Review of Neil Young Journeys (2012) by Richard W — 18 Sep 2012

In the third concert film collaboration between rock icon Neil Young and director Jonathan Demme (who helmed Heart of Gold and Trunk Show), Young gets deeply personal. Demme follows the Canadian rock hero back to his hometown of Omemee, where Young travels through his old neighborhood whilst recalling tales of his youth.

Then we see him at Toronto's Massey Hall, where he laces those stories with enduring songs of love, loss and memory fleeting. There's the classics ('Ohio', 'Hey Hey, My My') and the new tunes ('Leia') and all reveal stunning revelations of a truly wondrous life lived.

Just like his other works with Young and his amazing concert film Stop Making Sense, Demme can make a concert feel very personal, and my advice is to sit back and absorb it. Shot in the final two nights of Young's 2011 tour, Journeys bristles with rock and roll essence.

It's terrific viewing.