At first glance, an upcoming tribute concert for Neil Young, featuring performances by David Crosby, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Jackson Browne, Wilco, Dave Matthews, and a couple other acts we wouldn’t be surprised to see at Farm Aid, doesn’t really constitute “big news.” I mean it does for me, but Neil Young is one of my top three guitar slingers of all time, so there’s that. But there’s one more act on the bill which is not like the others (i.e. on tour all the time): Red Hot Chili Peppers.

It wasn’t until Peter Gabriel abruptly canceled his scheduled Academy Awards performance (after they demanded he cut his song down to 65 seconds earlier this year) that I realized what an awesome artist he truly is. Late to the party, I know, but it looks like he’s going to start getting respect all over very shortly. The tracklist to his upcoming album of orchestral cover songs was leaked by the distributor in Japan and it’s a doozy.

All we knew before today was what collaborator John Metcalfe had teased on Gabriel’s official site: that Scratch My Back (due out early next year) consisted of “song swap[s] with some of the world’s most legendary artists.”

Does that mean that Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Neil Young, Lou Reed, Bowie and more will be covering Gabriel’s songs in return? We can’t confirm that, but here’s the tracklist, which Metcalfe refused to confirm or deny to the Guardian. All he would say is that “there are some very, very famous singers and bands involved,” and “there should be something in there for everybody.”

Yes, indeed (via Barks via Guardian):

Willie Nelson may be 76 years old, but he’s on Twitter, he just tricked out his corn-fueled tour bus with a state of the art broadband device (insert Xzibit joke here), and now he and the folks behind Farm Aid are offering up amazing high quality videos of full sets from this year’s benefit concert in St. Louis, MO.

**Update** It appears that Farm Aid has removed the free stream. You now must become a member to watch the concerts.

Click here to watch full sets by Dave Matthews w/ Tim Reynolds, Willie of course, Neil Young, Wilco, Jason Mraz, John Mellencamp, and more. There are also interviews with Phosphorescent (their awesome Willie Nelson covers record really paid off!), Will Dailey, Dave Matthews, and a bunch of farmers.

I haven’t had a chance to watch all the videos yet, but my personal favorite so far is Phosophorescent’s Matt Houck singing “A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise” to an almost empty auditorium (not many people showed up for the early sets, I guess). I can’t link directly to it, but go to the main page here and if you look closely, you’ll see Willie watching Houck from the side of the stage. Talk about nerve-wracking.

Phosphorescent’s Willie Nelson covers record, To Willie, has been on repeat at my place all year, so I’m glad to report that Matthew Houck’s perfectly-crafted homage to his hero has earned him a spot on stage with the singer/songwriting legend, not to mention Neil freakin’ Young. On Oct. 4, Houck and company will share the stage at the Farm Aid benefit concert in St. Louis, MO with Nelson, Young, John Mellencamp, Wilco, and Dave Matthews (via TMT).

Houck has met Nelson before, however, as earlier this year Phosphorescent was personally invited by Willie to play an hour long tribute on his Sirius XM radio channel, dubbed Willie’s Place.

This is great news for bearded, up-and-coming singer/songwriter types, but please guys, let’s not all put out covers records this year at once.

As we previously reported (when TFB was oh so young), Johnny Depp was tapped to narrate Tom DiCillo’s Doors documentary, When You’re Strange, after critics at Sundance objected to DiCillo’s mellow narration of the story behind one of rock’s most dramatic bands. I, for one, thought Depp killed as the narrator of Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, and was optimistic.

Now the Depp-narrated version has been well-received at the LA Film Festival and is headed to Woodstock, NY for the 10^th Anniversary Woodstock Film Festival (HT The Playlist) on the 40^th Anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival.

By the way, remember Jonathan Demme’s Neil Young documentary, Neil Young Trunk Show (which is showing at TIFF and the Woodstock Film Fest as well)? Well, the trailer dropped earlier tonight. Enjoy!

If you include Neil Young’s Archives, Vol. 1, four reissued albums, and a record dedicated to his alternative energy powered 1959 Lincoln Continental, Fork in the Road, Neil Young has already released thirteen albums this year. Well, now you can make that fourteen:

“Dreamin’ Man, Neil Young Archives Performance Series #12, will be released on or about Nov. 2nd, 17 years after the original release of Harvest Moon,” an official announcement on Young’s N Y Times site reads. “A closer look at Harvest Moon songs, all performed solo acoustic before the release of Harvest Moon, Dreamin’ Man contains intimate live performances recorded in concert halls during 1992.”

This is all we know for now, but Young did include the front and back album art for us to gaze at until November. That “on or about” description for the release date is a bit suspicious to me, though. Is Neil planning some kind of unconventional surprise release?

It’s no secret that Neil Young likes to give back to the community and help those in need: He helped found The Bridge School, The Bridge School Benefit all-star annual concert, and he co-founded Farm Aid with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. In fact, Young will be honored by the Recording Academy early next year as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year for the above philanthropic work and more.

The Godfather of Grunge isn’t only charitable on such a large scale, however, as Jam! Music’s Linda Massarella has revealed that he’s been spotted reaching out to the homeless near his manager’s Santa Monica headquarters. “We see him, he’s a great guy,” local contractor Joe Barlino said. “He stops and sits with the homeless and talks to them. Once he even brought this old woman crying about her tooth to the dentist.”

Massarella attempted to get official confirmation of Young’s local philanthropy, but a source at his manager’s office would only hint at the truth to the story, adding, “He doesn’t want attention brought to it.”

Sounds like Bob Dylan isn’t the only music legend wandering the local streets these days, not to mention giving lots to charity.