While it's the norm for aging bands to cash in by touring their classic albums in full, Neil Young is not one of them. As the Canadian songwriting hero has revealed, he turned down millions to tour his beloved 1972 album Harvest.
In a new interview with AARP, [via Rolling Stone], Young said, "I was just offered millions of dollars for a tour to do Harvest. Everyone who played on Harvest is dead. I don't want to do that. How about planting instead of harvesting?"
And Young isn't joking around when he says that everyone who played on the record is dead, as his entire backing band from the era has indeed passed away at this point. This includes Jack Nitzsche, Kenny Buttrey, Ben Keith and Tim Drummond.
While Young did shoot down the idea of a Harvest tour in the interview, he did leave the door open for some kind of touring in 2020.
"If I decide to go on the road, I'd like to do a democracy tour next year with different people that keep changing," he said. "Not right or left. Democracy is not you on this side and me on that side just to see who wins."
However, he clarified that some kind of farewell tour is not in the cards.
"I'd feel like Cher," Young said. "Don't retire unless you really aren't interested. I'm interested. It hurts a little to play now where it didn't before. I don't hear quite as well as I did before. My voice is not like it was before. Show me something that is like it was before. I feel good about the future. The idea is, do not stop moving."
Earlier this year, Neil Young released Colorado, his most recent album with Crazy Horse.
In a new interview with AARP, [via Rolling Stone], Young said, "I was just offered millions of dollars for a tour to do Harvest. Everyone who played on Harvest is dead. I don't want to do that. How about planting instead of harvesting?"
And Young isn't joking around when he says that everyone who played on the record is dead, as his entire backing band from the era has indeed passed away at this point. This includes Jack Nitzsche, Kenny Buttrey, Ben Keith and Tim Drummond.
While Young did shoot down the idea of a Harvest tour in the interview, he did leave the door open for some kind of touring in 2020.
"If I decide to go on the road, I'd like to do a democracy tour next year with different people that keep changing," he said. "Not right or left. Democracy is not you on this side and me on that side just to see who wins."
However, he clarified that some kind of farewell tour is not in the cards.
"I'd feel like Cher," Young said. "Don't retire unless you really aren't interested. I'm interested. It hurts a little to play now where it didn't before. I don't hear quite as well as I did before. My voice is not like it was before. Show me something that is like it was before. I feel good about the future. The idea is, do not stop moving."
Earlier this year, Neil Young released Colorado, his most recent album with Crazy Horse.