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 an odd release. It contains tracks with Crazy Horse and The Bullets recorded over a period of almost 30 months, from Dec. '74 to Apr. '77, which explains the variety of songs but what makes it even more varried, is its style. Some songs are pure country and country folk accompanied by fiddle and banjo, whereas others are electrified folk and blues rock, 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 particular album, or they were excluded from Tonight's the Night, and then other tracks appear 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... Yes, it's a bit of a mess, and it's something Young himself has tried to get around with his 'Official Release Series'.
The most memorable track is the absolute 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 takes. Basically, it's more of a compilation album of rare and unreleased tracks. 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 ]