Neil Young - On the Beach
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Free Music Notes for On the Beach
Free Music Review: Sickness Gone
Hit: 5 Stars
Much of my time in the Summer of 2000 was invested in searching the treasures of grimy used record shops in old London. I finally found a double issue On the Beach/Time Fades Away in bad condition. I couldn't spend 20 pounds on scratches. Luckily, I did find On the Beach in good condition for the same price by itself. I couldn't be happier that the scarcity of my find has been diminished by the reissue.From the first pounding of Walk On, I was hooked. It sounded more raw than its appearance on the Decade compilation. Ambulance Blues is the most harrowing song, a long "pissing in the wind". The verses borrow the chord progression of Bert Jansch's Needle of Death, one of his most powerfully sad songs (C - F - Am - Em - D if I remember correctly). For those who haven't heard of him, he is British Folk Guitar Idol to both Neil and Jimmy Page. To Neil's credit, the chorus is much different than Bert's, and equally effective. Neil has a spare violin fill that continues to haunt me, three years after it caught my ear.
Sandwiched in between these are more songs of anger and regretful contemplation. If I had to pick out one and say I didn't really like it, I would choose Vampire Blues, because Neil's exhaustion isn't really suited to the rhythm, or perhaps it's the blip in the vinyl.
This album can make you miserable. This is catharsis of the highest order. When I'm down, I listen to this and Neil helps me sort it out, even if the pain is closer along the way.
I'm picking up the CD after work and can't wait to enjoy it on my commute!
Free Music Review: The Lost Classic
Hit: 5 Stars
Finally, Finally...4 of the lost 6 are available on CD. 'On The Beach', once deemed subpar upon release and ignored, has now gained legendary status among critics and Neil's fans, probably in large part to its "vinyl only" status--not even available on cassette! 'On The Beach', 'Time Fades Away' and 'Tonights The Night' are Neil's greatest trilogy, each hated when they came out since everyone wanted another 'Harvest'. Now everyone knows differently. I have come to prefer the harrowing songs of 'On The Beach' more than the more popular 'Night.' (save for the greatest road song ever written, "Albuquerque.") The deeply expressive "Ambulance Blues" involves many things--Neil's personal trials regarding the people around him, the end of the 60's, and Watergate. "Revolution Blues" and "On The Beach" evoke an anger at the society of the times and represent Neil's most effective songwriting. If you are curious about all four of these formerly "lost" albums, but not sure which to buy, make certain "On The Beach" is the first. The other three are not nearly as artistically strong or interesting, save for "Like A Hurricane" on 'American Stars and Bars', a collection of unreleased tracks in 1977. However, all four are still essential to Neil's fans or completists. Hopefully they will be able to get "Time Fades Away" remastered eventually--the master tapes, I've heard, have some mastering problems that can't be overcome at the moment.
Free Music Review: From Darkness into Light
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the album, more than any other, where Neil Young publicly "turns the corner" and begins to recover from his losses of many good friends to drugs, celebrity, and the music biz. As always, the songs are open to endless interpretation, but anyway... "Walk On", about leaving behind those he could not save. "See the Sky", an old song given a smooth, electric-piano-based reading. "Revolution Blues", a dire but funny rocker featuring Rick Danko and Levon Helm on bass and drums. "For the Turnstiles", a little acoustic number about feeling let down after entertaining the crowd, featuring banjo and painfully intense vocals. "Vampire Blues", an early look at the contradiction between loving big gas-guzzling cars, and loving unspoiled nature, intentionally over-the-top (hint: blood == oil). "On the Beach", gently mocking his "sad LA hippie" image and featuring a wonderful slow-blues guitar lead. "Motion Pictures", a quiet announcement that he has found a measure of peace and a sense of direction, his own "dream". And finally, "Ambulance Blues", a long, rambling folk song full of memorable lines, sung in a shockingly (for Neil Young) deep, mellow voice.
To my ears, this album is as smoothly produced as any Neil Young album, and slicker than most. Other than "Turnstiles", everything is strictly in key and in tune. Legend has this the other way around, but to me, "Harvest" sounds depressed and lethargic, and "On the Beach" sounds peaceful and strong.
Free Music Review: Wow. Most welcome issue
Hit: 5 Stars
Like anyone else who has heard this album before the only available format was vintage vinyl. Some of the charm for On The Beach over the years was its raw production coupled with a lack of any high fidelity copies available. That has finally been rectified. This CD, and the other select tiles from the Missing Six, sound simply fanastic. Really putting to shame the sound on the other Young titles already out there. SACD would probably be the only way to top it. The sound is really just great. The dobro on Ambulance Blues is just one example. Aside from the nicely done remastering this album would be a necessary purchase solely for the classic music contained. I consider "On The Beach" and "Ambulance Blues" both among Neil's ten finest songs ever written. "Walk On" is the more widely known 'hit' from this record and "For the Turnstiles" and "Revolution Blues" are both brilliant. The songs were recorded at a pivotal time in Young's career. Right after Tonights the Night while Young was still mired in his mid 70s fame hangover. On The Beach is significantly more polished than Tonight but not anywhere near the gloss of Harvest either. This is the perfect Young sound. Its how he sounds live and On The Beach captures him in an emotional state that can't be replicated on stage anymore.
Free Music Review: Unbelievable
Hit: 5 Stars
This album has been talked about so much amongst my friends that it has almost reached mythic proportions. Upon my first listen I understood why.Walk on By - Featured on Decade, and the album's opener. What an opener it is. If this one doesn't have you tapping your foot I don't know what will.
See The Sky About To Rain- A solid track. Not my favorite song, but good enough to be on this album.
Revolution Blues- An answer to Lynrd Skynrd's 'Sweet Home Alabama' which called out Neil Young's 'Southern Man'.
For The Turnstiles- Also featured on decade. A classic folksy tune, with a banjo accentuating the vocals.
Vampire Blues- It's apparent that a lot must have been on Neil's mind around this time and it shows on this song. With so much going on around him it's released here.
On The Beach- The title track is probably my sleeper favorite on this album.
Motion Pictures- A great folky tune
Ambulance Blues- Wow! Who knew that this album would finish up with Neil unleashing this atom bomb of a song? This song is just too beautiful to describe.
That's it in a nutshell. Also, don't be turned off by the fact that this album has been out of print for so long. This album is very accesible by all, and ranks right up there with Harvest and Everybody Knows this is No Where in terms of great albums.