Neil Young

I am a huge fan of Neil Young. I don't particularly like it when he complains about the US, yet continues to live here as a Canadian citizen. But when it comes to his music, he's up there on my favorites list.

I was introduced to Neil's unique music when my older brother, Rob, brought home both of the albums "Harvest," and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Deja Vu." The song "A Man Needs a Maid," from the 1972 "Harvest" record, floored me, even as a young teen. Of course, "Heart of Gold" took both the nation and me by storm with this, his only #1 hit song. My musical life was changed during those moments listening to this great artist.

In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine listed "Harvest" as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All time at #78. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine selected "Heart of Gold" as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, stating:

"Harvest yielded Young's only Number One hit, 'Heart of Gold,' and helped set the stage for the Seventies soft-rock explosion -- both James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt sing on the album. Along with Young, they were in Nashville to appear on Johnny Cash's variety show the week that Harvest was cut with an odd group of accomplished session players that included bassist Tim Drummond, who had played with James Brown. The sound was Americana -- steel guitar, slide guitar, banjo -- stripped down and rebuilt with every jagged edge exposed. The standout tracks include 'Old Man' and 'The Needle and the Damage Done.'"

When some first heard the group America, and it's mega-hit "A Horse With No Name," they thought it was a Neil Young recording. Young's influence, going back to his previous group, the Buffalo Springfield, along with other groups like the Byrds, the Dillards and singer Linda Ronstadt, had unmistakeably contributed to the birth of new groups like America and the Eagles. This fresh take on American roots music began as a ripple, then a wave, and rose to tsunami strength known as the Southern California Sound. It was an amalgam of bluegrass, country, folk, gospel, rock, and a hefty dose of vocal harmony and instrumental prowess . The new sonic hybrid captivated radio airwaves through to the end of the decade when punk and New Wave began to take the top spots on the Billboard charts. Neil Young was at the center of it all from the beginning, and continues to release great music today.

I saw an uncanny Neil Young impression artfully done by Jimmy Fallon the other day. It was dead-on! In it, Jimmy nails the essence of Neils style while singing the song made famous on American Idol, "Pants On the Ground." Neil may be an acquired taste for some, but to me, a child of the 60's and 70's, he is a genius.