CD Odyssey Disc 1962: Neil Young

I made the mistake of trying to listen to this on my MP3 player after sorting for “album name” and got a mix of songs from Neil Young and the Offspring for my troubles. The CD in the car was far more reliable.

Disc 1962 is…Americana

Artist: Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Year of Release: 2012

What’s up with the Cover? What you see here is not the cover, but an artist’s rendering of turn of the century America on the inside fold of the CD jacket.

For the actual cover, Neil took a 1905 photo of Geronimo and some other First Nations and superimposed the faces of the band over top of them. Opinions no doubt vary on what Neil was intending here, but at minimum it could be triggering, and I’ve chosen to go in another direction. Forewarned, you can look it up elsewhere on the internet.

How I Came To Know It: This was just me giving Neil a chance based on previous positive experiences. I was learning around this time to be more discerning with which Neil Young albums were worth my time.

How It Stacks Up: Neil Young has released 45 albums over his long and illustrious career, but I don’t have all of ‘em and I don’t like all of ‘em. I have at one time or another owned (and reviewed) 23 albums. This is the last one left, and I rank it…21^st. So, not good.

Ratings: 2 stars

As this is the final Neil Young record in my collection, here is the full and exhaustive recap of all 23 (read them all here). Enjoy and/or seethe with disagreement as the mood strikes you:

1. Harvest: 5 stars (reviewed at Disc 1877)
2. Rust Never Sleeps: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 664)
3. On the Beach: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 579)
4. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 497)
5. After the Gold Rush: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1450)
6. Hawks & Doves: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 188)
7. Prairie Wind: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 160)
8. Le Noise: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 403)
9. Hitchhiker: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1158)
10. Chrome Dreams II: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1196)
11. Harvest Moon: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 257)
12. Comes a Time*: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 883)
13. Homegrown: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 1604)
14. Freedom: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 1750)
15. Sleeps With Angels: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 20)
16. Ragged Glory: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 730)
17. Tonight’s the Night: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 422)
18. Self-Titled: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 435)
19. Everybody’s Rockin’: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 914)
20. America Stars ‘n’ Bars: 2 stars (reviewed at Disc 855)
21. Americana: 2 stars (reviewed right here)
22. Colorado: 2 stars (reviewed at Disc 1809)
23. A Letter Home: 1 star (reviewed at Disc 850)

·         *I was probably a bit harsh on “Comes a Time” at three stars, and it likely should be higher on the list, but a star laid is a star played…

Before we launch into “Americana” let the record above show that I’m not one of those “I only like his early stuff” jerks, and there have been plenty of records (well, five) that Neil put out after 2005 that are solid records.

But it is also true that later Neil has doubled down on doing whatever the hell he wants. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. On “Americana” it doesn’t.

“Americana” sees the return of Neil’s backing band Crazy Horse, whose presence is almost guaranteed to make a record grimier. When these folks get together with Neil everything tends to get drawn out a bit longer with a lot more reverb on the guitar.

Given that this record is a collection of re-imagined old classic American folk songs, I was hopeful that this would mean that some of the “lost” lyrics of standards like “Clementine” and “Oh Susannah” would make an appearance. Some of those lyrics make these old songs even darker and creepier than they already are. To some degree, this hope was rewarded, particularly on these two tracks.

However, Crazy Horse mostly used the extra time to “explore the space” with a lot of not very inventive jam-session style grooves that were equal parts self-indulgent and unimaginative.

The further I went into the record the more irritating this long, drawn-out “go nowhere” vibe became. If the song is going to be five plus minutes long, I want most of that time exploring the various lost stanzas of these classics, not a bunch of hot-boxed, blue haze studio wankery.

Whether you’re covering a song from two, twenty, or two hundred years ago, the unspoken rule of the exercise is well understood: make it original and do it well.

For most of this record, Neil and Crazy Horse only manage the first half of that social contract. Yes, these sound original, but they are mostly deliberately messy dive-bar renditions. If that’s what you want with your timeless folk classics, you might like – even love – this record. I thought it was just a lot of doubling down on an idea that was good for a couple of songs (both of which I’ve already mentioned) but not for a whole record that approaches a full hour of playing time.

“Tom Dula” is a particularly good example of the excess, with eight full minutes that go nowhere special and travel there in the loudest manner possible. The song features plenty of Neil Young’s exceptional guitar playing, but I kept waiting for the song to have a purpose, and it never did. Instead all the layers of improvisation just caked an otherwise interesting tale with a thick layer of sonic mud.

Half-way through the record you get a listless version of “Get a Job,” lurching like Frankenstein’s Monster through a song designed to be lively and full of jump. I found myself wishing this song had instead appeared on Neil’s 1983 rockabilly record “Everybody’s Rockin’.

As a fan of folk music history, there was a part of me that was just happy to have all these old songs, but then I realized that over the years I had many of them by other artists. A quick search of my music catalogue revealed many a gem (“Oh Susannah” – the Be Good Tanyas and the Byrds; “Gallow’s Pole” – Led Zeppelin; “This Land Is Your Land” – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings; “Wayfarin’ Stranger” – Emmylou Harris; and “God Save the Queen” – Queen).

Young’s version of “Wayfarin’ Stranger” (where he finally tones it down) is pretty solid but he’s no Emmylou…

At the end of the otherwise brilliant version of “Clementine” you can hear a member of the band say, “I thought we shoulda gone back to the F sharp minor”. It’s the kind of conversation you might have with your buddies while jamming, but it isn’t something worth recording.

Which, sadly, is how I felt about large chunks of this record.

Best tracks: Oh Susannah, Clementine, Wayfarin’ Stranger

CD Odyssey Disc 1877: Neil Young

Welcome to that rare event – back-to-back 5-star album reviews. This one is much more relaxed than the previous one.

Disc 1877 is… Harvest

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 1972

What’s up with the Cover? Not much. Soft autumn colours suitable for harvest time, and some scripty font. On this one, Neil’s gonna let the music do the talkin’.

How I Came To Know It: In the early seventies “Heart of Gold” was on every AM radio station in the land, so this album is in my DNA. I didn’t buy my own copy until the late eighties, however (and that on cassette). Eventually, when I upgraded my collection to CD, this was one of the first converts.

How It Stacks Up: I have (or have had) 23 Neil Young albums. I thought for sure this was the last one to review but one remains. So the full list will have to wait, and for now I’ll simply note where “Harvest” ranks, which is #1. The best.

Ratings: 5 stars

After fifty plus years of “Harvest” gracing our collective consciousness, there isn’t much left unsaid in the hyperbole vault, but if it is a well-worn path I’m about to walk, at least it’ll be a beautiful one.

This record is a masterclass in songwriting, playing melodies that take you on a journey to the centre of the soul without need of a single word. Young’s quavering vocals are the perfect backdrop, but he could probably just idly make nonsense syllables and this record would be worth four stars.

Of course, he does much more than this, adding his finest storytelling and mood setting poetry to the music. The quiet and plaintive prayers of “A Man Needs a Maid” gives way to the spiritual wanderlust of “Heart of Gold”.

Over the years I have cycled through almost every track as my lyrical favourite. Perhaps the most heart-wrenching of all is “The Needle (and the Damage Done)” with its revelation that “every junkie’s like a setting sun.” Beautiful and tragic, and descending to darkness with a reminder that there’s “a little part of it in everyone” to remind us that all of society is affected by the tragedy, and every one of us could walk the path if fate were just a bit more unkind. We listen to this song a thousand times each time emerging both sadder and wiser at its revelations.

The record somehow manages to fill us with bone-deep weariness and transcendent wisdom at the same time. The combination is both rest and meditation, and the realization the two are not the same.

“Old Man” always comes to mind in this way. In my early twenties, this song brought a deep connection to restless youth. “Twenty-four and there’s so much more” and the trepidation on just what the “so much more” would entail. In my middle-age this song speaks just as strongly, with different accents and connections across the years – decisions made, and the ongoing work to fully come into who we are through the accumulation of our deeds. I fully expect to find yet undiscovered connections years hence when I’m in my eighties.

Great lyrics alone do not make a great record, however. While “Harvest” ranges from folk to rock sensibilities, Neil Young’s guitar is ever present. Sometimes strumming quietly along in fellowship (“Out on the Weekend”, “Harvest”) and sometimes digging in with discordant raw emotion (“Alabama”, “Words (Between the Lines of Age)”). Young’s tone and style of playing is one of the most unique in music, and the brilliance of it is sometimes overlooked on his folkier records.

The arrangements on “Harvest” also serve the story. Banjo, piano and harmonica come and go at just the right time. A song like “Heart of Gold” would be a classic played on a single acoustic guitar, but the delayed entry of that harmonica hook a couple of bars in – that’s what makes it transcendent. Later that step-down of the guitar tag provides the perfect juxtaposition to the harmonica’s high peal of manic exploration. The combination lets the song “search” high and low, as the tension between the two instruments, and the rival hooks they play, mirrors the restless nature of the seeker.

Over the years every song on this record has revealed its secrets to me like a flower in full bloom. Untold decades and countless listens later I simply can’t pick a favourite anymore. All of them.

Best tracks: all tracks

CD Odyssey Disc 1809: Neil Young

On a positive note, of the 23 Neil Young records I own or have owned, I only ever parted with three of them. This next album is one of the unlucky ones.

Disc 1809 is…Colorado

Artist: Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Year of Release: 2019

What’s up with the Cover? The shadowy figure of Neil Young lurks here, alongside an artistic rendition of a soundwave (or maybe a seismic wave) and an upside-down horse. Why is that horse upside down, you ask? It’s CRAZY!

As for the shadowy figure, perhaps he’s come back from the grave. If he did it proves you can’t take much when you crossover into the afterlife, but they will allow a hat.

How I Came To Know It: Back in 2019 I was still trying out pretty much every album Neil Young put out. I bought this one without listening to it first.

How It Stacks Up: I have (or have had) 23 Neil Young albums, and I’ve gotten rid of two. “Colorado” makes for a third, coming in at a lowly and generally unloved #22.

Ratings: 2 stars, but just barely

Neil Young is old, rich, and talented, and he does whatever the hell he wants with that talent. I applaud his approach to art, and most of the time what he does is amazing. Sometimes, like in the case of “Colorado” it falls flat. So flat it irritates me.

Neil won’t care that I feel this way, and I hope the many people who positively reviewed this record won’t care either, but A Creative Maelstrom is one man’s opinion. And in my opinion, this record is a bloated mess.

Irritating and insufferably droning was how I experienced “Colorado”, mostly while fidgeting in the seat of my car and glancing over and over again at the stereo’s display screen and wondering “how much longer…” for almost every song.

After a passible old hippy tune (“Think of Me”) got me cautiously optimistic, things went off the cliff and stayed down there in the ravine for a long time. “She Showed Me Love” is the most painful of the record’s many painful tracks. At almost 14 interminable minutes long, this song drones and noodles its way along, with most of the tune being Neil singing the track’s title over and over again.

You know how a catchy song can become an earworm long after it is over? Well, “She Showed Me Love” defies logic by making a not very catchy song into an earworm, just by sheer force of repetition. Long after this tune mercifully faded into the aether, I was left with that damned phrase ringing in my head.

I should note that “She Showed Me Love” is a song about the importance of our natural environment, so there’s a positive underlying message. “Colorado” is mostly songs about environmental or social justice, but the topic isn’t what makes for a good song. There are plenty of great protest albums out there delivered by some of music’s greatest: Woody Guthrie, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg and Neil Young himself on multiple occasions. This just ain’t one of them.

Instead this record feels rambling and unfocused, as though Neil thought the topic choice alone was enough and then was content to turn things loose to Crazy Horse to noodle around with presumably bottomless studio time as they saw fit.

Some of that noodling hints at Young’s greatness, particularly his talent on the guitar. The grimy and yearning tone Young pulls out of a guitar is singular, instantly recognizable and beautiful. He is one of music’s least appreciated but great axemen. “Colorado” also welcomes back fellow guitar legend Nils Lofgren to Crazy Horse for the first time since the early seventies, and his work and talents are also welcome.

But tone and talent only go so far, and saturating the production with a wall of noise may work for Crazy Horse much of the time, but here it just felt self-indulgent and inchoate. Ideas are started and then left to wander like unruly children at a mall food court, bumping into stuff, dropping food on the floor or wandering up to your table to stare at you too long from close range. Go back to your table, kid, and take that song with you.

People who’ve read me for a long time will know that while I have a very wide range of musical styles I enjoy, across them all I have a bias for clean production and simple arrangements. I wear this bias on my sleeve and make no secret of it. So that’s one big reason this record annoyed me, and if you like a saturated wall of sound type thing, then that criticism for you might be an invitation to something you’ll enjoy. Fair enough.

Near the end of the record, we once again get an uplift with “Rainbow of Colours.” In addition to a lovely message of tolerance and acceptance this song marries that guitar tone I lauded earlier to a lovely lilting melody that makes it easy to sway along. It is the structure I was missing through most of the record, but it came too late in my listening experience to save the day.

As for the majority of this record, it can ramble its way out of my collection to someone who will enjoy it more than I did – that will not be a hard person to find.

Best tracks: Think of Me, Rainbow of Colours

CD Odyssey Disc 1750: Neil Young

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey. I’m up early to seize the weekend. I had planned to watch the women’s Wimbledon final live but missed it by…that much.

So, having spoiled the outcome (I turned the TV on during the trophy ceremony) I will return to the safe and welcoming arms of music.

Disc 1750 is…Freedom

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 1989

What’s up with the Cover?  Neil Young, 43 years old here but with a haggard look that suggests closer to 58.

“Yeah,” Neil retorts, “but the hat suggests youth and enthusiasm.”

No, Neil, it does not.

How I Came To Know It: I’ve been a Neil Young fan for years and have a lot of his records. This is one of ‘em. I knew the song “Rockin’ in the Free World” and also “Wrecking Ball” so it was a bit of a known quantity.

How It Stacks Up: I have (or have had) 24 Neil Young albums. This may seem like a lot but it is only slightly more than half of his studio albums. Neil is prolific. Of the 24, I’ve sold two, and three others remain unreviewed. One of those is #1, and the other two I’m not sure. For now, “Freedom” comes in at 14 but it could be as low as 18 on a good day, as it sits equal among many other “good, not great” Neil Young records.

Rating: 3 stars

In Ang Lee’s Incredible Hulk movie soldiers have a code to alert everyone that Hulk has escaped a military facility and is on a rampage. The line is “angry man is on the loose” and it applies well to Neil Young’s “Freedom”.

“Freedom” is Neil at his angriest. Not that Neil was ever going to be a fan of the vibe the 1980s gave off, but it is clear by 1989 that he’s fed up and not going to take it anymore. The result is an album that mixes angry hard rock, mixed with stark and stripped-down tales of love and loss.

The record gets off to a rocky start, with a loose and ranging live version of “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Halfway through I started doubting why I had ever loved the song. The production is hollow, with distracting background cheers that make it feel like it was recorded on someone’s phone at a festival, and that person is now making you watch it.

The problem is not the song, however, it’s that live version. The record ends with the studio version and it is just as amazing as I remember it, with its distressing observations of homelessness, poverty, and drug abuse wrapped up ironically in patriotic imagery of freedom. For Neil, rocking in the free world looks a lot like fiddling while Rome burns.

“Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero Pt. 1)” doubles down on Neil’s “life sucks” vibe. It’s nine minutes long and ranges through crooked cops, good cops struggling, and evil record producers looking to take advantage of starving artists. It is just generally depressing throughout, but they strong lyrics and insistent and intricate guitar work together make the depression a joy to listen to. Mostly. Three minutes in a noodling saxophone makes an appearance that is unwelcome.

Other than that saxophone, Neil mostly avoids the late eighties production challenges that beset so many other artists around this time. The record doesn’t have a lot of bottom end, but it avoids the tinny sound of the time, and the lightness of the mix matches well with Neil’s airy vocal style.

While the record features a lot of poverty and social criticism, Neil at his heart is a romantic, and there are some touching love songs. “Hangin’ on a Limb” and “Wrecking Ball” are both slow, deeply vulnerable songs, featuring lovers who cleave to one another through hard times. “Hangin’ on a Limb” is lifted by the guest vocals of Linda Ronstadt. “Wrecking Ball” would be beautifully remade by Emmylou Harris on her 1995 album of the same name. Neil’s version is great, although no one can compete with Emmylou’s quaver, and most people probably associate the song with her at this point.

Despite plenty of good songs, and some great guitar work, at 60 minutes the record tends to drag in places. This could be easily solved by killing the live version of “Free World” and maybe cutting down on the over six minute long “No More.” No more isn’t quite enough of a directive here, Neil. Think in terms of less.

However, overall this is a solid effort, and while there were times when I wanted Neil to lighten up, that’s not the kind of record this is.

Best tracks: Crime in the City, Hangin’ on a Limb, On Broadway, Wrecking Ball, Rockin’ in the Free World (studio version)

CD Odyssey Disc 1604: Neil Young

Before I start in on this next review, a moment of contemplation for Christine McVie, who died this week at the age of 79. McVie had a grace that transcended age. It is hard to know she is gone. While Steve Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham got a lot of the attention, McVie was the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac, and if you look back on my reviews you’ll find I often reference her contributions as some of my favourites. “Wish You Were Here” and “Over My Head” are sublime and “Songbird” is one of my all-time favourites.

Good travels, Ms. McVie. If there is a heaven the choir just got a whole lot better.

Disc 1604 is…Homegrown

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 2020, but recorded in 1975

What’s up with the Cover?  A farmer and his dog. And some corn, which is clearly the crop Neil is singing about on the title track, and not in any way another plant.

This dog has his tongue hanging out and looks mighty stupid. Being a cat person, dogs generally have the look of dullards to me, and even the smart ones like border collies appear more eager than brainy.

The farmer isn’t doing much better and appears to be eating raw corn which is not the greatest. That said anyone who can grow cob of corn as long as your arm, as is depicted here, definitely has something going on between the ears. Get it? Get it?

How I Came To Know It: I have a lot of Neil Young and while I don’t buy everything he releases these days, I give most of them a listen before I decide. “Homegrown” easily cleared the bar and so…here it is, taking up precious space on my shelves.

How It Stacks Up: I have 21 Neil Young albums and have reviewed two others that I since parted with. “Homegrown” is in the middle of the pack. I rank it at #13, nestling it nicely between “Comes a Time” and “Sleeps with Angels”

Ratings: 3 stars

Over the last few years Neil Young has been digging into his back catalogue and releasing albums he never put out at the time of recording. The fact that he has several is testament to what a prodigious songwriter he is. “Homegrown” is one of these and should have come out in 1975 (he instead released “Tonight’s the Night”, reviewed back at Disc 422). The articles I’ve read that get into such matters suggest the songs were too intensely personal for Young to share back then (they relate to a relationship breaking down).

I try to judge art on its own terms not situated in a biography, but there is no denying that “Homegrown” has a weary, heart-worn quality. It isn’t maudlin, but instead has the dulled-out feeling you get from a combination of stress and sadness. It is suffused with a fuzzy, absent-minded melancholy.

The opening track is the best example. “Separate Ways” is a song resigned to the fact that happier times are in the past, still within view, but no longer within reach. As breakup songs go, it is sad but non-accusatory. The slow meander of the bass line and the whine of the pedal steel in the background combine to remind you that sometimes bad shit just happens to good people. The best you can do is write a song and try to remember the good times.

Of course when feeling bad, many escape into altered states, and that’s the title track in a nutshell. This song is at odds with the record’s overall tone, with Neil’s crunchy guitar jauntily dancing along underneath a song that celebrates marijuana. The song is an earworm, and singing along I almost drove Sheila mad. Fortunately it can be cleansed in the same way as all other ear-worms. Simply sing the tune to “Hockey Night in Canada” a couple times (the original – not whatever the CBC has replaced it with). It’ll wipe away the song stuck in your head, but not permanently replace it. Try it – it works.

Another ear-worm is “Love is a Rose” made famous by Linda Ronstadt but written by Neil and appearing here as originally intended. I heard this song on AM radio too many times as a kid, and while it is a beautiful melody, I didn’t love it.

Instead, the record’s treasure lies in its understated, mournful tunes. “White Line” is mid-seventies Neil at his best. The melody meanders like a country road cutting through fields of wheat, his voice high and quavering. You can feel yourself on that road, white strips rolling by with the reassuring anonymity that travel can bring.

The album is only 35 minutes long, but there are still elements that feel directionless. “We Don’t Smoke it No More” has a directionless blues feel that makes you wish the title were true, but the “overstayed its welcome” jam session feel tells you that the title is ironic. Also bad is “Florida” which is just Neil Young describing a weird event in a detached way like he has been smoking a bit too much homegrown. The story features hang-gliders and dead babies and yet still manages to be uninteresting.

However, other than these two tracks the record is solid, and benefits from that golden age of Neil Young’s mid-seventies sound, where he perfectly melds the folksy elements of his early work with a greasy electric guitar. It might have a folk veneer, but the songs are made out of rock and roll.

Not everything Neil has been “rediscovering” of late is worth your time, but “Homegrown” is a time capsule back to a magical part of his career, full of weed and love that is beautiful in its freedom, even when it is withering on the vine.

Best tracks: Separate Ways, Homeegrown, White Line

CD Odyssey Disc 1450: Neil Young

After a long day at the office I wasn’t really inclined to write a music review, but this damned ship won’t make harbour without me heaving on an oar on occasion.

Disc 1450 is…. After the Gold Rush

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 1970

What’s up with the Cover?  Neil’s out for a walk, apparently having put on the One Ring and entered Sauron’s shadow world. Neil, I know that the power of the One Ring is a bit of a “gold rush” but don’t be tempted! It will corrupt you and before you know it, it’ll be 1983 and you’ll be singing doo-wop.

In related news, Neil appears to be passing by a hobbit.

How I Came To Know It: The specifics of how I came to own this album is lost in the mists of time, and the deluge of albums that have come after. I’ve owned it for quite a while, and I likely bought it on a deep dive of Neil Young’s back catalogue sometime in the last ten years or so.

How It Stacks Up: I have 20 Neil Young albums, but given I had two others I’ve since parted with, I’ll be stacking “After the Gold Rush” up against 22 albums. It does very well against a field that is both strong and deep. I’ll put it in at…#5. I expect many people would put it higher, and I encourage those people to go start a music blog and tell everyone all about it.

Creative Maelstrom historians may also note that I ranked “Hawks and Doves” no lower than #5 way back in 2010 (Disc 188) and this decision bumps that record to #6. Don’t let this trouble you; change is part of life.

Ratings: 4 stars

“After the Gold Rush” is an album that covers two of Neil Young’s best attributes: simple, relaxed grace, and passion and protest. Neil keeps the two streams separated on individual songs, but they blend together across the record as a whole.

On the folksy side, Young offers up pastoral tunes like “Tell Me Why” and the title track. The former feels a lot like his work in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, with pretty harmonies that capture the tension of youthful enthusiasm as it runs up against the hard choices that come with success. The chorus of:

“Is it hard to make arrangements
With yourself
When you’re old enough to repay
But young enough to sell?”

Has a dreamy questioning quality that leaves you unsure of the answer to the riddle it poses, which I think is exactly what Neil is going for.

The title track follows, doubling down on the dreamy uncertainty. It is a stripped-down affair, with a lonely piano and the heartworn uncertainty of Neil’s quavering vocals. The world-weary construction and introspection made me think of Bruce Springsteen at his best (it even features a horn solo, albeit a flugelhorn, not a saxophone).

“When You Dance You Can Really Love” takes that chill hippy vibe even farther – too far in fact. It has a sound that makes me wonder if it was the inspiration behind generations of gumboot wearing outdoor concert goers. The ones who spend the event spinning about, arms out and heads back, oblivious to where the dance floor ends, occasionally knocking the beers out of the hands of unsuspecting folks who were just trying to listen to the band. For this reason alone, I do not like this song. But I digress…

The album also has a rockin’ side, exemplified best by “Southern Man” a rocking protest song which is - how do I put this delicately? – not the most optimistic view of the deep south. It was also one of two tracks (the other being “Alabama”) that put Young in the crosshairs of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Quite apart from the fact that both Neil Young songs are better than the retort, “Southern Man” also features some of Young’s best guitar work. Young is a brilliant guitar player, who has a Hendrix-like quality of playing with such volume and dimension it is like he’s his own backup band. “Southern Man” has at least two killer guitar solos in its five and half minutes of awesome.

“After the Gold Rush” is a masterpiece of songwriting, with melodies Paul McCartney wishes he could have written, musicianship that sinks into your bones, and lyrics that leave you feeling deeply contemplative. Regardless of whether you prefer folksy Neil or rock ‘n’ roll Neil, you won’t leave disappointed.

Best tracks: Tell Me Why, After the Gold Rush, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Southern Man, Birds, Cripple Creek Ferry

CD Odyssey Disc 1196: Neil Young

I’m in the middle of a lovely weekend full of social activity and I’m feeling recharged with the energy we extroverts get from the company of others. Tonight there will be more of the same but right now there is a brief lull, so I’ll get in this music review while I can and maybe squeeze in a nap later. Even we extroverts need a little down time.

Disc 1196 is…Chrome Dreams II

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 2007

What’s up with the Cover? I think this is a hood ornament, but I don’t know for what kind of car. This one kind of reminds me of the NATO logo, which is kind of cool.

How I Came To Know It: Neil Young has made a lot of records over the years and although I have quite a few, I decided a few years ago to check out all the other ones that hadn’t crossed my path and see if they were shelf-worthy. “Chrome Dreams II” was one that caught my fancy.

How It Stacks Up:  I have 19 Neil Young albums and I rank “Chrome Dreams II” at number 9. Pretty solid, but there are a lot of great Neil Young albums.

Ratings: 4 stars

If an artist is lucky enough to last that long, there comes a time when they can pretty much do what they want creatively. By 2007 Neil Young was well past that point and “Chrome Dreams II” feels like an album from someone who has as much artistic freedom as they could wish for.

Sometimes this can lead to a bloated self-indulgent mess, and this is true even of some Neil Young albums (think “A Letter Home” reviewed back at Disc 850) but fortunately on “Chrome Dreams II” Neil demonstrates his exceptional range well, both as a songwriter and a guitar player.

As you may know, there is no “Chrome Dreams I”. It was supposed to be released back in 1977, but the studio instead went with the release “American Stars ‘n’ Bars” instead. That record didn’t inspire me (I reviewed back at Disc 855 and promptly sold it).

In titling this record “Chrome Dreams II,” it felt like Neil was making a statement that he was back in charge of his career, and would do whatever he damned well felt like doing.

The result is a record that evenly mixes the hard rocking style of albums like “Freedom” with the more pastoral folk music of “Harvest.” Despite this, the record never feels disjointed.

This is a record that celebrates the human condition; our ability to love nature, love art and ultimately love each other. It is often understated, but always beautiful. This record made me feel good; it was a warm blanket on dark bus rides and rainy walks for the last few days.

A number of songs work in horns or piano to positive effect, but the star here is Young’s work on guitar. Young has a signature tone to his playing, filled with a hippy-infused distortion. At a visceral emotional level, Young’s playing feels free and unfettered, but underneath it all there is a sneaky discipline that artfully works within the bounds of the melody, and climbs in and out of the beat without ever losing the groove. I’m sure there are other Neil Young albums where he plays as well as he does on “Chrome Dreams II” but none come immediately to mind.

There is the bluesy-ballsy riff on “Dirty Old Man” and the gentle strumming on “Beautiful Bluebird” and both are equally sublime. “Beautiful Bluebird” is a heartfelt pastoral song about nature, and “Dirty Old Man” is a tongue-in-cheek character study of a morally-questionable alcoholic guy making bad decisions. It is surprising they can fit together on the same record, yet somehow they do.

Free from any radio-friendly requirements, “Chrome Dreams II” has two mammoth songs, the 18 minute “Ordinary People” and the 14 minute “No Hidden Path.” Both are incredible tracks that never drag or lose their energy despite their length. “Ordinary People” is Young’s love song to all the regular forgotten people. Sometimes they get caught up in the machinations of the rich and powerful, but still manage to live their lives with a quiet dignity every day.

“No Hidden Path” is an appeal for guidance from those we’ve lost, with a thread of optimism throughout that makes you feel like Young’s prayers will be answered. It also features some of the most killer guitar work I’ve ever heard.

While “Chrome Dreams II” managed to avoid the fate of “Chrome Dreams I” it still feels like it does not get the amount of credit it deserves. If you are looking for a Neil Yong album a little off the beaten path, this is a record worth your time.

Best tracks: Beautiful Bluebird, Ordinary People, The Believer, Dirty Old Man, No Hidden Path

CD Odyssey Disc 1158: Neil Young

Hello, gentle readers! My apologies for my extended absence – I have been out of town on a mini-holiday. I took a road trip and caught up with old friends, visited with family and even found time (via two ferry rides) to read and listen to music. Along the way I found the time to appreciate this next album as well.

Disc 1158 is… Hitchhiker

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 2017 but with music originally recorded in 1976

What’s up with the Cover? Sunset and evening star and one clear call for Neil – keep sharing his talent with the world.

How I Came To Know It: I’ve known Neil Young for years and while I don’t buy everything he does I always keep an ear to the ground for new releases. This one garnered a lot of favourable reviews and so I checked it out on Youtube and liked what I heard.

How It Stacks Up:  This is one of 19 Neil Young albums I own (I have parted company with two others as well). It creates a quandary. On the one hand, most of these songs appear on other albums, so it has a “Greatest Hits” feel to it. On the other hand, it was supposed to be released in 1976 in this format, so it is kind of a true record on its own merits as well. It was the Soulless Record Execs that decided it shouldn’t be released in 1976 so let’s retroactively side with Neil and rank it as if they had. I rank it …eighth.

Ratings: 4 stars

Neil Young has been through many phases in his long career. He’s been in a folk band, a solo folk artist, a rocker, a rockabilly, and done more than a little experimentation in soundscapes and feedback. “Hitchhiker” shows that if you strip it all down to just Neil on a single acoustic guitar you might hear something a little quieter, but it will be no less compelling. If anything, it adds intimacy to some of his finest work.

When “Hitchhiker” was rejected in 1976, it didn’t stop Young. Instead from 1977-1980 he released seven of the ten songs on this collection on other records, albeit with a bit more production. Most of those records are some of Neil Young’s best, and the tracks seeded on them from his 1976 rejection are often core to their success.

Hearing them stripped down to just Neil warbling away into a single microphone and strumming his old guitar feels like a backstage pass to the mid-seventies. Neil’s playing is as great as ever. He has a natural feel for when to gently brush a chord and when to hit it hard. The effect creates a lot of layers out of a single instrument, and is raw without ever feeling sloppy.

Do these songs sound better in this ‘demo’ style? No, but they don’t sound worse either. The lack of any additional instruments and minimal production really lets you appreciate the bones of the songs. This is Neil Young at a late night fire pit – just him, his guitar and whatever collection of folks is lucky enough to still be up to hear him play.

The most striking difference is on the title track “Hitchiker.” That song was not released until 2010 on Young’s electric and reverb-heavy “Le Noise” (reviewed back at Disc 403). In both cases the song has a drugged-out quality as Neil explores his journey through both life and various drug interests. Context is everything, and the juxtaposition of the older man recollecting his wild youth with electric power and the intimate acoustic delivery of the young man still immersed in it is fun to wrap your head around.

The record has two previously unreleased tracks, “Hawaii” and “Give Me Strength” and both hold up well. “Hawaii” has a dreamy drugged-out quality and “Give Me Strength” is a wistful tune about lost love. They are very different from each other but both fit well into Neil’s sound in the mid-seventies. Even better, they sound fresh and compelling even though they were first released 40 years after they were recorded.

 It would be a mistake to see the track list for “Hitchhiker” and think it is simply a rehash of a bunch of old songs. This is a cohesive album in its own right, and hearing these songs in their original stripped-down format only adds to your appreciation of them.

Best tracks: Pocahontas, Powderfinger, Hitchhiker, Human Highway

CD Odyssey Disc 914: Neil Young

I’m having a much-needed relaxing Saturday. Sheila and I are just back from town where I stopped in at the book store (buying four Edgar Rice Burroughs paperbacks) and the music store. At the music store I bought four albums: the new Nick Cave, “Skeleton Tree”, Daniel Romano’s “Sleep Beneath the Willow”, The Drive-By Truckers’ “Brighter Than Creation is Dark” and Twisted Sister’s “Stay Hungry” (the latter of which I have on vinyl from back in the day).

I’m looking forward to all of them, but for now let’s focus on the last random selection in the CD Odyssey.

Disc 914 is….Everybody’s Rockin’

Artist: Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks

Year of Release: 1983

What’s up with the Cover? Neil strikes his best Elvis pose as he rocks out in a white suit. No sign of the Shocking Pinks on the cover, although the walls speak for them in their absence.

Also, glory in the technological wonders of…the full digital recording!

How I Came To Know It: I remember being intrigued when this album was released, but back then I was pretty much exclusively into heavy metal. Years later I found a used copy at a good price while I was fleshing out my Neil Young collection and snapped it up.

How It Stacks Up:  I have 18 Neil Young albums (having recently parted with two). Of those 18 I put “Everybody’s Rockin’” in at an arbitrary16th spot. I say arbitrary, because there isn’t much separating 11 through 16. They are all solid records.

Ratings: 3 stars

In my last review I talked about Jaymz B and the Royal Jelly Orchestra sending up an old genre of music, and seeing just how far they could paint outside the lines in the process. On “Everybody’s Rockin’” Neil Young shows what you can do when you throw your heart into an old style and approach it without a hint of irony. The results are a lot better.

“Everybody’s Rockin’” is Neil Young’s love letter to the musical stylings of fifties and early sixties rock and roll. It is completely unlike anything else Neil Young has ever done, and yet listening to it you can hear the early influences that have helped to shape his sound over the years.

Don’t expect a lot of Neil’s tortured rock guitar, and don’t expect to hear Neil’s thoughtful folk singing. This record does not stray off the path of old school rock and roll at any point, nor will you want it to.

The songs have a finger-snappin’ swing to them, with Neil channeling Buddy Holly and Dick Dale among others. Behind him his backup singers, the Shocking Pinks, deliver tight harmonic doo-waas and other refrains. The whole album feels like a high school dance filled with poodle skirted gals and boys in white t-shirts with smokes rolled up into the sleeve (this latter trend was still kicking in the seventies when I was a kid, and I hope it comes back one day).

Half the songs are originals and the other half are remakes that preserve the classic feel of the originals, while managing to put Neil’s own unique spin on them.

The album opens with “Betty Lou’s Got a New Pair of Shoes” which is a classic originally performed by Bobby Freeman in 1958. I also have a version by Blue Oyster Cult recorded in 1969. The song is gritty and fun and while the more up-tempo BOC version is my favourite, Neil does a solid job and stays more faithful to the original.

The fifties classics and Neil’s new material blend seamlessly, and I didn’t know which ones were old and which ones were new until I looked them up. Of the Neil Young originals, the best is “Wonderin’,” a classic track about going out for a late night walk and pining for your girl. Neil’s frail warble shouldn’t work for this kind of song but somehow it does. He delivers it with such a straightforward and heartfelt love for the material that he completely draws you in. The song has a delightful amble and as the song fades out Neil repeats “I’m wonderin’” the Shocking Pinks reply with a chorus of “Knowing that I need you to save me”. It is so sublime you wish it could go on forever.

Instead it ends in a tightly wrapped 2:59, leaving you wanting more. The entire album is faithful to the three minute single standard of the original source material. Only two songs exceed three minutes and the longest is 3:09. The album is 10 songs and yet it’s over in a crisp 25 minutes.

The production on the record is a bit tinny, but the effect is only to make it feel a bit more like songs sounded in the fifties. With the exception of “Wonderin’” there aren’t a lot of standouts, but neither are there any songs that fall flat. The whole effect is a wonderful homage to an earlier, simpler time and if it sounds a little dated, that’s because it’s supposed to.

The record peaked in 1983 at #22 on the charts, but deserved a better fate than that. While Neil Young’s full catalogue has plenty of classic albums that are rightfully held in higher regard overall, “Everybody’s Rockin’” is an oft-overlooked gem that deserves a little love of its own.

Best tracks: Betty Lou’s Got a New Pair of Shoes, Wonderin’, Kinda Fonda Wanda, Cry Cry Cry

CD Odyssey Disc 883: Neil Young

I’ve rolled three Neil Young albums in my last 33 reviews, which isn’t exactly a pattern, but is a little peculiar. This noteworthy moment is for you, Neil.

Disc 883 is….Comes A Time

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 1978

What’s up with the Cover? There is not a lot going on in this cover, but it has a relaxed old timey feel to it that suits the record well.

How I Came To Know It: I recently added a few Neil Young albums to my collection to fill out some gaps, and this was one of them.

How It Stacks Up:  Having recently parted ways with two Neil Young albums, I am now down to 18 again. “Comes A Time” was easily the best of my recent purchases. I found it 8^th best, bumping “Harvest Moon” down one spot in the process.

Ratings: 4 stars

After reviewing a couple disappointing Neil Young albums “Comes A Time” was a refreshing balm, and a reminder of what a great artist he is.

Young can be an angry urban rocker, with a guitar squawking protest, but “Comes A Time” shows his other side: a thoughtful poet looking for a little love and understanding. I like both incarnations, but floating along on the easy guitar strum and airy vocals of this record, it is hard not to vote for folk.

This record has a lot of love suffused through it, and the songs have a zen-like quality that leave you feeling like things are going to be alright. The title track is a wonderful observation on getting a little older and learning to take things as they come. As Neil notes in the chorus:

“This old world keeps spinnin’ ‘round

It’s a wonder tall trees ain’t layin’ down

There comes a time.”

Despite the ominous thought of how fast the earth spins (over 1,000 miles an hour, by the way) Neil finds the concept so relaxing he can’t even bring himself to pronounce his ‘g’s. That quality of acceptance and grace wends its way through the record. I felt some of the creases in my forehead disappearing just listening to it.

There are plenty of instruments at work on the record, including a whole string section but for the most part, acoustic guitar drives the record, alternating between a light strum and some picking where it is called for to better pull out the melody. A little piano also interjects at just the right time, particularly the start of “Lotta Love” the only song where Neil is joined by his band Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse usually brings out the crazy in Neil, but here they are tastefully restrained, fitting a pinch of edgy into the mid-point of the record, right where it is needed.

My favourite song on the record is “Human Highway” which is one of the sadder moments on a fairly upbeat record overall:

“I come down from the misty mountain

I got lost on the human highway

Take my head refreshing fountain

Take my eyes from what they’ve seen

Take my head and change my mind

How could people get so unkind.”

The record has such a forgiving quality, that Neil just sounds hurt here, like he can’t believe people still do bad things to one another. The song is punctuated by a hint of banjo which provides the musical question mark to Neil’s lyrics (I left the actual question mark off because that’s how the liner notes printed it, but it was painful to do so).

The one quibble I have with the record is “Field of Opportunity” which explores similar themes to the other tracks, but strays into a country yokel quality that might have worked in 1978 but hasn’t aged well. Also the refrain “in the field of opportunity/it’s plowin’ time again” has the feel of a phrase that should have been left on the studio floor, but that Neil just couldn’t resist its cleverness.

With its bluesy groove, “Motorcycle Mama” is an odd fit for the record, but it is a good enough song to pull it off.  It would have been even better with a little Crazy Horse, but in their absence guest singer Nicolette Larson delivers some wild and throaty vocals on alternating verses which adds the necessary edge.

The record ends with a cover of Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds.” “Four Strong Winds” is one of the greatest folk songs of all time, and Neil’s reverence for it comes across well. I actually prefer this version to the original (sorry, Ian). It is fine end-point to a fine record that deserves more credit than it gets within Neil Young’s body of work.

Best tracks:  Goin Back, Comes A Time, Lotta Love, Human Highway, Four Strong Winds

CD Odyssey Disc 855: Neil Young

It hasn’t been a good month for my relationship with Neil Young with the second straight review resulting in one of his albums leaving my collection.

Disc 855 is….America Stars ‘n’ Bars

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 1977

What’s up with the Cover? Here’s an interesting factoid from Wikipedia (which is never wrong): this cover was designed by actor Dean Stockwell. Based on this example Dean should stick to acting. We get a glimpse of Neil’s head, a shot up a woman’s skirt, a bottle of booze and some kind of urn or spittoon all leading to the inevitable question, “why?”

I usually opt for the alternative cover on this record:

Some First Nations imagery combined with majestic mountains. It isn’t a great cover either, but it is a hell of a lot better than what’s behind Door #1.

How I Came To Know It: I recently was fleshing out my Neil Young album and I bought “Chrome Dreams II,” “Comes A Time” and this album. As Bad Santa teaches us, “they can’t all be winners, kid.”

How It Stacks Up:  With the recent exit of “A Letter Home” from my collection of Neil Young has now shrunk to 19 albums. Of these I’ll put “America Stars ‘n’ Bars” in 19^th, or the new last place.

Ratings: 2 stars

“America Stars ‘n’ Bars” is a rambling collection of songs that isn’t sure what it wants to be. It isn’t bad so much as it is unfocused. It’s like a kid that switches his major too often, and then just drops out of college to hitchhike across America.

The record didn’t anger or frustrate me like “A Letter Home” did, and there aren’t any songs I can point to with any great ill-will. At the same time, there aren’t enough songs that catch my attention and make me want to hear more.

“Hey Babe” has a nice rolling flow, and “Hold Back the Tears” has a pretty country twang that feels like a gentle summer song, but neither one stands out as brilliant either. Neil writes songs like this without effort, but on “America Stars ‘n’ Bars” it is like peeking behind the curtain to see him doing it easily. The record lacks…edge.

“Bite the Bullet” is one of the stronger tracks, and also one of the more rockin’ songs, full of sexual innuendo and driving energy. The guitar on this track is also great, with that trademark grimy sound that Neil and Crazy Horse can always muster. As an aside this is a totally different track from Motorhead's song of the same name. I know, hard to believe, but true.

I also enjoyed “Homegrown,” another rock song this time about good ol’ seventies grass. Again, the rock guitar is great and generally the rock songs on the album are better than the softer more introspective folk-driven tracks.

The worst of the softer tracks is the meandering seven minute “Will to Love” which takes forever to not get very far at all. The song includes a recording of a crackling fire that made me think of the Shaw Cable channel “Log” that they put on during the holiday season. In the video, the local cable company broadcasts a looped recording of a fireplace as a sort of public service to those of us not lucky enough to have the real thing.

“Will to Love” is similar to “Log” in that it is pleasant enough to enjoy for a few minutes, but you get quickly bored waiting for something to happen. The song meanders around a bit and never quite gets to the point. At one point Neil even sings:

“Sometimes I ramble on and on

And I repeat myself until all my friends are gone.”

With these lines Neil gives a voice to the problem I have with the song and more generally, the album. It isn’t that it is bad, it is that I want it to be better.

It might be the residual effects of “A Letter Home” working on me, but despite the good qualities of this record I’m going to part company with it as well. As Dr. Seuss might say, “I can lick 18 Neil Young albums today!”

Best tracks:  Bite the Bullet, Homegrown

CD Odyssey Disc 850: Neil Young

This next album is a disaster. Ordinarily I would have sold it immediately after I gave it its requisite three listens (I always give a new album at least three chances to impress me). I kept it only so I could write this review, giving my ears a small measure of vengeance.

Disc 850 is….A Letter Home

Artist: Neil Young

Year of Release: 2014

What’s up with the Cover? Neil prepares to settle in and record something old timey. The picture is a lot more fun than the result.

How I Came To Know It: I read an article about how Jack White and Neil Young had gotten together to record an album on an old 1940s analog recording booth. The idea appealed to me so I bought it without having heard a single track. This was a mistake.

How It Stacks Up:  I have 20 Neil Young albums, which I think demonstrates that I think highly of him. I do not think highly of “A Letter Home” however, which finishes in last place at #20.

Ratings: 1 star

Neil Young has done many innovative projects over the years, and I’ve enjoyed most of them. “A Letter Home” is not one of those. It is a self-indulgent, meandering mess that takes some of my favourite songs and sucks the life out of them.

The origins for this album lie with Jack White, who got his hands on an old 1940s recording booth, presumably because this is the kind of junk multimillionaire music enthusiasts spend their money on. I don’t judge Jack for this; if I were a multimillionaire I would probably collect rare old stuff too. This should have been the end of it, with the booth locked away with the didgeridoos and Theremins in his Indiana Jones-style vault full of bizarre stuff.

Instead, Jack invited Neil over and showed off his discovery. I imagine them as walking around looking at it over a couple of beers, slowly getting drunk or stoned (or both) before deciding it would be a good idea to lay down a dozen tracks or so. I have to imagine them drunk and stoned because I have too much respect for both of them to picture them doing this sober.

Kidding aside, I expect a lot of musicianship and production talent went into getting the booth to sound as good as it does.

And how good is that, you ask? The production values on this album are about as bad as you can get and still call it music. It sounds like it has been recorded in a tin can that’s been insulated with dung. It sounds like one of those 78s you buy at the thrift store for fifty cents only to discover that someone spilled beer on it in 1964 and never cleaned it off. It sounds like hearing am radio through a walkie-talkie. It sucks.

In Jack and Neil’s defence, this is the sound they were going for. They wanted this authentic ‘old timey’ sound and boy, did they achieve it. Modern indie artists in love with old musical forms have nothing on these guys. This record takes indie to a whole new level. You might say it ‘punks’ indie, and in more ways than one.

Young’s guitar style, which is usually so refreshing sounds more like a vagrant plucking out a tune on a street corner. The piano sounds equally painful (I’m not sure how they fit a piano into the booth, but I wish they hadn’t). Neil’s voice has always been a bit frail, and this album keeps all that frailty intact, while managing to strip out any of the usual emotion from the delivery.

Worst of all, this album gives this this terrible treatment to some of my most beloved songs. Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country,” Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain” and “If You Could Read My Mind” and Bruce Springsteen’s “My Hometown” are all equally abused. The more I liked the original, the more painful it was to hear them hacked out as part of Jack White’s mad science project.

It’s clear that Neil is enjoying the connection to a technology as old as him, but it doesn’t make it good. I also sometimes bang away on my guitar for the sheer pleasure of it, but I don’t record it and try to sell it to people.

“A Letter Home” was a nifty idea, but it results in a very unappealing record. Jack White’s recording booth should be hermetically sealed in some box like the ark of the covenant in ‘Raiders’ and for the same reason; so it doesn’t hurt anyone else.

Best tracks:  uh…nope.