tell me about...neil young

[The Dr]

i think there is another thread like this but i can't find it on the search, anyway, so neil young. for me he is very hit and miss- there are albums of his i really like- harvest, chrome dreams 2, some i like- everyone knows this is nowhere, some i love- massy hall, harvest moon

but i just can't seem to get into the other albums, and with so many to chose from where should i go next?

[spzretent]

I would start with Zuma, Tonight's The Night and On The Beach.

[jack white]

[jack white]

[moop]

I would start with Zuma, Tonight's The Night and On The Beach.

agreed, all fantastic albums! i remember when i first heard 'on the beach' when it was reissued on cd and being amazed - such a great sound. i loved rusty kershaw's liner notes and elsewhere i recall people writing about 'honey slides' being crucial to the recording process, especially on the title track (which incidentally is my favourite song on there).

The first time I saw neil his spirit was down. The next time I saw neil I tried to boost his spirits with my music and I did and it worked. In return neil played, sang, and wrote, the best of any music in a while. Not to speak of the fun we had. We laughed so hard we all had bruised ribs. On revolution blues, I turned into a python then an alligator, I was crawling like one making noises like one. Plus I was eating up the carpit and mike stands and such and in the meanwhile I started to crawl up towards neil, which is pretty spooky when your trying to sing...

[Shinesalight]

My 5 favourite Neil Young albums are Zuma, Everybody Knows..., On the Beach, Ragged Glory and Tonights The Night. I have to say that his live albums are always worth a listen, especially Weld and Live Rust. I think I've got 30 odd of his albums on CD and over 20 of them on vinyl. Got to be my favourite artist of all time.

[angelsighs]

I've got a funny relationship with Neil Young. I've got lots of his albums but for some reason I hardly ever play them. I think I find him a bit inconsistent. the production (or lack thereof) can be a bit limp too. on his recent albums especially, it seems like he hardly trying to be honest.
his best songs are superb though.

the ones I really enjoy are:

Weld. a storming live album. crunchy, heavy guitars, great setlist. a lot of his big rockers are there and the songs from the more recent albums sound great too. he does a rocked up version of Blowin' In The Wind which is surprisingly good. the big epics like Cortex the Killer and Like a Hurricane are superb. the band are clunky and sloppy in their own way, but somehow it works with Neil's explosive soloing over the top.

Harvest. an obvious choice but one of the best of his softer albums I think. quite varied too. you get big hits like Heart of Gold and The Needle & The Damage Done, but some great (and lesser known) rockers like Alabama and Words where the guitar tone is nice and chunky. then there's some ballads with big string arrangements which threaten to make it too syrupy but somehow it works.

and here's a curveball for you- I really enjoy Living With War. it's sloppy and thrown together, but it's meant to be. he put it together very quickly when he saw no other bands doing 'topical' songs. the messages are clear, the guitars are crunchy and you can sing along easily.

On The Beach is excellent too, but I find Tonight's The Night a bit overrated.
the first s/t album is a bit of a lost gem too. very sweet and innocent sounding for him and quite 'arranged' compared to his other work.

actually, maybe I do like Neil Young more than I think.. I should listen to him more
from what I've written above the general message seems to be 'somehow it works'

[BzaInSpace]

I think if I had to pick one NY album it would be Mirrorball. Total classic.

[BVCP206]

I think if I had to pick one NY album it would be Mirrorball. Total classic.

Although on reflection.....

[Shinesalight]

I think if I had to pick one NY album it would be Mirrorball. Total classic.

Strangely I've been humming "I'm The Ocean" at work most of the day

[The Dr]

Neil Young has announced a new live album entitled 'EARTH'. Set to include recording's from last year's tour 'The Monsanto Years,' the album will also feature the previously unshared 'I Won't Quit'.

The album will also include highlights from Young's extensive discography, with new musical overdubs added to the mixes as well as a host of nature-inspired sounds.

According to a press release, bears, birds, crickets, bees, horses, cows, and "sounds of the earth" can all be heard throughout the album, juxtaposed with "city sounds" like car horns.




Young will be playing the album in its entirety on May 6, ahead of its release on June 17. He'll be treating fans to a performance at the Natural History Museum Los Angeles County, as well as discussing the construction of the record.

It will be his first ever album preview show; fans unable to attend will be able to listen to the audio streamed through his Pono service.

In a press release, Young described the album as "ninety-eight uninterrupted minutes," that stand "as a collection of 13 songs from throughout my life."

He continued that "our animal kingdom is well represented in the audience as well, and the animals, insects, birds, and mammals actually take over the performances of the songs at times." In an Instagram post, he said that the album "does not fit on iTunes

[Blindsummit]

I am a huge Neil fan, seen him live 19 times and off to four shows on this years summer tour. I've got the Crazy Horse drum riser logo tattooed on my right arm which I guess says it all

I find it very hard to be objective about Neil's albums but you can't go wrong with the doom trilogy; Time Fades Away / On The Beach / Tonight's The Night. My all time favourite Neil album is Ragged Glory but really I could list another 15 that I'll take to my grave. The mid 80's output is a little shaky so I'd avoid that unless you are a hardcore fan. Recent years have proved divisive for many fans but Neil's still put out some decent albums.

One thing to note about Neil, in most cases he will release the first take of a song from the original rehearsal on an album. In many cases the band only have a sketchy idea of the chords for the track. All adds to the unique vibe from NY, crafted it ain't.

[TheWarmth]

I preordered the 3xLP Earth set from Amazon. $45, not bad, especially for NY vinyl. Looking forward to it. Should be pretty interesting. Promise of Real are a pretty hot band. I've watched a few live YouTube clips.

[angelsighs]

Apparently Neil and his band played a 40 min version of Down By The River the other night. He really doesn't give a single fuck does he

[jack white]

& that 40min River was just the opening song of the set!

[MODLAB]

Never been into him. His voice just kills me.

As a Canadian I guess I should like him... No, I do not... Do I respect him... yes.


M

[ro]

Apparently Neil and his band played a 40 min version of Down By The River the other night.

& that 40min River was just the opening song of the set!

That would be my dream gig.

[The Dr]

Never been into him. His voice just kills me.

As a Canadian I guess I should like him... No, I do not... Do I respect him... yes.


M

so not kills in the good way?

nevermind you still have justin beiber

[MODLAB]

so not kills in the good way?

nevermind you still have justin beiber

Nope... Not in a good way.


I prefer Bryan Adams over Justin.

[The Dr]

Nope... Not in a good way.


I prefer Bryan Adams over Justin.

that's why you are a mod- pure class and taste. i doth my cap to you, sir

[MODLAB]

that's why you are a mod- pure class and taste. i doth my cap to you, sir

Ha! Good one... To get back on the topic, I have tried so many times to shit back and listen. It's one of those things that just has not clicked. Maybe when I hit my 50s or so.

[The Dr]

I have tried so many times to shit back and listen..

as dr freud in the shower, i believe you may have slipped, sir

[MODLAB]

as dr freud in the shower, i believe you may have slipped, sir

Oops. Leave it...

[angelsighs]

Neil Young appeared on Marc Maron's podcast the other day.. nice long chat

http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-717-neil-young