Entering Greendale

Greendale is essentially a universe of releases that describe the residents of a fictional town. It’s been called an “audio novel,” but there is a heavy visual element to it as well. By my count, there are two albums, four movies, a book, and a graphic novel. That’s a lot of material to get a handle on, so I’m going to spend some time going through it all and living in that world for a bit. When reviews resume, expect a multi-part dissection of this effort.

The life of the Green family is in the atmosphere of America and the life there and that atmosphere is full of politics.

It's full of people trying to come to grips with the changing morality, whatever you want to call it, of the 21st century and the way things have changed rapidly in such a short period of time.

It's a story of a family turning over -- of the old going out and the new coming in and the statements that they made and what they believed in and what made a difference to the young girl who is just finding her voice.

And what made her come out and say what she said and start speaking her mind about what she believed and what gave her [the] conviction to come out. (Neil Young, interview with the 7.30 Report, Australia, 2003)

I just got back from visiting friends in Pacifica outside San Francisco. When I was writing the Broken Arrow review, I read that the primary site of the legendary Echoes shows was a bar called Old Princeton Landing and it was only a short drive from Pacifica. As luck would have it, my friends frequently went there for brunch! So I got to see the place and imagine a little what it was like to see Neil and the Horse in such a small venue. They had a few bits of memorabilia on the walls, too. Large photos of the band on the tiny stage, lyrics from a Greendale song, and a “Leaving Greendale” sign. In some timely synergy that Long May You Young would appreciate, Old Princeton Landing is also tied to Greendale. It’s the film stand-in for “Jon Lee’s Bar” (they don’t even obscure the OPL signage in the film).

We also drove around the Santa Cruz Mountains quite a bit, where Neil used to live at his Broken Arrow ranch at the end of Bear Gulch Road. We passed by that road and by The Mountain House, the site of the “Harvest Moon” music video. Our final destination was Alice’s Restaurant, a great outdoor spot. Sitting there, I figured Neil must have ate there from time to time. A short search lead me to this 2012 Rolling Stone interview where Neil and his interviewer stop by the restaurant. Not sure if I gained any greater perspective, but it was interesting to walk in Neil’s shoes for a bit. Given that Greendale is about a small fictional town, I have to believe that where Neil had been living for decades has some influence on its story and message.

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