Harvest [Remastered] - Neil Young

...rock magazines around, gave for Harvest by Neil Young seems to me more self-indulgence than criticism. The rock critic who rated this review panned this album on far too many levels, when it is now, rightly, seen as a brilliant piece of rock history and now sitting as No.78 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 500 Greatest Albums, retribution if there was any.

The album itself though was Neil Young’s fourth solo release, coming after his highly ...
...The Weekend 4:35
2. Harvest 3:03
3. A Man Needs A Maid 4:00
4. Heart Of Gold 3:05
5. Are You Ready For The Country 3:21
6. Old Man 3:22
7. There’s A World 3:00
8. Alabama 4:02
9. The Needle And The Damage Done 2:00
10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age) 6:42

Total Run Time 37:11

1. Out On The Weekend *****

The album opens much as it continues, with a light ... more

I am in all truth, no great fan of rock critics, many of whom either rely upon flattering their own ego to produce a piece of musical criticism that usually falls into simply stating faults and then adding a couple of lines relating to positives. This though can also be reversed, with the positives given and the negatives pushed under the rug, and yet even though I do admit that I would do much the same in many cases, the review that Rolling Stone Magazine, (previously) one of the most respected rock magazines around, gave for Harvest by Neil Young seems to me more self-indulgence than criticism. The rock critic who rated this review panned this album on far too many levels, when it is now, rightly, seen as a brilliant piece of rock history and now sitting as No.78 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 500 Greatest Albums, retribution if there was any.

The album itself though was Neil Young’s fourth solo release, coming after his highly regarded After The Gold Rush, a great album in its own right, but differing somewhat in its style to this. It managed to reach number one in the charts, on its way to becoming the best selling album of 1972, and it is perhaps because of this success that many critics fail to fully give credit to the album. And in many ways this success was a result of the more commercial sound and style, with the hit single Heart Of Gold an indication of this, although success is often warranted and in this case I believe it is justified.

The songs on the album focus for the most part on more folk-rock stylings, with a couple of tracks dominated by the orchestral sound of the London Symphony Orchestra and another couple more electric guitar driven. But the highlights on the album are really the more folk, acoustic numbers that bring Neil Young to a level that becomes far more personal and inviting, bringing in the audience and allowing them to become more involved within the songs, allied equally with the personal lyrics eloquently sung by Young. It is an album of highs, with only minor lows, but even then there are still positives, and that is what makes a great album.

He is often compared with Bob Dylan for his lyrical prowess and some the stark similarities in their music, but from this album some of those ideas are proved, whilst many are removed. For me this record at some points becomes disjointed in its change of style from the orchestral to the back-to-basics guitar songs, but in doing so, the record becomes more of an experience and a journey, with the listener not allowed to simply sit back and let it flow through you, forcing them to really listen to the tracks and the lyrics. And it is the lyrics that shine through, with the great vocal stylings of Neil Young softly billowing them out, they are personal lyrics about life, and it is from vocals that this becomes more evident.

Track Listing

1. Out On The Weekend 4:35
2. Harvest 3:03
3. A Man Needs A Maid 4:00
4. Heart Of Gold 3:05
5. Are You Ready For The Country 3:21
6. Old Man 3:22
7. There’s A World 3:00
8. Alabama 4:02
9. The Needle And The Damage Done 2:00
10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age) 6:42

Total Run Time 37:11

1. Out On The Weekend *****

The album opens much as it continues, with a light steel strung guitar playing over the beating of the hypnotising bass drum, it is an album with a backdrop, make no mistake. The song itself is an expression of moving away from simple horizons, looking to gain some place in society, taking yourself from the joyless lonely boy to man with someone to love, with a purpose in his new home and life. It is not so much about new beginnings, as it is about new found recognition, although not necessarily artistic. Neil Young has written many songs about near distant loves, woman not quite in the picture but still in your mind, and this is one of those, with the references to a life untold in greater detail, it is what is left unsaid. The backing behind the vocals and lyrics though do give it a suitable feel, taking on a Nashville edge with a bit of country and folk mixed into a slightly more lyrically complex song than otherwise may have been seen.

2. Harvest *****

The ideas in this song continue in a similar vein to that of Out On The Weekend, with the singer taking the role of the outcast lover, sitting in the shadows, while the girl in question leads a life beyond his. The song itself does feel quite country, with a certain rhythm and backing that adds a greater level of depth to the history and the back story of the song, giving it a sense of time and place, beyond modern living. He takes on the role of the parent, perhaps comparing himself to the girl’s mother in the first verse, calming any nerves they have and providing some answer to their desire. Although in a sense this does seem quite out of touch with the idea of love and desire, but it does seem to be more of a selfish love, yet sung in a tone that states otherwise.

3. A Man Needs A Maid *****

This is the first of two songs on the album that take on an orchestral backing for the most part, although this is by far the better, with a lyric and feel that seems far more convincing. At first I was not quite sure about this song, considering it one of the lesser pieces on the album, but after quite a few listens, probably about twenty in the period of three days, I began to see this as one of the big highlights of the album, taking on a life that moves beyond some of the mere formalities of the other songs and taking you to a level that few can reach. The idea behind the song does at first glance appear to be quite anti-feminist, in that the woman he desires can look after his house and him, while he lives a life away from her. But then the song develops and we realise that it is slightly more than that, and we again return to this idea of dependency, when he sees an actress in a film playing a maid, with whom he falls in love. Whether this idea is a simple one I am not sure, but considering the idea of an actress, we again move into the idea of roles that are not our own, in that he wants a life where he is dependant on someone else, which is perhaps not really the role he is destined to hold. For me this is a complex song to quite pin down, but the orchestral backing seems to give it somewhat of an ethereal quality, with the lyrics becoming almost other worldly and falling away from some of the perhaps more obvious ideas, and yet still remaining unfixed. I do know that perhaps my ramblings may be taking some of this too far, but for me this is a great song that I would urge people to listen to a few times to truly grasp the meaning and quality of the song.

4. Heart Of Gold *****

After the haunting beauty of A Man Needs A Maid, we come to perhaps the most famous song on the album, which again returns to the folk feel of the first two tracks, although this time in a greater fanfare. It is a song about the singer’s inability to find someone to love, whilst the years slowly roll by, a song about insecurity in yourself. The idea of a Heart Of Gold does conjure up images of someone that is pleasant and caring, giving to those that need it, and this song does in a way capture that, he seeks something that is perhaps unreachable, as I have never met anyone that I would reasonable say were suitable for some of the qualities Neil Young has decreed necessary. But then as a love song about love unfound it is a great track, combining a feeling of loss of inward turmoil in the chorus and harmonica, with a more uplifting sense of joy and freedom in the verses.

5. Are You Ready For The Country *****

The song begins with an almost out of place piano introduction that seems to loss pace before moving into the main song itself, but then this is suited to the style of the song, relating to the slightly haphazard life of the country described in the lyrics. Whether it is a simple jibe at simple country life, or perhaps a reminiscent look at life in a more peaceful way of life, I am unsure, but I would have to lean towards the former. The slightly looping guitar makes this for, giving a sense of instability, and as Young had just bought a ranch, something that returns in the next song, you would assume that it relates to some of the eccentricities of country life and the people that live there.

6. Old Man *****

In a few introductions to this song, check out the version at the BBC, he says that the inspiration for this song came from buying a ranch from a pair of lawyers. And when he went to visit the ranch, he saw an old man that looked after it when the owners weren’t there. It is quite a complex song, with subtle hints and ideas expressed in each line, none of which really give a great sense of continuity, more an expression of mind set and the formation of faults in himself. The song itself seems to be directed at the Old Man in question, with the main message being that even though they are separated in years, they are both connected with the same need for love and companionship (probably for a woman). But for me, the line that is the most expressive, is one of the first, “Old man look at my life – twenty four and there’s so much more”, telling us that even though they are connected, Young still has time to fulfil himself, and even if this is perhaps a snipe at the Old Man, it is an expression of hope for the future. Even if it is related to lost love, it provides a sense of spiralling out of control without a care, whilst still retaining hope for a future that is still unseen and unknown. The instrumentation on the song, which I have up to this point near enough forgotten, is in a similar style to Heart Of Gold, without the harmonica providing a counterpoint for the vocals, which themselves express so much.

7. There’s A World ***

This for me is far and away the weakest track on the album, taking on the orchestral backing of A Man Needs A Maid, but to a much greater extent, which is to its detriment. And the backing would be fine if only for some return to form in the lyrics, but they seem to linger too much and go to a place that is removed from much of the album. It has been compared to the stylings of a Moody Blues track in terms of its optimism, which it does seem to have for a world full of nature and life, but this for me is a step too far in the wrong direction. It is bearable, but for me this is the weakest track on the album and does mean that falls away from it perfection thus far.

8. Alabama *****

This track again moves away from the Nashville style and takes on more of a rock tune, with the electric guitar, piano and drums taking us to a more upbeat and in your face track. I quite like this though and it does provide a view onto another side of this album, removing it from some of the lighter tracks and adding some meat to the record. The lyrics do seem to describe an Alabama that has so much hope and potential, but insists on remaining in ruins and disarray with the line “the devil fools with the best laid plans”, opening the song to the main idea straight away. I have never been to Alabama, or claim to know a great deal about it, but this song seems to indicate that there is (or was) a great sense of community and hope, but little in terms of progress and results. But the instrumentation is really the key here, taking you to a place that is very much America, in terms of its hope and undying love for the country.

9. The Needle And The Damage Done *****

This song is the only live song here, recorded at UCLA, but you don’t realise that for the sound quality until the songs conclusion when we here the rapturous (and rightly so) from the listening crowd. The song itself is a lament about how heroin has destroyed and killed so many great musicians, something stated during the introductions to this song in a few early shows. It was originally written for Danny Whitten, the guitarist in Crazy Horse, who later died because of his addiction, but it really does capture a sense of generalisation, an idea that was hinted at in Live At Massey Hall 1971, where he indicated that heroin was responsible for the fall of many young, up-and-coming musicians. And although the song is short, coming in at just around two minutes, it speaks volumes for the addiction of young men on drugs, and the damage that it causes. It is a song that knows before it has happened, the addict will set, like the “setting sun”, it is a lament for something that is definitive. One of the best songs on the album, but I always want it to continue beyond its short life, and expand for the sheer power of the song.

10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age) *****

This has been called an extended guitar workout with The Stray Gators, the band Neil Young worked with for this album, but it is more than that, with the lyrics developing into an extension of some of the tragedy of the previous track and expanding it, I feel, onto youth. The lyrics themselves are completely non-specific, not dealing even with genre, and yet this suits it, giving it a quality that few songs or even song writers can reach, in that the song says far more than the lyrics ever truly put across. The gaps in the vocals, where the guitar comes in is necessary for the lyrics to gain some hold on you, making you think and consider, whilst still providing a near psychedelic instrumentation. This is a song that again does need a few listens for a true appreciation to develop, but I have always felt that that is no bad thing, as it allows you to become more of a part of the song, and in many cases my favourite songs develop in this way, going from mediocre pieces to masterpieces.

Overall, I would recommend this album to anyone, as it is probably one of Neil Young’s most commercial albums, although it goes far beyond that, allowing anyone to enjoy, but few to really grasp unless that take some patience with it. It takes on so many shapes, in terms of the instrumentation, from orchestral to full on rock, allowing the user to be taken on a meandering journey that takes on a great deal of personal ideas and beliefs of Young. We are (or at least led to believe that we are) allowed into the mind of Neil Young and some of his insecurities as a person, which produces some great lyrics as it so often does with great song writers, with Blood On The Tracks coming to mind in this instance. There is little more that I can say other than that I would wholly recommend this to anyone, although most so to those that have some belief in the quality of song writing and the ability to form a great song around the lyrics. 

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