians, and Neil Young was one of them. However, we often had different favorite songs. Mine was "Cortez" and his was "Powderfinger," which I didn't even know until he played it for me. It didn't make me change my choice, but it was added to my list of great songs.

[@grumpy9478]

nope, you are comprehensively in error.@@DENVEROUTDOORMAN

[@decay900913]

Been listening to Neil Young and this sad, beautiful song for years and years and this is the most insightful and respectful analysis I've ever witnessed. Thank you.

[@peterjennings7230]

I remember listening to this song on a cassette driving up to New Hampshire with my brothers. Magic times wonderful song

[@brianandrews7664]

Love Neil, but Cortes was more savior. The Aztecs were terrorizing the lesser tribes. Culling the by 80k annually via human sacrifice. This is why those tribes rallied to Cortes to defeat the Aztecs. Cortes put a stop to the barbarism.

[@mckayuk]

Back in 1975 a 17 year old student in Scotland I placed this record on my turntable and this song began its melancholic mystical journey through the speakers I could visualize Corteze,s Galleons getting ever closer to their destination with a sense of beauty and foreboding. The lyrics are beautifully descriptive from a 3rd perspective until that 1st perspective "and I know she,s living there and she loves me to this day, I still cant remember when, or how I lost my way" - still gives me a shiver at what that implies and a musical masterpiece.

[@nunyabizzness8]

Zuma is Neil's break up album. In this song he's Cortez...the conquistador and emperor who destroyed his relationship trying to conquer it....left the spoils and the wreckage behind. What a killer!

[@Michael-mm3fm]

@@nunyabizzness8interesting. Has Neil ever said this?

[@nunyabizzness8]

@@Michael-mm3fm I heard an interview with him several tears back where he talked about the timing-of the album, both in terms of reuniting Crazy Horse (with a new guitarist) and in the aftermath of his break up with Carol Snodgrass (she cheated). She's the mother of his son Zeke) ...and that it worked it's way into just about every song on Zuma. The last 2 versus of Cortez are pretty clear there. I took a look at a couple of other songs just to see if it played out. The first track ‘Don’t’ Cry No Tears’ lyrics include “Well, I wonder, who’s with her tonight? / And I wonder, who’s holding her tight?”. Track two is ‘Danger Bird" is one of my favorites “‘Cause you’ve been with another man/There you are and here I am”. That's where I came up with that about Cortez....not sure if Neil consciously used Cortez as a metaphor for himself.

[@Michael-mm3fm]

@@nunyabizzness8 thank you for this @nunya. Fascinating. My favourite track on the album is Danger Bird, not least because of the solo guitar work.

[@Michael-mm3fm]

@@nunyabizzness8 interesting parallel with Thrasher, in the museum with his friends.

[@dproulx222]

Love Neil Young.... Always will.... Fond memories of listening to him while camping in Banff and Jasper National Park. Remarkable musician..... Incredible lyrics.... Ethereal imagery. Powerful Powerful Powerful

[@vincentdumont-mackay7142]

Thank you. Very perceptive and illuminating, as always. I believe Neil Young wanted to embrace imperfection in his music, to capture a feeling rather than a technically perfect piece. Texture in the guitar, the use of feedback, cracks in the voice, all of that to create something different and rich.

[@vincentdumont-mackay7142]

Also, now you’re ready for another Canadian classic, whose work also deals a lot with imperfection, albeit in a different manner: Leonard Cohen 😊.

[@jpirard]

Also Young had a neurological issues with polio at a young age, epilepsy, and and aneurysm in his 50s. All contributes to his limited physical skills on guitar.

[@vincentdumont-mackay7142]

@@jpirard I did not know that. That’s very interesting, how your limitations can become your strength.

[@geoffwales8646]

@@jpirard If I could play like Neil young and sing like Chris Martin...

[@elevensbest]

The recording is a live take. Obviously, some sense of arrangement was agreed upon, but this was a singular event. Touched by magic. By the sacredness of leaving space. Space for the tale to unfold. Space for Neil to unspool line after line of ragged guitar lyricism. Space for the listener to enter the room where the music is being made and into sympathy for the conquered and disgust for the conqueror. Into the harmony between Neil and Crazy Horse, a partnership that resulted in many transcendental recordings over many years. A miracle caught on magnetic tape. Preserved for all time, for listeners of all degrees of musical experience and knowledge. For anyone with a taste for the sublimity that can be found in the coarse confines of rock ‘n’ roll when practiced by an artist at the peak of his powers. Long may he run.

[@eclecticNhectic]

I recall Neil saying that Crazy Horse was not HIS band but an entity of its own. If he brought a song to them it just took on a life of its own. Long live the horse!

[@seanjockel43]

Yes it was a live take and there was supposed to be 1 more verse but there was a power failure in the studio. When the power returned Neil said he was happy with the take and didn't think they could re create the energy and kept it minus the unrecorded verse.

[@apseudonym488]

Cortez the Killer is a very tonal song. Neil Young used a simple chord structure to create subtle variations in tones. Those subtle variations bring out strong emotions in most listeners - melancholy, grief, loss. I have always found this song to be most like Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb. From time to time, I've read people deride David Gilmore's and Neil Young's lack of technical virtuosity, by which they mean those two guitarists do not play with fast finger movements, packing as many notes as possible into every bar. I just shake my head at that criticism. Those two men have a gift, the gift of making their instruments sing. And that is what Neil Young does here

[@drobichaud1000]

Shut up seudo

[@phillipschuman4307]

Yes, thank you. It is mournful, at almost a dirge pace, and very moving for me. I got a chance to meet Neil after a concert, and I told him he had moved me to tears several times-- with this song and some others too. And like Gilmore, Neil's bends, notes and colors are masterfully musical, showing that more can be said with less sometimes. Dave Matthews with Warren Haynes at Red Rocks, and Joe Satriani with Grace Potter (and a trumpet player!) do this song justice too.

[@robertwoodward9231]

Yes. He uses only three chords.

[@kasparth14]

Masterpiece! Three chords is all you need. Love that man

[@j.w.farnsworth9318]

What are the chords please? Are we missing lyrics that explain the reference to "she loves me to this day,... lost my way?"

[@MrBixsonic]

Em7-D-Am7 over and over and over....​@@j.w.farnsworth9318

[@TeleTonemonkey]

@@j.w.farnsworth9318 Em7, D, Am7 (sus4)

[@pillmuncher67]

Neil can make his guitar, Old Black, scream like a demon from the netherworld. It's just awesome. I also could have said that he's a virtuoso of noise. There's a reason they call him the godfather of Grunge.

[@lupenieto5167]

Neil is my favorite storyteller. Paints it perfectly.

[@djknox2]

Canada has a lot of great storytellers: Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Gord Downie, Joni Mitchell. Neil Young could very well be the best. We've already lost the first 3, with Neil and Joni approaching their 80s now.

[@cesarsantube]

Escuché la canción y lloré me puse en el calzado o zapatos de los AZTECAS y vi su enorme dolor, sus dioses caidos, su mundo destrozado, revivi ese episodio y las notas de la guitarra me hicieron llorar. No busca el sentimiento mío otra cosa más que sentir el dolor de esa gente, de mi gente. No busco un culpable, somos esclavos de la historia. Creo entender a Neil Young cuando en su letra y narración, introduce repentinamente, otra historia, es el sentimiento ahogado, que sustituye una explicación de la historia anterior, es el sentimiento de perder lo amado, lo querido, el sentimiento de haberte extraviado, y no volver a tener jamás lo preciado y amado, tu mundo, como un viejo amor. Young con solo esta canción justificó su vida artística, fundiendo guitarra y letra en una historia esclava de la naturaleza humana ¡Gracias a este canal, gracias Young!

[@mikelistman5263]

Muy muy lejos de ser santos, los mexica, pero sí la conquisita y colonización de las américas---tanto el norte como el sur---con la destrucción insensata de culturas y la muerte repartida, muestran nuestro lado oscuro.

[@roscius6204]

This song has held a special place for me since my teenage years Just 3 chords but an order of magnitude emotionally. It was the first song I ever played in front of a large crowd too.🙂

[@hippydippy]

Yes sir. "Emotion" is the key word.

[@artvallejos1460]

Neil does more with 3 chords than others with 2002 chords.

[@Nogill0]

I just realized that Neil Young plays the guitar in such a way that it takes on a violin quality-- sustained notes. You could only do that at that time with an electric guitar, and I noted bits of feedback used effectively. Never underestimate the impact of feedback. I don't know what sort of effects he used or what he used for an amp. But it all worked very well.

[@Rainyman63]

Neil Young almost exclusively plays Fender Tweed Deluxe Amps - very simple small amps (12W, i think) and turns them up to their limits. Afaik he has one amp that is his favourite since the early 70s, just like his main guitar, a Les Paul called „Old Black“. One of it‘s pickups is broken and he uses it for the noisy stuff in his solos. No effects, just a guitar and an amplifier.

[@fennynough6962]

Feedback waves, coming from the chords, as well as the notes, leaving no two sounding the same; [letting the humm, & distortion ride their calming tone, through the waves of life.

[@eclecticNhectic]

I vaguely remember some critic saying he lives where country, rock and feedback meet. He is on of the matters at using that atmosphericly.

[@keithrube22-Chicago]

I’m 57 and love Neil Young ( and Crazy Horse) just as much as when I first heard Sugar Mountain at age 14 and my life was forever changed. The Hurricane comparison was just brilliant from my other favorite Artist Bob Dylan. So glad I found you!

[@bobgoranson2206]

This is one of the best and in-depth reactions on KZbin that I've ever watched, especially for one of my favorite songs of all time. Wonderfully perceptive.

[@JackSparrow-yb3lq]

This has always been my favorite Neil Young song. I would listen to it at night on the radio lying in bed back in the 70s. You are a remarkable woman that you have found the heart of this song so accurately. It has this haunting foreboding of the waiting paradise and coming violence and destruction. It is the contrast of the calmness of the music and the story being told that make it such a remarkable song to me. The part of the woman living there always seemed like a reference to a past simpler life that we lost our way from. Exactly like you said.

[@LeeKennison]

I am so glad that you recognized the other musicians. This is "Crazy Horse", the band that Neil has performed with the most over the years, including to the present day. Neil sometimes uses other bands or musicians that fit more with his various styles he plays in, but The Horse (as Neil calls them) is by far the one he plays with the most. Neil has also been a sometimes member of the very well known and popular folk rock band "Crosby, Stills, and Nash", which becomes "Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young" when he is with them. I'm surprised he wasn't inducted a third time into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with them. David Crosby (who died in January 2023) was inducted twice, once for "Crosby, Stills, and Nash" and once for the Byrds. And Stephen Stills was inducted twice, including in "Buffalo Springfield", the same band Neil was also inducted for. You will certainly want to check out both of these well known and popular bands.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Crazy Horse was really Neils super power, that band could play and improvise as a band. They had that rock and roll ESP going on and could play anything and everything. Even on some Neil albums where the band has a different name it’s still Crazy Horse.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Deja Vu would be a great song from CSNY for Amy to do.

[@LeeKennison]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Love Crazy Horse. Great characterization. Very loose and improvisational. Billy Talbot can play his bass behind the beat and make it sound great. Deja Vu would be a great CSNY one for Amy to do. I would also love for her to do some of the songs from the debut CSN album (without Neil), such as "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" or "Wooden Ships", among others. That first album of theirs used to be one of my favorite albums back in the day.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@LeeKennison thanks Lee. Yeah the whole band improv thing was only really done well by the Dead and Crazy Horse. I love the first CSN album but I slightly prefer the Version of Wooden Ships by The Jefferson Airplane. That song was co written by Crosby and Kantner so both versions are legit originals. Great song and a good one for Amy to break into the Airplane with.

[@LeeKennison]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Another one that comes to mind on the Deja Vu album is "Woodstock", which is of course a Joni Mitchell song, both coming out about the same time. Although I think it was first performed live at Woodstock by CSN, since Joni couldn't make it so she gave it to CSN (Graham Nash was her boyfriend at the time). I love both the Joni and CSN versions. I would love for Amy to do one of her original vs cover reactions since they are both very unique in how they are presented, and I of course want her to experience both artists. It will also bring to her attention the importance of the Woodstock festival in rock history.

[@kyrangerman519]

Neil wrote this song while attending high school...the solo is AWESOME! He has a knack for conveying emotion through his fingers/strings.

[@PhilPastor]

Great reaction, Amy (as usual)! This has always been one of my favorite Neil Young songs. It's right up there with Down by the River, and Cowgirl in the Sand. His guitar playing is mezmerizing. A lot of people hate his voice, and I agree that he doesn't have a very pretty voice, but he sure can sing.

[@davids1301]

One of the greatest songs ever written. If perfection exists, this song is it❤️

[@2727rogers]

Had the absolute pleasure of seeing Neil Young live and his skill on guitar is amazing to hear live. I would rank him right up there with David Gilmour as the best emotional guitar players in rock. You hit the nail on the head when you said the guitar was like another voice singing and telling the story.

[@davidchaplain6748]

Excellent choice. Please consider "Powderfinger." It's a heart-wrenching tale of a young man in a bad situation.

[@heartoftherose]

"Powderfinger" is my favorite Neil Young song, among many contenders. There's something about it... maybe Amy can explain exactly what it is!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Yes a very good suggestion

[@slothmaster8444]

Neil usually plays Cortez and Powderfinger one after the other live

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Nope DOWN BY THE RIVER

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@DENVEROUTDOORMAN Denver how you doin ? Yes that’s a great one.

[@4luvofgod]

Not too many artists can make a guitar sing and have so much soul simply amazing pure clean musical talent ✨️ one of the best and greatest of all time

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

“And I know she’s living there…” I think this lyric is key to the song. It’s like a dream or a trip into a past life and love. Highly romanticized story but of course not much was known about the Aztecs and hippies liked to think of them as living in a sort of psychedelic utopia, unfortunately that didn’t turn out to be the case. Cortez and Montezuma deserved each other, all the innocent blood was a horror. “And I know she’s living there” is like when he wakes up from a dream and he’s holding on to the thread of a life once lived far in the past, I can relate to this experience quite strongly. A very moving song imho. I thought you might compare to Dylan but musically it’s closer to Grateful Dead. Neil has more great songs than you’ll ever have time to cover. Neil is highly regarded and very popular. I’ve seen his concerts maybe a dozen times. Live is best, I’ve seen Neil play this song for twenty minutes and it’s even more compelling in a longer version. You picked up on the melody right away and how the guitar solo emulates the vocal melody and digs into the feeling of the song by the way the notes are played with the tonality brings a deep experience to a simple song. Thanks Amy. Great song and artist. Wonderful discussion and insight.

[@LeeKennison]

Wow, what a great comment. Very thoughtful. When he makes that trippy shift from 3rd person historical to 1st person present day, it always reminded me of Dylan's "Black Diamond Bay", when he shifts from this fantastical story to the present day. Both Neil's and Dylan's songs came out about the same time, although I think Neil's preceded it by about a year (75 vs 76).

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@LeeKennison Lee thank you Very much. Good call about Dylan’s Black Diamond Bay, yes I think Dylan and Neil studied each other’s albums and tended to leap frog with shared ideas. Like Dylan’s Desire album has Emmy Lou Harris singing second vocal, Neil then did that in his Comes a Time album with Nicolette Larson. Of course Dylan was doing what Gram Parsons had done with Emmy Lou years earlier. I think American bands tended to be more story and lyric driven with music that’s more related to the feeling of the story. Neil knew about guitars and how to play with a loud amplifier, he always had it dialed in to the sweet spot for maximum expression.

[@LeeKennison]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Yeah, I know Dylan had a big impact on Neil, he even shows up by name in some of Neil's songs. It was great seeing Dylan at Neil's Farm Aid concert a few months ago, since he played a part in the original Farm Aid concert several decades ago in the 80s. Speaking of Emmy Lou, she is on several Neil albums and has often been one of the backup singers in Neil's live performances.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@LeeKennison oh yeah Emmy Lou sounds great on Neils records. On the Dylan album it’s amazing to hear her match Dylan’s phrasing and inflections, that had to be hard to do but she does it. The Gram Parsons album GP with Emmy on second vocal is just so good, small wonder everyone wanted her on their records. Great to see Bob back at Farm aid since farm aid was his idea.

[@LeeKennison]

@@Hartlor_Tayley According to Wikipedia, the idea was based on an offhanded remark by Bob at a Live Aid concert, saying we should do something to help the small family farmers back home. I guess he was criticized at the time for taking the focus off of Live Aid (when does Bob ever say or do anything without being criticized? lol). But it inspired fellow musicians Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young to organize the Farm Aid benefit concert. Bob attended the first few starting in 1985, but had been absent until this last one. So that was very poetic, since the idea really did start with him.

[@bonheurseeking3783]

I listened to this song hundred times, and I feel always the same emotion, an absolute master piece

[@mevdinc]

Neil Young is nne of my favourite artists. I truly think he is so underrated as a guitarist. I love his playing style and guitar tones, he creates such beautiful and melodic tunes and solos too. Such a great song writer and story teller. Wonderful reaction, well done.

[@ohgawd]

You have an incredible sensitivity for music and watching and listening to you talk about the artist i have loved my near entire 64 years brings tears to my eyes. Thank you.❤

[@peterbaruxis2511]

I love your comment. You mention her sensitivity- she says "that's a beautiful guitar, I have to admit." Nice that she sees that like some of us do.

[@noother964]

I loved your insights on Neil Young, one of my favorite artists. I hope you listen to much more from him! Apart from his singing and songwriting skills, his "clumsy" style of guitar playing is daring and unique, its rawness full of feeling, soul, and a distinct haunting quality. I prefer him over many celebrated virtuosos, and his playing inspired many guitarists to explore unconditional sounds and tones.

[@bobdlowrider]

Neil Young is one of my favorites, along with Cortez the Killer. I have seen him in concert 4 times. When he does Cortez the Killer, the audience is totally mesmerized.

[@yanibarca]

Thank you so much for this fantastic video!!! Now it's time for Like A Hurricane (studio version), you won't regret it 😉

[@paulgordon6949]

Love that song!

[@djknox2]

BTW Amy, understanding the lyrics of Neil Young is a life's effort. His songwriting is pure stream of consciousness that allows the listener to develop many ideas. This is why he's considered one of the greatest: his lyrics are ethereal.

[@petesweirdworld320]

"Will to love " perfect example 👍

[@ziggystardog]

One of the things I loved about Neil Young’s albums were how the lyrics were often handwritten. There’s a craftsmanship to his work, handmade and imperfect yet polished and personal.

[@nobluefood]

I have severe ptsd, and one of my symptoms is that I cannot cry. I told my psychiatrist that I listen to this song when I feel like I need to cry. thankfully he was a guitarist. he said "that would work....".

[@TheOliveWalsh]

I think you picked right up on Neil's whole ethos at the end there. He talks about the importance of the people and the feel of the people he plays with. Also there is the authenticity of choosing the take with the best "feel" to it, while perhaps not being the most perfect. This take has at least three errors in the guitar that would have been edited out by most other musicians or producers. The "woman" who loves in the last passage makes me think of Neil's song Mother Earth and I suspect he was referring to the connection to the earth and nature that the native americans had. The connection was lost but she is still there for us when we find our way again.

[@alisonperry8612]

Wow yes they were much more connected to mother earth & part of nature ..I know she's still living tbere...

[@lindaerickson2709]

This has always been my favorite Neil Young song and I was surprised, but delighted, to see that you chose it as your first listen. I've seen him in concert several times and only once did I hear this live. My own interpretation of the "I know she's living there..." section has always been sadness at the loss of something from an individual relationship to an entire culture. Sometimes I despair that you are missing some great rock songs because those that are chosen for you are what appeal to the 'lads'. The songs you tend to enjoy are some of my favorites; while you give others a fair listen, but I can feel your pain. You have made my day with this one. :)

[@lapis31]

Exactly, Linda. During my early listening to this song, I realized Neil connects the loss of a love with the loss of a civilization. His lyrics are a romantic ideal of the Aztecs, as is, probably of his lost love. There is connection of both the ships and his love "dancing across the water", and somehow Cortez killed both. Its a mystical song.

[@falconquest2068]

This song nearly always brings tears to my eyes.

[@ianhamilton2035]

All-time favorite, lucky enough to get to see him 5 times, solo and power rocking with Crazy Horse! He is do diverse, and refuses to "sellout", makes music the way he wants, not dictated by producers, or marketing pressure! Not for everyone, but if you get it, you get it! Too many great songs to mention!!! 😃

[@tpstrato2270]

Every note from Neil Young is THE perfect note in that moment. Accept no substitute...because there simply isn't one. This man has more passion in his big toe nail than the rest can hope for in a lifetime.

[@jurgenschmidt2759]

I've been to a few concerts over the years, Neil Young & Crazy Horse as well, (6 times even). For me these concerts are incomparable to all the others, not because of perfection, instead because of mood and intensity. As soon as Neil turns up the amps and Old Black's unique sound (one of the few guitar with it's own Wikipedia site) flows over the crowd out of the huge Fender boxes and Crazy Horse's stomping back beat starts, you feel like going into a trance state with waves and waves of sound you feel deep in the stomach. The atmosphere there was always special and unique for me.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Well said. That’s it exactly.

[@chaddubois8164]

Old black is the sound of the universe.

[@masonmorgan5323]

i've loved it for more than 40 some years

[@luciengrondin5802]

I had actually never heard this song before. I was baffled by that intro, it's quite magnificent.

[@artvallejos1460]

Check out " Change Your Mind" Neil at Farm Aid.

[@alobar7814]

You need to hear this song live. You need to hear the incredible end of song solos he does. Mindblowing as he tells the rest of the story with his guitar

[@IamClapham]

NY defies analysis, but Amy's comments are spot on as usual. If I were to sum up his style one word, I would say honesty. There's no artifice, no over-production. It sounds "live" because it is.

[@gjackson6569]

Very good insight into a song that isn't widely known or appreciated. Neil is a master at creating a picture with both his music and his words. The covers that have been done for this song show how revered the song actually is in the artist community. Love how you knew about Cortez and were able to visualize the music and the image of the Spanish Galleons, Cortez, and the story that this song tells.

[@kypekka]

I can see why a lot of people woildn't see the guitar as virtuos. But it actually is, and very much so. He plays slow with not a lot of notes, true enough. But he plays solely developing the theme. The melodies as they come from his mind without falling back on scales and licks. And on a guitar that is such a hard thing to do that many otherwise technical proficient and virtuos players shy away from it. Neill doesn't and plays every note with astounding conviction. That is another quality i admire in him and his playing, the absolute fearlessness. Neill Young was shortly included in the Rolling Stone 250 greatest guitarists of all time list. Many people raved about this. I think he belongs there and his playing on 'Cortez' is nothing short of masterful.

[@charlesthrawley7397]

Yes! Who else could mesmerize a listener with solos utilizing 4 notes or fewer (occasionally 1) to paint a picture of immense resonance.

[@michaelvallee1263]

neil has had a number 1 hit every decade for fifty years

[@ichirofakename]

1. Good to remember Young wrote this song in high school. 2. Those who enjoyed this song should know that there are many, many live versions on KZbin that are much longer and more powerful. And lots of good covers.

[@marke8323]

I have seen Neil 12 time in concert, I would have recommended an Acoustic song but I love this one too. Neil did write "Like a Hurricane" and is a friend and fan of Dylan.

[@stevenfrost6441]

Saw Neil and Crazy Horse perform this at Virginia Beach in 1995 and it still sends chills up my spine. To say it was "Atmospheric" would be an understatement! It was Magical! I think he jammed on it for over 20 minutes with several impromptu guitar solos. Amazing.

[@swedishrob639]

I just love this ! All his emotions is pouring out of his amps. And : the voice... it's like an angel came down and begav to sing. 😅

[@nickharland3795]

There was supposed to be another verse, but it got erased by accident in the studio... so they just left the song as is, and faded out. Great reaction to a beautiful song. Thanks.

[@pasqualeletizia9432]

Questa canzone è un opera d'arte!!! Tocca l'anima!!! 👍.

[@fredschaufele9387]

Insightful reaction. Neil Young is, at his heart, a folk singer -- he has something to say and it's set to music. His oeuvre is humanity in all their relationships. So he has many songs and albums dedicated to particular universal and very personal 'feelings' that mean a lot to him and, by extension, those listeners that share those feelings. He's particularly adept at using music to provide the emotional setting for those feelings. It's perhaps insightful to know that many, if not most, of his songs are written in sudden inspirations, after which he refuses to 'perfect' them. He wants to retain the imagery that drove the emotion and so (mostly, but not always) avoids extensive post-production that, for him, drains that raw emotion. Whatever inspiration drove him to put in "I know she's living there" must be retained under that philosophy. From that, we the listeners get to interpret that in our own fashion. He's trying to get us to think and one should never take his lyrics too literally -- they are a part of a painting that we need to observe as a whole. For me, Cortez the Killer is about man's relationship to Nature, contrasting the destructive tendencies of the Conqueror against the established harmony guiding, in this case, the old culture of the Aztecs. He uses a tranquil musical backdrop to establish that harmony and draws us in to that feeling. His words acknowledge some of the brutality within that tranquil harmony, but it's a culture in balance that is about to experience a rapid imbalance. That segue into "I know she's living there. Loves me to this day" is read by me personally as "the spirt of balance and harmony is still there and still reaches out to me centuries later, even though that particular Aztec balance is long gone (and not perfect)". "She" is "Mother Nature" which is one of the relationships that appears often within Neil Young's songs. For any person trying to react to his music, there's over a hundred of extremely worthwhile songs to consider in an almost equally large number of human stories. I might recommend that your next one stays within the Mother Nature theme before branching to personal relationships which are painfully deep in Young's song-writing. Go next with After the Gold Rush.

[@kevinappelt2150]

Need to listen to live in concert. It has more power, impactful, distorted, and a 3rd verse. Cortez the Killer is something to listen to live.

[@marcies3789]

Keep me searching for a heart of gold. And I'm getting old.

[@davidoran123]

One of Neil's finest. So touching and so intense.

[@robertartiga7]

Neil is more than a guitarist or a song writer, Neil creates sonic landscapes that can take one on a journey thru time and space.😊

[@blackburnrfc1]

If I was forced to listen to one song only for the rest of my life, this, fellow music lovers, is the song. The chord progression is eternal.

[@DanPerry1956]

Excellent as always. One of my all time favorite songs.

[@irakopilow9223]

Neil Young's music tells great stories. Listening to them is one thing, but seeing him play, you see all the soul and emotion he pours into it brings everything to life. Another good Neil Young song that tells a story is "Four String Winds". The chorus goes...Four strrong winds that blow lonely, seven seas that run high. All those things that don't change, come what may. If the good times are all gone, then I'm bound for movin'n on, I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way."

[@hippydippy]

I never get tired of listening to this song. Ever! The emotion in the music & vocals is what makes it for me. The "Live Rust" version is the best. Much heavier & darker in many ways, plus the guitar solo is over the top & much longer which I love.

[@maximusindicusoblivious180]

Have you checked out the Government Mule version, now that's a treat.

[@fearthestake]

This song is beautifully haunting.

[@djknox2]

Neil Young intends to paint, with this song, a picture of regrettable inevitability.

[@WooliteMammoth]

His acoustic performance of this track was amazing - especially the last guitar solo. So solemn and sad.

[@beerye3]

That part that seems like it doesn’t fit has always brought to my mind a feeling as though he was recalling a lover in a past life from somewhere within that time frame and civilization. The whole song makes me feel a sense of loss for something that once held a lot of meaning, and now is just a fading memory.

[@azureskylivingborg]

Not many songs will move your soul like this one. As a very young man, I heard this song and fell in love with it, and have kept it in my repertoire over the years and it still moves my soul.

[@YeungSze]

In "Pocahontas", Neil Young another song about historical atrocity against indigenous people, there is also a sudden shift of perspective from past to present, when he sang about "I wish a was a trapper, I would give thousand pelts, to sleep with Pocahontas and find out how she felt", and even more surrealistically, "Yes and maybe Marlon Brando will be there by the fire. We'll sit and talk of Hollywood and the good things there for hire. And the Astrodome and the first tepee. Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me" So it's possible when Neil Young wrote songs about history, he knew that he was imagining the past, so why not further imagining interacting with the past people across time and space?

[@mason4490]

I have a vivid memory of going to see a Neil solo performance in early 1969 at a small bar. He played several songs alone acoustically...and then said he was going to bring out a band...which was Crazy Horse. This was the first tour of Young with them, prior to the release of Everybody Knows This is Nowhere. At the time, I'd never heard anything quite like it. The blend of the band's voices with Neil's was a haunting sound...especially Danny's with his, as well as the gravely sound of Old Black thru older pre-CBS Fender amps, and Whitten's cleaner sounding White Falcon. Hearing Cinnamon Girl well before the record was even accessible, as well as the lengthy guitar banter on Cowgirl in the Sand and Down By The River made for a really inspirational experience. Only hearing Cortez is really an incomplete endeavor. One should have the image of Neil playing it as well, so watching a rendition on KZbin would be my suggestion if you haven't seen him.

[@dave3gan]

Great to hear an analysis beyond the usual one or two songs usually covered... Old Man, Heart of Gold.

[@pinklotusjewelryllc]

"Beauty and tragedy at the same time...", nailed it.

[@heartoftherose]

When I'm not sure exactly what I want to listen to, the solution is always Neil Young. I'm just in a mood, and now, thanks to Amy, I understand why Neil Young can be there with me, providing the soundtrack.

[@thaifoodaddict]

Welcome to the Godfather of Grunge. Neil has many, many faces, all worth exploring.

[@kentl7228]

The live version of this song from the Weld version is great

[@earlbeadle1617]

As the close-up camera operator on the Weld video, I'd agree with you. It was one of the most intense live music experiences I have ever had in my life. Amy, your analysis and sensitivity to what's going on here is wonderful. And how about the recording? The production on this album is brilliant!

[@matthewwoelfle5533]

Weld is one of the best live albums you'll ever come across. Neil was hitting a real peak as an artist in the early 90's.

[@petertreid]

The lead guitar follows the melodic line while the droning rhythm guitar cries out below. One feeling comes to mind: passion: heartfelt and pained.

[@robertmarlow255]

Neil's switch to first person has always sent a shiver through me; mystical musical time-travelling meant that he could tell the story first hand is how I've always read it.

[@jn9604]

Neil is a virtuoso of feel ...... you nailed it. Many have more technical skill, but few can make you feel like Neil's playing.

[@effbee56]

This is one of Neil Young's greatest songs- off the Album Zuma. Young and Dylan are both singer - songwriters with folky backgrounds. Neil Young has embraced many styles from folk to folk-rock, country and country rock with a short foray into electronica. He and Dylan have mutual respect and have covered each other's songs. Young's version of "Girl from the Noth Country is particularly haunting. Young has the ability to evoke emotion in the listener.

[@kwgm8578]

How did we lose our way? Good question. I don't think there's a back story. Instead, it's a personal feeling, not meant for us all. The musicians on this track are top dog studio players, and the members of Crazy Horse whom have all worked with Neil for over 10 years in 1975. When you recorded with Neil at "the ranch," in a remote area of the San Mateo mountains, looking down at the ocean, you usually were assigned a room at the bunk house, a cottage, or in the "swayback shack," if it hasn't changed or blown over. We're old men now, but when everyone is in the groove, sessions can go on late up there. Listen to his previous LP, Tonight's the Night for a contrast in Neil's style. He's is a phenomenal talent with great depth and subtle expressivity in his phrasing and touch. He also has a great ear. I never thought I'd still be listening to Neil Young over 55 years since B.S. By the way if you're in the area, stop over in the 3 block downtown of neighboring community, Pescadero. Have the lunch at Duartes (pronounced with 2 syllables, accent on the firsh, a big, old seafood restaurant. They still have abalone steaks on the menu, but when in town, we go for the clam chowder.

[@wowplayer7986]

The Godfather of grunge! I would like to suggest Pocahontas and for a complete experience...Greendale the full album!! Always appreciate your perspective, keep em coming!

[@LeeKennison]

Love the Greendale album. The story of the Green family in a small fictional California town, with each song telling a different part of the story. I saw it performed live in 2003 with all the stage props and actors (Neil's friends and family) used to portrait the story. I have both the acoustic (live in Dublin) and electric versions, along with having the movie version Neil did on DVD.

[@mikelistman5263]

Amazingly, a first listen for me! Thanks for featuring this beautiful piece. Slow, leisurely burn...not many artists have the confidence to stretch it out like this. Over-the-top idyllic take on imperial Aztec society (I live in Mexico) but, heck, Young's a poet and, yes, the obliteration of indigenous life and culture throughout the America's is tragic and dramatic.

[@Swizz12]

Neil Young is all about atmosphere. He can generate emotion even from just hitting the same note (and he has, more than once). not a technical guitarist, just one with a unique feel.

[@JamesHippe-wy9qh]

I love one of the solos on Cinnamon Girl, just one note

[@charlesvanheyden3504]

What fun it is to get so much out of another's creation.

[@CharlyDS]

What a great choice (as is the norm in your channel). I love this song so much. Thanks for the insightful review.

[@johntucci8826]

I love this song, if I had to have someone listen to just one of his songs to best describe his music this would be it

[@davidrabbit2239]

He’s a romantic, there’s plenty of Neil Young to enjoy. I look forward to your next video

[@neilpickering6577]

Best reaction video on KZbin. Loved every minute

[@gergsar]

Please do more songs by Neil Young, he's a phenom...

[@davidarellano870]

You have taken the words right out of my mouth

[@greekadmirer2204]

There is one sublime live version of this song you should listen to . Warren Haynes and Dave Mathews Band . Simply incredible version ❤❤❤Live from MSG I should add ..

[@eclecticNhectic]

Love me some Warren, but... Like a beautiful recreation of the Mona Lisa. I've heard him play it 50 feet from me, and amazing, but no one has the subtleties in a note that Neil has.

[@thecliffdweller1212]

"And I know she's livin' there..." Neil Young is native. In Canada, they are First Nation. 'Cortez The Killer' is a trance song, a praise song in the style of the Great Plaines people. Time is a fabric and you can dance through the weave while you are lost in the song. The singer is shaman who is awakening in another place than the one he was just telling you about. He assumes you know who Cortez is and sums up his feelings before doing Cortez's dance for you. Then he assumes the spirit once more and joins the drum circle.

[@KevinORourke25]

This is truly the best reaction video I have ever seen. Granted, it's a very low bar, but this was excellent and you a delightful. Thanks for posting this.