The 10 Greatest Neil Young Songs (Part 5)

continued from last post


9) Don't Be Denied

Off of the great lost LP, Time Fades Away. It might be Neil Young's best album, released in 1973 it was never transferred from record to cd. It's live recordings of what were at the time all new songs and of what to this day are the best rock songs he'd ever write. Don't Be Denied is the greatest song off it and, fittingly. it's his autobiography. He came down from Winnipeg to be a star; and don't be denied either if you've got distorted guitars and a voice like a high pitched whine. Either the place for you is on stage like a God, or strung up high in Ontario to warn the other kids in the cars passing by.





10) On The Beach

"The world is turning, I hope it don't turn away". Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen were the mid 70's coin's two sides. Magic in the night and visions of Phil Spector brought to stereo on E street, lighted from an Asbury circuit, and down the shore everything's allright. And in California an honest hippie, burned out, looks up and at a full moon from the burned out basement where he lies. Where the vision ends and ends darkly. "The world is turning, I hope it don't turn away". Bruce was driving out of Jersey to a west coast warm and bright, and Neil was waiting on the beach for him, turning 30 in the night.





Epilogue) It's My Time

Don't doubt the man's capacity to surprise. Neil Young was signed to Motown records in 1966. In 1966 Neil Young was signed to MOTOWN RECORDS. Those were heady, heady days man. Neil Young was signed to Motown records in 1966 in a band with Rick James. The Rick James who sang Super Freak, Dave Chapelle's Rick James, the Rick James we know and like. Also in the band was Jackie Robinson on drums and Mort Sahl on bass. (No, those two weren't in it. But maybe they sat in sometimes). The band was called The Mynah Byrds and they had a 7 year deal that went to pieces when Rick was arrested for going AWOL from the army. Their album wasn't released and what was to be their first single never saw the light of day until 2006 in a Motown box set. Here Rick sings lead on a song him and Neil wrote. And after all these years their message still hasn't changed; "to every kid who wants to start a rock band, make your line up fucking strange."