# Neil Young



## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I've been kind of interested in Neil Young, since my husband's uncle played a couple of his songs on his guitar and sang at a family reunion a few years ago but I never actually got around to checking him out. Happily, he has several albums available on Amazon Prime Music. Which do you recommend to start out?


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Start with Buffallo Springfield and Mr Soul


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

_Live Rust_ has excellent live performances of many of Neil's best. _After the Gold Rush_ also recommended; _Freedom_ too.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I'd start with _Decade_ - a fine 2-disc chronologically sequenced overview taking in 1966-76.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

I would recommend starting with this compilation, easily one of the best compilations ever by any artist:
https://www.amazon.com/Decade-2CD-3TC-Neil-Young/dp/B000002KCS









The above mentioned Live Rust is also very recommended, but wait till you hear Decade in its' entirety, since if you base your impressions solely on a couple of songs someone played on an acoustic guitar - well, I can't guarantee you will become a fan of Neil Young. He is very diverse in his music.


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

elgars ghost said:


> I'd start with _Decade_ - a fine 2-disc chronologically sequenced overview taking in 1966-76.


Bah, you beat me by one minute!
But I was elaborating...


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

I think "Harvest" is his biggest seller. "After The Gold Rush" is very popular too. However, "On The Beach" and "Tonight's The Night" are my personal favourites.


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## Agamemnon (May 1, 2017)

Neil Young is one of the true great rock artists. My favorite album is Tonight's The Night of which Neil Young himself said that this was his album that comes closest to being true art... But the music on that album is very raw and intense and I believe it was commercially not successful. The opposite is the album Harvest which is also a great album but has a very clean production (even orchestral instrumentations!) and it was commercially very successful. Other great albums include Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and Zuma which are two albums on which Neil Young especially shows that he is one of the greatest solo-guitarists of all time.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

For a very intimate and moving experience, go with Massey Hall 1971. But just get the CD. The 2 disc CD/DVD is not worth it. Picture quality is terrible. Live Rust gives you a good mix of acoustic and electric classics. And the studio albums recorded between 1969 and 1972 are recommended.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Tonight's is the night and On the beach are my favorites. But he has a lot of great albums, Harvest, Everybody knows this is nowhere, After the gold rush, Rust never sleeps, American stars & bars etc.
A couple of favorite songs:


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## Agamemnon (May 1, 2017)

Two of my favorite songs:


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## Agamemnon (May 1, 2017)

I read a comment on youtube that Neil Young has the Hendrix-touch. That is right: like Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young can genuinely speak through his guitar and take you on an emotional roller coaster by the notes and sounds he extracts from his guitar:






The next beautiful song I can play on the guitar so wait while I grab my guitar to play along...


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Good to see Neil getting the affection he deserves. _Live Rust_ is one of the very best ever live albums, and Cortez the Killer one of my Top Ten Ever Best Songs. Amazing power and plangency in his guitar work. Forever Young, indeed!


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

neil Young buffalo Springfield Again song is my favourite but love the crazy horse stuff most


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Neil young is awesome! One of my four all-time favorite non-classical artists.

A few more great albums: Psychedelic Pill, Le Noise, Mirror Ball, Americana, Lucky Thirteen,


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## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

Harvest Moon is my album.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Tonight's the Night, On the Beach and Rust Never Sleeps are among the finest albums ever compiled.

He's one of those artists who you can't say 'start here'. He's so diverse and so totally worth-listening-to that you have to check out everything (or rather, everything from the 70's)


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## Agamemnon (May 1, 2017)

I couldn't care much for the death of Michael Jackson and Prince but when Neil Young dies I want to sit all night by the TV/internet crying and playing his music. Neil Young and Elvis Costello are the only two left great living pop artists I respect so much that I will mourn if they die.


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## Guest (Aug 20, 2017)

I'd say "Harvest" is my favorite but "Rust Never Sleeps" is awesome. "Harvest Moon" is another great one. "Journey Through the Past" is another top ranker as is "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere." I used to do an acoustic version of "Cinnamon Girl" at open mics which was always a crowd pleaser. It's hard to go wrong with Neil Young.


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## poodlebites (Apr 5, 2016)

just avoid any of his records for Geffen and you'll be alright.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

poodlebites said:


> just avoid any of his records for Geffen and you'll be alright.


Depends on a person's musical tastes. Lucky Thirteen (Geffen) is a great album! Old Ways is good too.

The thing with Neil is that I really like a lot of songs he sings that I absolute!y would NOT listen to if anyone else sang them, with the exception of Bob Dylan.


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Agamemnon said:


> I couldn't care much for the death of Michael Jackson and Prince but when Neil Young dies I want to sit all night by the TV/internet crying and playing his music. Neil Young and Elvis Costello are the only two left great living pop artists I respect so much that I will mourn if they die.


Christ, me too. He's the only one that has actually meant a lot to me, however sentimental that sounds. I will truly mourn like I've lost a kindred spirit.


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

I'll just say that _After the Gold Rush_ and _Rust Never Sleeps_ went as deeply into me as any albums ever have.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

Pre-Spotify:

[video]


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

My impression of Neil Young is that he is an a$$hole as a person and too political of an artist/performer for my taste. His music is okay but not worth the obstacle course of the baggage.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I had the pleasure of seeing him twice in 1982 or 1983 (Stuttgart and Birmigham). He was good in Birmingham (uk) but the Stuttgart gig was something else. Helped that he was preceded by a terrific set from Nils Lofgren, who joined him onstage. Powderfinger and Hurricane were absolutely brilliant that day.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> My impression of Neil Young is that he is an a$$hole as a person and too political of an artist/performer for my taste. His music is okay but not worth the obstacle course of the baggage.


This comes as a surprise to me. What is the nature of Young"s a$$holeness? What is the baggage?


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