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Neil Young for beginners


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My "friend" just gave me 20 Neil Young albums on a DVD so I'm wondering where to start. I have had Harvest for about half a year and adore it but other than that have only started to listen to after the gold rush. Remember that there was a Dead thread that similar to this

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Neil Young

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

After the Gold Rush

Harvest

Time Fades Away

On the Beach

Tonight's the Night

Zuma

American Stars 'N Bars

Decade

Comes a Time

Rust Never Sleeps

Live Rust

Hawks & Doves

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After The Gold Rush is a must. So is Rust/Live Rust. The first two are good albums. After that I like Comes A Time, Harvest Moon, and Unplugged.

 

I'll be in the minority saying On The Beach and Tonight's The Night are overrated.

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I'll be in the minority saying On The Beach and Tonight's The Night are overrated.

 

No offense but I hope you are.

 

Also Bubs101, if your friend gave you "Times Fades Away" among others, give it a spin (L.A., Last Dance and Don't Be Denied)

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whichever albums you like, i sure hope you go and buy the actual cd's afterwards. and i'm gonna go ahead and suggest 'silver & gold' and 'comes a time' because i know they don't get much love round here. but please buy the music and support neil like he deserves.

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I was just thinking of this today, how strange.

I would say the best Neil Young album is Decade. I do not think there is a song on it that I do not like. I have been listening to Harvest a lot lately. I would say go to Decade next.

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Thinking back to when I first got into Neil Young, I believe my order of listening was as follows:

 

Harvest

Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

After The Gold Rush

 

Followed by:

 

Rust Never Sleeps

Zuma

Ragged Glory

 

If you dig the softer stuff, you can replace Ragged Glory with Comes a Time.

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I listened to Zuma on the way into work this morning. The birth of the windshield-wiper guitar. Awesome!

 

If you're looking to for a starting point into Neil, Decade is easily the best way to go.

 

If you'd rather go the actual album route, then I'd go Harvest, After the Gold Rush, and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere to start. Gives you a good foundation of his early years.

 

From there, I'd head into the "Ditch Trilogy" - Time Fades Away, On the Beach, and Tonight's the Night. His other 70's records - Zuma, Rust Never Sleeps, and Comes a Time are excellent too. Come to think of it, if you grab any Neil Young record from the 1970's, you can't go wrong.

 

As far as his post-70's stuff goes, I love Harvest Moon, Ragged Glory, Greendale, and Freedom. I like Silver & Gold, Mirror Ball, Sleeps With Angels, Living With War, Prairie Wind, and Chrome Dreams II.

 

He's got some good live albums as well, but Weld is the gold standard.

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After The Gold Rush is a must. So is Rust/Live Rust. The first two are good albums. After that I like Comes A Time, Harvest Moon, and Unplugged.

 

I'll be in the minority saying On The Beach and Tonight's The Night are overrated.

I'll sort of back you up on this. On the Beach has some great songs, but seems thrown together after Harvest. Tonights the Night is for the hardcore....

 

Beginners should start with:

Harvest

Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

After The Gold Rush

as mentioned by someone else.

 

LouieB

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How many pages will this thread be before someone (seriously) suggests Arc, Dead Man and Journey Through the Past?

 

The only one I've heard that I think should be avoided is Landing on Water.

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Guest Muncle Douchey

everything i've ever heard from neil young, i've liked. some of it took time, others i loved instantly.

 

my favorite is Tonight's the Night, so i guess i have to suggest that one.

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How many pages will this thread be before someone (seriously) suggests Arc, Dead Man and Journey Through the Past?

 

The only one I've heard that I think should be avoided is Landing on Water.

 

You laugh, but I think Arc is actually good driving music. Or, as Neil once put it, "It's rap music for white people!"

 

Landing on Water isn't great, but there are a few good songs on it.

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You laugh, but I think Arc is actually good driving music. Or, as Neil once put it, "It's rap music for white people!"

 

Landing on Water isn't great, but there are a few good songs on it.

 

I prefer landing on water to Everybody's Rockin'. Tho I love the wonderin' on that recent live release.

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