I have been given many, many boxes of CDs (I do love it when friends and colleagues “go digital”, as I’m the beneficiary of their old physical product).
One box contains a near full catalogue of Neil Young. Now, I already own some of these but now have a perfect opportunity to fill the gaps.
But … when does Shakey become “completists only” rather than “must have”?
I’m drawing the line at 1995s Mirror Ball, and 1997s (live) Year Of The Horse.
So what delights am I missing if I set this line in the sand?
Well the live with Crazy Horse at the Fillmore came out in 2006 but is from 1971. Either way, it’s indispensable.
Removed from box, and added to the “give it a listen” pile
see also Way Down In The Rust Bucket, which is a 1990 Crazy Horse show that was only released a few years back. It’s brilliant, better than Weld imo. If they’d only played Powderfinger that night it’d be the perfect electric Neil album.
Dittoed. I’d have added that but I couldn’t remember the name. Essentially Ragged Glory live, and what could be better.
While NY ceased to be an every album artist for me around the time that Are You Passionate came out in the early noughties, I probably buy more of his releases than I skip.
One of my more recent (Archive) purchases was Toast, many of the songs on which appear as inferior versions on the “officially released” AYP
Are You Passionate is the one with Booker T?
It’s in the box, and I will give it some attention
Didn’t we do this recently?
Albums after Sleeps with Angels that I like:
Silver and Gold (2000)
Greendale (2003)
Prairie Wind (2005)
Le Noise (2010)
Psychedelic Pill (2012)
I have most of the others but never play them.
I did have a quick listen to Silver and Gold, but was not sold on it hence why my line was drawn where it was.
More fool me for not checking on anything after, but a recommendation is a recommendation and one must consider others knowledge
I’d agree with dai, apart from Greendale – really? A concept album – a 10-song musical novel about a village, I found it terribly hokey. Maybe I need to relisten.
Silver and Gold has Razor Love which is ace, and Prarie Wind really shows the tender vulnerable side of Neil.
A concept album you say – about the village where Postman Pat does his rounds?
Postman take a look at my life, I’m a lot like you were
Greendale has about 4 really good songs. But the live version is superior, either solo or with The Horse
Did we?
Like Dai, I continued to buy them for years after Ragged Glory or Harvest Moon and, like Dai, I never play them – even the ones Dai still likes. That still leaves me 25 years of albums (alright, 1968 to 1992 is 24 years), which is surely enough?
Some of the Archive series are excellent. I particularly like Live at Massey Hall 1971.
Psychedelic Pill is a good one and that’s fairly recent
It is but i dont play it.
Fairly recent by AW standards, or twelve years ago in civilian speak.
For me Sleeps with Angels was the last essential NY, though I bought many later albums of which Mirror Ball and Greendale are the only ones I ever listen to. Most of the archive releases are worth a punt though, including the ‘lost’ albums Hitchhiker, Homegrown, Toast and Chrome Dreams. Of the many performance series and ‘bootleg’ releases I’d single out Massey Hall, Carnegie Hall and Way Down in the Rust Bucket as essential, but I have them all, and all of them are better than anything new released this century.
There are loads of great archive releases, live and studio, I didn’t include them in my list, new albums only
Rust Bucket is indeed brilliant. Just shades TFA as my fave live Neil album
Neither Rust Bucket or Psychadelic Pill are there – I will seek alternative listening for those 2.
Still not convinced by Silver and Gold, but did enjoy Prarie Wind. I think I may be pushing the line on to 2005
(Silver and Gold stays for timeliness purposes)
If you get the chance, R, check out the Heart of Gold concert film of The Ryman Theatre concert he did in Nashville around the time PW came out.
Greendale is replete with much top shelf tuneage and has a compelling (trite, but forgiveably so) narrative to hang its songs across.
I’m particularly fond of “Bandit”, but there is much to love on this one, with nary a weak track.
Though the live versions, which no doubt are all over the youtubes, do show marked improvements on the CD versions – I see this has previously been mentioned and I echo it.
There is a Greendale live album released in the last few years (Return to Greendale) The original CD also came with a solo performance in Dublin on DVD. This is how I first heard it with Neil’s lengthy stories in-between tracks.
https://exclaim.ca/music/article/neil_young_crazy_horse_return_to_greendale_album_review
The one with Fucking Up, so Ragged Glory. Too many rags, not enough glory.
I’m sorely tempted to draw a line before anything he’s ever recorded.
His voice has always annoyed me. The vocal equivalent of fingernails on a blackboard.
But I can tolerate a few of his Buffalo Springfield songs, some of “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, most of “After The Goldrush”, some of “Harvest” and his contributions to “Deja Vu”.
But that’s it for me, really.
I forgot that I used to like some of “Rust Never Sleeps”. Haven’t heard it in years.
I’d say stop at Sleeps With Angels but the 69 into 70s material is the best. After SWA there are good things here and there but not really of the same calibre. I mean I enjoy the Barn stuff, especially experienced via youtube as a video. Chevrolet also good.
another thumbs up here for:
Prairie Wind
Psychedelic Pill
Although his quality control has been questionable for some time now, I think Colorado (2019) and World Record (2022) are both pretty good. And of the many odds and sods that have resurfaced in recent years, Toast, which was mystifyingly dumped in favour of Are You Passionate (2002) is genuinely top-notch.
The only Neil Young album I’ve ever bought was Hawks and Doves. Bit of a weird choice, I think, as it never gets mentioned by anybody ever. I can’t say I like it. I only bought it for Little Wing.
Little Wing is a great song. I don’t actually mind Hawks & Doves, too, but it’s probably Neil at his most reactionary.
Wasn’t that around the time he was telling everyone to vote for Ronnie Reagan