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Thread: Neil Young - what's essential, or just merely good, and what's not

  1. #26
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    Not an expert, but the albums I own:

    After The Gold Rush: Classic album with classic songs.

    Decade: Great box set of his first 10 years of recording.

    Live Rust: Phenomenal live album.

    Trans: Believe it or not this strange album was the one that got me into Neil (maybe not that strange for a prog rock fan). HBO showed a live concert from this tour on TV and I liked it so much I checked out the album. A lot of people hate it, but I still like it a lot.

    Weld: Another phenomenal live album.

    Lucky 13: Cool compilation of his 80’s Geffen albums with material from “Trans”, “Landing On Water”, “Old Ways”, “This Notes For You” and one or two others I can’t remember off the top of my head. I think every song on this is great.

    Mirror Ball: Neal’s collaboration with Pearl Jam. It is a decent effort.

    Harvest Moon: Nice mellow album with mostly strong songs.

    Psychedelic Pill: I think this one is great. Neal and Crazy Horse at their sludging best. Lots of long jams on this one.

    Steve Sly

  2. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    Not an expert, but the albums I own:

    Lucky 13: Cool compilation of his 80’s Geffen albums with material from “Trans”, “Landing On Water”, “Old Ways”, “This Notes For You” and one or two others I can’t remember off the top of my head. I think every song on this is great.
    Ahhh, someone else who likes Lucky Thirteen! I saw that someone else earlier mentioned how Neil reworked some of the original tracks on here, including "Sample and Hold." This is the only version I've ever heard, so I think anything else would just sound wrong to my ears at this point. I also like "Hippie Dream," "Once an Angel," "Where Is the Highway Tonight," "Transformer Man," and naturally, "This Note's for You."

    Psychedelic Pill: I think this one is great. Neal and Crazy Horse at their sludging best. Lots of long jams on this one.
    I can't get enough of "Driftin' Back." It's almost hypnotic, the way that groove keeps going and going. 27 minutes of raw genius.



    I love it when Neil stretches out on long pieces like that. "Ordinary People" from Chrome Dreams II is another one. It could go on for another 18 minutes and I wouldn't complain.


  3. #28
    Member saatuk's Avatar
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    Somehow my favourite albums have him book-ended. I really like the self-titled one and my favourite of his newer stuff is Americana. It must be nice to have the ability and vision to try something like Americana - and it works.
    There's nowt so queer as folk

  4. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Facelift View Post
    (IMO)

    The immortally great:

    Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
    After the Gold Rush
    On the Beach
    Rust Never Sleeps

    Garden-variety great:

    Tonight's the Night
    Zuma
    Live Rust
    Ragged Glory
    Arc/Weld (live)
    At the Fillmore 1970
    Live at Massey Hall 1971

    Excellent:

    Time Fades Away
    Comes a Time
    Trans
    Freedom
    Harvest Moon (I like it more than Harvest, too).
    Sleeps With Angels
    Mirror Ball
    Broken Arrow
    Year of the Horse (live)
    Silver & Gold

    Still Pretty Good!

    self-titled debut
    Harvest
    Re·ac·tor
    Unplugged
    Dead Man Soundtrack
    Prairie Wind
    Living With War
    Chrome Dreams II
    Psychedelic Pill

    There are other NY albums that I consider to be of the "generically good" variety, but I would only recommend those to dedicated fans.

    Young also has several albums that I think range from mediocre to bad, but considering the amount of his output, these are surprisingly few, by proportion, in comparison to his contemporaries, IMO.
    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post

    However I strongly disagree with this part of your list (save Psych Pill... that I haven't heard yet)

    Ok, this isn't the bottom third either (well Trans comes close >> I'd exchange it with Greendale or Stars & Bars in this particular list), but calling this "excellent and still pretty good" seems a little too fanboyish to me
    "Excellent" is something that I'd give 4 stars out of 5, and "still pretty good" is stuff I'd be around 3.5/5 on. There's a couple of albums on the 4-star list that sounds more like a 3.5 to me some days and a couple of those on the 3.5 list that are closer to 3s some days, but considering the huge amount of output NY has made, I don't think that's being at all fanboyish. Yeah, I'm a fan, but I've long felt that the hallmark of the fanboy is the conviction that "the worst albums by (x) band are still better than 90% of everything else that's out there," idea. I don't think that about the Young albums I don't consider to be very good. I think his weaker albums are pretty weak in general. I'm not budging at all on Trans being a solid 4 stars, though - I think it's packed with excellent songs. It's the only one of Young's 80s genre experiments that really worked, IMO.

    And you think After the Gold Rush is a "country" album? I don't see it, except for Only Love Can Break Your Heart and Oh Lonesome Me. I elevate to immortal status because of the lyrics. I think the songs perfectly capture the mood each one was aiming for. In fact, if there is a weaker track on here at all, it might be Southern Man, but only because it doesn't really fit, stylistically, with the rest of the tunes.

    FWIW, I do think that Young tends to resonate more with US/Canadian listeners, of which I am one.

  5. #30
    Progstreaming-webmaster Sunhillow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Facelift View Post
    FWIW, I do think that Young tends to resonate more with US/Canadian listeners, of which I am one.
    Well, speaking as a citizen of Delft, the Netherlands, Europe, I don't think that's true. Neil is quite popular in the low lands, and I think he's quite big in the rest of Europe too. All of his albums are readily available in the few cd-shops we have left (Delft (85.000 people living there) has three. THREE! That's more than The Hague (500.000 inhabitants) and Rotterdam (about 900.000). We're lucky).

    No love for "Life", by the way? Or is this one just overlooked by the masses? Maybe the title is wrong, making people think it's a 'live'-album. I had this problem once with Eloy's "Performance". For years I neglected it, thinking it was indeed a performance.

  6. #31
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oreb View Post
    With the exception of the stunning "A Man Needs a Maid" I've never understood the love for Harvest. Mostly boring faux-country stuff IMO.
    Much the same can be said about Goldrush really!! Outside the outstanding Southern Man... not much in it for me...

    Quote Originally Posted by Banquo View Post
    Yep. That one sucked.
    I understand your rolling eyes reaction, but IMHO, Harvest was in my op tier, even when I got into Neil Young's music by 76 (Zuma-era)

    Quote Originally Posted by saatuk View Post
    Somehow my favourite albums have him book-ended. I really like the self-titled one.
    I've always thought something was terribly wrong with the production of that debut album (fantastic artwork, though)...
    Last edited by Trane; 05-09-2013 at 03:27 AM.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  7. #32
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Fuuuuuuckkkkkk!!!!... Thanks for the Psych Pill YT link >> this is a return to Nowhere .... This one will be in my shelves ASAP

    Quote Originally Posted by Facelift View Post
    "Excellent" is something that I'd give 4 stars out of 5, and "still pretty good" is stuff I'd be around 3.5/5 on. There's a couple of albums on the 4-star list that sounds more like a 3.5 to me some days and a couple of those on the 3.5 list that are closer to 3s some days, but considering the huge amount of output NY has made, I don't think that's being at all fanboyish. Yeah, I'm a fan, but I've long felt that the hallmark of the fanboy is the conviction that "the worst albums by (x) band are still better than 90% of everything else that's out there," idea. I don't think that about the Young albums I don't consider to be very good. I think his weaker albums are pretty weak in general. I'm not budging at all on Trans being a solid 4 stars, though - I think it's packed with excellent songs. It's the only one of Young's 80s genre experiments that really worked, IMO.

    And you think After the Gold Rush is a "country" album? I don't see it, except for Only Love Can Break Your Heart and Oh Lonesome Me. I elevate to immortal status because of the lyrics. I think the songs perfectly capture the mood each one was aiming for. In fact, if there is a weaker track on here at all, it might be Southern Man, but only because it doesn't really fit, stylistically, with the rest of the tunes.

    FWIW, I do think that Young tends to resonate more with US/Canadian listeners, of which I am one.
    Didn't mean to diss your ratings of course (I'm a notoriously severe/conservative rater anyway), but if the first half of your list (outside Goldrush) are 4 (and above/equal 10.5 on Gnosis scale), the bottom half of ypour list (which is probably your second tier) ranks between 2 and 3/5 (less than 9 on Gnosis) in my book...
    Of course the Geffen era albums are well below Gnosis 7 for me... As soon as he got back to Reprise (even the still out-of-character This Note's For You) his albums go back around a Gnosis 8 or 9... but that's not what I call "still pretty Good or excellent"

    And yes, Southern Man is out of context in Goldrush (it might have soooooo much better in Everybody), but without that one Goldrush slips to the level of Harvest....IMHO, of course

    Quote Originally Posted by Sunhillow View Post
    Well, speaking as a citizen of Delft, the Netherlands, Europe, I don't think that's true. Neil is quite popular in the low lands, and I think he's quite big in the rest of Europe too.
    Markwin, being from both sides of the pond, I know where FL is coming from ...
    Of course since Neil and I are both Canadians (and partly from the same city Toronto), the bond is stronger for me than it would be most other Europeans (which I am too)...
    Yeah, Neil represents (I would say "impersonates" or epitomizes ) a certain kind of Americana (though not the most common form of Americana I can think of) that it's rather difficult for most Europeans to comprehend, no matter how many Benelux "American-loving" (I'll make an exception and not say United-Statians for once) people there are around us...



    Btw, Delft is indeed an exception in Holland (I suspect the University is part of that reason, and many from Den Haag and Rotterdam do their CD shopping in Delft), coz living in Alkmaar (120k habitants, so 50% bigger than Delft), outside Popeye Records, we got almost nothing left

    BTW: I'm surprised you count Den Haag as such a small city... including Scheveningen (Den Haag aan Zee) and satellites cities like Wassenaar (Dutch Central Bank), I consider it around a million people
    Last edited by Trane; 05-09-2013 at 03:19 AM.
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  8. #33
    Member Oreb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Banquo View Post
    Yep. That one sucked.
    Do you have difficulty understanding obscure terms like "IMO"?

    Or is it just that rolling eyes makes you feel like you're "in"?

    Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?

  9. #34
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    I'm not too hip about Neil's discography in the 80s-90s-2000s.....but Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,After The Gold Rush,Live at Massey Hall,Freedom, and Harvest are the Neil Young cds I own and love(and play).

    I also dig some tunes from Year Of The Horse,though I don't own the cd/dvd.
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  10. #35
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  11. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by Sunhillow View Post
    Well, speaking as a citizen of Delft, the Netherlands, Europe, I don't think that's true. Neil is quite popular in the low lands, and I think he's quite big in the rest of Europe too. All of his albums are readily available in the few cd-shops we have left (Delft (85.000 people living there) has three. THREE! That's more than The Hague (500.000 inhabitants) and Rotterdam (about 900.000). We're lucky).

    No love for "Life", by the way? Or is this one just overlooked by the masses? Maybe the title is wrong, making people think it's a 'live'-album. I had this problem once with Eloy's "Performance". For years I neglected it, thinking it was indeed a performance.
    I didn't mean to imply that he's not popular outside the US and Canada, just that he tends to resonate more with fans there. There are any number of popular, internationally-known bands that nevertheless have larger/more intense followings in their home countries.

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oreb View Post
    Do you have difficulty understanding obscure terms like "IMO"?
    No. I just know that "IMO" is very often used for the mere sake of being contrary. Perhaps that was not your intent, and if so I apologize, but it often is for others, especially with regards to knocking what are overwhelmingly regarded to be classic and groundbreaking works that have endured for decades. Harvest was the top selling album of 1972 in the US and believe me, there was no shortage of great music in that year.

    I get it. I also prefer Neil's more edgy albums and his electric stuff. I hardly ever listen to Harvest anymore, but I certainly understand it's popularity.

  13. #38
    Member Oreb's Avatar
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    So you "get it", but still felt it necessary to "roll eyes" at an honest statement of opinion. In fact, you decided in your wisdom to just assume I was being dishonest because I was expressing something most people don't agree with.

    Where's that "Ignore" button...

    Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?

  14. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oreb View Post
    So you "get it", but still felt it necessary to "roll eyes" at an honest statement of opinion.
    No sir. My use of the emoticon was in reaction to the way in which you chose to express your opinion. I don't care if you think it's "boring", but the words "faux country" are inaccurate when describing an album of country/rock music that was written and sung by someone who is largely responsible for the genre and which was partially recorded in a city that is well known for producing the best country music by musicians who play country music for a living. The album appealed to rock fans as well as country fans, and even to people that never thought they would ever enjoy country music. There's nothing "faux" about it. The only thing that could have made it more authentic would have been Neil pictured on the cover in a rhinestone Nudie suit sitting on a tractor, with a Marlboro dangling from his mouth and a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand. So, it's not that I disrespect your opinion, just that I question it's validity.

  15. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by Adrian View Post

    I've never gotten around to buying the older albums, but I love the Decade comp.
    Agree you can't go wrong with this release.. covers everything you'd want to hear from Neil.. (IMHO)

  16. #41
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    I don't have much but I love it all, I'll probably rank them thus:-

    Decade
    After The Goldrush
    Harvest
    Freedom
    Unplugged
    Ian

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  17. #42
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    I love Zuma. Raw, electric w/Crazy Horse.

    Cortez the Killer might be my all time favorite Neil tune.

  18. #43
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    People might want to try to get their hands on the ROIO of Chrome Dreams (not Chrome Dreams II). Had it been released, I think it might have been one of his best albums.


  19. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    Fuuuuuuckkkkkk!!!!... Thanks for the Psych Pill YT link >> this is a return to Nowhere .... This one will be in my shelves ASAP
    You're welcome! I think Psychedelic Pill is the best album he's done since Ragged Glory.

  20. #45
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adrian View Post
    You're welcome! I think Psychedelic Pill is the best album he's done since Ragged Glory.
    From what I've heard (that one track, so far), I'd even say since Rust Never Sleeps (RG is excellent, of course, but doesn't top anyone of Neil's 70's best of that decade)
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  21. #46
    Chrome Dreams is a good one and is pretty easy to find from the usual channels. I believe Neil gets the award for most scrapped/unreleased albums.
    Last edited by frippster; 05-10-2013 at 10:26 AM.

  22. #47
    Very cool thread...haven't listened to Young in a while. Spinning the Live at the Fillmore East CD now. Never get tired of 'Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" !

  23. #48
    About the unreleased albums thing: what gets me is some of them get as far as being recorded, artwork is picked out (and presumably paid for), etc and then Neil decides to pull the album. I'm sure that's gotta drive everyone around him crazy..."Gee, we just spent a hundred grand on an album that the public is never gonna see/hear...".

    The documentary Year Of The Horse is pretty interesting too. There's some great arguments that were videotaped during rehearsals and band meetings that they threw in. One bit, Neil is chewing one of the other Crazy Horse guys out for singing the wrong words during the chorus of a song. Band member says one of the other guys is standing behind him yelling something different in his ear on every chorus, so that's throwing him off, and Neil goes, "Oh, so it's not YOUR fault, it's HIS fault that you can't remember the damn chorus of the song, huh?!". The bit where they're fighting on the tour bus, somewhere in Europe, is pretty funny too. Another film that makes This Is Spinal Tap slightly redundant.

  24. #49
    Member progholio's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post

    Psychedelic Pill: I think this one is great. Neal and Crazy Horse at their sludging best. Lots of long jams on this one.

    Steve Sly
    yup, and that tune Walk Like a Giant, I love all 16 min and 26 seconds of it.

  25. #50
    To my mind Ragged Glory is the best album of NY's career (the one caveat is that it's an "up" album, and lots of fans prefer the "down" albums). There isn't a Crazy Horse album that I could do without....Even eccentric ones like Life and Greendale have some great moments.

    Psychedelic Pill is in some ways a "son of" Ragged Glory, so I love that too.

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