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+---- Thread: Neil Young 1976-1988 (/showthread.php?tid=5208)
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 27-05-2011
the next era for Neil Young's career will show three of four good albums to round out the 1970s, a classic live album in "live rust" and a gradual decline in the quality of his material through the 1980s including some almost unlistenable albums. also includes the highs (getting married to his soulmate Peggi) and the lows (the birth of a second son with severe Cerebral Palsy).....
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 28-05-2011
![[Image: 51KWyjIffmL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KWyjIffmL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
STILLS-YOUNG BAND "long may you run" 1976. #26 US, #12 UK
this was supposed to be a CSNY project, not sure what happened, but it didnt go ahead and became a Stephen Stills/Young album using Stills band as the backing group.
theres nine tracks on this one, five belong to NY, obviously that leaves four for Stills. the title track is the best track on the album, its subject matter is young's love of his 1948 Hearse that he still owned and was the one he drove from winnipeg to California in in 1965. the lyrical content of Young's material here is very positive in nature, Stills has a very bluesy/soul sound to his tracks. theres only one bad track on this one and that happens to be a NY composition "fountainbleau". a successful tour of the US followed the release of this one.
the album was a reasonable success in term of sales and sold more than his previous few albums, young would later rehash the melody of "let it shine" on his early 80s album "re-ac-tor" via a song called "motor city".
all in all a good album that shows a few more of Stills strengths than Young's.
sorry, but theres a lack of links for these tracks
I LIKE THIS ALBUM
worst track: fountainbleau
best track: long may you run
tracks:
1. long may you run*** #11 AU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nszR0tfp4Es live vocals NY
2. make love to you**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU4oKWIlsHE audio
3. midnight on the bay***
4. black coral***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFK72UACn4A live audio
5. ocean girl**
6. let it shine**
7. 12/8 blues**
8. fountainbleau*
9. guardian angel**
3s=3
2s=5
1s=1
rating: 2.2
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 28-05-2011
![[Image: 51PPwaHo7tL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PPwaHo7tL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
NEIL YOUNG "american stars and bars" #21 US, #17 UK, #21 AU
an underrated/forgotten NY album and one that should be discovered or rediscovered, whatever your case may be.
the album is a mix of styles from a waltz,country, rock, country crossover, psychadelic folk and contains the classic "like a hurricane", which IMO is the greatest song NY ever recorded, and almost certainly is his greatest vocal performance, at eight and a half minutes long it shows Crazy Horse at their finest moment. the Horse only play on two of the tracks on this on: "hurricane" and "bite the bullet" which is another great CH moment.
some of these tracks apparently date back as early as 1975 but that is no discredit to the album as it sounds like a complete album throughout. all tracks except for one are slightly underproduced to give that raw sound that NY is now known for, only the seven minute plus "will to live" is overproduced here and sounds like it could have been on his debut solo album. this album sold reasonably well on the back of the Stills-Young album and tour.
following the release of this one Young released a retrospective double album called "decade" which includes his favourite tracks from the first ten years of his recording career, which is a good place to start as a new NY fan.
worst track: will to live
best track: like a hurricane
tracks:
1. the old country waltz***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uSX0YOiJqU audio
2. saddle up the palomino***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOZqQTUCiBo audio
3. hey babe***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxxpePEjQaI audio
4. hold back the tears***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hGL4HtXCb8 audio
5. bite the bullet***
6. star of bethlehem**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrBPJEBL06U audio
7. will to live*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z4KdVwCvmI audio
8. like a hurricane***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KxiEjPCXA8 live
9. homegrown**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eetrxNlR-M live
3s=6
2s=2
1s=1
rating: 2.4
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 29-05-2011
![[Image: 51KlZ3ak8hL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KlZ3ak8hL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
NEIL YOUNG "comes a time" 1978. #7 US, #42 UK, #6 AU
this one is technically Young's last studio album of the 1970s as the followup "rust never sleeps" was recorded live.
after several very good albums since the confusing "ditch trilogy" his fans were back to back to trusting his albums once again, and the quality was consistantly good. crazy Horse appear on at least half the tracks here, not sure as to whether those tracks were newly recorded or pulled out of Young's archives as most of the album dates back to 1973. at least one known new track is "lotta love" which was covered by backing singer Niccolette Larson later in the year. "four strong winds" is a cover version of an old folk/country track that Young loved as a teenager back in Canada. "already one" is a lovely ode to the son he had with Carrie Snogress. it was also around this time that Young met his future wife Peggi whom he met when she served him in an LA diner.
this is his most easily accessable album for non fans to appreciate since "harvest" for its laidback easy listening form of country music. why did no songs from here make the US charts????
I LOVE THIS ALBUM
worst track: peace of mind
best track: four strong winds
tracks:
1. goin' back***
2. comes a time*** #65 AU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2Sbynh8A4 live
3. look out for my love**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejAZ6yN2q0w audio
4. lotta love***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELakJxPiieU live
5. peace of mind**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1nSgd1m8-Q live audio
6. human highway**
7. already one**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K_joC3TkBs audio
8. field of opportunity***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzZKhXap-Z8 live
9. motorcycle mama***
10.four strong winds*** #54 UK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC1EkeCBtzM live
3s=6
2s=4
1s=0
rating: 2.6
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 29-05-2011
![[Image: 51EC4mviDPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EC4mviDPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE "rust never sleeps" 1979,cd. #8 US, #8 AU, #13 UK
almost a perfect album this one, no, im not just saying that because im a NY fan, this was one of the first of his albums i bought and it blew me sideways immediately...and still does.
theres folk,country,rock and his grungy type material on this one, the album was recorded live but the audience participation segments were erased from the final mix, it found its way with additional tracks and the cheers/clapping etc as the superb live set "live rust" the following year in 1980.
the album is split into two halves, one acoustic based, the other more rocky. theres an acoustic and an electric version of "my my hey hey" on here. it also contains three of the greatest pieces of storytelling in rock history in "thrasher", "pocahontas" and "powderfinger" IMO.
Neil Young has had many ups and downs in his long career,and this is one of those great "up" moments, and when he is on fire as he is here he has no peer.
I LOVE THIS ALBUM
worst track: my my hey hey(out of the blue)
best track: powderfinger
tracks:
1. my my hey hey(out of the blue)**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY5x8pF512k live
2. thrasher***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t00MXZKbW0M live
3. ride my llama***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC4ZTeJr2PA audio
4. pocahontas***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHBONkfwu8w live audio
5. sail away***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yETyEVbauOQ audio
6. powderfinger***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV3wBhPYArw live
7. welfare mothers***
8. sedan delivery***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_aaYtRo80 audio
9.hey hey my my(into the black)***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O1v_7T6p8U live
3s=8
2s=1
1s=0
rating: 2.8
Neil Young 1976-1988 - Music Head - 29-05-2011
the grades make you realize just how good he is
not CH, Neil
well maybe both
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 29-05-2011
couldnt believe the grades myself at first, im pretty sure they'll tank pretty fast once we hit the 1980s, then gather momentum around 89/90 ish.
personally, i do think the 70s were his strongest period, and i do think he rose to the occasion with CH in tow, the garage band sound suited him immensely IMO
he was certainly up there with Dylan's first decade quality
when i started the grading i thought i was being biased(i really try to be objective though)...then i thought "these are truly great albums"
Neil Young 1976-1988 - Music Head - 29-05-2011
CRAZY-HORSE Wrote:when i started the grading i thought i was being biased(i really try to be objective though)...then i thought "these are truly great albums"
sounds like me grading Cohens, well, until that last one
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 30-05-2011
![[Image: 517BNS-yMfL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517BNS-yMfL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE "live rust" 1979...#15 US, #55 UK, #21 AU
i was debating whether to include this live album and also 1991s "weld" live set, i finally realised that they are as important as his studio albums in the scheme of things due to their quality performances.
the difference between this and Weld is that this one showcases both his acoustic and electric greatness, whereas Weld is solely an electric assault.
originally released as a double vinyl album, the first album was an acoustic set, the second vinyl disc the more electric segment of the shows.
this one contains all his best tracks from Buffalo Springfield's "i am a child",through "tonights the night" and right up to and including the blistering "like a hurricane".
when Billboard/Mojo/Rolling Stone list the greatest concert albums of all time, this one ultimately sits planted in the top five consistantly...and rightly so, it shows not only the greatness of Young's back catalogue live but the raw energy of Crazy Horse in concert, whereas on a lot of live albums the energy of the show is lost in the production process, this one excels because there are no overdubs whatsoever, its a warts and all performance. the links here are all from the album(live audio) or clips from the dvd(live).
I LOVE THIS ALBUM
tracks:
1. sugar mountain***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGI5wGp2tXA live
2. i am a child***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbuPNLFUuJw live audio
3. comes a time***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixE-_k6QpAY live audio
4. after the goldrush***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12T95RHGLH8 live
5. my my hey hey(out of the blue)**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYak0rPUDIU live audio
6. when you dance i can really love***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVvhJegJl-c&feature=related live audio
7. the loner***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7oAKUIToqo&feature=related live audio
8. the needle and the damage done**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8lEFNrh_QY live audio
9. lotta love**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELakJxPiieU live
10.sedan delivery***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy_aaYtRo80 live audio
11.powderfinger***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2-Wp7D7BVk live audio
12.cortez the killer***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GDIkb5CDUY live
13.cinammon girl***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb3tkqbMBPA live audio
14.like a hurricane***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KxiEjPCXA8 live
15.hey hey my my (into the black)***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGQaoa8XnG4 live
16.tonights the night***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cXSUBs5tNQ live
3s=13
2s=3
1s=0
rating: 2.9
Neil Young 1976-1988 - CRAZY-HORSE - 30-05-2011
![[Image: 51KXBSZ56%2BL._SL500_AA300_.jpg]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KXBSZ56%2BL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
NEIL YOUNG "hawks and doves" 1980. #30 US, #34 UK, #10 AU
Young got married in late 1979 during the "live rust" US tour, his wife Peggi would become pregnant by early 1980, and NY would be out of contract after this album,thus beginning a turbulant time with Geffen Records.
this album is a bit patchy in parts, not as in the quality of the tracks as they still rate good to very good, but in the way the songs just dont have an easy flow to them,theres a lot of subtle things happening in this album from the sounds to the lyrical content and the wanna be humourous lyrics in the terrible "union man" track. again young delves back into his vast expanse of recorded tracks from the past several years and adds some new tracks to it.the album is primarily a folky album with hints of country.
its the start of a downward spiral in the quality of albums over the next eight or nine years,not sure as to whether being married had an affect on his outlook of life and its changing priorities but the birth of his severely handicapped son at the end of the year certainly did as did moving away from Reprise to Geffen.
dont understand why i can only find one link for this one...very strange??
I LIKE THIS ALBUM
worst track: union man
best track: captain kennedy
tracks:
1. little wing**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOyGHhc8sSg audio
2. the old homestead**
3. lost in space**
4. captain kennedy***
5. stayin' power**
6. coastline***
7. union man*
8. comin' apart at every nail**
9. hawk and doves** #88 AU
3s=2
2s=6
1s=1
rating: 1.9