Neil Young ~ Cortez The Killer w/ Crazy Horse *w/vIDeo* ~ Early Classic Performance @The Rio HD

"Psychedelic" video of sorts. Hard hitting early Rock version Neil and Crazy Horse were "ON" that night! " **Stunning Guitar & Vocals** (HD vIDeo) Cortez The Killer with Crazy Horse. ""Cortez the Killer" is a song by Neil Young from his 1975 album, Zuma. It was recorded with Young's band Crazy Horse and ranked #39 on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos and #321 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song is about Hernán Cortés, a conquistador who conquered Mexico for Spain in the 16th century. "Cortez the Killer" also makes reference to the Aztec ruler Montezuma II and other events that occurred in the Spanish conquest of the New World.
The lyrics start 3:23 into the song. First the words picture Cortés and his "galleons and guns" on their quest of the new world shores. There lived Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs, inconceivably rich and full of wisdom, but in a civilization doomed despite its beauty and amazing achievements. By immense human toll of building, their huge and still existing pyramids had been erected, and are praised in the song.
Instead of describing the battles of Cortez with the Aztecs, the lyric in the last verse suddenly jumps from third person narrative to first person, with a reference to a woman who is "living there / And she loves me to this day." This line almost certainly refers to Cortez's adoring wife, Dona Elizabeth, who was very supportive of his conquests and who opened several missions to support the children of those Aztecs (and Spanish) lost in the battle for Tenochtitlan. She is buried on the outskirts of Mexico City in La Colonia Hidalgo, Cortez's massive estate which is still standing today.
Another interpretation is that "she" represents the Aztec main temple, the Templo Mayor, which was uncovered in 1978 after being buried beneath Mexico City for nearly 500 years. In Mesoamerican literature, the temple is often referred to as "she," since both men and women were sacrificed there and a considerable part of the main temple was dedicated to the Aztec rain god, who is often described as a female.
Young has stated in concert that he wrote the song while studying history in high school. Nevertheless, the song was banned in Spain under Francisco Franco, according to Young's notes for the album Decade.
Also of note is that the song fades out after nearly seven and a half minutes as (according to Young's father in Neil and Me) an electrical circuit had blown, causing the console to go dead. In addition to losing the rest of the instrumental work, a final verse was also lost. When producer David Briggs had to break this news to the band, Young replied "I never liked that verse anyway." The additional verse has not been performed or recorded to this day. ~( wikipedia)
The simple chord structure lends itself to long jams, and has been covered as such a jam song by many artists. The song was covered on two consecutive nights by The Dead lineup featuring Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring on lead guitars at Red Rocks Amphitheater in 2004. The song has also been covered live by the Dave Matthews Band, with Warren Haynes, at their concert in Central Park in 2003, during another New York City concert on Randall's Island in August 2006, with Warren Haynes at West Palm Beach, FL on July 31, 2010, and with Neil Young himself at the 2000 and 2006 Bridge School Benefit concerts. Built to Spill recorded a version for their 2000 album Live that, with several guitar solos throughout, came to over twenty minutes in length. It was also covered by Slint, at a gig in Chicago on 3 March 1989, The Church on A Box of Birds (1999), by The Drones, and by Pearl Jam. Gov't Mule covered the song on their 1998 album Live ... With A Little Help From Our Friends. A live version by Matthew Sweet appears on the Legacy edition of Girlfriend.
Widespread Panic has covered the song several times, including a Halloween performance at UIC Pavilion in Chicago on October 31, 2001.[2] Widespread Panic also memorably covered the song with special guest Jerry Joseph at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater with lightning flashing across the sky as a backdrop in one of original guitarist Michael Houser's final performances. The song was also covered with a long jam at the Jammy Awards, featuring Joe Satriani on lead guitar and Grace Potter on vocals and Hammond organ, with Steve Kimock, Reed Mathis, Willy Waldman, and Stephen Perkins.[3] Grace Potter continues to cover the song in her concerts.

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[LRRP7474]

I wanted to thank you for putting up this video and music. it obviously is a work of art and I am sure you put a lot of talented effort into it. Pretty cool stuff. 65 and I can still dig the real music !!

Thanks again.

JAK

[curiousgeorge555]

@LRRP7474 Glad you're still diggin' the real music! Thanks for your comment.

[boulterontarioman48]

this version is simply beyond belief...i will never tire of the beauty of this amazing song...the pinnacle of neils great career...cant wait to get back up to boulter, ontario and play this song in my head as i walk down that little country road and forget about the united states government thats ruining our country with its lame ass policies...go to hell...power to the people! Mr. Weber New Waterford, Ohio boulterontarioman48

[curiousgeorge555]

@boulterontarioman48 Did you ever get back to boulter? Yeah the guv is big time messed up here. We need a 3rd party for starters. A little integrity wouldn't hurt either.

[MetalGuruMessiah]

Awesome job on my all time favorite Neil Young track! I listen to this song at least once a week...have heard numerous live versions and this one ranks with the best.

You did a really fantastic job with this work. Exactly the kind of video I want to see for this song...a psychedelic representation of Cortez's blissful distortion...you nailed it.

[curiousgeorge555]

@MetalGuruMessiah "psychedelic representation of Cortez's blissful distortion" Apropos choice of words. No doubt bliss played a part. Distortion is a given. Psychedelic to the degree that the 'gods of many colors' one is willing to allow.

[Powderfinger07]

Nice morphing @ 6:23. Your best work Jack, really something to behold. I'm sure I'll be viewing and listening to this for as long as youtube exists or for as long as I exist.

[GoodLkngBear]

i need to know the show this came from and how to get it please, thanks for the awesome upload!!!

[boulterontarioman48]

Hernando Cortez...b.1485--d.1547 Neils Cortez the Killer.. timeless. Simply Awesome. Thank you are the awesome post. Mr. Weber New Waterford, Ohio. Boulterontarioman48

[jackstpaul]

@A4est It's Em7, D, Am7. Lead in Em

[A4est]

I enjoyed this very much. what great guitar and visual effects. if I can ever learn this I will be happy and then die. Maybe...someday

[thomascowens1]

What is the date for this concert? I want to hear more from this show. This is amazing.

[boulterontarioman48]

light one up, put this on full screen and look at all the pretty colors...enjoy. Mr. Weber New Waterford, Ohio. boulterontarioman48