Showing posts with label neil young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neil young. Show all posts

Zuma Review

Zuma
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Zuma? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Zuma. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Zuma ReviewWithout any possible question, this is one of Neil Young's greatest albums, and given the extraordinary length of his career and the amazing number of albums that he has made, that is saying something. This is also one of his most influential albums, producing a pattern for a host of guitar oriented garage and alternative bands in the 1980s and 1990s. It is impossible to listen to a band like Thin White Rope or Eleventh Dream Day or Nirvana and escape the conclusion that the members of the bands all grew up listening to the cuts on this disc.
Although this is widely known as one of the seminal guitar albums in the history of rock, there are two paradoxes in that claim. First, a couple of the songs are entirely acoustic and feature none of the grungy guitar found throughout the rest of the disc. "Pardon My Heart" is not merely acoustic, but soft and gentle as well. "Through My Sails" is a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song. For me, it is the weakest cut on the album, and a potent reminder to me of why I prefer Neil Young on his own. The second paradox is that in many ways Neil Young really isn't a very good guitarist. Technically, there are probably a host of high school guitarists that surpass him. His solos are some of the most elementary in the history of rock. Nonetheless, Young seems to get more musical mileage out of relatively meager chops of any guitarist in history. He might not be a virtuoso, but in this album he virtually reinvents grunge guitar, and paved the way for a host of imitators.
Guitar aside, what drives this amazing album is the great, great songs that line up one after another. "Don't Cry No Tears" gives way for the even more stunning "Danger Bird." A couple of songs later we get one of my favorite Young songs, "Barstool Blues." "Stupid Girl" is not a work of misogyny like the Stones' "Under My Thumb," but yet another excellent guitar driven song. "Drive Back" is another great song that then gives away to the song that seems to define the entire album, the epic, majestic "Cortez the Killer," in which Neil gets to sing about his recurring subject of the European exploitation of the New World.
Neil Young has other albums nearly as good as this, and possibly a couple of others that are even better, like AFTER THE GOLD RUSH and TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT, but there isn't a single one of his discs that I have listened to as often or with as much pleasure. This truly is a disc that ought to be in the library of every serious rock fan.Zuma OverviewSeven of the nine songs on this album were recorded with a reunited Crazy Horse, and nearly all of them deal with the subject of romantic conflict and lost love: Don't Cry No Tears; Barstool Blues; Pardon My Heart; Lookin' for a Love; Through My Sails ; the seven-and-a-half minute epic Cortez the Killer , and more!

Want to learn more information about Zuma?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

American Stars N Bars Review

American Stars N Bars
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy American Stars N Bars? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on American Stars N Bars. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

American Stars N Bars ReviewFor the longest time, I did not add Neil Young's "American Stars 'N Bars" to my CD collection, because I had read and heard so much intense critcism of this album. But, I found a copy at my local 'used CD' store around the corner and decided to take a chance on this so called "oddities" album. Instantly, I fell in love with this crazy-quilt of both acoustic and electric music. I seem to love this CD for the very reasons that others disparage it. Yes, I know it's disparate, hodge-podge of songs. But, it's also raw and alive and seems to have a goofy, not-to-serious charm of it's own. On this album, Neil is no longer in the "middle of the road" ("Harvest"), but he isn't in the now infamously quoted "ditch" either ("Tonight's the Night", "On the Beach"). Young is sort of doing a balancing act in the middle, creating an album thats' sort of a warped, Frankenstein-like version of his classic, "Harvest". But it's a Frankenstein, that can tap it's toes and sort of dance. I love songs like the rustic "The Old Country Waltz" or the pulp Western tale, "Saddle Up the Palimono". I in particular, like the contributions of singers Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris & Nicolette larson. They really work well with Young giving, that perfect '70s era country-rock feeling (especially Harris, who shines on "Star of Bethlehem"). According to one tale I've heard, the ladies thought they were just doing some 'practice, run throughs' of the songs. Much to their chagrin, they later learned that Neil was using these sessions as the final takes, hence the raw feeling of the songs.The electric portions of the CD are wonderful as well. "Like a Hurricane" is of course a classic and Young has played this long & Winding song for many years in his concert repertoire. I love the song's lyrical imagery and to be blunt, the guitar soloing just kicks some rock n' roll (...)! One of my favorites on this CD is the final track, "Homegrown", a funny little ode to small farms or the joys of harvesting 'weed' (you can take your choice). It's a bouncy tune that totally gives me a case of the giggles. No, "American Stars 'N Bars" is never going to be in the cannon of the "Great, Neil Young Albums". All I can say is I don't think it deserves it's bad rep. I liked it and highly recommend it!American Stars N Bars Overview

Want to learn more information about American Stars N Bars?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Live Rust Review

Live Rust
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Live Rust? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Live Rust. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Live Rust ReviewImagine, if you will, that Capitol Records chose years ago to put out the Beatles' "White Album" on compact disk when the format was in its infancy, and for whatever reason decided not to invest the funds to put out a double CD, instead choosing to cram the entire thing onto one CD, and advertising it as a "specially low-priced single disk." But in doing so, they found that the whole thing wouldn't fit onto a standard disk, so they hacked about a minute or so out of "Revolution #9" (thinking nobody would notice), eliminated or shortened the silence between songs (if any), and nickel-and-diming the album until it fit just under the time limitations of a single disk. Then pretend that Beatles fans were too blinded by their fanaticism for the album to objectively criticize, let alone realize, the absolute horror of this corporate hatchet job. If this fictitious story sounds too weird for you, then now you know how I feel seeing five-star review after review here, when Warner-Reprise has performed the ultimate sin right under all our noses.
I only recently started amassing a CD collection of Neil, preferring to stick to the vinyl. I figured there will eventually be a remaster job of these albums, although with Neil you never know, and I could wait until then. But I broke down and went ahead and bought "Live Rust" on CD, which is one of my absolute top 10 favorite albums of all time. Knowing the guitar majesty of "Cortez the Killer" on this album better than I know my own date of birth, and having heard it countless times note-for-note, I immediately fast-forwarded to that track and waited for my world to be sonically blown to bits by the digital clarity of the CD, which happened indeed. For about four minutes.
And then I stopped cold. I stared out the window. I was frozen, playing air guitar to notes that were no longer coming out of the speaker, singing guitar parts in my head that weren't happening. "Am I getting that progressed into Alzheimer's already?" I thought, or is this some sort of a defective joke? Well, my Neil fan faithful, I'm here to tell you: the actual track of "Cortez" is approximately a minute and a half shorter than not only the vinyl version, but a minute and a half shorter than THE TIME GUARANTEED TO ME ON THE CD INSERT by good ol' Warner-Reprise. And where did this extra 90 seconds come from? well, it was right there in the LEAD GUITAR parts of the song, right prior to the "hate was just a legend" lyric. They have AXED a huge section of Neil's guitar lead, digitized it out to save space, and done God-knows-what to the rest of the album to give us a low, low price.
I frantically fast-forwarded the track to the end and compared the ending times on my CD player to the one on the CD cover. I was right. And I was disgusted. Then I started REALLY losing it: who was responsible for this? And why in the living name of God could any self-respecting Neil fan put up with the absolute desecration of one of the greatest recorded versions of one of his most jaw-droppingly gnarly songs?
I for one took the CD back. It took me a while to explain to the clerk why, but he chalked it up to a bad mistake on WB's part. Personally, I think their strange urgency in reissuing four of his least-selling albums "remastered with the original cover art" on CD is unusually nice, but I would much rather have a full-blown remastered version of "Live Rust" than anything else in his catalog. Especially now that I know about this hatchet job that sits on the shelf indefinitely, with no plans to improve on it. And Reprise, while you're at the task of putting that 90 seconds of guitar bliss back into "Cortez" that you so thoughtfully took out, go ahead and put out some other songs from that tour that weren't on the original CD to restore my faith in corporate America, because this is more of a disgrace than Watergate, "read my lips", and Monica's dress put together. Get the President on the horn.Live Rust OverviewJapanese reissue pressing features 16 tracks. Reprise. 2005.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Want to learn more information about Live Rust?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD) Review

Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD) ReviewThis is a tremendous CD which I whole-heartedly recommend. Neil Young announces before the fourth song that he will be playing "mostly new songs tonight." Five of the new songs would appear on the following year's "Harvest" album, which for my money, is Neil Young's finest. Did the audience realize just how extraordinary was this batch of new songs? Did Neil himself have any inkling of the phenomenal acclaim and acceptance "Harvest" would receive?
The songs are all performed solo by Neil, twelve on guitar, six (counting track 7 as two) on piano. (Unplugged, if you will, decades before that term was coined and turned into a marketing tool.)
One of the most interesting piano tracks is "A Man Needs a Maid/Heart of Gold." Neil introduces the song by saying "some people look at their life and say, well, my life is like a movie," then jokes that "this is like a showtune from my movie," perhaps foreshadowing the heavy production "A Man Needs a Maid" would receive on the studio album. However, the spare rendering here is superior, in my opinion. Then midway through the track, Neil segues into a stark version of "Heart of Gold," previewing what can arguably be called his definitive song.
Standout tracks with acoustic guitar include "Old Man," "Needle and the Damage Done," "Cowgirl In The Sand," and "Ohio." But one could as easily point out highlights by repeating the entire track list. Guitarists especially will appreciate how the songs are played in this solo acoustic format. The sound quality of the recording is superb.
There are several new (at the time) songs that didn't wind up on Harvest or any other album. Of particular note is "Dance, Dance, Dance." In the verse you will recognize the seeds of a later more well-known song.
That Neil has remained relevant all these years -- from CSN&Y to Harvest to Rust Never Sleeps to the Pearl Jam collaborations to last year's "Living With War" -- makes this CD much more than a nostalgic look at the past. I highly recommend it.
Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD) OverviewFrom the Neil Young performance series archives Available for the first time The acclaimed 1971 solo acoustic Massey Hall performance Featuring 17 tracks-over one hour of music Special edition CD + DVD combo-pak DVD includes 17 live songs from the Massey Hall concert; hi-res stereo audio BECAUSE SOUND MATTERS 'This is the album that should have come out between After the Gold Rush and Harvest'. David Briggs, my producer, was adamant that this should be the record, but I was very excited about the takes we got on Harvest and wanted Harvest out. David disagreed. As I listen to this today, I can see why. Love you, David.' - Neil Young

Want to learn more information about Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps - The Concert Film (1978) Review

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps - The Concert Film (1978)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps - The Concert Film (1978)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps - The Concert Film (1978). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps - The Concert Film (1978) ReviewThis is Neil at the top of his game. The decade preceding this release saw Young put out all the strongest material that would carry his reputation for the next 25 years. Sure, he would return to form in the late 80's for another strong run, but this is where he and the Horse hit their stride. Crazy Horse is a one trick pony, but that trick is something else when they have it all together, and they have it all together all the way through this DVD.
The stage show is a bit silly in retrospect, the kind of grandstanding he must have done, tongue in cheek, but the music is undeniably powerful. In many cases, these are the definitive versions of these songs, and Young clearly revels in their glories. You'll not find a better version of "Cinnamon Girl" or "Powderfinger" anywhere, and the proof is how well these renditions in particular have stood up.
Of course, it would all go south almost immediately after this tour. Becoming a father to two severely handicapped sons, dealing with failed relationships and a new marraige and trying to keep his private life out of the public eye and out of the manipulating hands of David Geffen would result in some truly awful, often bewildering, constantly changing directions that would span the 80's. Not until the Bluenotes Cd and then FREEDOM would Neil find his groove and court passionately his muse again, but at least at this point, it is as though he is that kid on the dock in "Powderfinger" who is just about to see his face flash in the sky.
This is a landmark concert, well worth watching over and over again. The sound transfer is great.Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps - The Concert Film (1978) OverviewStudio: Uni Dist Corp (music)Release Date: 09/24/2002

Want to learn more information about Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps - The Concert Film (1978)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006) Review

Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006) ReviewIn the summer of '05, Neil Young, having just survived a close call with a brain aneurysm, performed two concerts at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium. Documented here, the concerts premiered Young's most recent, and critically acclaimed release, Prairie Wind, followed by many classics from the gentler compartment of his massive, magnificent catalog. From the opening interview snippets to the final scene of Neil Young alone on stage, Jonathan Demme, as one would expect, has created a masterpiece, a film suitable to its subject. No two-second ADD camera work here, this wonderful film was shot with the same grace, intelligence and intimacy as the music Young and his friends--including Emmylou Harris!--perform. I saw this film four times while it was in town, and now I can't wait for the DVD release. Don't miss this (literally) glowing tribute to one of rock/blues/folk/country's genuine icons.Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006) OverviewAcademy-award winning director Jonathan Demme beautifully captures Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend, Neil Young as he prepares and presents the performance of a lifetime with the help of his wife Peggi and friends country star Emmylou Harris, steel guitarist Ben Keith and more at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry.

Want to learn more information about Neil Young - Heart of Gold (2006)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Deja Vu Review

Deja Vu
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Deja Vu? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Deja Vu. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Deja Vu Review"Deja Vu" is a timeless masterpiece of classic rock! It's the crowning achievement of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (CSN&Y), arguably one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Much of their fame and durability over the past 30 years can be traced to this album, which was originally released on vinyl in 1970. It contains some of their most outstanding and famous songs, including the rock anthems "Carry On" and "Woodstock," David Crosby's tongue-in-cheek "Almost Cut My Hair," Stephen Stills' forlorn ballad "4 + 20," and the personal favorite of both my wife and me: "Our House." Every song shows CSN&Y's tremendous dynamism, versatility and musical maturity. Superbly intelligent lyrics, great guitar riffs (especially Greg Reeves' bass riff in the song "Deja Vu"), beautifully crafted harmonies, and Dallas Taylor's sizzling percussion all converge to make every song on this digitally remastered CD a rock masterpiece.
"Deja Vu" is one of the landmark albums of all time. It's also one of my personal favorites, and an essential CD, not only for fans of CSN&Y, but for all fans of rock and roll music.Deja Vu OverviewOne of rock's all-time classics! The hits Teach Your Children; Our House; Woodstock join Almost Cut My Hair; Helpless; Country Girl; 4+20 , and more.

Want to learn more information about Deja Vu?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Prairie Wind Review

Prairie Wind
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Prairie Wind? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Prairie Wind. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Prairie Wind ReviewNeil Young has always been a musical chameleon. Shifting from hard rock to rockabilly to grunge to futuristic synth music, he's tried every music genre. But the style he keeps returning to is country-rock. Prairie Wind is yet another superb album in this vein. The past few years haven't been kind to Mr. Young with the death of his father and the mother of his first child or finding out that he has a brain aneurysm. With the sense of loss and mortality, Prairie Wind reflects on life and family. "The Painter" brilliantly sets the tone for the album as it a brooding, moody piece that shows music gives eternal life to its artists. "Far From Home" is a lovely ode to his parents and "Here For You" is a sweet song for his kids that has a great harmonica solo. "Falling From The Face Of The Earth" is a gentle lament and "He Was The King" is a goofy salute to Elvis Presley, but one done with spirit. "When God Made Me" has a full gospel chorus and "This Old Guitar" is the best track on the album with its simple story and laid-back charm. Country-rock is the skin Mr. Young feels most comfortable in and Prairie Wind is his best album in a decade.Prairie Wind OverviewAn artist for all musical seasons, Neil Young returns to autumnal harvest mode on Prairie Wind, with homespun material and sing-song melodies that renew the spirit of some of his most popular releases. Yet the mood here is darker in its maturity than on Harvest and Harvest Moon--the previous releases in what now sounds like a trilogy--and the arrangements have greater range and aural depth, with Wayne Jackson of the soulful Memphis Horns, the Fisk University Jubilee Singers gospel choir, and a string section employed to striking effect. This is a song cycle of dreams, memories, family ties, and the passage of time--what is lost and what endures. The elliptical, epic 'No Wonder', with its evocation of 9/11, ranks with the most ambitious songs of Young's career, while 'Falling Off the Face of the Earth', 'It's a Dream', and the bluesy title cut combine childlike innocence with unsettling experience. Spooner Oldham's church keyboards and co-producer Ben Keith's steel guitar reinforce the sound's sturdy simplicity. Young has released a lot of albums in different musical styles, but Prairie Wind feels like a homecoming, and ranks with his very best. Reprise. 2005.

Want to learn more information about Prairie Wind?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Dead Man Review

Dead Man
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Dead Man? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Dead Man. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Dead Man ReviewI have read through the other Amazon reviews, and I sympathize with the reviewers who were frustrated with this CD because they didn't like the dialogue sections or the sections during which Depp reads from William Blake. So if you buy this with the intent of experiencing Neil Young exclusively, you will be disappointed.
But I have to say that as a lover of Neil Young (I have more of his music in my collection than that of any other artist), a lover of DEAD MAN (I have seen it multiple times), and as a lover of the real poet William Blake, I couldn't be happier with this CD unless, of course, it was longer.
I can hardly imagine anything BETTER than hearing Johnny Depp (one of my favorite actors) read from William Blake!
I keep my music on my computer and also have a collection of audio poetry on my computer (yes, I am a University English Lecturer and poetry really turns me on). Depp's readings from Blake, with Young's haunting music in the background is mind blowing and more than I could ever ask for in my wildest English-Lecturer-dreams.
This CD will take you to a place in the deepest center of yourself where your dreams reside. William Blake believed in the supernatural and in the power of dreams. He also was a rebel. He was one of the most spiritual people ever to have existed. DEAD MAN is also about a spiritual quest, and that's why the marriage of Young's guitar and the dialogue/poetry readings from DEAD MAN really work!
Excellent to listen to in order to jumpstart your own creative life! Highly recommended.Dead Man Overview

Want to learn more information about Dead Man?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...