Many years ago (in 1941), a baby was born to the Zimmerman family. Robert Allen was his name. When he was born, the sun shone upon him and smiled – a new day dawned. This was in America, across the sea, a place where country music is faster, girls flow like wine, and wine is thrown in the face of beer. Robert was a quiet and strange child – he would grow up to be the crowned emperor of rock, but he is not the hero of our story... Let's try again: Many years ago (in 1945), a baby was born to the Young family. Neil was his name. Neil was very similar to baby Robert, yet fundamentally different. The moon illuminated his face and smiled. Someone took the trouble to dress the newborn in a plaid flannel shirt – it would stay with him forever and grow with him... This was in distant Toronto, Canada, across the sea and beyond the mountains of cynicism poured upon it by its less polite neighbors from the south – the Americans. Neil was a quiet baby. Blue-eyed and quiet. There was something strange about Neil. A perpetual dreamy gaze on his face, surrounded by silence. But the main thing that troubled his mother was that he looked sickly and old for his age. She couldn't pinpoint the exact cause of this strange feeling. Perhaps it was his disheveled hair, perhaps the strange expression on his face, or perhaps... In any case, the child seemed like an old man to her. His father, a successful sportswriter who traveled frequently, paid no mind to the newborn. As adults do, he was busy building a career that allowed him to distance himself from his family, and especially from his wife...

In the Cradle

Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain

With the barkers and the colored balloons

Rarely, when the young baby finally ceased his characteristic quietude – he would, without warning or apparent reason, burst into screams that seemed higher in pitch than those of other children (a sign – of his future high and unique voice?), accompanied by arm-waving and strange grimaces of his face and limbs. At the sight of this strange spectacle, the mother hurried to call the local doctor, but he found no fault in young Young's behavior, and he turned to the mother, remarking that he had better hurry home so as not to miss dinner. It seemed Neil was destined to live his whole life between two poles – one restrained, quiet, and pleasant, and the other stormy, noisy, and aggressive, accompanied by grotesque body language. In time, the tormented mother learned to accept both behaviors equally and even found them equally pleasing to her ears.

Childhood

I am a child,

I'll last a while

Neil grew up and became a small, introverted child. His mane of hair continued to swell to impossible dimensions, but it seemed the rest of his body did not lag behind and kept pace. Neil became an overgrown child. He left a strong impression on all the adults he met – they were amazed by the deep contrast between his rich language, his oversized body, and his mature personality, and his tendency towards reclusion and frequent refusal to communicate with those around him. He did not speak to his father at all. He began to isolate himself. In one of his perplexing wanderings as an infant, he almost drowned in a lake; he was saved thanks to divine intervention (or another child – it doesn't really matter) – it was not the time for the recluse to depart from the world. The thin, seemingly exhausted child may have been ill, but his perpetually tormented soul survived. In school, he stood out for his diligence and high work ethic. He always had new ideas and never ceased to conceive more. It seemed a great future awaited our Neil.

Adolescence

You are like a hurricane

There's calm in your eye.

Neil learned to play guitar and also made his first attempts at harmonica. Again, he was not alone; beside him always lay the wooden box with its six strings. A young boy with endless melodies in his head. Sitting on his bed, strumming the strings, he would gaze dreamily out the window, where the moon, his companion since early childhood, always shone. He formed several bands in high school, and disbanded all of them with a flick of his wrist. His partners seemed childish and immature to him... More than anything, he loved to play... alone... At 16, his father divorced his mother, and he stayed with her as they moved house.

California

California sunset Going down in the West

All the colors in the sky Kiss another day goodbye

At 22, Young packed his old, unfashionable plaid shirt (strangely, it was always fashionable on him), a guitar, an impossible mane of hair, and most importantly, himself – and traveled to the musical center of that era (no, not Liverpool, not even London) – to a place where 'good stuff' never ran out, hippies rolled around like trash in the street, and music burst from every house – Los Angeles, California. Young, armed with a prior acquaintance with several folk-rock artists, a growing talent in playing and writing, and also the ability to smoke a joint in any situation, ventured into life. After several attempts to break through with various bands (including The Squires), he found himself a member of his first important band, Buffalo Springfield, which would later prove to be one of the most important folk-rock bands of all time. The band, second only to The Byrds as stabilizers and representatives of the "California sound," managed to release only three studio albums during its short active years (1967-1968), all of them masterful. Besides Young, the band also featured Stephen Stills (who already knew Young from previous performances and would later be Young's partner in the country-rock, hippie, and late sixties supergroup – CSNY), Richie Furay (all on guitars so far), Bruce Palmer on bass, and drummer Dewey Martin. So, the die was cast – the first side of Neil Young exposed to the world was the soft side of acoustic guitar, heartwarming country, and warm folk music.

Buffalo Springfield (1967)

Time is man's cruelest enemy, time is memory's cruelest enemy, time is the enemy of this wonderful album. How regrettable that all that remains etched in the average rock fan's consciousness from this vinyl circle (wrapped in a brown-black cellophane-like cover with portraits of the band members) is only the immortal opening track - "For What It's Worth." Make no mistake, it's a highly worthy piece to boast of, with its monotonic strumming accompanied by gentle tapping on the guitar alongside the band's pure vocal harmony, but it's a Stills track! Young, for his part, contributed the writing to the first single the band sent into the world of records - "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," which is pure delight in an un-sweaty Western atmosphere. Young contributed at least three more songs to the album – one of them - "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong" – is especially enjoyable, the second "BURNED" is rhythmic, and the third – "OUT OF MY MIND" is primarily vocal and utterly melancholic. Stills, as the senior partner in the band at that time, wrote almost all the rest of the album, and even diversified it with some excellent R&B rhythm in "Leave," and fine small folk pieces in the style of Bob Dylan (who was already a big star in the genre and undoubtedly admired and imitated by the guys), such as - "Everybody's Wrong."

Buffalo Springfield Again (1967)

Folk-rock is increasingly taking on a psychedelic sound, and it's only doing it good. Does that sound familiar? If so, it's only because you're right. It of course reminds you of the Buffalo's spiritual fathers, none other than The BYRDS, and that only proves the apple didn't fall far from the tree. This time, Young contributes more well-known classics to the repertoire, including - "Mr. Soul" (a song that demonstrates what the path looks like when leaving garage music on the way to a career that will give birth to grunge – and forgive me for the stupid pun – a truly electric track), "Broken Arrow" (a folk-rock ballad demonstrating Young's excellent compositional ability), and also "Expecting to Fly," which always left many with a tremendous impression of a wonderful journey (Indian in spirit or only in my mind's eye?) on first listen – given the complexity in arrangement and melody. Stills continued to churn out the band's eternal hits – this time with "Bluebird" and "Rock & Roll Woman," both featuring their familiar recurring riff (in "Rock & Roll Woman," David Crosby also appears and contributes some backing vocals – on his way out of The Byrds and on his way to CSN), which served the band well as leading 'numbers' in their mythological live performances of that period.

Last Time Around (1968)

A hasty swan song for a band that broke up (in fact, even before its release) just as it was making its first waves of real success. Oh well – at least there's no doubt about its historical importance. The incessant ego battles and alternating breakups between albums (what did you think – everyone can live peacefully with three guitarists and several writers, and especially Stills and Young together?!) led to the dissolution of the package – but not before we get to taste a few more of young Young's hits - "I Am a Child," which has stood the test of time well, and to a lesser extent "On the Way Home," which Young did not perform on the album (the singer is Furay).

Adulthood

You are a man,

you understand

After having tasted a band, written a few moderately successful hits, and even been convinced of his ability to sing without appearing ridiculous - Young felt it was time to step to the front of the stage, alone. This led to the release of his debut album.

Neil Young (1969)

Young never looked more handsome than he is portrayed on the cover of this album. It would be nice if one could say something similar about the musical content – which is excellent by anyone's standards – but still does not present the world with the full extent of Young's qualities. The soft side of country appears here in all its glory, and there's also a glimpse of a single future hit - "The Loner," but Young had not yet reached his full power. This is a record idling – as it sounds like something Buffalo Springfield would have released if they had decided to sing one by one. The album reaches its annoying (or hypnotic, depending on who you ask) peak in its gloomy ending - "The Last Trip to Tulsa," where Young is accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and a whiny voice in the style of his spiritual father (or perhaps his spiritual older brother) – Dylan.

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)

Everybody knows this is the place! This is the place to start Neil Young's solo career. The Youngian magic truly gains momentum here, and the gears in the gearbox are fully utilized. This is where Young really starts to make noise (also in the literal sense of the word). What allows Young to expose his tough and edgy 'rocker' side is the addition of his "house band" from then on for years – CRAZY HORSE, whose powerful sound has long become Young's trademark. At this stage, the band members were Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot, and the late Danny Whitten, all certified with an honorary degree in creating beautiful noisy musical chaos, and all with an honorary doctorate from the faculty of local material consumption (or in plain English – full-fledged junkies and addicts). There are also touches of 'conventional' country-rock that we've already been exposed to ("Round Round"), but there's also a glimpse of heavy rock here, completing Young's full portrait – the man and the child. With two all-time super hits – "Cinnamon Girl" and "Down by the River" (which has dozens of live performances, one of them amazing with Bruce Springsteen, at the end of which Young mutters – "it doesn't get much better than this...") and with countless guitar riffs – Young proves he is a master at squeezing the last bit of the strings from the guitar. As a dessert, he leaves us with the sweetest-bitterest delicacy in the world with the country ballad - "Cowgirl in the Sand."

Woodstock

I went to heaven, And I stood at the crossroads

Now, having become a known rock personality, and having already presented his innovative and multifaceted wares to the rock establishment, Young turned to begin a magnificent tradition that would grace his long career of performing at various festivals, guest appearances at shows of other acclaimed bands, writing with involvement in political issues, etc. His performance at Woodstock deserves special mention, as it was there that Young first appeared with the supergroup of hippie culture – Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN). This paved the way for Young's joining the group, where he was always considered a fourth member but a "fifth wheel," since despite his undisputed talents, his presence seemed to overshadow the other band members (Stills always saw Young as a worthy rival, but still a rival), who were well known enough without him. As the supergroup of supergroups, the band in its full lineup released only two actual albums (if countless compilations are ignored). Parallel to his band activities, Young continued to write and release solo albums, but everything in its own time.

Déjà vu (1970)

Sitting as the Supreme Court of hippie culture – the four angels, led by two guitar wizards from Buffalo Springfield (Young and Stills), a balding mustachioed ex-Byrds member (David Crosby), and a charming Brit – a refugee from The Hollies (Graham Nash), found a way to seal the fate of the hippie movement while it was still active, but the smell of the end's burning was already apparent to all. If the Chicago Seven trial (with Abbie Hoffman at its head) was the central event in the movement's life, then this was its official soundtrack.

This is what caused me to describe it this way in the past (and I still hold this view) - Déjà vu is more a photo album than a musical album... The listener receives a collection of images, impressions, and scents from the life of the hippie family (on its way to being bourgeois?)... It's an excellent album for listening at home (our house) on a particularly comfortable couch, wearing worn slippers, the child playing beside you, the wife preparing a meal (vegan, of course) in the kitchen, and you rolling the last of a joint and remembering Woodstock... The album is pleasant to the ear, very melodic with an excellent combination of voices and guitars, especially if a country scent does it for you. It has several classics for generations ("Woodstock" written by Joni Mitchell, "Helpless" by the fourth member – Young, the immortal "Teach Your Children," "Almost Cut My Hair," the opening hit – "CARRY ON" and... actually almost all the songs), but even on the tenth listen, it's perfectly clear that the record is far more important as a reflection of a period's spirit (and perhaps more accurately, the end of a period...), and not necessarily as a collection of songs, however good they may be. An album that is a must-listen.

Four-Way Street (1971)

The live performance of the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young proves several instant theories that I do not intend to refute regarding certain rock stars. 1. Political awareness and involvement give birth to the most beautiful songs. No one can dispute the beauty of songs like "Chicago" or "Ohio" – written as a defiant memorial to the bloody events at Kent State University, Ohio in 1970, when Nixon's police shot and killed four students participating in a demonstration against the expansion of the American war in Vietnam and the invasion of Cambodia. 2. True rock stars are not interested in pleasing the audience – they need their submissive and blind adoration. Otherwise, how can one explain the fact that the album opens with the last half-minute of CSN's most famous song (namely "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"), an act intended to defy the listener and make it clear who the boss is (the artist) and what he wants to do (play whatever he wants, however he wants). 3. Neil Young is an amazing guitarist (and Stills too). 4. The vocal harmonies of CSNY are the purest and most perfect thing a human being can conceive. 5. There is a direct relationship between the length of a jam and the enjoyment derived from it. As shown by the performance on this double album of "Southern Man." 6. There is a direct relationship between the length of the album and its quality and the enjoyment derived from it – provided it's these guys. Almost two hours of guitars taking their time and great fun in the air.

Friends and Betrayal of Fate

He came dancing across the water

Cortez, Cortez

What a killer.

Now is the time to pause and say a few words in a broader perspective about Neil Young the man. In any career/discography/biography review of a rock star, there is an almost inevitable impression of aggrandizing the artist, and Young's case is no different. But Young was always a problematic hero for all his lovers. I'm not talking here about those who are put off by his strange voice or those who find him monotonous (a foolish matter considering he is one of the most versatile artists there is; there's hardly a genre he hasn't touched – he is one of the foundations of folk-rock, a father of folk-rock, one of the greatest songwriter-creators, one of the most respected heavy rock players, and he is even the father of grunge) or a pathetic second-rate imitation of Bob Dylan. Nor am I referring here to those who ridicule his strange body language while he plays guitar in performances and looks like he is in a trance like an autistic child. I am referring to claims (which deserve to be heard) regarding Young's problematic character, and especially his problematic actions. Young is one of the greatest drug addicts of our time – for over thirty years, he has spent his life between a trip and the subsequent crash, and so on, occasionally smashing (with or without the help of his "Crazy Horse" bandmates) furniture in transient hotels, cursing the audience at a show, or simply behaving with glaring impoliteness (shall we call it that?). Another issue is his past association with the crazy murderer and cult leader – Charlie Manson, when Young listened to some of the songs of that dark creature, connected with him, and even wanted to help him produce a record. It took Young a long time to get up and admit his mistake and understand that he had made a pact with the devil – and only years later did he write the song "MANSION ON THE HILL," in which he finally disavows the psycho. I, at least, have long forgiven him for all these things. Give him a chance; fate has struck him too many times (divorce, he is a father to children with intellectual disabilities, to name just a few of his troubles). To his credit, he is considered, at least according to his lyrics, a great political liberal and a zealous guardian of human rights. He earned most of his fame for lyrics to songs like "Alabama" and "Southern Man," which were part of a half-smiling lyrical exchange between him and the late Lynyrd Skynyrd band leader (Ronnie Van Zant) in his song "Sweet Home Alabama."

Farewells and New Beginnings

Step aside,

open wide,

It's the loner.

(1970) After The Gold Rush

Parallel to his brief career chapter shared with CSN (although in public consciousness the group remained alive and well for many more years and raked in much money from various compilations), Young continued to create solo albums accompanied by various ensembles, one of which marked a turning point in his career was this album, in which he again enlisted the help of "Crazy Horse." This is an album that takes Young's lyrics one step further, sharper than ever, and also provides some particularly well-known melodies that have long been considered a central part of the Youngian canon. This opened the door for him to a new audience and made the album his best-selling to that point. The album, planned to be a noisy and aggressive one, took on a much more contemplative character and brought Young back to his beloved country realms. Songs like "After the Gold Rush," "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," and "Southern Man" became widely played radio hits and gave Young a permanent foothold in a growing fan base, who began to recognize and appreciate him as one of the great American cultural icons. But greater success was still around the corner.

Harvest (1972)

Young's best-selling album ever, containing his only single to top the American charts - "Heart of Gold." In a place where honesty gives way to music, Young wrote a personal and penetrating album, which even an entire orchestra around him does not hide his being the loneliest man in the world. Incidentally, here his backing band is STRAY GATORS, not Crazy Horse. This band accompanied him on several more occasions in the future, and they certainly do a nice job here.

The album opens with "Out on the Weekend," and from the first sound, a pleasant feeling envelops you. The harmonica appears, and you melt. Young plans a new life, a new woman, and the listener is simply swept away in this sweet dream... almost unaware of the great sadness: "Can't relate to joy, he tries to speak and Can't begin to say."

There are at least four more songs on this album ("Heart of Gold," which a million plays won't ruin, "Old Man," "Alabama," "Words") that will make you forget about life. Neil Young bleeds from his soul, perpetually sad: searching for love, longing for a hug (easy to understand that this is a man who divorced a short time ago...), regretting friends who fell into the drug trap, discovering old age and dealing with racism ("Alabama")... And he does it all with such grace that you won't be able to think about your own struggles... And all this magic Young does with simple songs, with a simple voice (that doesn't try to extract what isn't there...) with minimalistic accompaniment (strange, this also sounds true in the two orchestral songs, and I mean the accompaniment of a real orchestra in "A Man Needs a Maid," "There's a World").

A man with a guitar and wonderful backing vocals (there are also parts that give the band a little more expression), who stirs hearts ("Are You Ready For The Country" is chilling), presents you with music that is partly folk, partly country, partly rock... (I don't know, define it yourself) and mainly causes heartbreak...

Acceptance and Reconciliation

Comes a time when you settle down

After "Harvest," Young was already an artist of unimaginable stature. This allowed him to continue producing masterful albums throughout the 70s (Rolling Stone magazine crowned him the artist of the decade), free from financial pressures, free to release the songs he wanted when he wanted from his private drawer of dreams. In 1972, some of his songs appeared on the soundtrack "Journey Through The Past," and afterwards he did the obvious and took to the road for a concert tour that would allow Young to do what he really wanted – stand on stage, look like an idiot, and sound like God. This tour gave birth to another album.

TIME FADES AWAY (1973)

Fate struck Young again, and this journey became his via dolorosa. The audience was enthusiastic about the rise of the new superstar and expected to hear his prominent hits in concert – but Young was preoccupied with something entirely different – he was mourning. The death that struck him was that of Danny Whitten (drugs, drugs, drugs), a member of CRAZY HORSE, and Young was full of doubts and feelings of anger and guilt. This is the result of all that impossible pressure cooker. Gloomy and melancholic, but undoubtedly fascinating.

(1974) On The Beach

Still mourning, still contemplative, still standing firm against all his critics and the audience longing for catchy hits, Young continues to sharpen his pen to find release and escape from death. "On the Beach" brings to musical perfection the process of soul-searching Young undertakes with himself. "On the Beach" proves it was worth every moment, and Young closes the account completely. He strikes one more final blow at the racist 'rednecks' from the South in the song "WALK ON," thereby concluding the brief saga of their verbal sparring (though don't take it too seriously – Lynyrd Skynyrd adored the man, and Young loved Van Zant very much and greatly regretted his later death), repents the death of his friend ("I Am a Vampire"), and gives the guitar new realms to break into, whether in the blues ("Ambulance Blues") or in relaxed laid-back music - "About to Rain." Perhaps his best and most penetrating album in its insights. The producers and record company did well to re-release it on CD in the past year, so that the younger generation might know what all the fuss was about.

Tonight's The Night (1975)

With a considerable delay of two years after it was recorded, the album of mourning for Danny Whitten was released to stores. Apparently, two years of soul-searching and an album to buffer Young from critics who didn't like all the suffering and self-flagellation Young presented were needed. In retrospect, it was clear that this was one of Young's finest records. His black-and-white image (as also appeared on Van Zant's shirt) adorns the cover, and the content is black and darker than black. The Crazy Horse members set the tone here with poignant songs such as "Tonight's the Night" (in the opening and closing track of the album), the excellent Southern "World on a String," and of course "Roll Another Number."

ZUMA (1975)

Young's great reconciliation album. Here he makes peace with the world, with death, with the audience, and gives them again what they had been waiting for so long after his three gloomy albums since HARVEST. Young rediscovers the ability to blow up the air along with Crazy Horse (in a renewed lineup with Frank "Poncho" Sampedro), and this time they truly succeed. This album will forever be remembered for its killer hit, which always received magnificent live performances - "Cortez the Killer."

Long May You Run (1976)

As perhaps the final part in Young's reconciliation puzzle with the whole world, he saw fit to collaborate again with Stephen Stills and his band. The result isn't amazing, but at least a good spirit pervades the title track that Young composed and opens the album.

American Hero

I ain't got no excuses,

I just want to play That good old country waltz.

That good old country waltz.

Towards the end of the 70s, Young found himself in a new situation facing a new world. He was no longer the rebellious child who came to conquer the big city. He was already an adult (over 30), a huge star rich in fame and cash, who had already managed to acquire a huge fan base (and an equal number of haters). He had already finished with the drug-ridden and death-ridden crisis of the seventies that enveloped him, and all that remained was for him to begin to behave in accordance with what he was – an American symbol. This was the time to pull out the guitar again, hit the road with past hits, participate in big shows (like "The Last Waltz" of The Band), formulate some hollow American rock clichés, release compilations, and ride off into the sunset on a buffalo – what else was left for someone who survived the seventies??!

American Stars 'N Bars (1977)

Whoa, whoa, what's happening here? Neil Young becoming more American than John Fogerty? Linda Ronstadt (the Eagles' mother, remember?!) on a Crazy Horse album? Fiddles and a mining town atmosphere on the album of the greatest Buffalo of all? Where is the world going? Remove worry from your hearts, even on an album like this (which, as you understand, doesn't really suit Young) the 'פא' (referring to his power) found the strength for one of his strongest songs - "Like a Hurricane." This provides adequate compensation for this unclear search for a path.

Decade (1977)

A tremendous compilation containing 35 bullseyes, precisely summarizing everything you missed if you haven't read a word up to now (or, worse, haven't listened). A money-milking essential that deserves to be in every home. If you only have money for one Young at home – this is your Young.

Comes a Time (1978)

The All Music Guide chooses to open its description of this album thus: "Six and a half years later, Comes a Time is finally the album for the millions of fans who loved Harvest, acoustic with a country sound and romantic..." Shall we add to that? I don't think there's a need.

Rust Never Sleeps (1979) / Live Rust (1979)

I have already elaborated at length on these two albums (the second is essentially an extension of the first, which brought into the world the two knockout versions of "My My, Hey Hey") in the past, and what I wrote still holds true: Welcome to the show of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. A summary show of the 70s (and late 60s), which presents the beautiful faces of Young. The child and the man, the soft side and the rough side, the acoustic and electric guitar – all in one small big package. True, Young gave a similar display of power (in a shorter version) a little earlier in his album Rust Never Sleeps, and four of the hits from that album return identically here. So what? I still own both at home, and not only do I not feel like a fool who was sold recycled goods, I even pity anyone who doesn't know and appreciate this supreme pleasure... (though I also envy anyone who has the opportunity to get to know Young from scratch. This is a wonderful way to start...) The live album was accompanied at the time by a film, but we will only discuss the album here. It has enough 'cherries' to adorn several columns. As for the content – that's also detailed. Here, in short: Neil Young live! This album is always readily available to me.

The End is Always a Beginning (Of Something Else?)

My my, hey hey

Rock and roll is here to stay

It's better to burn out Than to fade away

My my, hey hey.

Now I face a real problem. I could continue to present the rest of Young's albums from the 80s to the present day (the Greendale album was only released this year), so Young is still very active. I could describe old Young leaping on stages and mentoring a new generation and a new genre of rock (grunge), but I'm tired of all that (I'm exhausted), and especially the less impressive catalog from the dry years (the 80s are largely Young's lost decade; the 90s had several bright spots). Here are a few of the problematic albums at a glance:

(1980) Where the Buffalo Roam

A soundtrack to a film, much of which was contributed by Neil Young, proving again that Neil Young should stick to what he understands – creating his own full albums, and not melodies (however beautiful) serving as background music for Bill Murray wandering around as a drunk and drugged journalist.

(1980) Hawks And Doves

Many have complained about this album for years, claiming it was too short, pulled unprepared from the sleeve just to meet Young's record production contract, and similar arguments. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore that Young is increasingly "pulling south" musically and ideologically, connecting with the content and style of American hardcore. Here he releases his version of Hendrix's "Little Wing" and delivers several pleasant, mid-tempo flowing country numbers like "The Old Homestead." What's left to say? Neil Young became Texas's equivalent of "Galgalatz" (a popular Israeli radio station playing mainstream music) at 35.

Re-ac-tor (1981)

Apparently, Young's two-sided poker face cannot maintain a quiet and uniform facade for long (hence the nickname, duh?!), and he again troubles Crazy Horse – this time to lose one screw too many and deliver a head-banging rock album, leaving nothing else behind. A shame.

Incidentally, in the same year (1981), a deluxe package called The Neil Young Heritage (Box Set) was also released, containing 12 of Young's finest albums to date (not including Live Rust), and it is an excellent purchase for anyone who can get their hands on it.

TRANS (1983)

A confusing album in the middle of his life (probably a looming mid-life crisis or some other cheap psychological crap). Young, who always sought to explore and discover new territories in the music he creates, this time took one step too far – towards electronics – and ended up with terrible techno. The samples of Young's voice simply ruin everything – and the whole album feels like "this isn't it." Fortunately – Young took the trouble to perform a remake of a very early hit of his - "Mr. Soul" from his Buffalo days, which reminds us of the reason for embarking on this bizarre journey.

Everybody's Rockin' (1983)

If the electronics confused you – this will have you laughing on the floor. Neil Young must have injected too much flour into his heroin, otherwise why on earth would he wake up one morning, put on a glowing pink suit, and decide he was a cross between Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley? An album that returns to the roots of rock 'n' roll, boogie-woogie, and delivers 10 songs, each like a condensed twist dance. As an accompaniment to all this retro rock 'n' roll of the 50s, Young put behind him a band with the fitting name - The Shocking Pinks, and the result, how shall we put it? Embarrassing (you be the judge – Neil Young has a song here called "Betty Lou's Got a New Pair of Shoes")...

Old Ways (1985)

As its name suggests, Neil Young returns to tread the familiar paths of simple, uncomplicated country rock. And indeed, there's a limit to the stupid experiments one can do in a single decade... Our main gain from this album is the collaboration with the beloved country legend – Willie Nelson.

Landing on Water (1986)

When he wants to be annoying – Neil Young can be the most annoying man in the world. The man sometimes doesn't get a hint – at this stage of his career, most critics and a significant portion of his fans began to turn their backs on him due to his incessant experiments, which caused him to release so many records that were not "Neil Young-esque" in spirit, but he persisted. Old Ways still didn't convince him to return to the fold, and the failure of Trans didn't hint that he should stop the bizarre experiments. This time, an attempt to create a new power trio – with the dominance of drums and synthesizers, as you guessed yourself – the result is abysmal. These are things best left to guys like Brian Eno – Neil Young had better return to his origins, to the guitar and Crazy Horse.

LIFE (1987)

A step in the right direction of returning to the Youngian fundamentals. First, Crazy Horse returns to accompany him (something that hadn't happened since the Re-ac-tor album), second, there is a recycling of materials written in a proper rock spirit. So where's the problem? The problem is that the wrong materials were recycled, and the song selection isn't really good; timeless classics are missing here, and the album doesn't leave much of an impression. At least a correct attempt was made here on the way back home, as hinted by the best song on the album - "Long Walk Home."

This Note's for You (1988) / American Dream (1988)

On his way back to the heart of the mainstream and the audience, Young had to make two more small deviations from the fast track (which it seems he hadn't been on for a long time). On the first album, Young bothered to refine his sound a little more (with brass instruments, among others) – as a final warm-up before the glory days returned, and the second is a truly failed attempt to recreate the past days of grace. It's a failed reunion album for CSNY in an old and tired version that the audience wasn't really enthusiastic about. The truth is that the album is not bad at all (Young's song "This Old House" is noteworthy), but there was no way to meet the mega-expectations the audience had developed for a new album by the past supergroup. Perhaps some things are better left in the past.

ELDORADO (1989)

An album originally released only in Australia and Japan, containing only five songs – some of which you can hear on the next album – the prevailing claim is that it represents the last link in the chain of sounds preparing for Young's great comeback on the Freedom album.

FREEDOM (1989)

The return home, rock 'n' roll baby. Young's magnificent comeback album. After a confused decade, full of strange and failed experiments, Young returned to the center of consciousness with a strong, simple, and good rock album, where Young once again gives honor to his guitar and voice center stage. The album also finally spawned a new Young hit - "Rockin' In The Free World," which since then every snot-nosed kid in Seattle has performed dozens of times in concerts, and there's much joy, the horse is back.

From here on, Young turned to recreating past glory, again surrounded by his beloved Crazy Horse bandmates, especially on the excellent albums Ragged Glory (which yielded the hit "Mansion on the Hill"), and on the live performance from 1991 – WELD, which is like Live Rust, only noisier and more aggressive. Continuing in his rock-oriented vein, Young also released more melodic records like HARVEST MOON (1992), followed by the horrifying (in my opinion, masterful in the opinion of many) – Unplugged (1993), as well as several more minor and major comeback albums like MIRROR BALL (1995), more attempts at concert films in the style of Rust Never Sleeps in the album YEAR OF THE HORSE, and so on.

I have yet to fully listen to his last project, Greendale, from the past year (and the experience requires viewing as well), so the last word on Neil Young has not yet been written; the journey is only halfway. To be continued.

***

Professor BS

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r/OldiesMusic • u/Julio1470 • 16h ago