CSNY Déjà Vu (2008)
Director: Bernard Shakey
Cast: Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Steven Colbert
Neil Young published in 2006 his album "Living With War", an atypical album in the career of the Canadian musician on several grounds, a disc that, above all else musical, was a very direct cry of protest against war Iraq and against the Bush administration that had gotten into the U.S. in that avispero.
The songs on this album was composed and recorded in record time, almost as a matter of urgency, and for the first time in the history of Neil Young were offered for free download from the site www.neilyoung.com, while creating a microsite with the appearance of pages where they were hanging informational videos and documents about the war and in which Neil himself was involved.
The publication of this album in Neil Young immediately aroused the desire to undertake a national tour, different from all those who had already done throughout his 40 years on the road, where the primary message on his songs.
The band chosen by Neil for the occasion were his old colleagues David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills, and that is that these musicians and accompanied Neil in Woodstock, where another message (at that time against the Vietnam War) was necessary.
The film tells us, by way of documentary, this CSNY tour, although it is not your typical rock documentary since at all times as it tries to highlight is the political message of anti warmonger, collecting testimonies from those attending concerts as well as statements by veterans of both wars (Vietnam and Iraq).
Analyzing the political facet of the film, it's not surprising to find once more familiar with the closed mentality of the average American, who sees any political demonstration, especially if the message is markedly leftist, as a direct attack against his country and so worn "American Way Of Life." The film tries to portray this mentality but especially delves deeply into the idea hippie (possibly Neil Young is the last real hippie) that, somehow, as happened in the 60, music can change people's ideas and in the words of Neil Young himself is clearly the intent of trying to end the war through their songs.
This is precisely the magic that makes this movie different from the crazy idea of four hippies sexagenarian who face a country tired, sick and blind and, curiously, seem to get some results. It is very curious to see how is changing the public's reaction as the tour progresses, spectators who leave the concerts ventilated excited to statements against the war and as the newspaper reviews also give a 180 degree turn.
The tape is full of anecdotes that were occurring throughout the tour, and are also excited by inserting statements and recollections of the musicians, very physically damaged (especially David Crosby and Stephen Stills), which makes this really worthwhile adventure.
Focusing on what is already music, we can enjoy the songs of the "Living With War" and some of the acclaimed "Déjà Vu" at the hands of these myths of authentic folk music in a tour that undoubtedly had to be very special, as always guided by a Neil Young who appears here with a rejuvenated and truly unprecedented vitality.
Finally, I'm staying with a quote from David Crosby: "Neil Young is the head of all this, but not because it has demanded, but because we think this sort of thing all the time."
