My route to Neil Young was circuitous. I’ve been a fan of The Byrds for as long as I can remember and David Crosby’s voice was a big part of that. I’ve also been a fan of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” since I first heard it, written by Stephen Stills. I know a lot of people don’t take them quite as seriously as some other bands of the time but the vocal harmonies on those classic Hollies singles of the 60’s are something to marvel at, arranged by Graham Nash. So at some point I must have decided to investigate a band featuring a Byrd, a Springfield and a Hollie which led me to buy a 2 CD compilation of Crosby, Stills & Nash. But that compilation also had racks by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (another Springfield), particularly “Helpless” and “Ohio” which is when I decided to look into this Neil Young fella.

Shakey’s (for that is Neil Young’s nickname) second solo album post Buffalo Springfield (his 2nd album in just 7 months of 1969) was recorded with the backing band with whom he is most often associated, Crazy Horse. On this album that was Danny Whitten (guitar), Billy Talbot (Bass) and Ralph Molina (drums). Billy and Ralph were still playing as Crazy Horse on Neil Young’s 2021 album “World Record”. Danny Whitten sadly succumbed to his addictions on 18th November 1972, the same day Young had told him to leave rehearsals and go back to LA because he was so un-together. For many years Young felt responsible for Whitten’s death "It just all came down on him. He was engulfed by this drug. That was too bad. Because Danny had a lot to give, boy. He was really good”.

The interplay between Young and Whitten can be best heard on one of Young’s best known songs, “Cinnamon Girl”. Track 1, side 1, we know how important that can be to make your case and it’s all here on this one. Two minutes and 58 seconds long (Joe Strummer once said the perfect length for a song was 2 mins 59 secs, ask me about “Armagideon Time” next time you see me if you don’t already know the tale) and boy oh boy does this band pack a lot in there. Neil sings the lead. Danny tackles the high harmony and after some crunching guitar riffs, 2 verses and a middle 8 we reach the solo. Most famously Neil Young plays a one note guitar solo about which he has said “in my head, each one of those notes is different. The more you get into it, the more you can hear the differences”. The reason each note sounds different is, underneath Young’s note, Danny Whitten is arpeggio-ing away around the main chord sequence. It’s quite superb and one of Young’s greatest songs.

Young has said that “Cinnamon Girl”, “Down By The River” and “Cowgirl In The Sand” were all written on the same day while he was laid up with Flu and a 103° temperature. Given the illness and fever that’s a day at the office of Dolly proportions (if you weren’t aware, Ms Parton wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” on the same day). When Young and Crazy Horse entered the studio to record “Down By The River” they had been playing together as a band for less than a week !

“Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” has extended guitar workouts, country sounding songs and trippy folky singalongs. It set Neil Young and Crazy Horse on a path that some of the members are still following today. Not everything they have done is to my liking but when they get it right, as they did for the most part here, man alive it’s a glorious noise they make.

Cinnamon Girl - https://youtu.be/69bTzddp1sM?si=lRF_Ua4P7D8o5ENY