#35 Neil Young

Neil Young is the ultimate singer-songwriter. He’s got the most unique voice to go along with his distinctive guitar style and deeply personal lyrics. Young broke in the 1960s and has remained the folk hippy curmudgeon. His music ranges from acoustic to electric; from swing to rockabilly; and from jazz to grunge.

Young was a member of the super group Buffalo Springfield. “For What It’s Worth” is one of the defining songs of the 60s. The band quickly fell apart as a result of tensions between members and with their management. Young moved onto a solo career and immediately recorded “Cinnamon Girl” and “Down by the River.” Then, he joined Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The highpoint of CSNY was “Ohio” about the Kent State Massacre in 1970.

Outside CSNY, Young recorded classics such as “Southern Man” and “The Needle and the Damage Done.” Young’s biggest hit (and only #1) was “Heart of Gold.” He quickly moved to the “Ditch Trilogy” before returning to spotlight in the mid-70s. His last great 70s song, “Hey Hey My My” would have been a grunge classic had it come out in 1992.

In the 80s, Young experimented with his music. After some time off the beaten path, 1988 brought Young back. He lampooned Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson for selling out in “This Note’s For You.” The next year, “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” provided a transition between 1980s and 1990s music. The song had the big 80s sound with early 1990s social consciousness. The feedback used on his Freedom album hearkened back to the 1970s and served as a precursor to the 1990s.

Neil Young was dubbed “The Godfather of Grunge” in the early 90s as Pearl Jam and Nirvana borrowed from his work. In fact, Kurt Cobain’s suicide note quoted Neil Young. At the same time, Young went folk with his Harvest Moon album. He continued to tour and record into the 2000s. In 2006, he stirred controversy with an anti-Bush album, Living With War.

Young has always been an activist. He protested Vietnam, co-founded Farm Aid, campaigns for the environment, and also directs films. He continues to tour and record.

Rock n Roll Moment: Neil Young performed anti-war songs during the Iraq War which resulted in his audience walking out on him. This did not dissuade him from continuing at the next show.

Essential Neil Young:

Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)
After the Gold Rush (1970)
Harvest (1972)
On The Beach (1974)
Tonight’s The Night (1975)
Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Freedom (1989)
Prairie Wind (2005)

Neil Young’s Top 10:

Cinnamon Girl
Heart of Gold
Hey Hey My My
Old Man
Rockin’ In The Free World
Down By The River
Like a Hurricane
The Needle and the Damage Done
Four Strong Winds
Southern Man

#57 Crosby Stills Nash and Young

CSNY evolved out of the ashes of The Byrds, The Hollies, and Buffalo Springfield. Few bands have ever had that kind of pedigree. The folk trio scored an immediate hit in 1969 with their first album. Then came Neil Young. Young took the band to the next level. Their main musical themes dealt with the counterculture, anti-war movement, and sailing ships(?!). The hippie folk activists did not realize their commercial appeal until the 1970s. Eventually, time and drugs took their toll. The band has been on again off again through the years.

Rock n Roll Moment: Neil Young wrote “Ohio” in the aftermath of the Kent State shootings. This track is a time capsule into Vietnam Era America in general and the counterculture in particular.

Essential CSNY:

Crosby, Stills, and Nash (1969)
Déjà Vu (1970)

CSNY’s Top 10:

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Ohio
Southern Cross
Wasted on the Way
Woodstock
Marrakesh Express
Our House
Helpless
Wooden Ships
Just a Song Before I Go