by Jay Gabler
November 02, 2017
Looking for something to put under the tree for that music fan who has everything? How about a model train from the personal collection of Neil Young? The rock legend is selling over 230 model trains from the collection he's been building for decades, as well as some of his classic cars — "including a 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark convertible with a steering wheel hub that reads 'customized for Neil Young,'" notes Pitchfork.
The items will go up for auction next month, with the trains expected to sell for up to $9,000 each and the cars to fetch up to $300,000 each. "Collecting all of these items has been my great joy," says Young, who's donating a portion of the proceeds to charity. "They have provided a source of inspiration, fun and creativity throughout my life. Now it is time to share them with others in the world whom I hope will enjoy and love them as much as I have."
Here's Young talking trains on Nickelodeon in the '90s.
Lana Del Rey to retire "Cola"
Lana Del Rey says she's retiring her 2012 song "Cola" in the wake of the many allegations of sexual assault levied against Harvey Weinstein. The Born to Die song was written with "a Harvey Weinstein/Harry Winston-type of character in mind," said Del Rey in a statement, mentioning both the movie mogul and the late jeweler. "I envisioned, like a benevolent, diamond-bestowing-upon-starlets visual, like a Citizen Kane or something. I'm not really sure. I thought it was funny at the time, and I obviously find it really sad now."
The song's original lyrics seemed to refer to Weinstein: "I got a taste for men who are older. It's always been, so it's no surprise. Harvey's in the sky with diamonds and he's making me crazy. All he wants to do is party with his pretty baby." ( Rolling Stone)
New Orleans honors Fats Domino
Fats Domino was deeply devoted to New Orleans, and the love was mutual — as the city demonstrated on Wednesday night with a second line parade celebrating the late music icon. "The raucous march of thousands was packed with horn players, families, tambourines, colorful parasols, Mardi Gras Indians and some special guests, with police reporting as many as 10,000 attendees," notes Billboard.
Today's box set news
'Tis the season for box set releases, and here's news about a couple of big ones. The Beatles will release a box set of seven 7" singles that have never been commercially released: they were Christmas messages sent on flexi-discs to members of the band's fan club from 1963 to 1969. The sixth one, from 1968, might take the cake: it includes a cameo by Tiny Tim singing "Nowhere Man." The Christmas Records box set comes out on Dec. 15. ( Billboard)
How many discs would it take to do justice to the smooth vocals of Johnny Mathis? At least 69, but Columbia is almost going to get there with a 68-disc box called The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection. The set, which hits shelves with a thud on Dec. 8, includes 25 albums never before available on CD in the U.S., bonus discs with 40 unreleased tracks, and two entire unreleased albums. Particularly intriguing is the previously unreleased LP I Love My Lady, a 1981 collaboration with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic. ( Rolling Stone)
Chance and Francis join Lin-Manuel for Hamilton track at Obama summit
At the closing ceremony of the first-ever Obama Foundation Summit, in Chicago on Wednesday, Chance the Rapper was joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Francis and the Lights for a performance of the song "Theodosia" from Hamilton. At the end, they even worked in a bit of the Michael Jackson classic "Man in the Mirror." ( Rolling Stone)