P2ers- Just got this from a friend of mine . . . figured some of you might appreciate . . . ------------------------------------------ Neil Young for the birds? Apparently so. A fan letter posted on the "Hyper Rust" website excerpts an article from a recent issue of Cottage Life magazine that swears a liberal dose of Young's finest hits soothed an ailing loon. Seems bird rehabilitators Michael and Janice Enright could not comfort an inconsolable loon chick in their care. After the bird had been crying for weeks, the couple got the bright idea of playing the infant bird music. They went through their record collection, playing jazz, classical, pop. But nothing worked until they put on Long May You Run, by Neil Young, and according to Michael Enright, "the chirps turned into chirps." (Huh?) Just to make sure that it wasn't just a coincidence, the couple continued their musical tests, and interspersed Young with other artists. But the bird responded only to Neil. "He really liked 'Thrasher' and 'Birds,' of course," said Michael. The couple was astounded at their results and has included Neil Young music as a regular part of their therapy. When a second loon was brought in to recover from an injury, they immediately put Harvest Moon on the CD player, and, like the first bird, the second loon was quieted. When the magazine approached Young's father, Scott Young, about this strange phenomenon, he replied: "I always knew loons were smart. They probably heard in Neil's voice a kindred spirit, for he used to . . . watch loons and serenade them. He has a loon-like sound, I'm sure he tried to imitate them. That is why he's gotten so successful." Cottage has not yet weighed in with a report on how Young's charms work on former Byrd David Crosby, with whom Young is collaborating for new Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tracks . . .
