Neal Casal (Denville, New Jersey, USA, November 2, 1968 – August 26, 2019) … Read Full Bio ↴Neal Casal (Denville, New Jersey, USA, November 2, 1968 – August 26, 2019) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and photographer.

First rising to prominence as lead guitarist with Rickey Medlocke's Blackfoot from 1988-1993, Casal is well known as a member of Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and of whom he was a member from 2005 until 2009. Neal Casal released eleven albums as a solo artist. He played in several groups, including Hazy Malaze, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Hard Working Americans, The Skiffle Players and Circles Around the Sun

Casal began work on early solo demos from 1990 to 1993 at studios in Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey. During this period he teamed up with his manager Gary Waldman, keyboard player John Ginty and vocalist Angie McKenna. After signing a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music, he forged a long standing professional relationship with producer/engineer Jim Scott.

In 1994, Casal signed with Zoo Entertainment and recorded his debut album at Palacio del Rio,[1] formally owned by James Stewart and Dean Martin in Santa Ynez, California with producer Jim Scott. The album featured musicians Don Heffington, Bob Glaub, Greg Leisz. Casal released Fade Away Diamond Time in September 1994 that to critical acclaim and supported by a US tour with his band.

Casal parted ways with Zoo Records in 1996 and recorded Rain, Wind, and Speed released by Buy or Die Records.

In 1997, Casal signed with the Glitterhouse Records label and went on to release five albums, including Field Recordings and The Sun Rises Here. In 1998, Casal released the self-produced album Basement Dreams, named Americana Album of the Year in Mojo magazine.

During the Spring of 1999, Casal teamed up with Six String Drag front man Kenny Roby and toured Europe, later that summer recording the live album Black River Sides.

Casal released his sixth solo album Anytime Tomorrow in 2000, produced by Jim Scott. Anytime Tomorrow was the last album to be released by Glitterhouse in 2000 and prompted an extensive European tour into early 2001.

In 2002, Casal co-wrote, produced and released the EP Ran On Pure Lightning collaborating with Shannon McNally and other musicians which included Benmont Tench, Greg Leisz and Brent Rademaker. Around this time, Casal also started playing with bassist Jeff Hill and drummer Dan Fadel, forming Hazy Malaze.

Railroad Earth’s 2002 album Bird in a House featured a cover version of Casal’s song “Dandelion Wine”.

Shortly after signing to Paris-based Fargo Records in 2003, Fargo released the compilation album Maybe California resulting in a European tour and Casal's first solo tour of Japan. The following year, Fargo released two compilation albums, Leaving Traces, a selection of Casal’s original songs from 1994–2004, and Return in Kind, a compilation of covers and he began recording his eighth solo album.

Casal joined Ryan Adams and The Cardinals in 2005. In December of that year he embarked on his third Japanese tour, which featured his first photography exhibition and upon his return released No Wish to Reminisce in early 2006. The album, produced by Michael Deming (Beachwood Sparks, Lilys), took his music in a different direction from his previous work, with a more layered, psychedelic production. All Directions, a compilation album of live and unreleased songs, was released in 2007.

In 2009, Casal teamed up with engineer Don Sternecker and recorded and produced Roots and Wings. The album included musicians Jon Graboff, Greg Leisz, Johnathan Rice, Jeff Hill, Dan Fadel and Andy Goessling.

Casal began recording his tenth solo album in March 2010 with producer Thom Monahan. While Casal toured Europe, Fargo re-released the albums Basement Dreams and Rain, Wind and Speed.

On March 6 it was announced that Casal had joined the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.

Casal's tenth studio album, Sweeten the Distance, was released in November 2011.

In 2013, Casal joined Hard Working Americans alongside Todd Snider, Dave Schools, Chad Staehly and Duane Trucks. The supergroup's debut album Hard Working Americans was recorded at Bob Weir's TRI Studios in 2013 and released on January 21, 2014.

In 2015, Casal along with Adam MacDougall, Dan Horne and Mark Levy recorded five hours of music as Circles Around the Sun that was played as the pre-show and set break music at The Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well concerts in Santa Clara and Chicago. These compositions were released later that year as the album Interludes for the Dead. Circles Around the Sun made its live debut at the 2016 Lockn' Festival at Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, Virginia. In 2018, CATS released their second album Let It Wander.

In 2016, Casal joined three other Beachwood Sparks alums, Farmer Dave Scher, Dan Horne, and Aaron Sperske, and songwriter Cass McCombs to form The Skiffle Players. Their debut album Skifflin was released that year, followed by the Piffle Sayers EP and Skiff in 2018.

In the summer of 2002, while touring with Shannon McNally, Casal formed Hazy Malaze with fellow band members Dan Fadel and Jeff Hill. Their debut album Hazy Malaze was recorded and mixed at Village Recorders in Los Angeles in eleven days. Later that year they toured opening for Robert Randolph and the Family Band and during 2003 continued to tour the US, while beginning work on their second album Blackout Love.

In 2005, Hazy Malaze released their second album Blackout Love, supported by a French tour.

In 2009 Hazy Malaze released their third album Connections.

Casal joined Ryan Adams & The Cardinals in 2005, shortly after the release of Jacksonville City Nights, replacing J.P. Bowerstock, and toured the US in the summer of 2006, followed by a UK and European tour in the autumn.

In 2007, the Ryan Adams album Easy Tiger was released and went to number seven. on Billboard album chart, resulting in a yearlong world tour and the album's producer, Jamie Candiloro, added to the lineup on piano. Candiloro also produced the Follow the Lights EP, released in October 2007, and reaching number 40 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

In 2008, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals released Cardinology, recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York and produced by Tom Schick. The album reached number 11 on Billboard album chart and number 14 on Rolling Stone’s best albums of 2008 list. Rolling Stone magazine also placed "Magick" at #13 on the 100 Best Singles of 2008 list.

In January 2009, Adams announced that he was leaving The Cardinals after their final show on March 20, 2009 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. The band has been on indefinite hiatus ever since.

In December 2010, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals released their final album III/IV, a compilation of unreleased material. The album was recorded in 2006 during the same sessions that yielded Easy Tiger.

On April 16 Ryan Adams released Class Mythology, which is an EP of unreleased tracks recorded with the Cardinals during the Cardinology period.

In an interview with American Songwriter Casal described his experience with the group positively. "It really was a great lineup... For a couple years there, man, we were on fire. We really were. We were playing some amazing shows and running through Ryan’s entire catalog, just burning those songs to the ground. We really felt confident for awhile [sic]. We had a lot of synergy, we were all really connected, and everyone believed in it. We were firing on all cylinders. It was a great thing to be a part of."

Casal contributed guitar work on Tift Merritt’s 2005 album Tambourine, featuring Mike Campbell, which was nominated for a Country Album of the Year and three Americana Music Awards. Casal played on Gin Wigmore’s 2009 album Holy Smoke produced by Mike Elizondo, which won four of the six New Zealand Music Awards it was nominated for and went Quadruple Platinum.

Willie Nelson's 2007 album Songbird produced by Ryan Adams and released by Lost Highway Records. Adams, along with The Cardinals, performed on the album’s eleven tracks, featuring Casal on guitar and piano. Songbird peaked at #87 on the Billboard 200 on November 18, 2006.

In 2004, Casal provided photos for Tift Merritt’s second record Tambourine.

In 2007, Casal shot the album cover photos for the Ryan Adams album Easy Tiger and the Ryan Adams and the Cardinals EP Follow the Lights.[37] In 2008, he provided photos for the Ryan Adams and the Cardinals album Cardinology.

Casal provided photographs for the final album of Ryan Adams and The Cardinals Cardinals III/IV, which was released in 2010.

In January 2008 Casal exhibited his photography at the Bauhaus Gallery in Tokyo.

Casal shot the album cover and all photos for the artwork for Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion’s 2011 album Bright Examples.

Casal shot the album cover for Courtney Jaye's The Exotic Sounds of Courtney Jaye, released on January 10, 2010.

In 2010 Casal provided photographs for Danny and the Champions of the World album Streets of Our Time.

Casal provided never before seen photographs for the Ryan Adams and The Cardinals EP Class Mythology, released in April 2011.

Casal’s photographs have appeared in publications such as Mojo, Rolling Stone, Spin, Harp, USA Today.

In 2016, Casal photographs appeared on the front and back covers of The Hard Working Americans record "Rest In Chaos"

Director Ray Foley made a documentary about Casal' influences and inspirations during the making of his sixth album in 2001 entitled Neal Casal: Anytime Tomorrow.

In 2009, two Hazy Malaze songs were featured on Private Practice season three, episode seven “The Hard Part” and Casal’s single “The Losing End Again” appeared in Fringe season two, episode seventeen “Olivia. In The Lab. With The Revolver.”.

Casal was Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn's voice coach for the 2004 movie Starsky & Hutch and played guitar on Owen Wilson's performance of "Don't Give Up On Us Baby" which was also featured on the soundtrack.

Sang the lead vocals on “The Game” on “The Music of Jason Crigler”, released on Rudy Records. Casal co-wrote and sang backing vocals on “The Truest Kind”, on the album Danny and The Champions of The World.

In 2011, Casal worked as Garrett Hedlund’s guitar instructor for the movie Country Strong and also appears in the film as Gwyneth Paltrow’s guitar player.

In March 2010, Abrams Image published Casals first book of photography A View of Other Windows. The book is a photographic documentary of life playing and touring with Ryan Adams and The Cardinals.

Discography

Solo
Studio albums

Fade Away Diamond Time (1995)
Rain, Wind and Speed (1996)
Field Recordings (1997)
The Sun Rises Here (1998)
Basement Dreams (1999)
Black River Sides (with Kenny Roby) (1999)
Anytime Tomorrow (2000)
Return in Kind (2004)
No Wish to Reminisce (2006)
Roots and Wings (2009)
Sweeten the Distance (2011)

Compilations
An introduction to Neal Casal - maybe California (2003)
Leaving Traces (2004)
All Directions (2008)

With Shannon McNally
Ran on Pure Lightning (EP) (2002)

With Hazy Malaze
Hazy Malaze (2003)
Blackout Love (2004)
Connections (2009)

With Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
Easy Tiger (2007)
Follow the Lights (2007)
Cardinology (2008)
III/IV (2010)
Class Mythology (2011)

With Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Big Moon Ritual (2012)
The Magic Door (2012)
Betty's SF Blends Vol 1 (2013)
Phosphorescent Harvest (2014)
Try Rock N' Roll EP (2014)
Betty's Blends Vol 2: Best From The West
Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel (2016)
If You Lived Here You Would Be Home By Now (2016)
Betty's Blends Vol 3: Self Rising Southern Blends (2017)
Barefoot In The Head (2017)
Raven's Reels Vol 1 (2018)
Servants Of The Sun (2019)
With Hard Working Americans
Hard Working Americans (2014)
Rest in Chaos (2016)
We're All In This Together (2017)

Album collaborations
Blackfoot - Medicine Man (1991) - Guitar, vocals
James Iha — Let It Come Down (1998) — Guitar and harmonies [49]
Angie Mckenna - Looking East - Production, guitar, piano, vocals (1999)
A Christmas To Remember — Cora Jones (1998) — Various artists compilation, Casal's original song, vocals, guitar and percussion
Bill Kelly - Jumbo - Guitar - (2000)
Lucinda Williams — Caravan of Dreams (2001) — Guitar[50]
Amy Allison - Sad Girl - Guitar -(2001)
Duncan Sheik — Daylight[51] (2002) — Sang harmonies
Ileen - Bride Pt.2 - guitar (2002)
Dayna Manning — Shades (2002) — Guitar
Robert Randolph and the Family Band — Unclassified[52] (2004) — Sang harmonies
Tift Merritt — Tambourine (2004) — Guitar and harmonies
Mia Doi Todd — Manzanita[53] (2005) — Guitar
Emily Loizeau - L'Autre Bout du Monde - guitar (2005)
Willie Nelson — Songbird (2006) — Guitar
Minnie Driver — Seastories[54] (2007) — Guitar
The Music Of Jason Crigler - guitar - (2008)
Danny And The Champions Of The World - Harmonies (2008)
Clarence Bucaro - Til Spring - guitar (2009)
Gin Wigmore — Holy Smoke[55] (2009) — Guitar
Mark Olson — Many Colored Kite[56] (2010) — Guitar and bass
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion — Bright Examples [57](2011) — Guitar and piano
Bryan Greenberg — We Don't Have Forever[58] (2011) — Guitar and bass
Levi Strom - The Lone Wolf - Piano (2011)
Music Is Love - A Singer Songwriter's Tribute To The Music Of CSN&Y (2012)
Amanda Shires — Carrying Lightning[59] (2011) — Guitar and harmonies
Ryan Adams — Ashes & Fire (2011) — backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Vetiver (The Errant Charm) - 2011
Levi Strom - The Lone Wolf - piano (2011)
James Iha — Look To The Sky (2012) — vocals/harmonies
Fruit Bats - Tripper (2012) - Guitar
Dan Grimm (Average Savage) 2014 - Guitar
Matt Waldon (Learn To Love) 2014 - Guitar
Mark Olson - (Good-bye Lizelle) 2014 - Guitar,Bass
Vetiver (Complete Strangers) 2015 - Guitar
Gospelbeach (Pacific Surf Line) 2015 - Guitar, vocals
J.E. Borgen (Roots Down Deep) 2016 - Guitar
The Tyde - (Darren 4) 2016 - Guitar
The Orchard (The Great Unknown) 2017 - Guitar, harmonica
Jeff Grimes (More Than Memory) 2017 - Guitar
Danielle Hicks And The Resistance (Honey) 2017 - Guitar
Dori Freeman (Letters Never Read) 2017 - Guitar
Johnny Irion (Driving Friend) 2018 - Guitar
Emma Scott (It Was Worth It) 2018 - Harmonies
Fruit Bats (Gold Past Life) 2019 - Guitar
Little Wings (Ropes) 2019 - Guitar

Song collaborations
Zoolander soundtrack — Rufus Wainwright song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"[60](2001) — Guitar
The Sun Records Tribute album — Good Rockin' Tonight, The Legacy of Sun Records[61] — Sheryl Crow song “Who Will The Next Fool Be” (2001) — Guitar
Starsky & Hutch soundtrack — song "Don't Give Up On Us Baby" (2004) — Guitar
Shelby Starner single — “Don’t Let Them” (1999)
Badly Drawn Boy single — “Spitting in the Wind” (2001)
“More Townes Van Zant” by The Great Unknown (2010)

Remember What It's Like
Neal Casal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Maybe it's too early to talk about this
But I can't wait
It's easy to act like you just don't exist
Or that it's too late

Let me be your friend again
Let yourself really feel again
Feel again

Do you remember what it's like?

Never before have I felt anything quite like this
The miles that I drive and the songs that I sing
The people I've missed

Bring them all back to me again
Let them all be with me again
Me again

Do you remember what it's like?
Do you remember what it's like?
Do you remember what it's like?
'Cause I remember what it's like
I remember what it's like
I remember what it's like

I wish you were there just to answer my call
And talk for a while
To me it's as clear as your shadow on the wall
Could I ever call it mine?

Bring it all home to me again
I let myself really feel again
Feel again

Do you remember what it's like?
Do you remember what it's like?
Do you remember what it's like?
'Cause I remember what it's like

I remember what it's like
I remember what it's like

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Neal Casal’s song “Remember What It’s Like” are about the desire to reconnect with someone who was once a friend or lover, someone who the singer misses deeply. The opening lines “Maybe it’s too early to talk about this, but I can’t wait” suggest that the singer has been waiting to have this conversation for some time. The repeated refrain, “Do you remember what it’s like?” highlights the sense of nostalgia and longing for a past moment or feeling that the singer wants to recapture. The verse that reads “Never before have I felt anything quite like this, the miles that I drive and the songs that I sing, the people I’ve missed” is particularly evocative because it captures the sense of searching and seeking that the singer is experiencing. The overarching message of the song seems to be about the importance of reconnecting with people and experiences that have had a profound impact on us and that have remained with us over time.

The chorus of the song is essentially a question: “Do you remember what it’s like?” The repeated refrain is a way of expressing the deep longing that the singer feels for the connection that they once had with the other person. By asking if the other person remembers what it’s like, the singer is implying that they themselves remember it vividly and that they are hoping that the other person shares that memory. The final lines of the song, “I remember what it’s like” are poignant because they show that the singer has not forgotten the feelings or experiences that they are describing. Rather, these things have remained with them and continue to shape their emotional landscape.

Overall, “Remember What It’s Like” is a powerful exploration of the complexities of human connection and the importance of staying connected to people and experiences that have deep meaning to us.

Line by Line Meaning

Maybe it's too early to talk about this
It might be too soon to bring up this topic, but I can't wait any longer to discuss it.

But I can't wait
I'm too impatient to wait any longer.

It's easy to act like you just don't exist
It's simple to ignore your existence and pretend you're not there.

Or that it's too late
Or to believe that it's too late to make amends.

Let me be your friend again
Let us reconnect and become friends again.

Let yourself really feel again
Allow yourself to experience emotions and feelings once more.

Do you remember what it's like?
Do you recall how it feels?

Never before have I felt anything quite like this
I have never experienced anything similar to this before.

The miles that I drive and the songs that I sing
The distances I travel and the songs I perform.

The people I've missed
The individuals who I have not seen or spoken to.

Bring them all back to me again
Let me reconnect with all those people again.