Part of the trick of a series like this is periodization, but in Young's case his first phase is pretty easy to divine: before Crazy Horse and after Crazy Horse. Even if he doesn't play most of his albums with the Horse, that's the moment when he went from being a member of a band to the leader of a band. His songs also picked up more confidence in that period. Young's early efforts show someone who, in the words of a song of this era, was "learning to fly."
Buffalo Springfield, 1966
In the aftermath of the British Invasion the garages of North America exploded with rock bands trying to find a sound. Most of them cut a locally-released single or two then faded into obscurity. One of those bands was the Mynah Birds, Young's group after The Squires, a pre-Invasion surf rock band. He then famously moved from Canada to LA and met up with Stephen Stills to form Buffalo Springfield. Along with Love and The Doors they were part of a formidable scene that moved beyond garage rock into something more complex and profound.
Buffalo Springfield would grow even more with their next album, but their debut puts them miles ahead of their contemporaries. "For What It's Worth," their big single (added to later versions of this album) is still used today as a shorthand for the 1960s in films and TV to the point of cliche. There's something spooky about this song and the Springfield's other best tracks on this record, like "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing." Not every track is killer, but this is a strong first effort overall and a harbinger of what's to come.
Rating: Three and a half Neils
Buffalo Springfield Again, 1967
Things come together much better with this album. Evidently the band took their time recording it, and it shows. It starts with "Mr Soul," an absolute barnburner where Stills and Young craft a killer twin-guitar attack. "Bluebird" contains a similar energy that pushes the song to the bursting point. I tend to like those rockers best, but there are a couple of moody, grandiose pieces by Young that point to something else: "Expecting to Fly" and "Broken Arrow." There is a painful longing in these songs that will go on to define some of his best subsequent work. Here, when he is so young, it verges on sounding adolescent and petulant. Even so, this is a fantastic record. If the band had managed to hold together I bet it would be their music, not the Eagles, all over classic rock radio for decades to come. While I would have been glad to have been spared The Eagles, we got CSN, Poco, and Neil Young's solo career out of the breakup, which is far better.
Rating: Four and a half Neils
The Last Time Around, 1968
The last Buffalo Springfield album was mostly thrown together and Neil Young has disowned it, but I like it. There's a relaxed, hazy vibe I find appealing. "On the Way Home" and "I am a Child" are great Young compositions. Some of the songs stick out too much and others are half-baked but it's an enjoyable listen all around. The country touches point to how Richie Furay and Jim Messina would go on to form Poco, an unjustly forgotten country rock pioneer. Again, Buffalo Springfield could've been The Eagles, but better. Their three albums add up to a helluva greatest hits record, one everybody should own.
Rating: Four Neils
Neil Young, 1968
Neil went solo with a self-titled record, a statement of independence. Believe it or not, I had never listened to this one all the way through before starting this series. It's been described as "uneven," and that's a fair assessment. The sound is very raw and moody, with Young not quite in control of the tone. "The Loner" is the key standout, one of the best songs he ever wrote. (I also used the "unplugged" version of this as a sort of personal anthem in my anti-social teenage years.) These early records show an artist tapping into something unique and special, but he has not yet figured out to give it proper shape and definition.
Rating: Three and a half Neils
Sugar Mountain Live At Canterbury House, recorded 1968 and released 2008
Now we are getting into Young's "archives" releases, which have more than paid off on their promise. Young had talked about it for years, building up high expectations and for once the hype was worth it. The production on his first record doesn't work for me; these solo live recordings give the songs the air they need. Young's links to what he later called "the old folkie days" are here. The eponymous song, which was later shunted off as a B-side, is one of his most beautiful. He wrote it as a 19-year old, already sad about childhood's end. I first heard it at 17 when I was having similar emotions and the song zapped me like few others ever have. This recording is interesting as a document, since it includes some hippie stage banter and a window into a lost world of folk music clubs. Young's voice and playing are top-notch and the emotions come through strong. Listening to this I can hear the seeds of the success that Young will soon harvest. (Yes, I intended that pun.)
Rating: Four and a half Neils
Live at the Riverboat 1969, released 2009
Here's another show from the Archives series from the same winter of 1968-1969. I had not heard this one before doing this project. A lot of the tracks are similar to the Sugar Mountain release, but the stage banter feels edgier in this one. The sound quality is not quite as good, but apart from that it's about the equal of the prior release. Both show that Young was maturing and ready to truly take flight.
Rating: Four Neils
