Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Opening with the methodical, hard-rocking "Cinnamon Girl"--still one of the singer-songwriter's most-hollered requests in concert--Young's second solo album introduces the cockeyed harmonies and sloppy, chiming guitars of Crazy Horse. His wide swings from soft-spoken country-folk ("Round & Round [It Won't Be Long]") to menacing metal (the punch line to "Down by the River" is "I shot my baby") indicate the multiple personalities in Young's future. His second album of 1969 broadcasts a sincere passion for the peace-and-love '60s (dig the long guitar solos) but also predicts the dark introspection of "Tonight's the Night." --Steve Knopper Amazon.com

JAPAN REMASTERED VERSION AVAILABLE

A while back, Warner Brothers Japan re-released 12 Neil Young titles. The surprise was that remastered content appeared for the first time on most of them.

The titles & WB-Japan catalog numbers are:

Neil Young WPCR-75086
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere WPCR-75087
After The Gold Rush WPCR-75088
Harvest WPCR-75089
On The Beach WPCR-75090
Tonight's The Night WPCR-75091
Zuma WPCR-75092
Long May You Run WPCR-75093
American Stars n' Bars WPCR-75094
Comes A Time WPCR-75095
Rust Never Sleeps WPCR-75096
Live Rust WPCR-75097

I picked up most of these, A/B'd them, and found them to be superior to the domestics. However, having purchased the domestic 2002 remasters of "Beach" and "Stars n Bars", I declined the Japan versions of those two titles.

Unfortunately, while the Japan version is remastered, Live Rust is not restored to the original LP's running form, and remains still the bastardized version.

If you own the U.S. versions, and you're a NY fan, I would seriously consider replacing them with these. June 18, 2008

Neil Young In His Prime-Yes

I have mentioned elsewhere in this space that, on any given night in the 1960's, Jim Morrison and the Doors were pound for pound the best rock and roll band in the world. I would stand by that remark as a general proposition but only add that for quality over the long haul the Rolling Stones would edge the Doors out. However, somewhere, somehow into this mix one must place Neil Young's work with Crazy Horse in the early 1970's. Young himself has gone through many transformations including grunge bandleader and lately sort of a soulful folk-rock elder statesman. But back in the day he could rock with the best of them-first with Buffalo Springfield and then the various combinations with Crosby, Stills and Nash.

So what makes Everybody Knows This is Nowhere special? Easy. Young on lead vocals and guitar and the band play the kind of acid-inspired rock that has withstood the test of time. That is not true for most of the work of that era. Some Jefferson Airplane, some The Who yes but most of it is rather grating on the ear these days. And the aging of this reviewer is only one small factor for that believe. Neil and the guys knew how to work the riffs as they related to any particular song. Take, for example, Down By The River, it is simply powerful without being overdone. Or the title song mentioned above, for that matter.

I think that Young, as experienced musician by that point in his career, had something in the back of his mind about doing music for the long haul. Look, electricity will take virtually anything that an instrument has to offer. The history of rock and roll proves that. If you want to get a slice of what the best use of that electricity was like when men and women played rock and roll for keeps listen here.


May 23, 2008

A Masterpiece

At the time this came out it was so unique and in a class by itself. With Whitten on rythmn, the jams are devastating. No, not to rival Clapton for virtousity or Jeff Beck for sound effects, but there is something in the purity of this music that can't be duplicated. Just simply music for the working man at a very high level. You can feel the earth in this music, a closeness to what is real about communication through music is in every song on this one. I can't say enough about the texture of this work of art. I learned to play every song on this album when it came out. My buddies and I jammed to Down by the River for hours. I am so prejudiced about this CD, that it isn't even fair for me to say more. If you don't have it, buy it. If you don't get it when you buy it then you just don't understand. March 19, 2008

DEFINING THE NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE SOUND ! (Neil's second solo album was his first with Crazy Horse, and a rock classic)

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969) literally defined what would ultimately become the distinctive Neil Young And Crazy Horse sound that has characterized the electric guitar rock portion of Neil Young's great career in rock n' roll.

The three epic rock classics here are Down By The River, Cowgirl In The Sand, and Cinnamon Girl. Each one contains some of Neil Young's career best electric guitar work by way of extended guitar solos and creative riffs, and some of his most memorable and sharp lyrical genius. Of the darkly passionate Down By The River, Neil told Robert Greenfield in 1970, "No, there's no real murder in it. It's about blowing your thing with a chick. It's a plea, a desperate cry".

You take my hand, I'll take your hand
Together we may get away
This much madness is too much sorrow
It's impossible to make it today

Cowgirl In The Sand is even longer and more abstract, with guitar fireworks that clearly set the tone for the classic Neil Young & Crazy Horse style. Pure emotion amplified through electric guitars is what this one's all about. The lyrics describe a relationship with an idealized woman of Young's dreams.

Hello cowgirl in the sand
Is this place at your command
Can I stay here for a while
Can I see your sweet, sweet smile

Cinnamon Girl is a total rock classic, and one of Neil Young's most popular songs ever. With rocking guitar riffs, poetic lyrics of longing, and a great melody, it's rock n' roll in a league of it's own. Those three stand out, but the other songs on the album are great, too. The country-rock wistfulness of (When You're On) The Losing End is another winner here, and I like the haunting Round And Round (It Won't Be Long), too. The twangy escapism of the title track is classic Neil Young material, and works well within the uncertain and tormented mood of the album.

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere was a breakthrough album for Neil Young, an album where he found his true voice and sound. It's one of his best albums, one that has withstood the test of time, and it still remains a classic today. Cool album cover, too, characteristically reticent and rebellious Neil Young. March 11, 2008

Oh come on.

It is Neil Young at his best. When you can write, and play that well you won't be sitting around talking about music for yahoos on amazon. March 2, 2008

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