In one of the more unusual tributes to an artist, folks in the Neil Young community have declared April 1 "Arc Day" in tribute to one of Young's more bizarre releases, a single CD originally part of a 3 CD live package originally called ArcWeld. The set does a great job of documenting Young's feedback-laden 1990 tour with Crazy Horse in support of the Ragged Glory studio effort and includes blistering versions of "Cortez The Killer," "Powderfinger," "Crime in the City," "Rockin' in the Free World," and even a comment on the recently begun Gulf War with an electric "Blowin' in the Wind" (played while roadies tied a yellow ribbon to a 10-ft. mic stand).
All the Weld cuts include heavy feedback and guitar reverb, often in the midst of solos but certainly at the end of every cut where Young wrestles with his guitar, generating more and louder feedback and then playing with the result, tapping foot pedals to encourage the sound to repeat itself, double tracking it, and just seeing what noise he can create before allowing it to dissipate very, very slowly.
But that wasn't enough for him. During the tour he reportedly set a video camera on one of the amps to record the band and whatever came within view (he's yet to release any video). He then edited the music down, using only the feedback, to a 23-minute feedback-only jam that is not for the faint of heart. Only Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music surpasses this intense wall of sound. Arc is still available as a single CD -- but as this clip shows it's not for everyone, Young fans or not.
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