Apr 21, 2021
Review #72: Harvest, Neil Young
#72: Harvest, Neil Young
Every so often, I learn that I’m not nearly as cool as I think I am. This occurred to me again recently when I learned that I love Neil Young.
Neil Young himself is very, very cool, but talking about how much you love Neil Young is possibly the least cool thing you could do. It’s almost as lame as talking about how much you love Elliott Smith. (I love Elliott Smith.)
It’s even less cool to admit that I love Neil Young songs but didn’t even know that Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was a supergroup. I always had kind of assumed that CSNY blew up, then they split apart, then CSN kept CSNing, but Neil Young found a Crazy Horse and, you know, did that.
IN FACT, all these guys were successful in their own right BEFORE CSN/CSNY. Crosby was a founding member of the Byrds, Stills and Young were both in Buffalo Springfield, and Nash helped form The Hollies. CSNY was like the folk-rock Justice League.
So let’s recap: I love Neil Young, but I know pretty much next to nothing about Neil Young. Does it get any lamer? Do I get any lamer?? Let’s see if I can go one review without mentioning how much I love Jewel.
FAVORITE SONGS:
“Out On The Weekend” — Love me a good harmonica!
“Heart of Gold” — God, I love this song. Like all young Millennials, I first encountered this song through Lady Gaga’s incredible “You and I,” where she declares that her beau sang it to her on her birthday. Remember Jo Calderone??? Sorry, I’m getting distracted.
“Are You Ready for the Country?” — This one took me a few listens to come around to, but it kind of jams. I’m just resistant to anything with “country” in the name. (Note that we have yet to hear a single truly “country” album, unless you count The Band, #57. How do we feel about that?)
“Old Man” — The insolence of calling your dad “old man!” The future is Neil Young, old man!
“There’s A World” — Ooh, what an oddly cinematic song.
“Alabama” — That background guitar is so crunchy.
“The Needle and the Damage Done” — There are a lot of gorgeous covers of this song, but my favorites are Laura Marling and Jewel. (DAMMIT.) Still, the original has such character.
“Words (Between the Lines of Age)” — His voice is WILD. Why is this song so epic?
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:
“Harvest” — Didn’t like this one. Too hokey.
“A Man Needs A Maid” — Oh, shut up, Neil Young. Keep your own house clean.
IS RS FULL OF IT?
Nope! Once again, I’m the one that’s full of it. I was fully convinced that Neil Young was dead when I listened to this album, but as of 4/21/2021, he is not. (Edit: But as of 2/7/2022, he’s no longer on Spotify.) RIP my pride.
