Summer Concert Series: Rust Never Sleeps (1979)

Neil Young is one of the most versatile singer/songwriters in rock and roll history. He can range from politically-minded folk singer to country music balladeer to full on grunge rocker. All of this is displayed in the incredible concert film, Rust Never Sleeps. In 1987 Rolling Stone Magazine called this one of the "greatest live performances of the last twenty years." This certainly is one of the finest rock and roll movies ever made and a pure treat for fans of Neil Young.

Of course a great concert film needs great music and this movie provides perfectly on that front. This film captures a concert Neil Young performed at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on October 22, 1978. Since this concert was shot before Neil's great Rust Never Sleeps album (not to be confused with this movie of the same name), I have to wonder what it was like to be in the audience hearing a masterpiece like Powderfinger (one of my favorites if not my favorite Neil Young song) for the first time. This concert film follows the format of that album very closely. In that album, Neil starts off with just himself and an acoustic guitar, but later on he is joined by the loud hard rocking Crazy Horse for a series of real rockers. This film similar begins with Neil on his own performing Sugar Mountain, a pure folk song. This gives no hint that later in the movie we would watch him perform a very high energy version of the loud grunge rocker Cinnamon Girl. Despite the huge variety of songs used in this movie, there is not one weak link in the setlist (all of them written by Neil Young). More than this each song is performed to perfection. The acoustic songs are heartfelt and intimate. The rockers are full of all the energy and exactment one could want out of rock and roll. This film may be Neil's best performance of any song on the setlist. This easily was a once I a life time concert and I am glad that this movie allows us to enjoy it anytime we want.

The oddest part of this movie comes before the concert really starts. Jawas (yes those sand guys from Star Wars) step up on stage and set it up for Neil's concert. Many of the "equipment" are giant props used more for comical effect than any actual useful function for a concert. As they do this playing on the speakers are Jimi Hendrix's version of The Star Spangled Banner and The Beatles' A Day in the Life. This is a bizarre, but very fun way to start the film. Though some may complain I love it. Less fun however is the "scientists" talking about "Rust-A-Vision." This honestly slowed the film to a halt, but luckily it was brief and the rest of the film is incredible.

As well as being released as a movie, this concert was also released as an excellent live album entitled Live Rust.

This film is a must see for every fan of rock and roll. With movies like this we can be sure rock and roll will never die (Hey, Hey, My, My).

-Michael J. Ruhland