Harvest (CD - 1972)

Personnel: Neil Young (vocals, guitar); Jack Nitzsche (slide guitar, piano); Ben Keith (steel guitar); John Harris (piano); Tim Drummond (bass instrument); Kenneth A. Buttrey (drums); David Crosby, Graham Nash, James Taylor , Stephen Stills, Linda Ronstadt (background vocals); London Symphony Orchestra.

Recognized as one of Young's (and hence one of rock & roll's) finest albums, HARVEST put the singer on the mainstream map with the mega-hit "Heart of Gold," which defined a soft folk-rock style frequently revisited by lesser artists throughout the 1970s. It also features some of his darker compositions, like the entropy-obsessed "Old Man" and the junkie eulogy, "The Needle and the Damage Done," one of Young's most haunting and compelling songs.

Deceptively laid-back-sounding country-rock plaints like "Out on the Weekend" and the title cut caress the ear unassumingly, pulling you into the more ominous subtext that is present even in the rollicking "Are You Ready for the Country." As always, Young has an ear for contrasts, laying down heavy rock ("Alabama") beside his balladry, and even employing the London Symphony Orchestra on the excellent confessional "A Man Needs a Maid." Due to back troubles, Young recorded much of this material while wearing a brace, a fact that seems audible in the tension and unease that underlies the friendly, acoustic surface of this superb release. minimize