Neil Young - Harvest

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from the "Harvest" 1972. Reprise Records
Neil Young's most popular album, Harvest benefited from the delay in its release (it took 18 months to complete due to Young's back injury), which whetted his audience's appetite, the disintegration of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Young's three erstwhile partners sang on the album, along with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor), and most of all, a hit single. "Heart of Gold," released a month before Harvest, was already in the Top 40 when the LP hit the stores, and it soon topped the charts. It's fair to say, too, that Young simply was all-pervasive by this time: "Heart of Gold" was succeeded at number one by "A Horse with No Name" by America, which was a Young soundalike record. But successful as Harvest was (and it was the best-selling album of 1972), it has suffered critically from reviewers who see it as an uneven album on which Young repeats himself. Certainly, Harvest employs a number of jarringly different styles. Much of it is country-tinged, with Young backed by a new group dubbed the Stray Gators who prominently feature steel guitarist Ben Keith, though there is also an acoustic track, a couple of electric guitar-drenched rock performances, and two songs on which Young is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. But the album does have an overall mood and an overall lyric content, and they conflict with each other: The mood is melancholic, but the songs mostly describe the longing for and fulfillment of new love. Young is perhaps most explicit about this on the controversial "A Man Needs a Maid," which is often condemned as sexist by people judging it on the basis of its title. In fact, the song contrasts the fears of committing to a relationship with simply living alone and hiring help, and it contains some of Young's most autobiographical writing. Unfortunately, like "There's a World," the song is engulfed in a portentous orchestration. Over and over, Young sings of the need for love in such songs as "Out on the Weekend," "Heart of Gold," and "Old Man" (a Top 40 hit), and the songs are unusually melodic and accessible. The rock numbers, "Are You Ready for the Country" and "Alabama," are in Young's familiar style and unremarkable, and "There's a World" and "Words (Between the Lines of Age)" are the most ponderous and overdone Young songs since "The Last Trip to Tulsa." But the love songs and the harrowing portrait of a friend's descent into heroin addiction, "The Needle and the Damage Done," remain among Young's most affecting and memorable songs.

AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann [-]

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This song played over and over in my head while my brother was dying. A year and a half later this song makes him feel close to me. And I miss him all over again.

brooklyndodds

I was 21, broke, stoned, and happy as a loon.. Thanks for posting this song. It makes this old hippie heart smile and remember...TJ STRUSKA

cathystruska

I remember buying this album on CD in 1995 and my dog eating it. It took me a few years replace it. Great Album!!

FallGuy

This song reminds me so much of my mother who passed away from cancer when she was just 48 years old. She was such a lovely, kind, loving, caring, generous, beautiful soul and i have missed her everyday since she passed away when i was just 18, I'm 54 now, 6 years older than my mother was when cancer took her away from her family and all the people who loved her. She would pray every night, bless her, i could hear her sometimes from my bedroom when i was still at school. My friends all loved her, my 2 older brothers mates all thought the world of her, she would always welcome everyone in to our home which was poor, we didn't have a lot, but we had love from my mam and dad.
My mam would welcome everyone in and make a pot of tea for people who visited. She would save the bread that had gone a bit stale and feed the birds, she cared for people, animals, birds. She cared too much it hurts me to think. I really, really hope i get to see her again, there's so many things i want to say to her and give her big hug. I know you are with me everyday and i truly hope i get the chance to see you again.
God bless you Mam i love you, and God bless you Dad i love you. I was lucky to have the best parents ever. I know most of us think the same, i'm not disrespecting other people's parents. I'm sure you all understand.
Love you both Mam and Dad ♥️ I've missed you both for so long. I can't wait to see you both again. Please look after each other and please look over me til its my time to go.
I want to see you's soon. God bless 🕯️🕯️♥️♥️

kevanbrown

I’m sad that he removed his music from Spotify

LbheQbbz

His voice reminds me of all the good memories that I've always wished to have

raminbohlouli

"It has suffered critically from reviewers who see it as an uneven album"... Time is fortunately a better judge than reviewers. This is one of the greatest albums in music history, not only IMO but nowadays in the opinion of many.

stephanegenilloud

This song warmed my heart, even warmer than my missing sandwich...

vignettesilhouette

I am 29 old, my father introduced me to this song when I was little. She reminds me a lot of memories of him. Thank young ❤️

leveerW

One of the greatest albums ever and an amazing song right here!

ToddAndelin

everytime I listen to this, it becomes the soundtrack of a short movie of its lyrics. so powerful and elegant

pirkulak

Ascoltavo per la prima volta le canzoni di Neil nella prima metà degli anni Settanta. Ascoltarle ancora adesso dopo tanti anni si prova la stessa soddisfazione di allora, lo stesso appagamento che può dare solo l'arte.

giusepperossetti