Macca May Part Three: Lost and Found

In the mid-70s Paul McCartney climbed back on top of the pop world, finishing it all up with a massive tour and triple live album. Despite that apparent success, he soon found himself adrift, and then in a crisis that threatened his career. Somehow he managed to pull out of it to once again establish his relevance and ability to change with the times. McCartney would follow up his early 80s renaissance with a long stint in the wilderness, but that shouldn't detract from how well he navigated a really difficult midlife crisis.

London Town, 1978

This is officially a Wings record, but like Band on the Run, it's only with Linda and Denny Laine. As in the past, this small lineup actually results in a better album than what he normally does with a full band. After rocking out a bit with his recent Wings material, Paul opts here for yacht rock. In this case it's literal, as much of the album was recorded on a yacht in the Caribbean. That might seem a recipe for disaster, but I have always had a soft spot for this album. If I have learned anything about this series, it's that Paul is best as a solo artist when he works with fewer collaborators and tries to narrow his focus.

Not all of the songs work, but "London Town" is one of my favorite solo Paul tracks. It does a great job of giving the feel of London on a rainy day, and sounds like the Beach Boys if they had been from Southwark instead of Southern California. At other moments he gets cheeky and adventurous, as on "Famous Groupies." As with Band on the Run, he sounds like he's actually enjoying himself.

Rating: Four Pauls

Back to the Egg, 1979

On this album Paul goes back to a bigger Wings, and the results are quite lackluster. The songs just flat-out lack distinction. There's no great pop song here, and while the proggy flourishes are interesting, they aren't wedded to quality songs. I get the feeling that this was a rush job so that he could get back on tour. The best thing about it is the cover, which is some faint praise indeed. 

Just as Paul was hitting an artistic low, he slammed into a personal one, too. Wings came to Japan in January 1980 to tour, and a large amount of weed was found in Paul's luggage. He spent over a week in jail, and could in fact have spent several years there if the Japanese government wanted to throw the book at him. He didn't, but this meant the end of Wings. Perhaps it took a truly scary experience for Macca to find a new direction. 

Rating: Two and a half Pauls

McCartney II, 1980

This was all recorded before the arrest in Japan, showing that even before that setback Paul was wanting to get more adventurous again. It's a stripped down, one man band record like his first solo album, but one reflecting an interest in new wave, disco, and punk. After listening to his mediocre to pretty alright material after Band on the Run, this is a true revelation. Right off the bat, the funky groove of "Coming Up" sets a fantastic tone. He goes right from this to "Temporary Secretary," a weird experiment that has become a massive cult hit. While I am not a huge fan of the song, it represents why I like this album so much: Paul is experimenting again. His best work with the Beatles was all about pushing the envelope and doing new things, whether it was the string quartet of "Eleanor Rigby" the manic insanity of "Helter Skelter" or the song suite that closed out Abbey Road. 

He's also able to lean on his pop sensibilities. "Waterfalls" is a gorgeous love song with his new synth sounds woven in. A lot of the other songs are not as memorable, but this a vibes affair, a hang-out record. It's one I never tire of, and while writing this I decided to throw it on again. This album makes me wish he had spent the 70s continuing to pioneer lo-fi and bedroom pop rather than trying to make Wings a thing. That band could have worked as a side project for rocking out. A missed opportunity. 

Rating: Four and a half Pauls

Tug of War, 1982

Right here Paul took the independence and rejuvenation of McCartney II applied it to his incomparable pop music skills. Miraculously, the guy who seemed completely lost at the end of the 70s was back on the top of the pop charts in the early 80s. There is a confidence you can hear write from the opening title track, something missing from his more mediocre Wings albums of the prior decade. Yes, there is some real premium grade A cheese on the likes of "Ebony and Ivory," but the hooks are so damn good that I can forgive it. On other songs, like "Take It Away," he throws in unexpected flourishes just when you think he's getting too smooth. What I appreciate the most is that he is not just going back to his old sounds or aping the styles of the early 80s in ways that would sound dated now. "What's That You're Doing" may sound inescapably 80s, but is also sounds like a million bucks. More than that, there's real guts and heart here. If only McCartney had sustained that for the rest of the 80s.

Rating: Four and a half Pauls

Pipes of Peace, 1983

These songs were mostly recorded at the same sessions as Tug of War, and so have the feeling of warmed-over leftovers. The edge and adventure of Tug of War are mostly missing here except for "Say Say Say," a killer hit Macca did with Michael Jackson. (It's far far better than "The Girl is Mine.") "Say Say Say" is the first McCartney song I remember, and I did not yet even know the Beatles were a thing. My main takeaway was "I kinda like Michael Jackson's goofy friend." The title is song is likely a statement on the recently concluded Falkland Islands War. It is quite treacly, but for the past two days I have not been able to get the song out of my head. A lot of the songs have a theme of love on the rocks and apologizing, which gives things more of a somber note. It's not as strong as his last record, a harbinger of Paul's decade-long fall into the wilderness.

Non-Album Singles

"Mull of Kintyre" b/w "Girls School"

I read in a Rolling Stone magazine one time in high school that his had not only been his biggest hit in the UK, but the biggest selling single anybody had ever put out there. It's a good song to be sure, but not as distinguished as the likes of "Maybe I'm Amazed" or "Band on the Run." In any case, it's a lovely song about the area around his farm in Scotland. As someone who has adopted a place far from where he was born as his homeland, I like the sentiment. "Girls School" is a surprisingly fun rocker on the B side.

Rating: Fab

"Wonderful Christmastime" b/w "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reggae"

I almost felt like fucking with you all and giving this a "fab" rating. Over the years, this wet fart of a song has had me in a Stockholm Syndrome situation. By any objective measure it is truly awful, a distillation of the wretchedness of so much Christmas season music. However, I kinda respect that it has become the Holy Grail of crappy Christmas songs. Paul understood the assignment. 

Rating: Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Don't 

Mecca May Part Two: Return

McCartney’s first two solo records were interesting, homespun little jewels. His first two records with Wings were sclerotic and frankly sloppy. Paul could have given up at that point, but he bounced back with aplomb, entering the most popular phase of his solo career with what he had been missing: great pop songs. While McCartney found his mojo again, he only put out one truly great album in this era, and would soon find himself adrift yet again. 

Band on the Run, 1973

Two members of Wings left after the lackluster Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway. Paul made the admirable decision to shake things up. He looked at where EMI had recording studios, and decided to record his next record in Lagos, Nigeria. It was the kind of wild, impulsive thing he needed to inspire a new wave of creativity. Only Linda and Wings stalwart Denny Laine came along, giving this album a similar feel as his first two (which is a good thing).

Miracle of miracles, McCartney got his immense pop chops back. “Band on the Run” and “Jet” sound amazing even today after decades on classic rock radio. I’ve also developed a new appreciation for “Mamunia,” a beautiful song about the LA rain and accepting what comes to you in life. It’s a strong record top to bottom with catchy hooks galore. It’s almost as if the messsage is, “Lest you forget, I’m still Paul fucking McCartney.” This record hit as the other Beatles were losing steam. Paul was now the most relevant Beatle after a couple years in the wilderness. While he was not able to follow it up, I think this one has to be considered a top five Beatles solo album. 

Rating: Five Pauls

Venus and Mars, 1975

This album is not as good as Band on the Run, but far better than the other preceding Wings records. Not all of the songs are memorable, but it’s a well-crafted set. “Venus and Mars” and “Rock Show” start things off with excitement and would make a perfect concert opener once Wings went on tour. “Listen to What the Man Said” is insanely catchy. "Letting Go" has a great down-and-dirty blues vibe. None of the other songs make the same impression, but they come off well. The presence of Jimmy McCulloch, who can really let it rip on guitar, helps liven things up. 

Rating: Four Pauls

Wings at the Speed of Sound, 1976

This is more of a band effort, which is not a good thing. There’s still some catchy tunes, like “Let ‘em In” and “Silly Love Songs.” Both, however, show that Paul was lapsing again. The first song is about…answering the door. The man knew how to write hooks, but he too often wedded them to phenomenally stupid lyrics. John would’ve laughed this one out of the studio of Paul had presented it to the Beatles. “Silly Love Songs” basically celebrates his status as a schlockmeister. He's telling the world that yes, he writes silly loves songs, so fucking what. That all sounds a wee bit defensive and self-indulgent. The thing is, Paul’s bass playing on it is amazing. It raises the question of how a man this talented could toss off his abilities so frivolously. It's a frustration I have had time and again listening to most of these albums. 

Rating: Three and a half Pauls

Wings Over America, 1976

The arena rock show was one of the key cultural innovations of the 1970s. The double live album became a necessary addition to every band’s catalog, big or small. Paul was no ordinary artist, so his live album is a triple. People flocked to the Wings shows for that old Beatles magic, and Paul obliged them. He plays songs like "Blackbird" and "Yesterday" solo acoustic, emphasizing that HE made these songs. The length of this one is a bit of an issue, but the performances are energetic and fun. The surest way for a legacy music act to make a pile of dough is to give the fans what they want, and that's exactly what McCartney does here. After this moment of triumph, McCartney would fumble around for awhile through the rest of the 70s.

Rating: Four Pauls

Non-album singles

(Again, for these the ratings are Fab, Meh, and Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Don't)

"Helen Wheels" b/w "Country Dreamer," 1973

This one was recorded in Lagos during the Band on the Run sessions. The A side is a great little rock and roll raver, not as produced as the stuff that would make the album. It's got a Chuck Berry feel and fun to play behind the wheel of a car. It's a bit slight compared to the songs on the album, but whatever. The B side is a leftover from earlier sessions, but I dig the laid-back feel and country steel guitar. It's another side of Paul, the kind of small revelation I always love to get on a B-side. 

Rating: Fab

"Junior's Farm" b/w "Sally G," 1974

Alright, I'll say it, I love this song. The lyrics might be slight but there's such propulsion and looseness. I love how Paul says "take me down Jimmy" right before new guitarist Jimmy McCulloch rips open a great solo. This, to me, is what Wings could have been had they been willing to rock full-time. The B-side is another country track, and it makes me wish Wings had cut a full country record. 

Rating: Fab

(I'm not including the Dixieland jazz single Wings recorded as The Country Hams because, well because)

Macca May Part One: Man on the Run

While Paul has had the most successful post-Beatles career, he seems to have been the bandmate most negatively affected by the breakup. The recent Get Back documentary illustrates how hard he was working to keep the group together, and how much friction he was sparking with George and John in the process. By all accounts, McCartney sank into depression, drinking, and isolation. (Tom Doyle's Man on the Run is a fine account of McCartney in the 70s, btw.) His first set of solo records are the story of a man facing the abyss, then finding deeper meaning from his family. In this recovery mode Macca is not writing the kinds of show-stoppers he was known for in the Beatles. The fans did not react well, but his first two records just might be the genesis of the whole lo-fi genre.

McCartney, 1970

It confuses me that this fine album was panned so thoroughly upon release. It was probably because Paul included the "self-interview" in the liner notes about leaving the Beatles, and because the music was so stripped down, especially compared to recent Beatles records. The liner notes broke a lot of hearts, and the music itself confounded people's expectations. It's telling that the front cover is a striking artistic photo without McCartney's face or name, while the back has the lovely picture of him holding his baby daughter Mary in his jacket. The whole thing is a declaration that the Beatles are done and that Paul is focusing on matters closer to home. I am sure that was a shock to the 60s generation. As someone born five years after this album came out, I can listen to it on its own terms.

The fact that McCartney recorded all the instruments himself reveals his virtuosity. He's an excellent drummer and guitar player. The hard drum hits on "Momma Miss America" are thrilling and the subtle touch on the kit brings out the pathos of "Every Night." "Maybe I'm Amazed" is his one big Beatles-y ballad in the old mode, but it also includes a stirring guitar solo. Because this is an intentionally lo-fi album made at home on a four-track, not all of the songs are as finished as they could be. "Junk" is probably the most emblematic song. It's a little, gorgeously affecting thing, little bauble of a cast-off about old odds and ends, much like these songs. "Every Night" is the most meaningful, in that Paul details his depression and how Linda is the one thing allowing him to hold on. Despite our stereotypes about McCartney's "silly little love songs" this is a deadly serious one. 

Rating: Four and a half Pauls (out of five)

Ram, 1971 (with Linda McCartney)

After taking some first steps with the lo-fi approach, McCartney masters it with Ram, which is certainly among his favorite album among rock snobs. Being one myself I probably concur. While there's a lot of spare songs he also brought in the more orchestral mode he had perfected with the Beatles on "Admiral Halsey/Uncle Albert" and "Back Seat of My Car." The former is a little silly but quite beautiful and fun. He does a great job of evoking a rainy Sunday afternoon early in the song, and the "hands across the water" chorus is practically transcendent when it hits. I might like "Back Seat of My Car" even more, since it shows off McCartney's bright guitar tone so well. 

From the first song, it's also apparent that Paul has shaken off the deep blues so apparent on his first album. Here he is feisty on "Too Many People," taking a couple of potshots at John Lennon. It also sets the tone for his new life. He is saying that he just doesn't give a shit what other people want from him. He's going to hang out on his farm, smoke weed, and enjoy time with his family. Accordingly "Long Haired Lady" is a wonderful note to Linda and "Smile Away" and "Dear Boy" allow him to expiate his anger at his former songwriting partner. (In my opinion "Dear Boy" is far more effective than Lennon's "How Do You Sleep." "Eat At Home" is bluesy fun and a little dirty, too. This album got panned at the time but I attribute this to Boomer trauma over the Beatles breakup and Paul refusing to give them the Beatle-y stuff they wanted to hear. Good on 'im. 

Rating: Five Pauls

Wild Life

Oy

McCartney's first effort with Wings was not an auspicious start. The laid-back feel that made his first two records is interesting, but the songs just are not here, to an almost shocking degree. This album was evidently rushed, and that's pretty apparent. While I like his two albums a lot, I understand how at the time they may have looked slight compared to Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and Harrison's All Things Must Pass (which for my money are the two best Beatles solo records.) For McCartney to follow them up with this when his peers had just released some truly epic efforts had to have looked especially awful in the context of the times. 

It's easy to think that McCartney is missing John's input on these songs, but I think John's absence is a problem in a different kind of way. McCartney is a competitive guy with a lot of pride in his craft, and having another great songwriter in the band forced him to try harder to one-up him. Now Paul does not have that motivating factor. These songs are just flacid and forgettable. 

Rating: Two and a half Pauls

Red Rose Speedway, 1973

Things are slightly improved here, with songs that have more shape. Evidently it was supposed to be a double album, but the label forced Paul to cut it down after the lackluster sales of his last record. "My Love" is the hit, and while it is a sign of Paul's increasingly cornball ways, I must admit that it's catchy. The problem is that so many of the songs are indistinct and not fully formed, but not in the charming way they were on Ram. There's a little song suite at the end trying to do what he did on Abbey Road or "Uncle Albert/Adminral Halsey," but it's just turgid. At this point in his career it was obvious that Paul needed a new direction. The fact that members of Wings quit after this album is telling; the project seemed so hopeless that they were willing to give up a sure meal ticket. 

Rating: Three Pauls

Non-Album Singles

Many of McCartney's biggest hits were non-album singles, so I am going to include a special section about them in each installment. Instead of a star rating I will be classifying them as "Fab," "Mid," or "Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Don't." 

"Another Day"/"Oh Woman Oh Why" 1971

This is a song in the vein of "Lady Madonna" and "Eleanor Rigby" about the day-to-day letdowns and struggles of life. It's catchy and affecting and while not a masterpiece is pretty good. The B side has some great slide guitar. It's a perfect B-side: just a rocking little raver of small importance. 

Rating: Fab

"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" 1972

This one, released at the height of the Troubles, got banned from the BBC for its political message. If only the music matched the cause. For such a serious and searing topic this song sounds almost like a tossed off joke. I gave it a slightly higher rating just because I agree with its sentiments.

Rating: Mid

"Mary Had a Little Lamb"/"Little Woman Love" 1972

A nursery rhyme Paul, really? Another sign that he was lost post-Ram.

Rating: Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Don't

"Hi Hi Hi"/"C Moon" 1972

This one got banned on the BBC for drug references, proving once again that Paul was edgier than people normally credit him for. "Hi Hi Hi" is a fun bit of rock and roll, but nothing more than that. I understand why fans at the time were underwhelmed by Paul's efforts. 

Rating: Mid

"Live and Let Die"/"I Lie Around" 1973

George Martin was back producing this Bond theme, perhaps the best one ever. There's more excitement and guts in this one song than all of Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway put together. 

Rating: Fab

Soon after "Live and Let Die," Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine would go off to Lagos together to work on Band on the Run. He would find the spark of creativity he had on his lo-fi records, but finally brought back his pop music mastery into the mix. The result would be the most popular run of any Beatle post-breakup. 

Announcing Macca May

Immediately after doing my Neil Young series a friend asked which legacy artist I was going to cover next. I realized that I actually did want to do another series, but I wasn't sure who. Initially I thought of Richard Thompson, but his music is far too dreary for this sunny time of year. For a minute I thought of a very ambitious project listening to every Beatles solo record, but I don't think I am quite ready for that. However, I soon realized Paul McCartney would be perfect.

When I first got into the Beatles at age 11 Paul was my favorite. When I became a teenager, it was John. Sometime in my late 20s it shifted to George. In a strange twist, I returned to Paul in my 40s. I had long poo-pooed him, so I am actually not that familiar with his solo work. I only listened to a couple of albums and all the hit singles. This series will give me an opportunity to finally dig deeper. 

The first installment will be coming soon.

Neil Young Spring Part Eight: Long May You Run

We've reached the last installment! After taking a crooked path in the 2000s following his 90s comeback, Neil Young jumped back on the Horse in the 2010s and did great work in his garage band mode. I also happened to tune back into his music around this time, going to see the 2011 Jonathan Demme-directed documentary Journeys in the theater. I enjoyed seeing him going back to where he was born in Ontario as well as the live footage from Massey Hall. His newer material sounded pretty vital, so I was willing to put a toe back in. In the last decade or so Young has had some moments of brilliance, but his political commitments have not translated well to song. Nevertheless, he has kept regularly putting out music and changing things up. It seems that he has remembered his admonition that rust never sleeps. He has put out multiple good albums in his 70s, which is something I don't think other legacy artists can say. 

Americana, 2012 with Crazy Horse

Some people poo-poo covers records, but I don't. They can help legacy artists who have hit a rut rediscover the things that inspired them. Bob Dylan has done this multiple times, with his folk covers records in the 90s and his jazz standards covers in the 21st century. After both his songwriting found a new lease on life. On this record Young gets back on the Horse and plays old folk songs with a lot of clash and bash, similar to what Springsteen did on The Seeger Sessions. Folk music is not somber guys emoting in cafes, it's music for hoe-downs and shindigs, something both Young and Springsteen understand. Man I had some fun with this record! Crazy Horse bring their chaotic energy and Young seems to be having a blast. Sometimes things get a little too sloppy and require a dash of polish, but overall this is a good time. 

Rating: Four Neils

Psychedelic Pill, 2012 with Crazy Horse

Going back to his roots certainly inspired Young because this is definitely his best album since the 90s. By the way, does anybody remember buying music on iTunes? For a short period in my life I had the misbegotten idea to cut back on physical media, but hadn't yet started streaming. I would buy not only songs, but whole albums on iTunes. I bought this one after reading a rave from a critic I trusted. I really enjoyed it at the time, struck by how gonzo Young and the Horse got with their extended workouts. In many respects, this is the sequel to Ragged Glory, and just as good. The difficulties in his marriage and approaching mortality come in at different points, most brilliantly in "Ramada Inn." That song is one good enough to go into his pantheon. It's a song about aging, marriage, and alcoholism and completely unsparing. It stretches past fifteen minutes, but is not the longest song on the album. That honor goes to the almost 28 minute long "Driftin' Back." The Horse is in loose jam mode here, and if you go in understanding that you will enjoy this record. Not all 28 minutes of "Driftin' Back" are captivating, but the point is to just sort of lay back and lose yourself. After all, that's what the best psychedelic music can do. "Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream" in the words of one of the genre's pioneering tracks. As with Ragged Glory, Psychedelic Pill references the 60s while still sounding fresh. That Young was able to cut a record like this at age 66 is pretty damn impressive. 

Rating: Five Neils

A Letter Home, 2014

Here were have another covers album. As noted above, these are too often maligned. Interpreting a song is well can be harder than writing a new one. The concept here is that Young is using a restored 1947 recording booth in Jack White's studio. It makes these songs sound like outtakes from Harry Smith's Anthology of Folk Music. I have to admit, I enjoyed the effect and Young seems like he's having some fun here. Unlike Americana, these are not traditional folk songs but songs written by modern folkie songwriters. The takes on fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot's songs are especially strong, as well as a very heartfelt version of Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe." Knowing that Young's marriage to Pegi Young was falling apart at the time gives it even more power. Ultimately this album is a gimmick, but a worthwhile one. 

Rating; Four Neils

Storytone, 2014

One of my favorite things about writing this series has been the many "what the fuck?!?" moments and this was the biggest I've had since Landing on Water. I had done zero research on this one beforehand and when I heard the orchestral strings swelling in my car on the way to the dentist I indeed exclaimed "what the fuck?!?" These songs are performed with big bands and orchestras, some of them reflecting his romance with his current wife Darryl Hannah. (Pegi, who he had recently divorced, was instrumental in starting the Bridge School and was a musical artist in her own right. She sadly passed away five years ago.) There's nothing more foolish in this world than an old man in love with a younger woman and that might explain how this whole thing happened. The thing is...I kinda like it in moments. The preachy hippie environmental songs are grating but some of the music here is effective vocal pop. The biggest issue, as with most of Young's genre experiments, is that his voice is not suited to the material. His voice is pretty singular and weird and vocal pop of this traditional variety requires smooth crooning. Despite the ridiculousness of this album I didn't completely hate it.

Rating: Three Neils

The Monsanto Years, 2015 with Promise of the Real

Uh-oh, Neil is getting back into Living With War territory again. I appreciate his passion for environmental causes but that does not always work musically. Promise of the Real is backing him on this one, doing Crazy Horse slop with but some more youthful vim and vigor behind it. That helps carry some of these tracks, at least. The lyrics though? Woof. They are didactic to the point of ridiculousness, like a blog being sung aloud. Again, I mostly agree with Young's critique of big agribusiness! At the same time, some of the hard-rocking, energetic songs get torpedoed by the clunkiness of the words. Greendale made similar points, but benefitted from from having a story structure to hang Young's ideas on. Despite it not being very good, I once again must commend Young for refusing to be predictable and for being someone who actually cares about the state of the world today.

Rating: Two Neils

Earth, 2016 with Promise of the Real

This is yet another live album, coming from his tour off of The Monsanto Years. As I've mentioned before, his political rants sound less shrill in the live format. I also appreciate a couple of deep cuts from the past being thrown in here, like "Western Hero" and "Vampire Blues." Promise of the Real plays with heart and Young's passion for environmentalism give these live versions some immediacy. As I've said before, however, the songs just aren't that good. "People Want to Hear About Love"'s charms do come off well here, though. 

Rating: Three Neils

Peace Trail, 2016

Young takes a step back with this one, recording with just himself and studio musicians on drum and bass. It's produced by Rick Rubin, the king of late-career legacy artist records. The songs have an immediate sound to them, even if some land better than others. Unlike his last three albums, I was not waiting for this one to end. At the same time, it did not really stick with me much, either. The lyrics are not quite as didactic this time, but a song like "Terrorist Suicide Hang Gliders"....well just look at the title. Like a lot of music of this era, it feels thrown together. I keep wondering what kinds of albums Young would be making if he took his time and concentrated on making one really good one instead of four okay ones. I think about Bob Dylan, whose recent Rough and Rowdy Ways is a masterpiece. Then again, if Young wasn't flying by the seat of his pants, it just wouldn't be a Neil Young record anymore.

Rating: Three and a half Neils

The Visitor, 2017 with Promise of the Real

Young is back with Promise of the Real, and back in political mode again, too. Like the last album he did with them the musical backing gives the songs punch, but the songs themselves aren't much to write home about. This time they aren't quite as cringe, though. I also really dug the gonzo "Carnival" where Young sings like an evil, deranged carny. (Not everyone seems to think the same lol.) The problem is that this just feels like more of the same. Young has impressed me with his ability to shift shapes, but things are getting pretty boring. Lucky for us, he's about to do what he always does when looking for inspiration: ride the Horse. 

Rating: Two and a half Neils

Colorado, 2019 with Crazy Horse

Young gets back on the Horse, but with Nils Lofgren taking over from Poncho Sampedro, who had to retire due to arthritis in his hands. (For a Falstaffian guy like him this just seems cruel.) Lofgren might too good at playing guitar to be in the Horse, but he doesn’t let that on here. After a lot of meh albums with a couple of yikes thrown in this album is a blessing. Befitting the album’s title and Young’s new home, there’s a real Western feel to this one. He lets the preachiness come in only a little on songs like “Shut It Down” and “Rainbow of Colors.” For the most part these songs are more personal and profound. In Young’s late career I wish he cut all his albums with the Horse because that’s when he is clearly at his best.

Rating: Four Neils

The Times, 2020

Colorado marked a return to Young's Crazy Horse mode, and here he is in acoustic folkie mode. Conceptually, this is pretty slight. The Times is an EP of some intimate live performances of older songs. Some of these are warhorses we've heard before, but on their own terms, these are fine renditions. I also have to give it bonus points for containing "Campaigner." The rendition of "Little Wing" is beautiful. 

Rating: Four Neils

Barn, 2021 with Crazy Horse

Young covers similar ground here but does it even better. He manages with “Human Race” to make a good political song that happens to have some ridiculously scorching guitar work, some of the best of his whole career. Lofgren also provides some piano touches of the kind he did on many of the classic 70s records, giving Crazy Horse a new dimension. On this album, the political content goes down easier because the songs can hold up to the words. The lyrics on “Canerican” might be cringe, but the song rocks so hard that you can forget about it. Young's late career is all about spontaneity and capturing moments in time, and this along with Psychedelic Pill do that the best. Barn is really worth your time. 

Rating: Four and a half Neils

Noise and Flowers, 2022 with Promise of the Real 

Now that I am getting near the end of this project I am feeling weary. I thought I knew all the albums I had to cover, then I noticed that this one existed. "Not another live album!" I groaned to myself. Then I saw it was not with the Horse and I was even more disappointed. However, this one pleasantly surprised me due to its song selections. I get the feeling that Promise of the Real pushed Young to play some of their favorite deep cuts. It's great to hear them play the likes of "On the Beach" and "Winterlong." Not all of these renditions are memorable, but at least he's not doing the blog posts masquerading as songs that he cut in the studio. 

Rating: Three and a half Neils

World Record, 2022 with Crazy Horse

In the past five years Young has stayed on the Horse more times than at any point in his career. It's easy to see why, since almost all of his best records in the 21st century have come with them. He wants to keep things free and loose, and his old compatriots know exactly how to make that work. Barn had a lot of hype when it came out, but I hadn't heard anything about this one, so my expectations were not as high. Turns out this is just about as good. Instead of recording in a barn in Colorado, Young and the Horse are at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La studio in Malibu. Having Rubin at the helm keeps the shagginess from being self-indulgent, it's a great blend of fun and craft. As I mentioned before, Nils Lofgren adds a lot to Crazy Horse, especially on piano. Despite having an ace producer, Young is still in the loose jammy mode of recent Crazy Horse records. This works best with the stunning 15 minute "Chevrolet." The one knock on this record is that the lyrics to his earth worship songs are pretty ponderous. As with Barn, the smash and crash of the Horse provides ample distraction. In this respect, Young is like the singer of an 80s hardcore band. 

All Roads Leave Home, with Molina Talbot Lofgren Young

This is a strange one, since it's Young collaborating very loosely with the members of Crazy Horse. All the songs except one are theirs. I wasn't sure whether to include this one or not, but figured I might as well. The members of the Horse aren't the greatest singers, but there's a lot of heart in these tracks. Young's contribution is an intimate acoustic version of "Song of the Seasons" from Barn. The music here is not the Crazy Horse garage jam, but mostly ballads with a folk tinge. Not great, but I appreciated hearing the members of the Horse step out from the background. 

Rating: Three Neils

Rating: Four and a half Neils

Before and After, 2023

This is a strange album, mostly just Young performing stripped-down versions of some of his older songs. I guess if Taylor Swift can do it, why not him? For the most part these are deep cuts, and I like how it feels like I am being invited to hear a songwriter think through his back pages. I also appreciate him doing some of these songs on piano rather than guitar, a throwback to his early 70s live recordings. His voice falters at times, but I find it endearing. Listening to all of this music has given me such a deep appreciation for Young's tenacity. The man is almost 80, yet he's constantly releasing new music and refusing to stick with anything resembling a formula. 

Rating: Four Neils

F##in' Up, 2024

I just listened to this album today, the day of its official release. I find it fitting to end my look at this artist's long and winding catalog with a brand new release in its moment of freshness. It's another live album, this time coming from a small private concert last year. I was initially skeptical, but right from the first notes I realized I had no reason to doubt. Young is back on the Horse, performing reworked versions of songs from Ragged Glory. What blows my mind is how inspiring and fresh this sounds, and how his takes on this material are just as strong as the live tracks over thirty years ago from Weld and Way Down in the Rust Bucket. This album is credited to "Neil and the Horse" since the backing band is the new Crazy Horse plus Lukas Nelson from Promise of the Real. The Horse still bucks and broncs and Young gets some otherworldly sounds from Old Black. His voice has gotten weak, but he keeps with his recent trend of embracing noise as a way to make up for it. The gambit is more than successful. 

Rating: Four and a half Neils 

I am going to write something summing up my thoughts on this experience, but the main thing I'm struck by is that after listening to all these albums for over a month...I still want to listen to more Neil Young! I am not sure there is another legacy musical artist who has managed to be this prolific and wide-ranging into such old age. Long may you run, sir.

Neil Young Spring Part Seven: After the (Late Career) Gold Rush

All good things must come to an end, and Neil Young's 90s renaissance could not last forever. Before embarking on this project, I only had a spotty knowledge of his 2000s material. He did not go back into the Ditch, but Young definitely decided to move away from his traditional modes, to varying degrees of success. In the latter half of the decade he seemed to find his footing, but no album in this period measures up to the best he had made in the prior decade. Nevertheless, I found some of these to be at least interesting.

Road Rock Vol 1, 2000

I was not sure whether to put this one in the last installment or this edition, and basically made the decision to put it here because the 90s post was getting too long. (Not the most honest periodization method, I know.) This is a live album from Young's 2000 tour, and I think its lack of distinctiveness makes it a good curtain-raiser for a more mediocre decade in his career. The music here is by no means bad, just not completely distinct. It starts with a good take on "Cowgirl in the Sand" that lasts 18 minutes. At the same time, why? The same can be said for the extended take on "Words" and the closing cover of "All Along the Watchtower." The sense that Young was leaning on his traditional modes yet building on them is just not there anymore. This album may be good in a vacuum, but there's far, far better things in this mode in his catalog. Ultimately, it's just inessential. 

Rating: Three and a half Neils

Toast, recorded in 2000-2001 released in 2022.

In a sign that Young is not as steady as before, we have our first lost album in awhile. It's recorded with Crazy Horse, but like Sleeps With Angels, it's not a trip back to the garage. I have to say, I liked it. From what I understand, Young's relationship with his longtime wife Pegi was hitting some snags, something that shows up in many of the songs. Crazy Horse grooves along and the emotions are reminiscent of the Ditch years. I am not sure why Young didn't release it, but his newfound tendency to doubt himself is a throwback to his tumultuous 70s. It's certainly better than the record he put out instead. 

Rating: Four Neils

Are You Passionate?, released in 2002

Some of the songs from Toast ended up here, but recorded with Booker T and the MGs instead of Crazy Horse. We are back to Young's 80s experiments in genre, this with time soul music. That band as always sounds fantastic and they are the highlight of this record. What's striking here is Young's voice. He is barely projecting, sounding like a chastised child. The songs reference problems in his marriage, and he really comes off like a man in emotional pain. Unfortunately, soul music requires soul power in the singing, and Young provides the opposite. The elements just don't work together. I am sure his live gigs with Booker T and the MGs are great, but this record lacks that spark. The backing band saves it from being completely missable. 

Rating: Two and a half Neils

Greendale, 2003

Does anybody remember CD burning? For a brief time in the early-to-mid 2000s it was a big way for me to access music. My friends would get stuff and burn it for me and I would give them burns of stuff I had and they didn't. We were all music nuts, so doing this did not mean spending less on CDs, it meant we got more bang for our buck. I listened to this one in the burned CD format, and had mixed reactions. Young plays with Crazy Horse but without Poncho on rhythm guitar. I like the stripped-down sound and the loose, jammy quality. This is an old-school concept album, telling the story of a family in a small town and touching on police violence and environmentalism. It has the same problem all rock operas do, in that songs based on plot get boring and indistinct. Despite that persistent issue, I enjoyed listening to it again after a twenty-year hiatus. There's a similar vibe as Toast in terms of Crazy Horse's approach and I have to commend Young yet again for trying new things even in old age. 

Rating: Three and a half Neils

Prairie Wind, 2005

I had never listened to this album before, but I knew the music well from Young's Heart of Gold documentary with Jonathan Demme, filmed around the same time. (I love the Demme docs, more on that later.) In a trend I've noticed with his more folkie material, I prefer Young's live versions over the studio tracks, which creep way too far out of the Ditch into the middle of the road. Not all of the songs are strong, but he's playing with some great country musicians and he captures some of that Harvest spirit. Tellingly for this stage of his career, it's not as good as Harvest Moon. When his songs evoke the landscape of his native Manitoba, this album really gets me. I too was raised on the Great Plains swept by prairie winds, due South from him in Nebraska. 

Rating: Three and a half Neils

Living With War, 2006

The "War on Terror" and the degradations of the Bush years brought a lot of dissent out into the open, but few artists were able to rise to the moment. Political songs are always a challenge because the lyrics are often more suited for writing pamphlets than crafting songs. While this album achieved some acclaim at the time, I think it's mostly because folks were glad to hear a Sixties rocker take on Dubya. Almost twenty years later, it is incredibly cringey. I did find it to be an interesting artifact of a past time, as well as an early example of what has been termed "resistance lib" in the Trump Era. Like a lot of Boomers of this persuasion, Young's objection to a criminal president is rooted in an idealized vision of America he absorbed in his youth (even if he grew up in Canada.) Instead of seeing Bush as the natural outgrowth of a lot of trends in American life, he is talked about as a deviation from the great American way. While this framing serves a political purpose, its naivete grates. The one thing I appreciated is that Young attacks these songs with genuine fire.

Rating: Two Neils

Chrome Dreams II, 2007

Young mysteriously named this as a sequel to one of his "lost" albums even though it does not share much musically or thematically. Whatever his motivations, he starts really strong, sounding better than he has on any officially released album since his 90s comeback. This album really goes all over the place, especially the eighteen-minute "Ordinary People," which he had recorded in the late 80s with the Blue Notes. The thing is, it sounds better than just about any song he put out in that mode! Instead of just playing the blues, he has Old Black growling and scratching with aplomb along with the horn section. There's pretty ballads too, like "Shining Light." "Ever After" is a lovely country song. Not all of these songs work, but the ones that do really grabbed me. If you haven't listened, give it a shot.

Rating: Four Neils

Deja Vu Live, 2008 with CSNY

This was recorded in 2006, in the middle of Young's political reaction to the Bush wars. Young decided to bring the rest of CSNY back together for a tour, attempting to rekindle the hippie political spirit of "Ohio." At the time I must admit I rolled my eyes a little because I was tired of Boomers hogging the mic when it came to anti-war protest. Listening to it now, I was struck by how much better the songs from Living With War sound live. Political messages will always connect better in front of a crowd, and unlike the recent studio CSNY records, those famous harmonies are back. Well, except for the version of “Wooden Ships,” which is more like harm. (The guitars  sound great though.) Here “Let’s Impeach the President” is a raucous party song that based on the crowd’s booing really touched a nerve. While much of this is pretty rote, I at least had to respect that bit of punk edge.

Rating: Three Neils

Fork in the Road, 2009

The blurry Polaroid photo on the cover tells you this is not going to be a clean record, which is just how I like it with Neil. Yes, it's thrown together and sloppy but it's also creative and fun. The lyrics might need more polish but the garage sound kept me tuned in. The theme here is cars, as this came out around the time he rigged up his old Lincoln Continental to be electric. When I read his memoir (which came out a couple of years after this) I must admit I got worn out by all of his talk about electric cars and improved streaming sound. At this stage in his life it felt like he was more interested in his technical hobbies than in his music, which was more tossed off than crafted. Nevertheless, I had fun with this one even though it's on the slight side. I especially enjoyed "Dirty Old Man," which had the gutter punk humor of "Welfare Mothers" all over it. 

Rating: Three and a half Neils

Le Noise, 2010

Until I listened to this one I didn't know that the title was a play on producer Daniel Lanois' name. From the title I expected something that did not sound like a typical Neil Young record, and I was correct. Lanois' production style is distinctive and can be divisive. I tend to be a fan, and on this record Lanois provides his sheen but does not overpower what Neil does best. I have to say, I really liked it. As with his other latter-day records, the lyrics are not exactly inspiring, but the new sound helps cover that up pretty well. It should be noted that even in his heyday Young had some lyrical clunkers, like rhyming "rain" with "rain" on "See The Sky About to Rain." While the 2000s did not produce any classic Neil Young albums, he at least ended things up with three solid efforts. I had a hard time trying to periodize this stage in his career, but I think this is a good stopping point. After a decade of experiments of varying quality, he would move into the 2010s with a return to Crazy Horse. 

Rating: Four Neils

Neil Young Spring Part Six: Shakey’s Return

Neil Young’s decade in the 80s wilderness could have been the end of his career. Instead, he bounced back with a stunning comeback. He managed to return to his strengths without indulging in mere imitation of his glory days like the Stones have been doing forever. In fact, Young became a part of the burgeoning grunge thing in the early 90s. Sonic Youth opened for him, he cut a record with Pearl Jam, and his own work sounded like it came from the present rather than from the past. In this period I became a fan, listening not only to the classics, but also to his new output, which I considered just as good. Like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, Young did not just "come back," he produced new work that could proudly stand tall next to the stuff that had made him famous. Ironically, he found new relevance by returning to the kind of sounds that had made him famous in the first place. 

Freedom, 1989

Right from the first chords of the acoustic version of “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” you just know that the man is back, baby. Not only is it one of his best songs, he dropped it in the same year the Berlin Wall fell. In the midst of all the self-congratulation he wrote the most searing critique of Reagan’s America to make it on the radio this side of “Fast Car.” There’s some other good songs here, especially “Crime In The City.” Some of this record is spotty and uneven, but it is a bona fide Neil Young record, his first in ten years.

Rating: Four Neils

Ragged Glory, 1990 with Crazy Horse

This was the first contemporary Neil Young album I bought and also the first with Crazy Horse I'd ever listened to. I was already a huge Hendrix fan and the guitar tone on this record gave me the same thrill. Young and the Horse sound amazing, like the best garage band that's ever trod the earth. Appropriately, it starts with two songs he wrote in the Zuma days of the mid 70s. Young and the Horse sound like the last ten years hadn't even happened. Appropriately, some of the songs express nostalgia for the sixties, like “The Days That Used To Be” and “Mansion on the Hill,” but this is no throwback. It fits in quite comfortably with the whole grunge sound of the time. The extended rocking out on a couple tracks also mirrors the growing jam band scene of the time. While those workouts maybe don't thrill the people who come to Neil for his directness, they are far from boring. When performed live it gets even wilder and better. 

Rating: Five Neils

Way Down in the Rust Bucket, recorded in 1990 and released in 2021 with Crazy Horse

This live show is an entry in the Archives series and it really blew me away. I hadn't heard this one since embarking on this project, and it now might be my favorite Neil Young live album. It comes from a show at a small venue in Santa Cruz, where Young and the Horse were warming up for their tour. As I have noticed time and again, Young's live performances add a lot to the songs, especially if he is vibing with the audience. It's an appreciative crowd, and Young's guitar work sounds amazing. The Horse is locked in tight, too. The new material from Ragged Glory sounds even better live, with the solos and jams bringing the songs to new heights. I also appreciate the song choices. It's not just the old warhorses, but also the likes of the infamous "T-Bone," which live at a club sounds fun instead of plodding. Albums like this are why the Archives series is such a gift. 

Rating: Five Neils

Weld, 1991 with Crazy Horse

After Ragged Glory Young rode the Horse out on a well-received tour. Sonic Youth opened, a sign that he was not just some geezer but a man who appreciated and supported the younger musicians influenced by him. While this is not as thrilling as Rust Bucket, it's still really damn good. Young gets adventurous, especially on "Like a Hurricane." I remember seeing a report about the tour on MTV News and I was sort of in awe of this group of aging men who were really letting it rip in a wild way that their geezer peers could not attain. I only have to ding this one a little for not being too inventive with the song choices, which are all the most well-known or new in the catalog. The exceptions are an anti-Gulf War cover of "Blowin' In The Wind" and a spirited "Roll Another Number" that closes things out. 

Rating: Four and a Half Neils

Harvest Moon, 1992

While Comes a Time could have been the sequel to Harvest, Harvest Moon very much feels like an official one, twenty years later. It was fitting for Young to make his comeback with Crazy Horse, and then extend that comeback with songs in his folkie vein. Being a middle-aged man, the themes have changed. "From Hank to Hendrix" is a profound song about the transitions of this precarious time in life, and to my mind one of his best ever. The title track is just a truly gorgeous love song, and a rare one about a long-lasting love. The only misstep is the album closer "Natural Beauty," which goes on for eleven minutes in the preachy hippie mode that Young will increasingly take in his lyrics going forward. 

Rating: Four and a half Neils

Dreamin' Man Live '92, released in 2009

Here's another Archives series I'd missed, this time chronicling Young's solo acoustic shows after Harvest Moon. He is in fine voice, and as always his acoustic live sets are just as good as what he puts on record. I was even a little shocked that he managed to make "Natural Beauty" sound less ridiculous. The selections here are all from Harvest Moon, and I do really wish that we got some more catalog tracks so we could hear what he was doing with them at the time. Nevertheless, if you like Harvest Moon you will love this.

Rating: Four and a Half Neils

Unplugged, 1993

How to explain the "unplugged" phenomenon? In the early 90s, in the midst of a revival of more "authentic" rock music, MTV had a series where performers would give acoustic concerts. The results were sometimes pretty fantastic. Nirvana's appearance might be my favorite album of theirs and LL Cool J brought the house down with his. Neil Young was obviously the perfect person for this, and I remember really enjoying his episode at the time, particularly the gritty take on "Mr Soul." Around the same time he did a live show for PBS that I taped and loved for the songs where he brought out an organ. (He does so here, too.) While people have a tendency to poo-poo the Unplugged thing these days, I think this is a strong set with some surprising cuts, including an acoustic "Transformer Man." 

Rating: Four Neils

Sleeps With Angels, 1994 with Crazy Horse

I didn't buy this album until a few months after it came out, and it became the soundtrack to my summer in 1995. I was back in my hometown after my first year of college, extremely lonely and bored. The dark tone, inspired by Kurt Cobain's suicide, fit my mood pretty well. This record is as close as Young got to the emotional Ditch after the the mid-1970s, and the title track, "Trans Am," "Safeway Cart," and "Driveby" would have fit in well on Tonight's The Night. Many songs explored the territory of "Crime in the City" and "Keep Rockin' in the Free World": the desperation of the people left behind by the inequalities of the neoliberal turn of the Reagan era. It's easy to think of the 90s as a carefree time of economic prosperity, but for those of us who were paying attention at the time, things didn't look so great. Kurt Cobain had been a hero of mine as his suicide hurt more than any death of any other famous person possibly could, and this record registers Young's own despair about it, too. This album does suffer a little from CD disease, in that it could be shorter. It's interesting that Young creates mirrors, like using old time piano on the first and last songs and the same tune for "Western Hero" and "Train of Love," but maybe we'd be better off with just one song from each pair. That being said, this album does not hearken back to Crazy Horse's garage adventures or Young's folkie roots; the sound is pretty unique and arresting. the avant-garde touches on "Prime of Life" and the gutter-punk snarl of "Piece Of Crap" still grab me (and my cousin's band performed the latter back in the 90s along with Pearl Jam and Nirvana tunes!) This album is among Young's best. 

Rating: Four and a half Neils

Mirrorball, 1995 with Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam made no secret of their love of Neil Young, yet another thing that made him the coolest Boomer rocker to teenage me. I was really excited when they decided to cut a record together, it was a true "Hey, you got peanut butter on my chocolate!" moment. I still remember the first time I listened to it. I'd gone home from college over Labor Day weekend, which also coincides with my birthday. I got it as a birthday gift, and first listen was in my car driving back to college. A sunny Nebraska road trip was the perfect accompaniment, which is maybe why it just never sounded so good the other times I listened to it. Part of the problem was that my expectations were ridiculous. I had been grooving to Sleeps With Angels and Pearl Jam's Vitalogy that whole summer. While I liked Mirrorball, it just wasn't as good as those other albums. I ended up putting it aside and didn't really pick it up again, even though I thought it was good. Listening to it again now I am struck by how Pearl Jam and Young work well together, and Pearl Jam's, er, heightened musicianship compared to Crazy Horse allows for some new tricks. (Although on "Downtown" it sounds like Pearl Jam is really smelling the Horse.) I must admit, this album is better than I remember, definitely better than the records Young and Pearl Jam would put out next, even if it's not as good as the milestones they just passed. 

Rating: Four Neils

Broken Arrow, 1996

I had been with Young for his 90s comeback up to this point, but I never bought this album. I saw a negative review and decided I should spend my hard-earned cash on Radiohead's The Bends instead (a wise choice.) In many respects this is a throwback to Young’s 80s: scattershot, weak songs, and not memorable. That said, any time Neil gets on the Horse and shreds with Old Black it’s too great to ever really be bad. I think it’s slightly better than its reputation, but not by much.

Rating: Three Neils

Year of the Horse, 1997 with Crazy Horse

I bought this double live album on CD because it was discounted. I liked it, but only OK, and it soon got traded in at the used CD store (remember those?).At the time people wondered why Young was putting out yet another live record. The fact that it draws tracks from Broken Arrow drags it down, but I did appreciate the more obscure selections, especially”Prisoners.” It still rocks hard, and it’s still the Horse, even if this isn’t nearly as good as Weld. The blistering take of "Sedan Delivery" almost gets us there.

Rating: Three and a half Neils

Looking Forward, 1999 with CSNY

I have to say I was dreading this one. The last CSNY record came at the end of Young's crappy 80s, and so the low quality of his work with Messers. Stills, Nash, and Crosby was not so much of a disappointment. This album is pretty undefined and uninteresting, and it comes after Young's renaissance decade had upped expectations. Some of these songs seem comically aimless. As usual, Young's contributions are the best, but they can't bring this thing enough life. Thankfully it was the last CSNY studio record. 

Rating: One and a half Neils

Silver & Gold, 2000

I’m putting this one as the last of the “comeback” era because in this phase Young stuck with his two signature modes: folkie and rocking with the Horse. This album is definitely in the folkie mode, but he would soon return to divergent paths in the 21st century. Like Harvest Moon, this is pleasant and mellow, but the songs are not as good. It’s not bad, just uneven. Perhaps after putting out some just okay records in his regular modes, Young decided it was time to shake it up.

Rating: Three Neils

Neil Young Spring Part Five: Lost in the Eighties

The 1980s were a bad decade for a lot of legacy music artists, but none disappointed in that decade more memorably than Neil Young. Yes Bob Dylan would cut some stinkers and Johnny Cash would lose the plot, but Young's albums jumped all over the place and sounded nothing like his signature sound. I first started listening to Young in the early 1990s, and every article about him commented on the astounding weirdness of the prior decade. I will admit, that kept me from listening to any of these albums before doing this series. While conventional wisdom is often wrong, there's a reason Young has barely put out any Archives releases from this period. 

Hawks and Doves, 1980

This is the Neil Young record I most reliably see at every used record store. The first side is songs from his "lost albums" of 1974-1977. Because their choice is scattershot, they don't cohere, and "Lost in Space" is a sub-par outlier, the songs are less effective than they ought to be. Side two is mostly recent material, jaunty and countrified and politically conservative. It's also not that great. "Union Man" mocks the musicians' union and unions in general. "Hawks & Doves" seems to be backing Reaganite foreign policy. "Stayin' Power" is so awful I can barely listen to it. The album is also under a half hour long, an admission of artistic bankruptcy. Things are not looking good.

Rating: Three Neils

Re*ac*tor, 1981 (with Crazy Horse)

Young is back on the Horse here. Their smash and bash is welcome but can't save this weak batch of songs. (This is another album I reliably see at used record stores.) When things come together I can enjoy the Crazy Horse chaos, like on "Surfer Joe and Moe the Sleaze" and "Opera Star." The xenophobic anti-Japanese car message of "Motor City" is annoying but Crazy Horse pops. In terms of weak songs, Young got a lot of flack for "T-Bone," which is almost ten minutes long and whose lyrics solely consist of "Got mashed potatoes/ Don't got no t-bone." Like a lot of Young's 80s stunts, this is something that sounds a lot more amusing than it is to listen to. Crazy Horse saves this one.

Rating; Three Neils

Trans, 1983

This is probably the most infamous of Neil Young's experiments, his first for Geffen Records. Young completely eschews his old sound for an electro-rock buzz overlaid with Vocoder-distorted vocals. I am a huge Kraftwerk fan, so of course I loved it. "Computer Age" is almost worthy of Hutter, Schneider, and co. Two friends who are following this project were especially keen to hear my thoughts on this one, and now I know why. At times this sounds more derivative of new wave artists than it does original, and I'd rather listen to the real thing rather than an imitation. For the most, however, I think it works. That however was the opposite of what critics and fans thought at the time. 

Rating: Four Neils

Everybody's Rockin', 1983 with the Shocking Pinks

Trans could have been just a one-off deviation, but then Young put out a rockabilly record, one only 25 minutes long with plenty of covers. This was the clearest sign that he had decided to completely distance himself from his career up to this point. The songs aren't horrible, but they are not good and don't even rise to the level of paint-by-numbers rockabilly. This was a time when bands like Stray Cats and Big Daddy were successfully putting their own spin on this music and updating it for the 80s. Young does not sound like a famous musical artist, but more like the leader of a local cover band. Of all his genre experiments this is by far the worst.

Rating: Two Neils

Old Ways, 1985 with the International Harvesters

After cutting a bad rockabilly record Young made some okay country music. He had flirted with the genre on Hawks and Doves and American Stars N' Bars, and here he goes all in. Because it's the 80s, the country in question is very "Nashville Sound," with strings on multiple tracks reminiscent of those on George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today." Some of the songs are nevertheless pretty enjoyable. It's great to hear him sing with Wille and Waylon and Young appears to be having a good time for a change. Something about this album just doesn't seem to work, though. On most of the songs his voice lacks the depth you need to sing traditional country. Young's voice sounds thin, as if he's not even really putting himself into it. The album cover, showing his back as he is walking down a road away from the viewer is symbolic of a man turning his back on his audience and also seemingly removed from his own music. This isn't a bad record, but it could have been so much better.

Rating: Three Neils

A Treasure, recorded 1984-1985 and released in 2011

This is one of the few currently existing Archives releases from the 1980s. From what I've read it sounds like Young has some "lost" albums in this period that might end up getting released. In any case, I think it's telling that this is the sole release from the first half of the 80s, since his country work with the International Harvesters backing band is the only thing from this period where Young seems to be having a good time. The backing band is full of Nashville pros, so they know how to play. On record Young's singing did not match the country material, as good as the band could lay it down. Live he has more energy, and his country sojourn actually feels like it was a good idea poorly executed. I really dig the country takes on older Young tunes like "Are You Ready For The Country," and especially "Flying on the Ground is Wrong." Lyrically some of this material suffers from Young's engagement in cranky middle-aged conservatism, but I guess that stuff fits better in a country milieu. Unlike pretty much everything else in this installment of the blog, I actually ENJOYED this music. (I like Trans, but that's more something I appreciate rather than enjoy.) 

Rating: Four Neils

Landing on Water, 1986

I'd never heard a note of this one before, and was taken aback when I was immediately hit by the big snare and synth sound of 80s corporate rock when I put it on. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em I guess. This sounds like a less well-executed Genesis album. Geffen had sued Young for not putting out "representative music" and I wonder if this album is troll by Young, effectively saying "OK, let me sound like every other aging rock act in the 80s." As with his other albums since Hawks and Doves, the songs are weak. In some cases the 80s sound is done in such an extreme way that I almost -almost- find it brilliant as parody. Either way, I will not listen to this ever again.

Rating: One and a half Neils

Life, 1987 with Crazy Horse

The conventional wisdom on this album is that it's the moment when Young started to pull himself out of the depths of his failed experiments in the 80s and make better music. Having just listened to it for the first time, I can't really go for that narrative. The album is really uneven, with some highlights like "Prisoners of Rock and Roll" and plenty of forgettable tunes. He's back on the Horse, but the heavy 80s production style feels cold and digital, undercutting what Young and the Horse do best with their normally warm sound. At least his politics have returned to skepticism of American empire instead of the rah-rah bullshit from earlier in the decade. I might give this one a relisten just to check and see if my impressions are right. 

Rating: Two and a half Neils

This Note's For You, 1988 with the Blue Notes

"This Note's For You" is the first contemporary Neil Young song I ever heard, courtesy of the video getting a lot of MTV airplay after they had initially banned it. Its anti-sellout message fit well with the anti-Reagan backlash of the late 1980s and its attendant questioning of runaway capitalism. The anger in the song is welcome too, I get the sense that Young CARES again. I have not felt that much this decade. While the blues sound here is more the ersatz blues of the Blues Brothers than it is Buddy Guy or Muddy Waters, it is a welcome change from the godawful corporate rock sound of the last two albums. Not all of the songs work, but I found myself grooving to its vibe, which felt the least forced of any of the genre experiment albums. Thank goodness this was the last one. 

Rating: Three Neils

Bluenote Cafe, recorded in 1987-1988 with the Blue Notes and released in 2015

As with the country material, the live versions have more fun and adventurous vibe than the studio versions. There are a lot of songs here not on the record, but few catalog numbers. Young's old stuff probably wouldn't have worked as blues songs. Anyway, this isn't the best thing around, but it's a hoot.

Rating: Three and a half Neils

American Dream, 1988 with CSNY

I wanted to just straight rip this album, but I know that it was recorded in the first place because Young had promised David Crosby he would do so if Crosby got off drugs. That means this album is a literal labor of love. Too bad more of that spirit does not show up in the grooves. It's really long, the songs are not very distinct, there's few of those great harmonies, and the production style off-brand 80s Genesis. It came out at the same time that The Who and Jefferson Airplane got back together for tours and the Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead were scoring hit songs and tours. I came of musical age in this environment, which encouraged me to love the music created by an older generation before I was born. In a lot of ways, that has lead to me today in my 40s writing this long Neil Young series. 

Rating; Two Neils

At this point in his career Young could have become yet another geezer act, making money on what he'd written as a young man. In a stunning rebirth, Young would soon prove in the next decade that he was no oldies act, but rather an artist with new tricks up his sleeve.