In 2019, Neil Young was offered, and turned down, what he then described as “millions of dollars” to do a tour focusing on his classic 1972 album, Harvest. Now, in a new interview, he explains exactly why he said no to that potentially huge payday.
“I’d rather do a new album with new musicians and not try to play old parts by other musicians who aren’t here anymore,” Neil tells the U.K. magazine MOJO. “You can’t recreate the past. If the past is preserved, you don’t have to recreate it.”
He adds, “As far as my world, it’s not what I’m interested in.”
Young has a similar opinion about any future work with Crosby, Stills and Nash, saying, “I wish them all the best. But musically, I’m not interested in reliving the past.” However, he gives himself an out, noting, “I’m not saying it will never happen. Why would I say [that?] It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m focused on what’s going on on the planet, what’s going on in the world and trying to listen to my musical sense of what my soul wants to do…so I just have to take care of that and keep going,” Neil further tells MOJO. “So I just have to take care of that and keep on going while at the same time be aware of the world and what is happening. And if Crosby, Stills and Nash fit into that, we’ll see what happens.”
Currently, Neil is promoting Barn, his new album with Crazy Horse. As previously reported, a documentary about the making of the album, also called Barn, which was directed by Young’s wife, Daryl Hannah, is streaming for free on Neil’s YouTube channel. However, he has no plans to tour, telling Rolling Stone late last year, “I don’t want to put people in danger.”
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