(Neil Young is not my favorite artist although I do
like him very much nor did he produce the best record of the 1970’s but he did
produce a number of stellar records within that decade so I’m giving him his
own post)
AFTER
THE GOLD RUSH (1970) Young’s best record and it’s like a textbook of what makes
him great – His singing voice, perhaps music’s most honest vocal, his deceptively
simple songwriting, his ability to alternate loud and soft styles for the same
effect. His best collection of songs –
Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Don’t Let It Bring You Down, Birds, When You
Dance
RUST
NEVER SLEEPS (1979) Young closed out the decade with his second best
record. Perhaps his best expression of
the loud and the soft as he very clearly tells those who wrote him off him or
any aging rocker in the wake of punk rock and the death of Elvis F You. Relevance x 100.
ZUMA (1975)
Young at his most solid, pretty ballads but also a barn burner like Danger Bird
where he can solo away.
TONIGHT’S
THE NIGHT (1975) Hailed by many as his masterpiece. His mediation on death and loss and drug
abuse in the wake of the deaths of two people close to him must be listened all
the way through. It is brilliant and
moving but many of the songs here are too tired sounding and weird to exist separately.
HARVEST
(1972) Young uses acoustic based music, some country influences, and strings to
produce a quiet melodic record of very nice songs.
ON
THE BEACH (1974) His most challenging record of the 70’s. It’s weird sure but also arty and the songs
are very diverse.
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