reviewed by Jimmy “Hambone” Hamilton, independent writer
As a guy who does his best to keep up with what’s current in the business, I listen to a lot of new music, both live and pre-recorded. There is a lot to like for sure, but also a whole lot that just sounds the same. I always have my ears open for an original sound, an artist that is recognizable almost instantly from the first notes of a new song. There are so few of them out there.
I was driving home one recent evening from a local venue, where I sat through an hour of listening to another Limp Bizkit wannabe, shouting unintelligible lyrics and compensating for a lack of musical ability with volume and angry posturing. I had a slight headache and needed a little something to detox my overloaded brain. I glanced through the CD case looking desperately for some mental salve, and pulled out an old chestnut, “Harvest” by Neil Young.
Let me begin by telling you that Neil Young is my all-time favorite solo artist. I got introduced to his music with this album, in the mid-seventies by an older cousin, and right away I was hooked. There are tons of singer-songwriters out there but only a handful of true originals. I put Young on a very short list with Bob Dylan as weird guys who have had incredible careers, despite singing voices that are (let’s be charitable and say) unconventional.
Young was born in
His 1970 solo album “After the Goldrush” received critical acclaim and the title song is still one of my personal favorites but it was the release of “Harvest” in 1972 that sent his solo career into the stratosphere.
Recorded primarily in
The album starts with Young’s simple yet moving harmonica intro on “Out On The Weekend”, a song that over the years has been covered by a number of artists, and recorded in a wide variety of styles.
“A Man Needs a Maid” switches Young from guitar to piano for what I think is one of his prettiest songs.
Even the most casual fan is probably familiar with “Heart of Gold”, the song that still stands as Young’s best selling single. “
I could go on and on about this haunting melancholy classic as plenty of others have done before me, Rolling Stone magazine ranks it the #74 all-time, but I hesitate to characterize it as the highpoint in his long career.
His almost cult like popularity, has enabled him to experiment with various musical styles over the years. On his albums “Reactor” and “Trans” with his band Crazy Horse he explored techno. With “This Note’s for You” he sampled blues. He is political and outspoken in his music, with songs like “Rockin in the Freeworld” and albums like “Living with War”. He was an original founder of the Farm Aid movement, and was elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as both a solo artist and a member of CSN&Y.
He has influenced countless musicians to the point that he earned his nickname “The Godfather of Grunge”. Kurt Cobain’s use of Neil’s line “It’s better to burn out than it is to rust” was part of the Nirvana front man’s suicide note. Young has never played the song “My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)” live since.
His squeaky, creaky voice isn’t run of the mill fare by any measure and it’s really hard to explain his continued appeal, but I assure you if you give a listen to Neil Young’s “Harvest” and don’t feel something…. well, I feel sorry for you.