The 10 Greatest Neil Young Songs (Part 5)

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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."

10 Greatest Neil Young Songs (Part 4)

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7) Ohio
Nixon's coming. And saying his name's like a hearse caught on fire in the year of 1970 when the kids at Kent State die. What were their names, what were their names did you have a friend on the good Rueben James. Just so it's clear, rock and roll's not on your side Dick; you've called forth their fury and now your name is in their files.





8) Helpless

A beautiful, haunting, song and a beautiful, haunting, doubt. What does helpless mean? What's the song about? Helpless isn't a word for Neil Young, it's a microcosm of the world; look at it from one side and it's the love you can't escape, the love you'll never leave or live without. Look at it from further down the line and "chains are locked and tied across the door", and in the blue Canadian sky there's something dark that's flying south. It's that tug that makes it strange and gives it it's strength; he takes his route from the faith that stays the same to a blue, blue endless doubt.




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The 10 Greatest Neil Yong Songs (Part 3)

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5) Rockin' In The Free World

Like Springsteen's "Born in the USA" there's more going on here than at first glance it seems. It's ironic but it's also not. It's a territory that keeps you on your feet. Get drunk in the chorus and feel bad in the verses; there's nowhere Neil loves being more than that space in between. The kinder, gentler, machine gun hand when he wants to fucking pack arenas.




6) Mellow My Mind

From one of Neil's best albums and one of the greatest albums ever, "Tonight's The Night". The original versions not on youtube but find it and listen to it if you can. He can't hit the notes, his friends are dead, it's 3 o'clock in the morning, and all he's got left is the song. "I've been down the road and I've come back. Lonesome whistle on the railroad track. Ain't got nothing on those feelings that I had." It's all bullshit but this.




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Neil Young

The essence of Neil Young is jarring. Sometimes it's like cold water thrown into your face, sometimes it's like you stepped in shit, and sometimes it's an off key note that says, 'there are no such thing as rock stars, how long can you look me in the face'. In the middle of a chorus, in the middle of a verse, in the middle of a note, sometimes he'll look up from a song, and there's no rockstars left alive and the song's no longer safe. He's not the Eagles, he's not Bob Dylan, or Joni Mitchell, or Bruce Springsteen, or whatever other singer or group they sometimes class him with. Bruce is one of my heroes but he never drops the poker face. What makes Neil different is that he's sometimes grinded the whole thing to a screeching halt that's then rolled over into a ditch, exploded, and burst into flames. And it's in those screeches and on that halt that Neil stands out unconquerably great. Barely a God, but barely will cut it. After the gold rush it comes down like a hurricane. "Being human isn't pretty", as he digs into his tracks, and turns his amp on in the rain. Sparks are flying from his wires, Cortez is dancing across the sea. "Fuckin' Up" and Eddie Vedder. Laurel canyon's filled with water, mud's up past David Brigg's knees. Lightning flashes in the sky, the rain is knocking down the trees. The mud slides down the canyon walls, the Earth is spurting fire. He tightens up a guitar string, "Pretend to be something you're not. You'll see how quick time fades away". "Down by the River" and the Earth has brought the river, so he started walking down there, his amp in one hand and the other around his baby.









Next post I'll start writing "the 10 greatest Neil Young songs".