mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
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after the gold rush on the beach tonight's the night american stars 'n' bars rust never sleeps weld harvest moon greendale
One of Young’s most melodic, consistent and diverse records. The jingle guitar trademark of Crazy Horse, the acoustic ballads and even lightweight pop influences. It’s all here. The song writing is particular strong as well. The title track’s spare arrangement with only piano and trumpet along with Neil’s great vocal performance is stunning, and I have a weakness for piano ballads, so I can’t help but love it. “Birds” is also a piano based ballad with really nice harmony vocals and obviously another personal favorite. If you prefer Neil rockin’ out, you will probably take “When You Dance You Can Really Love” to your heart, as well as “Southern Man”. The latter got Neil in trouble with Lynyrd Skynyrd who wrote “Sweet Home Alabama” as an indirect reply to him. Neil followed it with On The Beach’s “Walk On”, so I guess he got the last word, even though the Alabama song probably sold more than Neil’s entire catalog together. I think this album is better than the more acclaimed Harvest and maybe the absolute highpoint in Neil’s career together with Harvest Moon, Rust Never Sleeps and On The Beach. A small note: this album features a very young Nils Lofgren on piano. Lofgren whom later would join Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band on guitar.
On The Beach On The Beach is heavily blues influenced. Some of the tracks are based on the 12 bar blues musically, and the songs that isn't surely is built around the same genre lyrically. Still, it’s a far cry from Muddy Waters. It still sounds like Neil Young, and that’s a good thing. The title track might be one of the most beautiful songs Young ever came up with. Not only is the music soothing, tranquil, and at the same time haunting, but the lyrics are honest, sincerely naked, and affecting. Neil delivers his words along with a gorgeous melody with a presence and precision only the great ones are able to. The result is overwhelming. The question is if "Motion Pictures" that follows isn’t even better. So very touching it crawls under your skin and paralyzes you. "Walk On" is a rather poppy song, but the lyrics are observing and open minded. Free from any kind of judgement of his fellow human beings. “Ooh baby, that's hard to change I can't tell them how to feel. Some get stoned, some get strange, but sooner or later it all gets real. Walk on”. Neil Young walked on alright. Too bad he didn’t look over his shoulder and took pride in his past to release this masterpiece on CD.
[NOTE: On The Beach was finally re-released on both vinyl and cd in 2003]
Some of the ballads rise above the others, though. "Borrowed Tune" stands out as one of the absolute highlights of his carrier and "New Mama" has a nice acoustic atmosphere. "Tired Eyes" has Neil talking the verse and singing a nice melody over a piano and a beautiful steel guitar. If the ballads aren't overwhelmingly beautiful they are always filled with emotions and delivered with honesty.
Of the up tempo songs "Lookout Joe" is the definitive highlight which recalls "Walk On" from the On The Beach-album. Both "Tonight’s The Night"-songs are also pretty good, but not clear highlights. The second song has a strong blues feeling to it and great guitar lines from Nils Lofgren.
As a whole, Tonight’s The Night is a good album, but it has to accept it’s role being a semi-classic, standing it’s own ground behind Neil Young’s stronger work such as After The Gold Rush, On The Beach, Harvest Moon and Rust Never Sleeps. But then again, there are many albums that would be proud to even be mentioned in the same breath as those fantastic records. If you are already a fan, this is a pretty safe bet.
American Stars 'N' Bars
This is country. Just as pure as “Are You Ready For The Country” was on the Harvest-album. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind country. As long as it’s not overdone. Neil has always been walking a thin line. I love his acoustic stuff when he just dips his toe into the country-water but never really takes a swim. Harvest Moon is a wonderful example and a cornerstone in Young’s career. However, on American Stars ‘N’ Bars he crosses that line. If you’re a country-fan you might be interested, otherwise beware.
Luckily enough, sometimes Neil plugs in the electric and the country-influences isn’t as obvious. Even though you can still hear it somewhere in the background, crying for your attention. "Bite The Bullet" is one example of that. Anyway, what makes this album interesting is that it has the studio version of the classic "Like A Hurricane". The version from Live Rust is more common and spread among the public, and actually better which makes this version quite unnecessary. Despite the fact that Neil rips off some of his best guitar licks in his career and makes the studio version interesting just because it is the studio version. It’s not that bad really, because a good song is always a good song.
Another good song is the aching "Will To Love" that sounds as it belongs more to On The Beach, recorded in 1974. Actually some of the tracks on this album was also recorded 1974 so it might be possible that "Will To Love" was an On The Beach out-take. It’s a favorite of mine, though, and deserved a better destiny than to be released on a forgotten, average album.
American Stars 'N' Bars is yet to be released on CD.
[NOTE: American Stars 'N' Bars was finally re-released on both vinyl and cd in 2003]
Rust Never Sleeps
Hearing someone singing “rock and roll can never die” would be very banal, but not on this album. When that particular line is put into context it is about something else. Certainly not about the rock category, but rather a way of life. At least to me. A rock life, meaning that you give everything you've got in all situations. It’s better to go out with a bang than to play it safe. Then you will fade away too young and have all this dreams you never managed to live. All the goals you never achieved. It’s better to burn out than to fade away. That’s what the opening song is about. That’s what the closing song is about. That’s what all the songs in between are about. Living the dream instead of dreaming it.
There’s a dark escapism surrounding Rust Never Sleeps. “Trasher” is about someone who is bored with his situation. He needs to get out but hasn’t got the strength. He burns his credit card for fuel and forces himself to live on the edge. To live without safety and the comfort in the everyday life. And he finds that this lifestyle is better for him. He is better off on the road without that load he left behind.
Of course there are other way to forget about the boredom or the obstacles of the ordinary life. Some people don’t just drive away. They take the highway. They use drugs to hide, to forget for a little while, to temporarily ease whatever pain there is. That is when someone from Mars picks up all your guitars and plays you travelling songs. And when you get on the ship, your new friend will take out something for the trip. It’s old, but it’s good. And that’s something that every primitive would.
For me, “Sail Away” is Neil saying that as long as we have the opportunity to get out, as long as we have the chance to leave the 9 – 5 job and trying to grasp for our dreams there will be hope. The world will still be turning and our fantasy, our dream and our hopes still breathe, knowing that they might come true someday. We just need to keep them alive and most things will be alright.
However, despite what the cover says, so far hasn’t Young’s classic backing band Crazy Horse appeared. The first half is acoustic and it’s not until now the electric guitar is brought out. The songs change, the attitude and the way the songs are approached is different. We’re moving away from the escapism into a more rebellious, punk-ish feeling closer to the 1990’s grunge scene. It doesn’t work quite as well as the softer songs here. The energy level is high, but that’s basically all there is. Except a couple of things, of course. Nice guitars, a hook here and there and even nice backing vocals. Besides the country-flavored “Powderfinger”, only “Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)” is fulfilling what it is set out to do. And it sounds different than the other electric songs here. It sounds desperate, dark and cold, lonely and empty. Noisy and affecting.
Rust Never Sleeps is not perfect, but it’s pretty even and one of Neil Young’s most solid releases. An album that take up issues that defines rock and roll. An album that’s nothing but a classic.
Weld
You know, Paul McCartney gets pissed at after every tour because a following live album is a solid bet, just as Ringo’s next album will be worse than the previous one. However, Neil Young releases live albums with an even pace and no one gives a shit. Well, at least they don’t complain. Why should they? In this case, Neil has never managed to catch this kind of excitment on an album before. Not live or in the studio, with the possible exception of Live Rust. Live Rust was devided into one acoustic part and one electric rockin’ part. This is not the case on Weld. This live document is so great it’s hard to grip. There are no breaks for sentimental acoustic, heart breaking songs. No, this is amplifiers with the volume up at eleven. Loud, dirty guitars and a raw energy that is unbelievable. Here it is Neil with Crazy Horse the machine. Don’t you dare to step in the way of the machine. It will chew you alive.
Neil himself burns. Shouting out the lyrics with a passion that might even surpass Bob Dylan in his prime. Just listen to "Crime In The City". So high energy-level it really hurts. Speaking of Bob Dylan. Neil covers "Blowin’ In The Wind". No, it’s not done acoustic with a harmonica. I already told you that this album is all about rock. Actually it’s a great version. A fantastic contrast appears as Neil plays the simple, but yet beautiful melody on his electric guitar over the noise of machine guns, missiles, and explosions. Just to hear a war going on with that familiar melody played over it sends shivers down my spine. It reminds me of Hendrix playing "The Star Spangelled Banner" at Woodstock. Only better and in tune. "Blowin’ In The Wind" truly is a timeless anthem.
Also be sure to listen for some great backing vocals. Sometimes you get Beach Boys 1965 vibes. That's what puts this album above most other rock/punk live albums. There are more than raw energy. There is a big musical knowledge and talent. I almost want to say genius, because those beautiful harmonies, well crafted lyrics and Neil’s thin voice in contrast to the loud, howling, heavy guitars really are something extraordinary.
Harvest Moon
After two decades Young figured that it wouldn’t be too bad with a ‘sequel’ to one of his most loved albums, Harvest. One might probably say that it is a bad idea and wonder what sort of purpose the project possibly could have, except maybe cashing in on naive fans. Interestingly enough, Harvest Moon actually is impressive. It could be Neil’s strongest album overall, and it definitely is better than its predecessor. No matter of all classics there might be on the 1972-album, Harvest Moon features more crafted songs. Melodies and lyrics doesn’t seem random or unfinished and the arrangements are beautiful. Nice, tasteful acoustic guitars are sparsely covered with wonderful backing vocals (delivered by James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt) and modest drums and bass, spiced up with tender steel guitar.
Perhaps Harvest Moon is more nostalgic than Harvest, but that is expected. Having grown twenty years older, it is only natural to look back. Lost love, bad mistakes and friends that somehow did not stay in touch are just some of the things Young writes about. The pure honesty in every song cannot be mistaken and it is an emotional listen. Or at least bringing up subjects worth offering a thought every now and then. I’d like to think of Harvest Moon being just as important to Young as Double Fantasy was to John Lennon. Two different persons and two quite different albums, but also two very personal statements of the artists most inner thoughts and concerns.
Greendale
Neil re-unite with Crazy Horse to deliver a whole album about the Green family, living in Greendale. It deals with politics, morals, environment issues and other things that’s interesting in our current world. Mr. Young sets his goal high. It could be the high point of his career. He falls flat. The songs are remarkable weak, with poor arrangements and there are no hooks to be found anywhere. And the playing is really sloppy too. Crazy Horse always was about that loose, easy going feeling. They’ve lost it completely here. It seems like they try to hard to be the legendary backing group and end up sounding like a parody rather than the real thing.
On the other hand, the material they have to work with isn’t much to brag about. Generic and unsatisfying blues patterns dominate the extremely monotonous record. Add Neil Young’s uninspired vocals on top of that and you do the math. You should stay away from it, unless you’re some sort of sick bastard that enjoys hurting yourself psychically. No ears or minds should be exposed to this. An EP would probably have been long enough.
Maybe I’m a bit unfair. The chorus in opening “Falling From Above” is memorable. Well, maybe that’s because it actually has a melody. Also “Bandit” is memorable. Mostly because Neil puts away his electric guitar for a while and once again, the chorus will be stuck in your head for some time. It’s a song that sounds more like Neil’s previous album, Are You Passionate?, than any other track here. Which is a good thing in this case. Also “Papa’s Interview” might turn you on, but with its 12 minutes it’s the perfect definition of background music. You’re also likely to notice “Bringing Down Dinner”. Not that it’s great or anything, but it sounds a little bit different than the other stuff. Closing “Be The Rain” has potential, but is overlong. As most of the songs here.
Often when I hear an album for the first time that I don’t like, I try to re-listen to it a lot since I figure that I don’t get what the artist tried to do, that I must have missed something. But after several listens to Greendale and painful moments I find myself giving up. I can’t find anything here of value. Maybe I need to listen to it again? Forget it. It’s not worth it. I hear they’re gonna make a move based on the album too. Who does he think he is? Roger Waters?
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