The Official Neil Young Thread

[epilogue]

What I've heard (ranked):

Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
After the Gold Rush
Harvest Moon
Mirror Ball
Silver and Gold
Homegrown (after one listen; this is just a temporary ranking)
Chrome Dreams II
Long May You Run
Prairie Wind
Tonight's the Night
Rust Never Sleeps
Harvest
Comes A Time
Are You Passionate
Freedom
Living With War
Neil Young
Greendale

I'll also say that I need to listen to almost all of these again. It's been a long time for most of those. I tend to be a single track/playlist Neil Young consumer. I don't usually do full Neil albums front to back very often.

Unless I'm missing something, it seems like all of Homegrown -- even the previously released songs -- would have been new to you. I imagine that really enhanced the experience of the record, and you probably got to have a pretty unique experience with it that not a lot of Neil fans had as a result. I think Homegrown is wonderful but after 20-25 years of listening to Neil, it's definitely a challenge to divorce some of those songs from their original contexts and really hear Homegrown as a single cohesive thing.

On the Beach has been my favorite Neil Young album at times too -- a great recommendation.

Yeah that's a good point. Like I said before, I didn't know it was an older album at all. I legit thought it was a brand new record. I felt a little silly at first but now I'm really glad I got to have this experience with it.

[epilogue]

Joey, haven't you checked out Sleeps With Angels? Change your mind, bro.

I'll give it a go.

Let Noise
On The Beach
Sleeps With Angels

Those three this week!

[VinylGuy]

I dont think i have a favorite from him. Its always changing from what i need to hear at that time. I would say that i might prefer Neil with Crazy Horse...and yes, Mirror Ball is definitely one of his masterpieces.

Funny thing- Mirrorball was one of my favorite albums period before I did the album journey with Neil, but now it doesn’t make my top 10 favorite Neil Young albums. That’s a statement to me on how highly I regard his albums.

Interesting. Yeah, he was so much material...but the rawness of that album and the songs, the performances...its just amazing. PJ really brought it. Its a top five or three for sure for me.

[tragabigzanda]

[Strat]

No way could I rank his whole discography and feel committed to my ranking, but I could probably do a top 10 pretty easily:

On The Beach
After The Goldrush
Time Fades Away
Silver & Gold
Tonight’s The Night
Mirrorball
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Homegrown
Harvest
Zuma

new albumitis

[tragabigzanda]

[Strat]

Nah. I HATE A Man Needs A Maid, and there are a couple songs on Zuma I could take or leave. Apart from Florida, Homegrown is a straight-through love fest for me

My point still stands.

[tragabigzanda]

[Strat]

No I have proven you wrong and also impotent!

No way its better than Ragged Glory or Rust Never Sleeps

[Strat]

Chrome Dreams II for that matter

[Hatfield]

you need to grab Le Noise and Ragged Glory Joe.

I know I listened to the first couple of tracks on Le Noise when it first came out. But then I never finished it and the computer I had it downloaded died. I remember liking the beginning of it. But I never went back to it.

Its a wonderful album.

Homegrown has really inspired me. I'll give Le Noise and On the Beach some spins this week.

Hit up Zuma while you're at it!

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[liebzz]

Yeah I would not be able to rank his vast catalogue, but certainly could pick 10. At the moment that would be:

On the Beach
Rust Never Sleeps
After the Goldrush
Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Harvest
Psychedelic Pill
Silver & Gold
Tonight’s the Night
Zuma
Harvest Moon

With a shout out to Ragged Glory, Broken Arrow, Re-Ac-Tor, Trans, and Homegrown...and Mirrorball

[Farmer John]

I struggle to even do a Top 10.

On the Beach and After the Goldrush are definitely 1 & 2, but after that it might be something like this:

On the Beach
After the Goldrush
Rust Never Sleeps
Broken Arrow
Mirrorball
Silver & Gold
Tonight’s The Night
Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Time Fades Away
Harvest

I also think Greendale is super underrated. The first time I saw him live was on the Greendale tour, so I've always had a soft spot for that album.

[Farmer John]

Does any artist have a better decade than 1970s Neil Young? Just look at this list.

After the Goldrush
Harvest
Time Fades Away
On the Beach
Tonight’s the Night
Homegrown
Zuma
Hitchhiker
American Stars ’N Bars
Comes a Time
Rust Never Sleeps

You can even throw in Long May You Run and Live Rust.

[liebzz]

Rolling Stones had a great 70s - even stronger if you can reach back to 69. Dylan’s 69s output is pretty unimpeachable. But Neil’s 70s amazing.

[Strat]

Chrome Dreams II for that matter

Yikes! This album is as about mid-tier as a neIl young album gets.

We're done here.

[VinylGuy]

Chrome Dreams II for that matter

Yikes! This album is as about mid-tier as a neIl young album gets.

Another favorite of mine.

[Strat]

Also greendale is highly underrated

[liebzz]

Also greendale is highly underrated

I agree though in terms of half baked concept albums, I liked Fork in the Road and Le Noise better.