Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

5. Neil YoungEverybody Knows This Is Nowhere

When I joined Eleventh Dream Day I was 23 years old and my exposure to rock music was still pretty narrow. I was aware of some punk and avant-garde music and Television was probably my favourite band, still is. But I was not familiar with Neil Young at all. When I joined I was broke and Baird [Figi], the other guitar player, got me a job at a record store. So here I was playing with people who were hipping me to the music that interested them and I had a whole record store at my disposal. I discovered that Crazy Horse WAS a punk band and that Neil Young jammed with Devo.

Apparently ‘Cinnamon Girl’, ‘Down By The River’ and ‘Cowgirl In The Sand’ were recorded while Young had a 103-degree fever – what are the most testing conditions in which you’ve recorded songs?

Eleventh Dream Day has made a couple albums during heat waves. Actually both of those were made in Kentucky. As times goes on it takes Tortoise longer and longer to make albums. That can be trying.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens: Wilko Johnson
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