Neil Young – Coastal Review

Devotion in music is not rare. Devotion and longevity – that much is. Every artist who prides themselves on their releases has the effort, the giving it their all attitude. Where it gets you is very much up to some divine power, some being beyond there. Talent plays its part but is not the whole purpose. Neil Young is a musician whose conviction to creativity is on another level. Very few are up there with him, and this documentary, Coastal, from director Daryl Hannah, shows why. Young sold half his catalogue so he could have the freedom to live as he wants, and living as he wants for the upcoming Glastonbury Festival headliner, means to continue touring and creating. He hits the road with Hannah in what proves to be a touching documentary where the emotive draw wears thin rather fast.  

But for those who know little of the artist or are looking for an ideal understanding of him ahead of the Pyramid Stage set, Coastal will serve you well. A literal tour of venues along the coast is what Young embarks on through this documentary. Four years is a long time away from the stage. You can create all you like, as much as you want, in the studio, but getting it in front of new eyes and ears in a live environment is usually the goal line for creatives. For Young, that much is sure. But the premise is stronger than the outcome for Coastal, a documentary which pits Young in moments of intimacy thanks to his relationship with director Hannah. Her fifth film on the musician is much the same as the usual. Insider pieces rely on just a few cameras and idle chit-chat of the road. Road trip chat is beautiful. It opens the soul and the heart as new conversations are opened.  

Spend six hours in a car with anyone and you will end the journey either wanting no more words to pass or the conversation to never end. Coastal is not in the latter category, but for what it is, it is a pleasant enough time. Here is where the Love Earth beginning is made, and with a terrible zoom which clips half of Young’s face, you can see the child-like excitement behind his aviators. He is constantly searching for the route to an audience’s heart. Idle chatter of AI misses the point of road trip conversation. We cannot expect Young to be an always-on commentator as he tours the world, but a behind-the-scenes glimpse at artists usually offers unexpected nuggets of wisdom. Perhaps in this expectation, we fall short of meeting Coastal in the middle. The other extreme is taken, and what we find is Young is just like us. That will be reassuring for some, but break the image for others.

Home footage assembled into a conceivable narrative is what Coastal is. Hannah at least pieces together some moments of isolated intimacy. Young warming up for his show, the build to what he does before and after, is tremendous. He seems amiable, and the tender moments with Hannah are a real treat, even for the passing viewer. Road trips are, at their barebones, likeable endeavours where good company is kept. Coastal at least promises that much. We are in good company for much of the ride, and where the chatter of the road may wane, the performances seen throughout are of an expectedly high quality. Seeing what Young now must do in preparation, from fear of performance to bandaged wrists, there is no better access to the legendary performer than through those closest to him. Coastal is built on that intimacy, and it does well to show so much of it.