Neil Young song draft

[Erik]

29. Walk On (On the Beach, 1974)
The "ditch trilogy" has a theme song. Some of the fans Neil picked up in the early '70s were confused by Time Fades Away, and the executives at his label were baffled by Tonight's the Night, which he recorded after the TFA tour, but Neil laid out for them why he's doing what he's doing in On the Beach's single:

"I hear some people been talking me down
Bring up my name, pass it around
They don't mention the happy times
They do their thing, I do mine

Ooh baby that's hard to change
I can't tell them how to feel
Some get stoned, some get strange
But sooner or later it all gets real"

Neil was doing his thing and being real, and everyone else just needed to deal. That's how he's conducted his whole career post-1972 and it's all summarized here.

He even couched the message in music that wouldn't sound out of place on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. This is the only OtB song featuring the remnants of Crazy Horse and it was probably recorded during the Tonight's the Night sessions.

[Gregg]

Update on my rankings vs. Rolling Stone's. Chance, here's what I was talking about.

101. Lookout Joe (RS unranked)
100. Ramada Inn (RS #47)
99. Look Out for My Love (RS #55)
98. Get Back to the Country (RS unranked)
97. Homefires (RS unranked)
96. This Old Guitar (RS unranked)
95. Slip Away (RS #86)
94. This Note's for You (RS #42)
93. Mansion on the Hill (RS unranked)
92. Grey Riders (RS unranked)
91. Motion Pictures (for Carrie) (RS unranked)
90. Downtown (RS unranked)
89. White Line (RS unranked)
88. Ride My Llama (RS unranked)
87. Windward Passage (RS unranked)
86. Albuquerque (RS #39)
85. Everybody's Alone (RS unranked)
84. I've Been Waiting for You (RS unranked)
83. Winterlong (RS #45)
82. Sail Away (RS unranked)
81. Vacancy (RS unranked)
80. When You Dance I Can Really Love (RS #83)
79. Lotta Love (RS unranked)
78. I Believe in You (RS unranked)
77. Through My Sails (RS unranked)
76. LA (RS #74)
75. Goin' Back (RS unranked)
74. Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero) (RS #82)
73. From Hank to Hendrix (RS #20)
72. Drive Back (RS #76)
71. World on a String (RS #65)
70. Sea of Madness (RS unranked)
69. Razor Love (RS #60)
68. On the Way Home (RS #46)
67. Long May You Run (RS #32)
66. Like an Inca (RS unranked)
65. Interstate (RS unranked)
64. Days That Used to Be (RS unranked)
63. New Mama (RS unranked)
62. Wrecking Ball (RS unranked)
61. Shots (RS unranked)
60. Scenery (RS unranked)
59. Live to Ride (RS unranked)
58. Prisoners of Rock 'N' Roll (RS #87)
57. Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown (RS unranked)
56. Too Far Gone (RS #48)
55. Natural Beauty (RS unranked)
54. Unknown Legend (RS unranked)
53. Comes a Time (RS #51)
52. Broken Arrow (RS #23)
51. No Hidden Path (RS unranked)
50. Heart of Gold (RS #2)
49. Roll Another Number (for the Road) (RS #54)
48. Last Dance (RS unranked)
47. Welfare Mothers (RS unranked)
46. Pushed It Over the End (RS #61)
45. Harvest Moon (RS #37)
44. Don't Be Denied (RS #38)
43. Pardon My Heart (RS unranked)
42. Time Fades Away (RS unranked)
41. Change Your Mind (RS #40)
40. Love and Only Love (RS unranked)
39. Don't Cry No Tears (RS #21)
38. Mr. Soul (RS #35)
37. Tell Me Why (RS #75)
36. The Needle and the Damage Done (RS #13)
35. Birds (RS unranked)
34. Silver and Gold (RS #78)
33. Expecting to Fly (RS #15)
32. Sedan Delivery (RS #30)
31. Love to Burn (RS #91)
30. Words (Between the Lines of Age) (RS #64)

I just noticed that you have Broken Arrow at #52. I am not sure how I missed this travesty of justice.

I must protest in the strongest possible terms.

[chancellor]

Update on my rankings vs. Rolling Stone's. Chance, here's what I was talking about.

101. Lookout Joe (RS unranked)
100. Ramada Inn (RS #47)
99. Look Out for My Love (RS #55)
98. Get Back to the Country (RS unranked)
97. Homefires (RS unranked)
96. This Old Guitar (RS unranked)
95. Slip Away (RS #86)
94. This Note's for You (RS #42)
93. Mansion on the Hill (RS unranked)
92. Grey Riders (RS unranked)
91. Motion Pictures (for Carrie) (RS unranked)
90. Downtown (RS unranked)
89. White Line (RS unranked)
88. Ride My Llama (RS unranked)
87. Windward Passage (RS unranked)
86. Albuquerque (RS #39)
85. Everybody's Alone (RS unranked)
84. I've Been Waiting for You (RS unranked)
83. Winterlong (RS #45)
82. Sail Away (RS unranked)
81. Vacancy (RS unranked)
80. When You Dance I Can Really Love (RS #83)
79. Lotta Love (RS unranked)
78. I Believe in You (RS unranked)
77. Through My Sails (RS unranked)
76. LA (RS #74)
75. Goin' Back (RS unranked)
74. Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero) (RS #82)
73. From Hank to Hendrix (RS #20)
72. Drive Back (RS #76)
71. World on a String (RS #65)
70. Sea of Madness (RS unranked)
69. Razor Love (RS #60)
68. On the Way Home (RS #46)
67. Long May You Run (RS #32)
66. Like an Inca (RS unranked)
65. Interstate (RS unranked)
64. Days That Used to Be (RS unranked)
63. New Mama (RS unranked)
62. Wrecking Ball (RS unranked)
61. Shots (RS unranked)
60. Scenery (RS unranked)
59. Live to Ride (RS unranked)
58. Prisoners of Rock 'N' Roll (RS #87)
57. Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown (RS unranked)
56. Too Far Gone (RS #48)
55. Natural Beauty (RS unranked)
54. Unknown Legend (RS unranked)
53. Comes a Time (RS #51)
52. Broken Arrow (RS #23)
51. No Hidden Path (RS unranked)
50. Heart of Gold (RS #2)
49. Roll Another Number (for the Road) (RS #54)
48. Last Dance (RS unranked)
47. Welfare Mothers (RS unranked)
46. Pushed It Over the End (RS #61)
45. Harvest Moon (RS #37)
44. Don't Be Denied (RS #38)
43. Pardon My Heart (RS unranked)
42. Time Fades Away (RS unranked)
41. Change Your Mind (RS #40)
40. Love and Only Love (RS unranked)
39. Don't Cry No Tears (RS #21)
38. Mr. Soul (RS #35)
37. Tell Me Why (RS #75)
36. The Needle and the Damage Done (RS #13)
35. Birds (RS unranked)
34. Silver and Gold (RS #78)
33. Expecting to Fly (RS #15)
32. Sedan Delivery (RS #30)
31. Love to Burn (RS #91)
30. Words (Between the Lines of Age) (RS #64)

Time Fades Away and Welfare Mother’s unranked? That’s a major credibility fail right there.

[Erik]

Time Fades Away and Welfare Mother’s unranked? That’s a major credibility fail right there.

As is Birds unranked and being way too low on/not ranking most of the best stuff from Ragged Glory. I will have a lot to say about their "big picture" problems after the countdown is done.

[Erik]

I just noticed that you have Broken Arrow at #52. I am not sure how I missed this travesty of justice.

I must protest in the strongest possible terms.

I presume you mean it should be higher? Your wording isn't clear.

[madducks]

Heart of Gold at #50 is a surprise.

[Erik]

Heart of Gold at #50 is a surprise.

In Simpsons parlance, it’s perfectly cromulent, but the songs ahead of it embiggen my spirit more.

[Erik]

28. Ordinary People (Chrome Dreams II, 2007; written and first performed in 1988)
Neil die-hards considered this his greatest unreleased song ... until it was released. Written on the same boat trip as Crime in the City and Days That Used to Be, this was unveiled at the later Bluenotes shows in 1988 and showed they were capable of much more than the often stiff performances we heard on This Note's for You.
A sprawling, Springsteenian social commentary, this tune builds up a story of people who have been beaten down by an unfair economy, and how they react to it, and punctuates it with spectacular solos by Neil on guitar and Steve Lawrence on saxophone. (Lawrence died in 1989, which is the main reason Neil never returned to the Bluenotes).
This was one of many songs Neil wrote for the Bluenotes that were played live but not included on This Note's for You. In early 1989, Neil went back into the studio with them to cut some of those songs, and produced an 18-minute version of Ordinary People, which would have been the centerpiece of a second Bluenotes album. But then Neil decided to go in a different direction, putting Crime in the City and Someday from those sessions on Freedom and shelving the rest.
As the years went by, word of this song grew; I came across it in the mid-90s when someone who was a fellow regular at the local sports bar gave me a tape of unreleased Neil songs, and when I got online and found Neil discussion groups, it was talked about endlessly, always with cries for Neil to bring it back to his repertoire.
Much to everyone's surprise, the recording from 1989 was one of several old songs Neil decided to include on 2007's Chrome Dreams II. He still has not granted our wish to bring it back to the stage, but now everyone else knows what the fuss is about.

[Mithrandir]

28. Ordinary People (Chrome Dreams II, 2007; written and first performed in 1988)
Neil die-hards considered this his greatest unreleased song ... until it was released. Written on the same boat trip as Crime in the City and Days That Used to Be, this was unveiled at the later Bluenotes shows in 1988 and showed they were capable of much more than the often stiff performances we heard on This Note's for You.
A sprawling, Springsteenian social commentary, this tune builds up a story of people who have been beaten down by an unfair economy, and how they react to it, and punctuates it with spectacular solos by Neil on guitar and Steve Lawrence on saxophone. (Lawrence died in 1989, which is the main reason Neil never returned to the Bluenotes).
This was one of many songs Neil wrote for the Bluenotes that were played live but not included on This Note's for You. In early 1989, Neil went back into the studio with them to cut some of those songs, and produced an 18-minute version of Ordinary People, which would have been the centerpiece of a second Bluenotes album. But then Neil decided to go in a different direction, putting Crime in the City and Someday from those sessions on Freedom and shelving the rest.
As the years went by, word of this song grew; I came across it in the mid-90s when someone who was a fellow regular at the local sports bar gave me a tape of unreleased Neil songs, and when I got online and found Neil discussion groups, it was talked about endlessly, always with cries for Neil to bring it back to his repertoire.
Much to everyone's surprise, the recording from 1989 was one of several old songs Neil decided to include on 2007's Chrome Dreams II. He still has not granted our wish to bring it back to the stage, but now everyone else knows what the fuss is about.

GREAT SONG!!! Would be in my top 10.

[Erik]

It is! It lasted to the 6th round in our draft -- did you have other top 10s still on the board at that time?

[Erik]

27. War of Man (Harvest Moon, 1992)
Another example of Neil's ability to send a socially conscious message without hectoring or overwhelming the song (which he seems to have lost in recent years), this song was an immediate favorite of mine when Harvest Moon came out. Neil's acoustic guitar and Tim Drummond's bass propel the song briskly while Neil delivers his environmentalist points with a compelling melody. The bridge sung by Linda Ronstadt, Nicolette Larson and Neil's sister Astrid is heavenly. This is ripe for conversion to a kickass electric version, but I don't think he's ever tried that.

[Mithrandir]

It is! It lasted to the 6th round in our draft -- did you have other top 10s still on the board at that time?

My first 5 picks would be in my top 10. Johnny picked it right before me in the 6th round.

[Gregg]

It is! It lasted to the 6th round in our draft -- did you have other top 10s still on the board at that time?

I do not remember why I could not play in the original draft 9 years ago. Had to be work or some other bad stuff going on.

Sorry I missed it.

[Gregg]

I do not remember why I could not play in the original draft 9 years ago. Had to be work or some other bad stuff going on.

Sorry I missed it.

I had a 134 picks in the RJ top 1000 with 7 of those Neil Young. One of those was my 3rd pick.

[Erik]

Back to the Long May You Run album that everyone hates. It had the "layered b------t" production that Neil hated, and was thus a sign that he wasn't putting forth a whole lot of effort. The CD I got in the early '90s certainly sounded that way. But coming across the 2016 remaster, it looks like Neil, Stills or whoever did the best they could to dial back the '70s-ness of the sound. Case in point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD1F25_-Ng4