| Product: |
Harvest - Neil Young |
| Date: |
15.04.08 (57 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Classic Neil Young with great supporting cast. Much more here than just big singles.
Disadvantages: Addition of the LSO a little overwhelming, but hardly a big problem.
After three critically well received albums for Reprise, along came 1972's Harvest. This is the album that altered Neil Young's position in the music world to an unimaginable degree. Harvest reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic and produced a radio staple and chart topping single in Heart of Gold.
Young moved into a new level of fame momentarily greater than Crosby Stills & Nash. Harvest may have done more to popularise country-rock than any other album. It also fixed an image of Young in many minds (except his own) as a benign, home on the range, hippie songwriter. The album was a painful year in gestation, especially for Young who underwent serious spinal surgery during this time, at odds with the relaxed and laid-back feel on the ten tracks.
Young's mood is well expressed at the start of the LP on Out On The Weekend with "Think I'll pack it in and buy a pick-up". The song cruises at mid pace with changing sentiment, one minute praising the start of a "brand new day" before qualifying the statement with "I'm so down today". The title track is another light tune brightened by the addition of pedal steel backing; the lyrics consist of a series of rhetorical questions that seem to allude to an idealised relationship.
A Man needs A Maid carries the most memorable and striking piece of melody on the album. Inspired by Young's relationship with actress Carrie Snodgrass it appears blatantly chauvinistic at first listen, closer inspection reveals that the lyrics concern themselves with the singers insecurity. Heart Of Gold will be well known to many but this strong track does not overshadow the rest of the album and the additional vocals from James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt are always a joy.
Are You Ready for the Country keeps the country vibe ticking over and leads into Old Man, another of Young's strong tunes of this period it provided another US top 40 hit single. There's A world is a slight song which is a bit overwhelmed by the London Symphony Orchestra in full flow (two of the tracks here were recorded at Barking Town Hall, Essex, I kid you not). It is difficult not to be distracted from the vocal by the many harps, violins and flutes that are present.
Alabama sees young return to the Southern Man theme explored on After the Gold Rush but with less anger and great harmonies from Graham Nash and David Crosby, despite the gentler tone it still inspired an annoyed Lynrd Skynrd to reply with Sweet Home Alabama which Young was flattered by. The Needle And The Damage Done is a moving lament for Danny Whitten, the Crazy Horse guitarist who fell into heroin addiction. It is full of bittersweet imagery that sounds sentimental here but belies an anger and darkness best seen in later live performances. Harvest closes with Words, filled with musings on the new superstar life Young was engaging with and backed by Graham Nash and Stephen Stills it gently brings the album to a fine finish.
Harvest is rightly lauded as one of the great albums which no Neil Young fan should be without and those enjoying his country rock work could do worse than check out 1978's Comes a time and 1992's Harvest Moon as well.
As with vast majority of Young's Reprise back catalogue, this album is issued at mid-price, so you should be able to pick it for between £5 and £10 depending on where you shop.
Summary: One of the great albums of the early seventies available at mid- price.
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