Neil Young Albums From Worst To Best | Stereogum
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We usually don't pay too much heed to attempts to categorize Neil Young albums.
In some respects, it's an effort in futility. Most Neil Young albums are in fact somewhat uncategorizeable. Is it rock? Is it country? Country rock? Folk rock? Alt Country rock?
And rankings and lists seem virtually pointless. Every album has its strengths and weaknesses, every album has its time and place.
All of this said, over on Stereogum, a survey of "Neil Young Albums From Worst To Best" by James Jackson Toth which actually is a fairly thorough survey of 35 albums out of a catalog of over 40 or so (depending on how you count things like CSNY, Buffalo Springfield, etc.):
Aliens land.Certainly, there are any number of accurate and inaccurate assessments in the survey but check them out on Stereogum.
They’ve traveled from some distant planet with a specific mission: to find out what this ‘rock and roll’ stuff is all about. Through some curious coincidence, they find you. “What is rock and roll?” they demand, rayguns drawn. You begin to sweat. Still, there is really only one question you need to ask yourself:
“Which Neil Young album do I play them first?”
This is no hyperbole; Neil Young is the personification of rock and roll in human form. From his humble beginnings as a surf rocker in the Squires to his tenure in Hall Of Fame acts Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, to his most recent blitzkrieg Psychedelic Pill, Neil has spent a career as the embodiment of artistry despite fierce resistance. This iron-willed devotion to the Muse has not come without a price, however: While Neil’s successes have mostly flown in the face of prevailing music biz wisdom, his uncompromising nature has earned him almost as many failures, failures that should have sunk him several times over. His unpredictability and star-chamber business practices have often made him a pariah; his impulsive spirit and mood swings would frequently estrange his fellow musicians and most ardent supporters. Even more than Dylan, Neil Young has made a career of being consistently inconsistent.
And just for the record, calling a Neil Young album "worst" is -- in our viewpoint -- a non sequitur. Again, each album and song does have its time and place.
ps - be sure to check the comments, as well. Some spirited debate. ;)
pss - For the record, here's what we consider to be The Essential Neil Young Albums.
Labels: album, neil young
by thrasher@PermaLink: 8/26/2013 08:46:00 PM
43 comments
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Human Highway
Concert Review of the Moment
This Land is My Land
FREEDOM In A New Year
*Thanks Neil!*
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The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young
Pardon My Heart
"We're The Ones 
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This blog 
(... he didn't kill himself either...)
#AaronDidntKillHimself
Neil Young's Moon Songs
Civic Duty Is Not Terrorism
Orwell (and Grandpa) Was Right
What's So Funny About 
43 Comments:
It's still all one song. A song of love from Neil to us. And to himself. I'm glad he can't help himself when it comes to his inspirations.
Albums and songs are like kids, none the same, (hopefully) all loved equally from the maker(s), though unique and worthy of individual acclaim, critique, review, praise, wonder and doubt. It's that creative origin that brings us back again and again. There is no best in music, Neil told us that long ago.
That said, there certainly are more accessible albums, better received, big sellers, blah blah.
The only real list that matters is our own. The course of public opinion is primarily a private matter in this case.
No 'Landing on Water'
Its all subjective opinion. Here is my two-penneth.
Are you Passionate? is worth it just for 'goin home'. Chrome Dreams 2 has some amazing cuts on it. Silver and Gold is the best 'just Neil' album. Totally underrated. 'Sleeps with Angels' is my joint favourite (with Everybody Knows) as I got into Neil as a 14 year old via Pearl Jam and Nirvana. In the context of that period the album is amazing. Hawks and Doves has some great cuts on it. Freedom is brilliant...
Overrated albums (don't hate me) 'Harvest Moon' and 'Harvest' too an extent. As albums they do not sit well together, especially Harvest. I love Side A but Side B just a bit oddd 'Alabama', 'Theres a World' and 'Needle' just seem out fo place. As for 'Harvest Moon' cliched song about a girl on a 'Harley Davidson', 'War of Man' and 'Such a Woman'. I just don't feel them . I prefered the live recent release.
Oh and my most senesational comment, 'Le noise' is a good album let down by terrible production. It needs a band, a drum and bass. How ood did 'walk with me' sound performed by Pearl Jam at Bridge. Imagine if Neil had done it with Crazy Horse or Pearl Jam in the studio?
Great work for highlighting this fascinating survey... James Toth is a great writer and any Neil Young fan should go check out his band Wooden Wand also. Some of the best songwriting of his generation:
http://youtu.be/mX_2ImhHxdg
landing on the water and prairie wind are so bad that they didn't even put on the list?
Personally I find Freedom (and Harvest Moon to some extent) very overrated. Harvest Moon is Neil Young going all soft. Neil is better when he's down, and Pegi has made him way too happy. ;)
Silver & Gold comes nowhere near Ragged Glory, imo. And I like Le Noise and Psych Pill a lot too.
My top 5:
Massey Hall
On the Beach
Time Fades Away
Comes a Time
Tonight's the Night
I think Live Rust is as good as it gets and I love Ragged Glory especially when you put it up against anything else from that year. After that there are too many good albums to only pick 3 more.
@ 8/27/2013 04:38:00 AM:
I think Prairie Wind is a career highlight. I definitely like it better than Harvest and Harvest Moon. I don't like the production of both records. Compare 'Out on the Weekend' with BBC 1971 for example.
Imo Praire Wind is his best 'recent' album and it can stand next to his best period (1969-1979).
Sleeps with Angels is his most underrated album. Too bad there are a couple of fillers on that record. It has a kind of unique mood and sound compared to other NY records.
Any list has to have "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" at the top. It is the Ur-album from which everything else flows - it's when he breaks free via Crazy Horse. "Neil Young" lays some of the groundwork, but suffers from Jack Nitsche's over production, Buffalo Springfield residue, and a cluttered, busy mix.
IMO and everybody can fight about the rest of the list. It's all good.
Great article and you deserve some credit for posting it, but now go back and read the old threads around the time of Fork in the Road where you repeatedly and mercilessly (not to mention blindly) trashed, thrashed, and mutilated anyone who had the nerve (and taste) to suggest that this was not a particularly shining moment in The Artist's career.
Time, it seems, really doesn't fade away. Chickens, however, do come home to roost.
"landing on the water and prairie wind are so bad that they didn't even put on the list?"
Huh? LOW is 28 and PW is 27.
@ The Zuma Band:
It's an amazing record, but Round & Round is kind of weak. The title song works better live and that goes for The Losing End too.
Would've liked to see Wondering on EKTIN.
"mirror ball" is not on the list ?...such a great album...
I'll give it a go:
From "worst" to best
Everybody's Rockin'
Old Ways
Are You Passionate?
This Note's For You
Americana
Life
Prairie Wind
Hawks & Doves
Living With War
Broken Arrow
Fork In The Road
Neil Young
Harvest Moon
Landing On Water
American Stars 'n' Bars
Mirror Ball
Re-ac-tor
Silver & Gold
Harvest
Chrome Dreams II
Le Noise
Freedom
Time Fades Away
Greendale
Psychedelic Pill
Top 10:
Comes A Time
Trans
Zuma
Rust Never Sleeps
Ragged Glory
Sleeps With Angels
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
After The Gold Rush
On The Beach
Tonight's The Night
Martin
What you guys think?
"'mirror ball" is not on the list ?...such a great album.."
Oof, MB is 30. Some of you are blind. :)
Love it, some of my top 10 Neil albums are rated in the bottom 10 here and I love "On the Beach" but have never considered it to be the best of the best. It's good to be a fan of an artist that has done so much diverse and interesting stuff that no 2 of his fans could probably agree on a top 10 list. For my money, I've never been able to convince myself that I have a favourite Neil Young album, however, I went on a long roadtrip lately so I'll throw "Ragged Glory" out there as a definite top 5 and THE BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME TO DRIVE TO. And to listen to "Over and over again".
-Born in Ontario
Ok, Ok, Maybe I am a "idiot" Neil Young fan. Probably belonging to the "all of Neil"-eating category, but honestly : a ranking from worst to best ???
Jesus, I never have, still not do, or ever will judge, or categorize, or give points, or rank Neil Youn by albums, LP's, CD's, DVD's, or whatever. Period !
Everything neil Young has done, does, or will do, will vary from "not worth listening" to " musical history, and inavoidable".
So, when I go through my Neil Young collection, every album has got his place. Worst ??? Best ??? I don't know, every album has at least one or more songs wich I like to name "wow, love it".
So, overall, there are albums I bought, wich, at first listening seemed to be "waiste of money", turned out to have great songs on it. And that is what matters to me most of all : on every record Neil has made, he succeeds to surprise me. On every record, but not after hearing it once (!!!), i discover details that touch me. May it be lyrics, chords, turns in melody, solo's, guitar exchanges with Poncho, little jewelry from Ben Keith, sweet tones from Booker T,....
every Neil album has its own "Easter Egg".
So, for me, there is no such thing as a "Worst" or "Best" album. Every album need to be discovered. It takes time to find the key, but...after ll these years, I can (not completely, but at least for a small part), understand reasons, emotions, backgrounds,....why Neil has made a specific record. And finding that gives each record a place, and makes each record worth listening.
But, as you knw, I'm just an idiot Neil Young fan, appreciating everything he does....
depending on the mood any of these could be number 1's
Neil young self title 1968
Tonight's the Night
Comes a time
Rust never sleeps
Zuma
Harvest
On the beach
everybody knows this is nowhere
after the gold rush
Chrome wheels 2
Worst
Fork in the road
Love everything else also
its been good Neil lets roll another number, I fear no hidden path
Thrasher:
What I think is that there is no "worst" of Neil Young.
EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion (Myself included), but that doesn't make it so. I always respect a person's right to express; but that doesn't mean I have to agree!!!
Actually, I think the "PERFECT" Neil Young experience is "Neil Young Trunk Show." I yearn for the day I'll be able to see it again.
Lots of affection to you and yours,
Marian M.
I don't get " on the beach " being so great
if live albums were allowed to be included , it would always be " weld " everytime
Comes a time ,after the goldfish are better than on the beach. EASILY
I love all of them. Forever Young.
This top list is a non sens.
Every time i hear a song of Neil, I'm happy.
The albums are never the same.
I love to start to begin to be old with so much time on my life listening these great songs.
I agree with Luc....I am constantly re-discovering Neil's work....albums I've owned for years will suddenly be in perpetual repeat....It's one of the many aspects of Neil Young's body of work that make it so compelling....There are gold nuggets scattered everywhere. Some albums I listen to more than others. Some albums have literally taken me decades to appreciate and truly discover, even if they were sitting on my shelf for years. Albums that didn't really grab me at first, I've come to love. I used to think that "Old Ways" was a throwaway, but I've grown to enjoy it more after loving "A Treasure" so much. There's always something new to discover and appreciate, even in albums that are 40 years old. This is all just my opinion, but it's one of the many reasons that the music of Neil Young is magical for me. His body of work is so diverse, there is something there for everyone, and for every time in your life journey. He truly is a treasure. I'm biased, because he has been my favorite artist since I was 15. In all the changes that an individual goes through in their life, there is always something in Neil Young's music with which to feel connected. It's all about feeling for this fan.....My desert island will have to be big enough to have room for Neil Young's entire discography.....
I think James Toth has basically nailed it with his rankings. While I don't necessarily agree with some of his middle selections (Ragged Glory too low, Harvest Moon too high), his Top 5 are what I believe to be the truly indispensable Neil Young records. These are records that, if they suddenly disappeared from his canon, would leave gaping, devastating holes. As for the lower tier, there's a lot to choose from. I have always said that Fork in the Road and Living with War were truly hideous and lazy efforts. Neil has lost any lyrical ability, so it seems, which was so critical to his early work. It's hard to take a lot of his recent stuff seriously, because the lyrics are so utterly bad. As a final comment, Landing on Water is much, much worse than Mirror Ball (which I kinda like).
Peace.
-Big Old Rig
Apart from the fact that these exercises are fairly useless (but sometimes fun), I'd like to throw in an album that seems to be overlooked. "Eldorado" is stunning, raw, hard, and concise. The songs work better together on Eldorado than on the slightly eclectic Freedom where most of them appear too.
Just a thought.
Greetings to all.
I agree, there is something to love in all of them ... if i had to be stuck on a desert island or driving around the world for a year with only one I wouldn't complain if were Ragged Glory ... also TTN is about as close to perfect as it gets ... and its not the Horse but Comes a Time is basically flawless ... Sleeps with Angels is epic but w/ a few mediocre songs ... surprisingly I'd put Le Noise up there as one of the best ...
I agree with ANONYMOUS....I prefer El Dorado over Freedom, acknowledging that there is overlap in the songs. Hopefully, we'll hear Time Square some day...
And for the record....I'll take Fork In The Road over Are You Passionate? any day of the week....and I think Mirror Ball has some amazing high points (I'm the Ocean, Throw Your Hatred Down, Big Green Country)....I actually like that record quite alot, especially in you add in the two Pearl Jam songs recorded in the same session released as Merkinball.
And that's the beauty....we all love Neil Young's music, which is why we are here....and we all hear it differently....One man's gold is another man's garbage....
Ahh! Forgot to add Eldorado to the list I posted earlier, so i'd drop down comes a time and replace it with Eldorado in top 10. Would have preferred Times Square instead of Freedom. We'll hear it someday in the Archive Special Release series hopefully.
Anyway what do you guys thinks of my list.
Martin
This is more funny than sad...depending on perspective. Ranking Neil's albums would be similar to ranking your own behavior over 60 years. Everything you have done...cummulatively...drives what you are over the next minute. It's all one song... Worst to best does not exist.
I agree with Anonymous....
It's all one song....
"Anyway what do you guys thinks of my list."
Mostly reasonable, but Fork in the Road over Broken Arrow, and Living With War over Prairie Wind? Different strokes, I guess.
Nutty to even try. I burned myself by taking one listen to OTB when it was releasesd and then putting it on the shelf for a coupla years. What a mistake. I learned that I can't keep up with the man. So if I don't feel it upon release, I bank it for a while and come back to it.
I'd be most interested however, in how Neil would rank them. I think he would surprise us all.
"worst to best does not exist" And I thought I was the ONLY Human being that knows that...So I guess there are TWO of us...it's a start...Probably won't live long enough to see a majority of Humans come around to what seems SO obvious to me...There is NO worst or best...only "stuff I like" and stuff I don't like"...
How can Re-ac-tor be two slots above Ragged Glory??? You're supposed to be smoking when you listen to the albums but not when you're trying to put them in order!!!
That list was pretty good. I would argue that This Note's For You is Neil's all-time worst album. The only album with no redeemable quality.
BUT ANYWAYS IM SO PISSED THEY TOOK OUT DEADMAN. THAT IS B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T! Deadman is one of Shakey's greatest achievements. It has basically created a full scene of riff-based drone music too. Maaaaan.
Neil Young (debut) is incredibly underrated. It's naturally not the best, but has such perfect songs..The Loner only to give an example. On The Beach and Tonight's the Night are with no doubt the most complex and interesting of all young's career. Comes a time is an amazing acoustic album and Time Fades Away besides its flaws has beautiful and powerful moments. Harvest and Gold Rush? love them..but has time passes and my awareness of his discography develops, those albums have to be second choice most of the time
"Neil has lost any lyrical ability, so it seems, which was so critical to his early work. It's hard to take a lot of his recent stuff seriously, because the lyrics are so utterly bad."
Big Old Rig,
Have to respectfully disagree ... yes he's changed and evolved his lyrical style ("its easy to get buried in the past when you try to make a good thing last") ... but this is where he's at and I think the output has been phenomenal ... since Greendale or Prarie Wind to PP he's put out a decade (no pun intended) of excellent material ... if I had to have a beef it would be the loss of Briggs and therefore perhaps the impact is that some of the albums overall are less perfect than they were in the Briggs era, like a mediocre song gets on, or something, but thats small stuff overall in the context of his productivity ... how can you argue with WLAG, Ramada, LeNoise through and through, No Hidden Path ... I could go on and on ... agreed an evolving lyrical style but so many songs are justifiable classics ... we've been hearing this "Neil's washed up" drumbeat for 30+ years in one form or another ... but I think its hard to argue that his recent work doesn't stand up well against his cannon. Not that it needs this, but as the new material gets the same benefit of time that his older material has gotten it'll age beautifully ...
c'mon people...let's say it together: OPINIONS ARE NOT FACTS
maybe if we spell it:
O-P-I-N-I-O-N-S
Unless this pointless bickering is FUN for you...
Wow...
what a hilarious dialogue we have going here!
Best/Worst? C'mon. They all have their merits...some more than others.
Theme's w/in albums is vital.
And...welcome to you kids that joined Neil thru Pearl Jam, etc.! You'll find as years roll by, certain tunes grow stronger, and new ones are found!
My favorite for the last few years has been Tonight's the Night! Another will come on at some point.
This list only includes a fraction of Neil Young's albums. And Trans ranked is too low.
It's also good to see that No one still can't let go of his hyperbolic, traumatic recollections regarding Fork in the Road, which is also not on this list.
I suspect some kind of mania, left unfortunately unchecked by necessary medications.
Back to the list, it's too incomplete to mean anything. Respect to the author for trying, but he should go back and rank at least the 36 studio albums he made either solo or with Crazy Horse, and it would be a good idea to add in the 12 live albums into the mix as well, as some of Neil's live albums are among his best altogether.
That's at least 23 missing albums. Adding those would make this list somewhat more interesting to the avid Rustie.
Woops, my assessment of the list was made from looking at the picture. It appears the list is much longer than I initially stated. Scratch that! It's got 35 of his albums on it. Still incomplete, but better than 25.
As chairman and sole member of the Fork In The Road Fan Club I do not know what to think about this Stereogum list. It probably would have been more accurate in Mono. Fact is that "Ragged Glory" is the most underrated album of them all. Not only here but on all lists. It's not even on Rolling Stone magazine top 500 albums ever. Ridiculous. The album is a unique masterpiece that inspired millions. Folks who feel the need to make such a list and don't put "Ragged Glory" on it are lost in Pepper and Pet Sounds. But hey, Neil does have more underrated albums. "Mirror Ball" is one you have to listen over and over, like many other NY albums, to appriciate and to love it like it's ment to be. "Broken Arrow", "Silver and Gold", Le Noise and even "Prairy Wind" are masterpiece if you take some time to get it.
And above all the next album will be the best! Peace! BecauseSoundMatters
I think this list is a great idea. Worst to Best not an ideal title but anything else may lack the punch to suck us in! Its also fair to limit scope to the 35 featured albums. I am re-listening to all 35, starting with the "worst" and have really enjoyed the first 5. I will get back to you with my order of preference in a couple of weeks.
I know a lot of people may find some of it odd, but here's my take on it, from best to worst;
Time Fades Away
Sleeps With Angels
Mirror Ball
Broken Arrow
Psychedelic Pill
Le Noise
Zuma
Greendale
Neil Young
Chrome Dreams
Life
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
After the Gold Rush
Chrome Dreams II
Freedom
Harvest
This Note's For YOU
On the Beach
Landing On Water
Rust Never Sleeps
Trans
Prairie Wind
Harvest Moon
Ragged Glory
American Stars 'n' Bars
Dead Man
Tonight's the Night
Fork In the Road
Comes a Time
Hawks & Doves
Silver & Gold
Re*ac*tor
Are You Passionate?
Living With War
Everybody's Rockin'
Old Ways
My personal favorite era for Neil Young creatively was the mid 90's. The four albums he released between 1994 and 1996 were among his most interesting and abstract, lyrically and musically. Even "Dead Man," which was lower on my list, is an interesting experimental album for him, which I can still just sit and zone out to when I'm in the right mood. Basically, his more abstract, experimental stuff is what I'm drawn to. Another great time for him was the early to mid 60's, where he did everything from what I only know to describe as progressive surf music, to weird sci fi folk ballads. Meh, the guy's a genius.
But still, to me, nothing quite compares to "Time Fades Away," which I think is his greatest work, and though I understand his resentment to the time in which it was recorded, it perplexes me how he can't objectively see this album for the great work that it is.
In response to the post about Time Square: it is out there as a bootleg. I's pretty easy to find, but I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you where to search.
It's better than Freedom, but I just don't like that period too much (same goes for Eldorado, although Cocaine Eyes is great).
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