release date: Jun. 20, 1977
format: cd (2003 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: David Briggs & Neil Young with Tim Mulligan
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada
Track highlights: 1. "The Old Country Waltz" - 5. "Bite the Bullet" - 7. "Will to Love" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Like a Hurricane" (5 / 5)
8th studio album by Neil Young is actually a really strange collection of songs, and a bit of a 'weird' release. It contains tracks with Crazy Horse and The Bullets recorded over a period of almost 30 months, which explains the variety of songs, but what makes it strange, is its style. Some songs are pure country and country folk with fiddle and banjo, whereas others are electrified folk rock / blues rock and strong songs, but stylistically far from other tracks. The recordings stretch back to sessions around the Zuma album. Whether or not it's the case, some tracks could be left-overs that didn't make it on that album, or were excluded from Tonight's the Night, and other tracks seem more associated with Young re-connecting with his old friend Stephen Stills - again, explaining the country references. Apparently, five of the tracks on the album were intended for an unreleased album Chrome Dreams, and two tracks for another unreleased album, Homegrown, which included several tracks that were released with Tonight's the Night.
The most memorable track is the giant "Like a Hurricane" - a true modern classic, which is the album's biggest asset. Some of the songs date back to 1974 and feature Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on vocals, some songs are band material and others only feature Neil on harmonica and acoustic guitar. It's really too much of a blend but on the other hand it does contain really fine single tracks. Basically, it's more like a compilation album. My initial feelings about it had me think of it as a minor and negligible work, but it has grown on me after some time. Perhaps, just because the tracks are quite good on their own.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars, Rolling Stone review ]
