Neil Young- On The Beach (1 Viewer)

[Oggy Pip]

Terrific album. The first time I bought it was a bootleg in that Mojos place in Temple Bar, it came as a twofer with Neil live at the BBC 1971. Its Neil at his songwriting best but there are a couple of songs I could do without - "Vampire Blues" suits the mood of the album but its so comatose that it doesn't stand up to repeated listens. "See the Sky About the Rain" is pretty lame, especially that "silver fiddle/broke down the middle" line.

But everything else is superb. If I'm ever asked what I think a good guitar solo is I'll mention "On the Beach", not a flashy solo by any means but what it lacks in panache it makes up for with bags and bags of expression and pure feel. A guitar solo like that (and the song itself) hits you in the gut. That’s what On The Beach is, a gut album.

Time Fades Away never left a good impression on me. The piano ballads, a bit like See the Sky…, are too James Taylorish and some of the other songs didn't live up to the hype surrounding the great lost album. I should relisten to it though. I remember the title track was good fun.

And another fan of Unplugged too. For all the years and years of strumming nonsense that series produced they really got lucky with Neil*, he was on superb form for that recording. Mr Soul and Pocahontas are brilliant, the harmonica playing! Wow, I love it.




*apparently he scrapped the first Unplugged taping and staged it again a week later

 

[dolittlepresent]

Mazin!

 

[hugh]

Time Fades Away never left a good impression on me. The piano ballads, a bit like See the Sky…, are too James Taylorish and some of the other songs didn't live up to the hype surrounding the great lost album. I should relisten to it though. I remember the title track was good fun.

Yeah, I think TFA is a great record but it isn't consistent enough for me to be up there with his best. However, "Don't Be Denied" might easily be my favourite song of his.

 

[cletus_buckley]

Young himself only gave approval for it around then, and still won't for time fades away.

Never delved deep into time fades away. Thats mad he blocked its release for so long.
Has any one listened to "Gala Mill" by The Drones,

Always get a strong On The Beach vibe of it, just as sparce and understated, also with songs about the void of not belonging anywhere in particular.

 

[Bunny]

The song 'On the Beach' blew my mind the first time I heard it, its so mellow and haunting. It made me buy most of the rest of his stuff. Great album cover too

 

[CinnamonBoy]

. "See the Sky About the Rain" is pretty lame, especially that "silver fiddle/broke down the middle" line.

It's not my favourite song by him by a long stretch but it is my favourite song to guitar solo along too. Loads of space for you to duel with Ben Keith. Seriously, give it a go.

 

[I Bleed Black]

Never delved deep into time fades away. Thats mad he blocked its release for so long.
Has any one listened to "Gala Mill" by The Drones,

Always get a strong On The Beach vibe of it, just as sparce and understated, also with songs about the void of not belonging anywhere in particular.

I haven't heard that one but I got a massive Neil Young buzz off them when I saw them live years ago before the first album came out, I must check out the rest of their stuff.

Right so who's headin to see old Neil on sunday? I think we should show him this thread and hope he plays a load off On The Beach.

 

[CinnamonBoy]

I haven't heard that one but I got a massive Neil Young buzz off them when I saw them live years ago before the first album came out, I must check out the rest of their stuff.

Right so who's headin to see old Neil on sunday? I think we should show him this thread and hope he plays a load off On The Beach.

I'll be there. If recent set-lists remain consistent I wouldn't be getting your hopes up!

The set-lists in Canada were amazing. Really long and with about 4 tracks from TTN each night. European ones seem shorter. So happy I made the effort to seem him in Vienna last year.

That said, Sunday is going to be absolutely great.
Cortez!
Down By The River!
Fuckin' Up!

Bring it.

06-16-2009, O2 World, Berlin, Germany Neil Young & His Electric BandAll Along The Watchtower / A Day In The Life / Mansion On The Hill / Roll Another Number / Pocahontas / Mother Earth / The Needle And The Damage Done / Tonight's The Night / Down By The River / Unknown Legend / Heart Of Gold / Fuckin' Up / Cortez The Killer / Cinnamon Girl // Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

haha, mother earth! would he ever fuck off with that one

i was about to agree with on the beach being the best but then i remembered Rust Never Sleeps and got confused. theyre the only two i really love i think

 

[hugh]

If he plays Cortez The Killer then he can fill the entire rest of the set with selections from Landing And Water and Everybody's Rockin for all I care ...

Can't wait!

 

[ratmonkey]

Don't knock Everybody's Rocking, it's tremendous.

 

[Flux]

I agree with Oggy Pip, Vampire Blues is totally skippable, but apart from that it's a masterpiece.

It's so loose, the band at times seem to hardly know the songs, but it works really well.

 

[hugh]

Don't knock Everybody's Rocking, it's tremendous.

I have to admit, I've never actually heard it (apart from some vague memory of seeing him in a horrible suit on MTV or something playing something from it). I just use it as shorthand for everything that's bad about 80s Young. I should actually check it out sometime.

I do have Landing On Water though and won't be dissuaded from the opinion that it's shite.

 

[mackle]

That era of Young is just the best for me. Time Fades Away, On the Beach and Tonights the Night are just fantastic. The songs are just so expressive or something. Really can feel what he's singing about!

Can't wait for Sunday but not holding out for any On the Beach stuff!

 

[Corrupted O)))]

He did Ambulance Blues every night on the early 2008 Euro tour as part of his opening solo accoustic set. I think you're right Mackle. There'll be no On The each stuff on Sunday. It'll still be amazing though.

 

[Oggy Pip]

It must have been alot of fun being a Neil fan in the 70s. Imagine opening the NME, or whatever it was, and reading that his new album was to be called On the Beach. It sounds like a Jan & Dean album from 1964.

I think live Neil is a bit m'eh. Saw him do the Greendale thing in Vicar St, complete "phone it in" performance and the Malahide gig was shite too. His band weren't very good but the yuppie-centric venue was more to blame. I was surrounded by picnic baskets!

I'm skipping the O2 one.

 

[fobster]

On the beach, Tonight's the night and Zuma are three great albums. Don't have TFA. Here's hoping for a few tunes off them.

 

[evil bandit]

This is one of my favourite Neil Young albums as well, like a lot of others I only had a shitty tape version of it until it got properly released.

It one of the few albums I know that once you hear it you can feel exactly what the artist was going through and what kind of a mood he was in. It's his break up, stoned, drunk, angry, fed up album and I love the critic and hippie scene baiting lyrics in Ambulance Blues and Revolution Blues.

I saw him at Primavera and he was amazing, the sound was perfect, he seemed really up for it and the setlist was crammed with classic albiet nothing from On The Beach.

He did Ambulance Blues every night on the early 2008 Euro tour as part of his opening solo accoustic set.

This is great on it's own but with added Burt Jansch it's even better !

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Where are you Evil Bandit??

 

[Oggy Pip]

Great clip.

 

[Wheels]

Last three sets

06-14-09, Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, England Isle of Wight Festival Neil Young & His Electric Band From Hank To Hendrix / Don't Let It Bring You Down / Mother Earth / Comes A Time / Heart Of Gold / Old Man / Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) / Mansion On The Hill / Pocahontas / Spirit Road / Cinnamon Girl / Fuckin' Up / Rockin' In The Free World // Down By The River / A Day In The Life

06-16-2009 O2 World, Berlin, Germany Neil Young & His Electric Band All Along The Watchtower / A Day In The Life / Mansion On The Hill / Roll Another Number / Pocahontas / Mother Earth / The Needle And The Damage Done / Tonight's The Night / Down By The River / Unknown Legend / Heart Of Gold / Fuckin' Up / Cortez The Killer / Cinnamon Girl // Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)

06-17-2009 Olympiahalle, München, Germany Neil Young & His Electric Band Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) / Mansion On The Hill / Are You Ready For The Country? / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / Pocahontas / Words / Cinnamon Girl / Mother Earth / Don't Let It Bring You Down / Goin' Back / On The Way Home / Unknown Legend / Comes A Time / Down By The River / Get Behind The Wheel / Rockin' In The Free World // A Day In The Life