Neil Young - Neil Young [1968]

The year was 1968, November 12th was the exact day. 23 years old to the day, Neil Young, released his 4th major album. Neil had a fairly brief, and fairly successful stint with Buffalo Springfield, and after he left that group, he wasted no time in starting his own solo career. From the prelude, "Emperor of Wyoming" to the final track "The Last Trip to Tulsa" you get a raw, young, Neil. Granted, this album is not Neil's finest, after all it is his first effort as a solo artist. If I was to introduce a newcomer to Neil Young, I probably wouldn't show them this album until they were far along the journey into his music. But you know, I am okay with that. Every artist has to start somewhere, and for this album to be his first solo work, it is truly amazing.

Favorite track: "Last Trip to Tulsa" My favorite Neil Young, is the Neil that tells stories through his music. This song is long, it clocks in at 9 minutes and 27 seconds. Neil doesn't use anything but his voice, and his lowly acoustic guitar. This song is a sort of foreshadowing to the future grandeur of Neil. Neil ended his first solo album with this, which to me, is saying "You haven't heard the last of me!"

Least favorite track: I really like all the tracks on this album, it is a different sort of Neil. He has a natural talent for exploring music and playing what he feels like. He is not afraid to make mistakes. If I have to choose a least favorite, it would be "What Did You Do to My Life." This is not a bad song, but it is so different from Neil's other work.

In all, "Neil Young" is a prelude, to the careers of one of modern music's greatest singer/songwriters. Thinking back on my listens to the album, I don't think I would change a thing about it. Final rating 4.0 / 5.0

Neil Young - Neil Young [1968]

This album was Neil Young's first solo album, and as such, I think its a pretty remarkable debut. The production of the album doesn't sound as timeless as some of his future work, but it definitely is Neil. However, you can definitely date this album to the time period from which it came from, and hints of psychedelia abound.

Some of the tracks hint at later grandeur, and true "Neil Youngishness", for instance "The Last Trip to Tulsa", which seems to be an echo of some of his later epics. "I've Been Waiting for You" is another great track, that I was actually familiar before via an excellent David Bowie cover.

Overall, I found the album a pleasant listening experience, however, although I look upon it fondly, I do not recommend it as a must listen to for a first time Neil Young listener.

Favorite Track: I've Been Waiting For You - just a fun, fun track.

Least Favorite Track: If I Could Have Her Tonight - it was hard to pick a worst track, but I think this one probably is it. Not terribly memorable, and just not typical of what I enjoy of Neil.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

Introduction, and Neil Young

This Artist in Review blog has been a project with a long gestation process. Richie and I have decided to launch this project by reviewing the first four albums by Neil Young. Our reviews will be coming to you shortly.

Wilkommen!

Hello Folks. Welcome to the second part of our "in Review" series - Artist in review. As you may have guessed, this blog will focus on us reviewing an entire artists discography, and then compiling the information for each artist. We will use the same week long process as the other blog for each album, and try to be as comprehensive as possible.

Anyway, keep your peepers peeled, we'll be posting our first discography target very soon.