She may be best known as a famous wife, but anyone who has ever seen Pegi Young sing backup for hubby Neil knows the gal’s got country chops. She’s more “My My, Hey Hey” than “Hey Hey, My My” (get Rust Never Sleeps if that went over your head), her weathered vocals lending a moving weariness to whatever material they touch. Her latest album Foul Deeds features covers of old-timers like Lucinda Williams, but one younger songwriter gets the nod: Devendra Banhart.
Mrs. Young tackles “Body Breaks” from freak-folk Banhart’s 2004 album Rejoicing in the Hands. Neil’s band backs her up, and yes, that includes Mr. Young himself, who joins in on guitar. Stream and download the track below.
Following the success of last month’s Neil Young tribute contest, we’ve got a couple copies of Foul Deeds to give away. Enter your name, email address, and a song you’d like to hear Pegi and Neil cover into the comments section below. The contest ends at midnight on Wednesday, July 28th is closed.
Download: Pegi Young – Body Breaks (Devendra Banhart cover)
[audio: News0710/21BodyBreaks.mp3|titles=Body Breaks|artists=Pegi Young]
Foul Deeds Tracklist:
1. Pleasing to Me (Will Jennings cover)
2. Broken Vows
3. Foul Deeds
4. Starting Over
5. Who Knew
6. Side Of The Road (Lucinda Williams cover)
7. Blue Sunday (Bill Boatman cover)
8. Traveling
9. Body Breaks (Devendra Banhart cover)
Enter below to win the album! Check out more Pegi Young at her website.
“Will The Circle Be Unbroken” By the Carter Family. That would sound great for Neil and Pegi.
With Neil’s jamming & hanging w/ PJ & Eddie V., perhaps “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town” would be a pretty cool choice!
Hearts & thoughts they fade, fade, fade away…
I would love a studio version of Forever Young, I guess any Dylan song would work
So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) by the Everly Bros.
The Call Up by The Clash (Sandinista!)
Anything by Kirsty MacColl — perhaps “Teenager In Love”. Just because everyone should cover her, and I think she’s got huge country chops, that I think a lot of folks don’t realize. If I ever get to become a Nashville Producer type, I’m pretty much gonna guarantee a Kirsty song on each record by each band I produce and probably a Robbie Fulks one, too.
I’d love to hear them cover “Withered and Died” by Richard and Linda Thompson from the album “I want to see the bright lights tonight”. Perfect to cover as the original is a husband & wife collaboration.
‘Trouble Weighs A Ton’ by Dan Auerbach
“Sometimes Like A River”
Pegi Young