Neil Young 1966-1975

[CRAZY-HORSE]

NEIL YOUNG "on the beach" 1974. #16 US, #42 UK, #34 AU

the third and final part of "the ditch trilogy"

as previously noted, this one was recorded after "tonights the night" but released first.
Reprise/Warner refused to release "tonights..." because it was too dark and uncommercial after "time fades away" so Young returned to the studio again...something he is able to do at the drop of a hat. so what we have here is a more commercially sounding record, the lyrics are still filled with some doom and gloom but tend to get lost with the music, Young has commented on this album in his official biography "shakey" by saying he got all the gut wrenching guilt out of his system on Tonights The Night, and this one is just therapudic self analysis and realising that just as good times pass so do the bad/difficult ones also. "walk on", the lead single off this one is another lighthearted jab at the southern states for venting their anger out on him over his "southern man" track on "after the goldrush", allbeit with a blues tune."ambulance blues" is young hitting back at the media for criticising his previous two tours. "revolution blues" is his take on the whole Manson Family from his perspective via his visits to see Manson in the late 1960s. "motion pictures" is a song for his soon to be ex-girlfriend Carrie Snogress, the other tracks are purely him performing self therapy on the previous 18 months of his turbulant life. the pick of the tracks here is the brilliant "for the turnstiles",again, all tracks here were recorded in one take in the studio.
all in all this is another great album, but not one to use as an introduction to his material.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

tracks:

1. walk on*** #69 US
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVS8D0Xg5KE audio
2. see the sky***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAtH0RJzaN4 audio
3. revolution blues***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZdPts3gEjg audio
4. for the turnstiles***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMt82WuyJDk audio
5. vampire blues***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO-BUPns7x0 audio
6. on the beach**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSFUKmmcRBU audio
7. motion pictures**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxsOh3V3bq4 audio
8. ambulance blues**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqEwhrQZAmI audio

3s=5
2s=3
1s=0

rating: 2.6

[CRAZY-HORSE]

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE "zuma" 1975. #25 US, #44 UK, #44 AU

with all the crap,mental stress, anphetamine,coke and booze problems behind him Young set to work on another Crazy Horse album, this one was recorded in a more traditional sense, being proper rehearsals and numerous takes in the studio, still no ovedubs and probably a bit under produced to reflect the raw nature of Crazy Horse playing style.
this is probably the most radio friendly album of his career, yet failed to get ariplay and decent sales...due in part to the dark,gloomy past releases, and this probably made fans wary of NY.
theres quite an eclectic mix of tracks on here from the Searchers sounding "dont cry no tears",through folk,country,country/pop,rock to the sublime epic "cortez the killer" about the Spanish Conquistador Cortez's murderous exploits in South America.the track is a follow on from the guitar solo songs from "everybody knows this is nowhere", only more mature musically and lyrically. theres even a track on here by CSNY in "through my sails", recorded during short lived rehearsals a couple of years previous.
this one is another classic NY album,as with all his material from the first decade of his proffessional music career,again, not a bad track in view.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

tracks:

1. dont cry no tears***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrTSF-v8Vs audio
2. dangerbird**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u5gCiKq9...re=related audio
3. pardon my heart**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZXM5aaP...re=related audio
4. lookin' for a love***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFs_4N5PU...re=related audio
5. barstool blues***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsmWcxRSh...re=related audio
6. stupid girl**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UI9MlSjiRA audio
7. drive back**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68MlGo_INnc audio
8. cortez the killer***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GDIkb5CDUY live
9. through my sails**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9cHkX5Ng2o audio

3s=4
2s=5
1s=0

rating: 2.4

[CRAZY-HORSE]

and so ends the first decade of Neil Young's career, and what a start it was, eleven very good to excellant albums, all which have stood the test of time to show the genius that is NY, also showing there is more to Neil Young than two country/folk songs in "old man" and "heart of gold".