release date: Jul. 29, 1974
format: cd (2003 hdcd remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Neil Young; David Briggs; Mark Harman; Al Schmitt
label: Reprise Records, Germany - nationality: Canada
5th studio album by Neil Young with various producers is truly Neil back on top of... everything. Having released his 3 great folk rock singer / songwriter country rock albums, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, and Harvest, this is his first real electrified blues rock album release in a singer / songwriter mode, almost in style with albums by Bob Dylan (whom he also was inspired by), only, this is so much better. The album wasn't a great contemporary success and soon seemed forgotten. In retrospect, however, the album is considered one of his true masterpieces and it has been included on many musical best of lists. It wasn't issued on cd until 2003 and had a long time featured as a cult album that everyone praised but only few actually knew of.
The album was recorded shortly after the recording sessions for Tonight's the Night and both albums are from a black period in Neil's personal life - he was himself a heavy heroin addict at the time and many of his friends and musical associates died from their drug abuse. Crazy Horse members feature on the studio recordings, as well as Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and the two The Band members: Rick Danko and Levon Helms.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". , and it's enlisted as number #5 on the "Readers' Poll: The Best Neil Young Albums of All Time" in Rolling Stone Magazine".
This album is one of my favourite Neil Young albums and of course highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]
1974 Favourite releases: 1. Tom Waits The Heart of Saturday Night - 2. Neil Young On the Beach - 3. Mike Oldfield Hergest Ridge
