Don’t Think Fastball’s Tony Scalzo Crazy (Horse) for Adoring This 28-Minute Jam
The singer/guitarist reflects on this oft-overlooked gem from Neil Young as his favorite song you've never heard
Fastball singer/guitarst Tony Scalzo tells BlastEcho his favorite song you’ve never heard:
Driftin’ Back by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
One of my all-time favorite songs by any artist is the 2012 epic by Neil Young & Crazy Horse entitled “Driftin’ Back.” Two guitars, bass and drums accompany Neil’s voice for 28 minutes. It’s jammy, yes, but in a loose and hypnotic way. Lots of feedback and interweaving of the guitars send me on a journey every time I hear it, which is often. Most folks don’t seem to care for it that much but I’ve been in love with it since it came out on the album, Psychedelic Pill.
And If You Like This, You'll Love...
The lyrics are basically about meditation on death and life. It starts with an acoustic verse and the whole band comes in on the first chorus. Each verse is pretty short and touch on subjects like religion, spirituality, the music business and art, but the main theme seems to be the emptying of the mind: “In my meditation, I block out all my thoughts/When they come back I push them out like Jesus had the rock/They pushed in front of his cave/It rolled across the ground…”
I love songs as personal as this one is, and for someone like me who writes three-minute pop songs, I like ’em long. “Driftin’ Back” and Bob Dylan’s 16-minute tome, “Highlands,” are songs I go to for escape from a busy day. It’s great for out in the backyard as the sun goes down!
Check out Fastball’s latest single, “I Will Never Let You Down,” from their recently released album Step Into Light.
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