Neil Young gets feminized on tribute CD

Neil Young has always been a man's man, the kind who'd go get plastered before a gig and then deliver a performance that would change the lives of everyone in the audience. His attire and guitar sound have always been ragged, and it isn't too much of a stretch to imagine him and the members of Crazy Horse driving around in a pickup truck together, firing off rifles intermittently. So perhaps the guy could use a feminine touch every once in awhile.

Hence a new tribute album to Young that says everything you need to know in its title: Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity. So, uh, yeah... it's women artists, covering Neil Young, for charity. The album is up on iTunes and American Laundromat Records right now, with a physical release set for Feb. 12. Some notable names pulling Young covers: both of the women of Throwing Muses (Kristin Hersh and Tonya Donelly), Luna's Britta Phillips, Veruca Salt and The Watson Twins.

Here's the complete track list for the 2xCD set:

CD I:
1. Heart Of Gold - Tanya Donelly
2. I Am A Child - Britta Phillips (Luna, Dean & Britta)
3. Comes A Time - Kate York
4. The Needle And The Damage Done - Lori McKenna
5. Down By The River - Jill Sobule with John Doe
6. Burned - Veruca Salt
7. Cowgirl In The Sand - Josie Cotton
8. A Man Needs A Maid - Dala
9. Ohio - Darcie Miner
10. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Carmen Townsend

CD II:
1. Cinnamon Girl - Euro-Trash Girl
2. I Believe In You - Julie Peel
3. Tell Me Why - Luff
4. Ohio - Dala
5. Helpless - Elk City
6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Amilia K. Spicer
7. Sugar Mountain - Louise Post
8. Powderfinger - The Watson Twins
9. Like A Hurricane - Kristin Hersh
10. Old Man - Cindy Wheeler (Caulfield Sisters)
11. Walk On - Heidi Gluck (Some Girls)

So what's the charity, you ask? It's an organization called Casting For Recovery, a group that combats breast cancer with fly-fishing. No, seriously. The charity takes women who have been affected by breast cancer and sends them to a private retreat for counseling and therapeutic fishing in a remote natural setting. Those who have ever tried the sport know that there is something almost Zen-like about it.

Those interested in sampling the tribute's contents can hear Donelly, Hersh, Phillips and Cotton's covers on the tribute CD's MySpace.

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.