Neil Young

When Neil Young announced that he would be releasing four of his classic "missing six" albums this summer, it was a stunner: the equivalent of Rush Limbaugh going pro-choice. Young, known to many for his righteous stubbornness, vowed at times during his career, much to the chagrin of fans, that none of these albums would ever be released on CD. No stranger to speaking his mind about his personal opinions, Young commonly expressed his feelings about the poor sound quality of the CD format, which in turn had his fans pleading for the opportunity to ad these recordings to their collections. How fast things have changed. Young has a concept album Greendale due out August 19th, and he’s now finally just released four of the missing albums: On The Beach, American Stars n’ Bars, Hawks &Doves, and Reactor.

On The Beach- 1974

This long awaited masterpiece stands as one of Young’s finest releases, along side After the Gold Rush and Harvest – yes, bold, but true. Recorded during a period that Young was dating actress Carrie Snodgrass, in a whirlwind of California publicity, On The Beach stands as a surreal dreamlike album, epitomizing Yopung’s strongest attributes: deep lyrics, hooking melodies, and connection. From the ravishing "See the Sky About to Rain," with its mellow country warmth, to the grand acoustic "For The Turnstiles", folk rock takes on a new meaning. The rousing "Walk On", is a testament to Young’s infiltration of tragedy, reflected more precisely in his intense album Tonights The Night, that would shortly follow in ’75. With three blues tunes- "Revolution Blues," "Vampire Blues," and "Ambulance Blues;" each one floats within a rampant march of it’s own beat, narrative lyrical journeys laid over a steady blues groove. The dynamic title trudges in self-reflective lyrics of isolation and doom, and is the album’s crown jewel. Not to mention the retro cover photo of 70’s era yellow patio furniture set on the beach, with Young staring out into the horizon.

American Stars ‘n Bars – 1978

Recorded between his guitar raging Crazy Horse epic, Zuma, and his mellow acoustic laden Comes A Time, American Stars n' Bars, combines a little of both worlds. Although a majority of the songs don’t hold the spirit or soul that is definitive of Young, there are a few keepers that make this country edged album worth hearing.

The renowned "Like A Hurricane" speaks for itself as one rock’s finest moments, while the quaint "Star of Bethlehem" and "Will To Love," follow in the footsteps of Young’s simple, but memorable song writing compositions. The overlooked "Hey Babe," with its peaceful easy feeling steel guitar notes and backup vocals, are archetypal 70’s Young. However, the slipshod, "Saddle Up The Palamino" and the haphazard country tune, "Hold "Back the Tears" beg for conviction. American Stars n' Bars is a relatively strong record that is equally fun and enjoyable to listen repeatedly, but periodically begs for originality.

Hawks &Doves - 1980

It’s cleverly ironic that Hawks &Doves debuted in 1980, at the onset of a particularly "experimental" decade for Young. Between creative disagreements with Geffen records and the addition of synthesizers and techno, along with a stab at rockabilly, the 80’s might otherwise be known as a "die-hard fans only" decade. Hawks &Doves follows clearly in that confused tradition. These nine songs are a mix of songs that don’t particularly gel well after one another, as some of them date back to the mid 70’s. The first half of the record are four strong folk rock tunes, most notably the touching "Little Wing" and the lengthy narrative, "The Old Homestead." The acoustic "Captain Kennedy" the story of a sailor who died at sea finds a soft spot in the listener’s ear.

Unfortunately, it’s the second half of the album that is quite harsh on the ears. Young lays forth political rants in "Hawks and Doves" and "Union Man", that were released around Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign. Although he’s Canadian, there’s no secret to which side Young was pulling for in ’80, a far cry from his current left wing causes. "Stayin’ Power" might be Young’s most embarrassing song to date, while "Union Man" and "Coming Apart At Every Nail" are equally distasteful. It’s a wonder how the first half can be so accessible, while the second half falls prey to a pit of political/musical nonsense.

Reactor -1981

For all those that like to see Young at his rocking finest, swaying and stomping between bassist Billy Talbot and guitarist Poncho Sampredo in sweaty Crazy Horse garage style fashion take note. Sensitive, acoustic lyrical side Neil Young fans… beware.

Denounced by critics at its release, Reactor is perhaps one of Young’s finest rocking moments, but strays far from the melodic territory. This is an album that spurred the likes of Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam to cry refuge to Young as the godfather of grunge. From the opening lyrics of " I was born to rock, I’ll never be an opera star, " the album is full of balls to the walls energy.

Young lets his guitar soar in "Surfer Joe &Moe The Sleaze" in rip roaring fashion not fully executed again until the likes of his "Ragged Glory" adventures ten years later in 1991. The punk bleached "T-Bone" is a rambunctious jam that stomps past the nine minute mark, perhaps Young’s most un-radio friendly moment of his career - like he really gave a damn about pleasing anyone in ’81. The express guitar roar of "Rapid Transit" is grunge at its larvae stage, vibrating emotionally while Young’s lips tremble the lyrics. The traumatic closer "Shots," makes you only wish a handful of these Reactor songs would see the light of day in future live Neil Young &Crazy Horse performances, as they are often overlooked in favor of his more melodic creations.

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