“The world can be divided into two camps: people who like Neil Young and people who don’t,” as Noel Gallagher famously stated. Additionally, those who don’t are f c fools. Roger Waters and his contemporaries appreciate the Canadian, who is a true musician’s musician. The founder of Pink Floyd rarely speaks well of his peers, but he makes an exception for Young.
Young’s unwavering dedication to his profession is quite astounding, in addition to the incredible back catalog he has accumulated as a solo artist, with Buffalo Springfield, and with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. He has recorded more than 40 studio albums and is a risk-taker with a taste for experimentation, so it’s natural that he has made his share of bad albums. He is one of the few songwriters who Waters genuinely admires and has achieved incredible heights because he has never been afraid of failure.
Despite Waters’ professional life revolving around music, he rarely listens to other artists, and it’s not a topic that consumes his mind every waking hour. For the most part, Waters ignores the current popular music acts and sticks with the small selection of musicians he has enjoyed an affinity with for as long as he can remember. Of course, part of his love for artists like Young is sentimental because these songs soundtracked important chapters of his life. However, mainly, it’s due to the sheer magnificence of the lyrics, which caresses his soul.
During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience in 2022, Waters explained why he’s never been particularly fond of rock ‘n’ roll but will make an exception for two artists. “I’m not very up on rock history. I’m not really interested in most popular music,” he said. “I mean, there are certain people I’m great fans of, mainly the writers, the singer-songwriters, (Bob) Dylan and Neil Young“.
Waters added: “I’m not really interested in loud rock ‘n’ roll, which some people are, and they love it, but I couldn’t care less about AC/DC, Eddie Van Halen or any of that stuff”.
The Pink Floyd bassist’s comments about AC/DC and Eddie Van Halen were nothing personal against them; stadium-sized riffs and excess showmanship simply doesn’t connect with him. On the contrary, Young’s way with words is enough to put him under a spell; he explained, “It just doesn’t interest me, but ‘Look out, ma, there’s a white boat coming up the river’, what was that called? ‘Powderfinger’, I think from Rust Never Sleeps, something like that, I have to take a deep…” Waters then pretended to fall short of breath due to being speechless due to the immense lyrics, before adding: “‘Wow, what did he just say?’”.
As Waters rightly stated, ‘Powderfinger’ appeared on Young’s 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps with Crazy Horse. The track tells the story of a young man who is forced to step up in his household following his father’s departure, while a gunboat threatens their lives. Tragically, the protagonist loses his life while trying to protect those around him, which Waters finds profound.
Additionally, during an appearance on the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs, Waters selected another Young cut and waxed lyrical about how it made him feel. Speaking about ‘Helpless’, which first appeared on Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s Déjà Vu, he said, “There is an honesty and a truth in everything that he’s done. You feel the man’s integrity and passion. I can feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck now, remembering the purity with which he hits the first notes of this song. It’s extraordinarily moving and eloquent.”
While ‘Helpless’ and ‘Powderfinger’ are different songs, the overwhelming feelings they caused Waters’ heart were the same. When he listens to music, he seeks a sense of emotional nourishment and a narrative to lose himself within, which Young
