Coolest Shit Ever: Electronica – Neil Young Sings Sample and Hold. Live With The Trans Band 1982
12 Apr, 2010 in Coolest Shit Ever, fnord, music
This one takes me back, Youdopia. Back in 1982 Neil Young released an electronic album, or a New Wave album, whatever you want to call it, named Trans. It pissed everybody off because they wanted more Crazy Horse, Rust, or Sugar Mountain. Our man Neil, who is incredibly prolific, had been hanging out with Devo, while filming his horrible movie Human Highway. It flopped upon release, but… it holds up well in retrospect. Neil does what he wants to, and although his ways are mysterious, we must never doubt his talent. It’s telling that the album Neil released after this one, was his rockabilly album. The song you are about to watch is Sample and Hold. It’s a live version from a concert video from the Trans tour. It’s awesome. Nils Lofgren is playing with him as well. I’ve copied the lyrics to the song, because the Vocoder, while cool, is nigh unintelligible. Enjoy some of the coolest shit ever. If you want to watch Neil Young and Devo perform My My, Hey Hey, click this link.
Neil Young & Nils Lofgren – Sample & Hold
Yorkshire-Pudding | MySpace Video
Sample and Hold
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Weight: 110
Disposition: Even
Mood Code: Rotary Adjustable
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the angry one
A new design, new design.
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design.
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design.
Sample and hold.
We’ll send it out right away
Satisfaction guaranteed.
Please specify
The color of skin and eye
We know you’ll be happy.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call
We know you’ll be satisfied
When you energize
And see your unit come alive
We know you’ll be happy.
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one,
the lonely one,
the lonely one
Sample and hold.
Weight: 110.
Perfection in every details
Fabricated from
the curl of the hair
To the tip of the nail
Because our units never fail
We know you’ll be happy.
I need a unit to sample and hold.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call
We know you’ll be satisfied
When you energize
And see your unit come alive
We know you’ll be happy.
I need a unit to sample and hold.
We know you’ll be happy 110
We know you’ll be happy
We know you’ll be happy.
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
Perfection in every detail,
new design
Sample and hold.
Youdopia For Teh Win !!! I commend you. I never new this existed. Too bad Neil did not run with more subtle versions of Electronica. Love it or hate it, this is an amazing piece of history that beats Peter Gabriel’s, “SO” By 4 years. Neil released his album the same year as “Freeze frame by J. Geils Band. Check out the link below. It tells a story of how music was at that time.
I still like “heart of Gold” Neil better, but he deserves credit for trying new things.
This is one of the songs that I have had echoing through my cranium since I saw that show on HBO in 1982 or 83. I had the melody right, for the chorus, but nothing else, other than a fuzzy memory of Neal in a skinny tie and collared shirt, and tech shades. Cool beans. Ever the innovator. The album itself is too… old. You can’t hide the techno lag. The concert is rad. It was like Dylan going electric. People hated it, but he did it anyway. And then he did a movie with Devo.
Add to that a half dozen other moves, and a gazillion albums, and you have someone who is really quite amazing. Plus… talk about charisma.
This man is and always will remain one of my most beloved heroes. He simply has no equal. Even his much-maligned 80′s works are riddled with gold nuggets. I know of no other musician who posesses this caliber of songwriting, versatility, talent, tenure, heart, soul, and balls combined.
I don’t know another artist who has been as prolific as he, as versatile, and as brilliant. Thanks for the comment, amigo!
I bought this on a vinyl EP when it came out! I thought i was the only one that got it. But then again I thought that Tonights the night was one of his best albums also. I have always been a Neil Young fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!