On The Beach

++: For the Turnstiles, Vampire Blues, Ambulance Blues +: Walk On, Revolution Blues, On the Beach, Motion Pictures, +-: See the Sky About to Rain 8,8/10

Perfectly fine music but hardly ground breaking

Not a huge fan, but this was an enjoyable listen.

Neil is a very tedious, very overrated, nutty old man.

If Debbie Downer were an album this would be it.

As much as I dont really love neil or indie, I have to say objectivly this album is near perfect and will be added to my rotation. Maybe not as an album single songs may not work the same but this album is a masterpiece much better than harvest. Nice mix of 7 songs balanced perfectly between rock, indie, country and blues.

Not my favorite or my kind of music, but enjoyed a few songs.

J'aime ça NY.

I'm entering my Dad rock phase for giving this 5 stars. Oh well, off to grill something, I guess.

great Neil young album, amazing title track

Not my thing But can imagine it being decent driving alone on an american backroad

Neil Young may not be the greatest singer, but he's one of the best songwriters and nobody can play guitar like him. The vulnerability and rawness in his music pulls me in every time.

It's whatev. Didn't hate it, just nothing really stood out.

By far the most enjoyable Neil Young album I've ever heard. Great songs. I just wish to God he'd let someone else sing them.

Solid collection of songs

Great beach vibes!

An ok easy listening album

I liked this better than Harvest? That was very unexpected for me. I think I actually loved every song on here except “For the Turnstiles” and “Vampire Blues.” But everything else? Stunning and moody in the best way. I was expecting to be ambivalent about this album, but it truly blew me away.

Neil Young's On the Beach is a melancholic yet compelling album that showcases his signature raw emotion and stark storytelling. Although it may not be hailed as his finest work, the album remains deeply engaging and evocative. Tracks like Ambulance Blues and Revolution Blues stand out with their haunting lyrics and distinctive melodies, reflecting Young's introspective and sometimes sombre perspective. The production, while minimalist, complements the album's mood perfectly, emphasising Young's poignant vocal delivery and guitar work. Despite its downbeat tone, On the Beach retains a certain charm and authenticity that resonates with listeners. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 2 STAND OUT TRACK - Ambulance Blues

It's decent. Pretty chill. Would probably not seek it out to listen to again.

Really enjoyed this one 5/5

lite sömnigt album men väldigt fint också

It's alright, it didn't jump out at me that much though.

Gostei bastante. Álbum excelente.

Great

favorite NY album so far. 3.5

Cool

Ete disco no es el On the beach de Chris Rea, ni su portada ni su contenido tienen nada que ver. Aquí bien parece que Neil Young se ha ido a la playa a meterse en el agua y no salir, o al menos plantearselo... Comienza con brío Walk on, la canción más conocida del disco. Como ese Cadillac sumergido en la arena y ese portada de periódico sobre Nixon... "tarde o temprano llega la realidad". Se acabó la fiesta hippy y los felices 60´s. Baja revoluciones con See the sky about to rain, un toque country melancólico acompaña la dulce voz de Neil que continua con For The Turnstiles’, coutnry-folk con tan solo banjo, dobro y voces. Revolution blues regresa a parámetros clásicos del Neil Young eléctrico. Es una delicia. La letra es impactante... Vampire blues es eso, un buen blues eléctrico marca de la casa. La cara B contiene solo 3 temas, el primero de ellos es magistral: On the beach. 7 minutos del mejor Neil Young acompañado, entre otros por Graham Nash. Motion Pictures, dedicada a su novia, es una desnuda balada que entra perfectamente en medio de la cara B. Ambulance Blues es otra larga canción de las que nos tiene acostumbrados, con menos guitarra y más armónica y violín pero igualmente buena. Se disfruta a fuego lento, como todo el disco. Un disco compuesto en un momento difícil para Neil Young, que supone un bofetón a la decadente Costa Oeste y que continuará con el aclamado Tonight’s The Night en el 75 (entre ellos, el no publicado hasta el año 2020, Homegrown) para pasar página con Zuma, otro de sus clásicos. No le tuvo gran estima a este On the beach, probablemente por las circunstancias personales, pero hubo gran movimiento de fans e incluso una página web para lograr su reedición en CD ya que estuvo descatalagado mucho tiempo. Otros grandes discos de 1974 fueron (atención a la variada paleta sonora) los de Stevie Wonder, Gram Parsons, Kraftwerk, Gene Clark, Supertramp, Genesis, Bob Marley, Big Star, Neil Young, Tangerine Dream o los imprescindibes directos de Van Morrison y Bob Dylan. También los de New York Dolls, Tom Waits, Mike Oldfield, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steely Dan, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Minnie Riperton, Brian Eno, Roxy Music, ELO y King Crimson.

I love Young's unique voice and his use of the harmonica. On The Beach (the song) is a masterpiece, but I'm not fussed about the other tracks on this album.

Not my taste

It’s a no for me, dawg.

Neil’s first 3 albums were great, especially Everybody Knows This is Nowhere and After the Gold Rush. Album 4 was Harvest which was pretty good as well. This is album 5 and began a long slow decline in his overall album quality. Some OK stuff here, but a disappointment after what came before.

Neil Young is not my jam

probably my favorite neil young album. whenever i hear this album it makes me wanna check out other stuff from him then im disappointed it doesnt sound more like this. strong 8/10

realising maybe i'm just a little indifferent to neil young

I’ve never been a big Neil Young fan, and this didn’t help. 1. Why does anyone like this 2. He sounds like a little old lady singing in church

Probably my favourite Neil Young album, and many other people's. Sometimes I prefer After The Goldrush. The easiest star rating so far. I choose to believe that car's still there.

i was vibing

De første låtene er fine. Senere kommer banjo og munnspill og musikken er mer folk-preget. Liker ikke det like godt. On the beach er ganske kul 😎

Really not a fan.

I'm simply not a fan of his style. He's got some songs I really like (Cinnamon Girl, Harvest Moon, Heart of Gold specifically), but they are so few and far between that I don't really enjoy listening to his albums. Would rather hear his hits on the radio every once in a while.

Just another OK Neil Young record. The guy is consistent I'll give em that. He's good in 3-4 song increments, like one side of a vinyl

Not bad.

From the desert yesterday (Marty Robbins) to the beach today. I’ve liked the other Neil Young albums I’ve gotten in this project, but for whatever reason, this one didn’t really click with me today. (I enjoyed it more on the second listen - I’ll say 3.5 for now.) Favorite tracks: Vampire Blues, See The Sky About To Rain

The best ive heard from him so far but still not my thing

Not for me, but great for others.

Well-titled, relaxing album, not super catchy but well put together. 3.6

So I’m a big Neil fan, and have to admit that I hadn’t even hear of this album… I was more a fan of the Crazy Horse work, as “Live Rust” is my all-time fav – but I digress… Really enjoyed this album, and did not expect Neil basically playing the blues – but absolutely enjoyed it! Sure it’s not at the same level of “After the Goldrush” and all of Neil’s top-shelf tracks, but it’s a solid album all the way around… Favorite tracks included all of the blues titles – so “Revolution”, “Vampire”, & “Ambulance” – but all of the tracks are well-done – even if they are a little on the darker side… It doesn’t hurt that David Crosby, Rick Danko, and Levon Helm, really made “Revolution Blues” pop… Not the greatest Neil effort, but glad that I listened to it, and a solid 3 for me…

Day 9 - June 10, 2024 I fucking hate Neil Young. 1/5

nice West Coast folk-rock, no outstanding tracks

Great stuff. Reads as 60s Dylanesque in some places, but I'm not complaining. The harmonica-acoustic guitar-lamenting husky vocal combo can do wonders sometimes. Plus, tracks like On The Beach and See The Sky About To Rain absolutely nail the singer-songwriter blues ideal, and it's a joy to hear. Like other Neil Young albums, I was initially a little peeved by his quavery voice. But after a certain point, you can learn to ignore it. For some tracks here, it actually worked to his advantage, such as the mournful-sounding Motion Pictures (where it, correctly, sounded like Young was on the verge of tears). My complaint here is that the genre and combination of instruments are very much playing a safe card. Apart from many of the tracks (particularly on side 2) sounding very similar, the musical upheaval of the late 60s and early 70s had already happened by this point, and artists like Neil Young are still releasing unexperimental, (arguably) overdone genres by the mid-70s? Live life on the edge a little, Youngster! 4/5 Key tracks: Walk On, See The Sky About To Rain, Vampire Blues, On The Beach

It was ok.

I don’t have a lot to say about this album. It was fine, but not my fave. It’s interesting in the context of this being a response to his mainstream success.

I appreciate it even if I didn't strictly enjoy it. I can tell he influenced a lot of my faves though!

nothing really stood out to me with this one. it was a fine background album i guess, and i can see why people would really enjoy it... but it wasn't really my speed.

Good.

Good album. Really like “Walk On”. Not as consistent as other Young albums. 3.5/5 Might listen again

Neil Young is someone I never found a path to, and this album made me want to correct that. I especially liked the last three songs which were so laid back and unhurried. I thought I would hate his voice but I loved it.

My third Neil Young and it's a worrying trend - I've gone from a strong 4 to a comfortable 3 but this one I can only give a 2. I didn't realise I had it on repeat and listened to it nearly three times without noticing. I just thought it had gone on a long time without ever piquing my interest. Just very bland and unremarkable. I understand why he's made the list, even multiple times, but surely this spot could've been given to something a bit more interesting?!

It’s not the best Neil Young album, but it does have highlights. Ambulance Blues is amazing!

Pretty good.. After a few listens I realized how melancholy this album is.

Didn't know this album. It's good. "Walk On" is a strong opener, the rest is kinda slow & introspective, save for "Revolution Blues" which gives us a flash of the angry Young. Glad I came around.

Fine. Now I’m a Neil Young fan. YOU’RE WELCOME.

Thanks to the 1001 list, I think I've already listened to enough Neil Young to see that his styles and production vary a lot. I think this album is the most well-produced one from him on the list since his voice is clear (for the good and the bad), and the instruments are all so clear that I think I was listening to some HI-FI stuff on my streaming service (even without a subscription). However, this is by far the worst of his albums on the list. Sadly, the best production was used in the worst music. I think another 3-star rating for another Neil Young album will not hurt anyone.

Went in blind for this one. I spent the first few songs thinking this might be a 4 star for me because I was digging the sound. As the album went on I just was more and more into it. By the end I just sat in silence for a bit and then went in for the second listen. Definitely 5 star...wow.

What an amazing album! This album is one of the best Neil young albums I have ever heard. It was almost a 5 but I know that there has to be at least one or two more Neil albums that top it. Great album and glad it made the list.

It sounded like everything else I've ever heard Neil Young do

Glad I never have to listen that again.

Amazing album

Chill vibe and a good folk music.

Loved the energy of the first few songs and then it takes a pretty slow turn that gets a little humdrum. I wasn’t sure what I’d think of a full album of Neil Young’s voice, and I liked it better than I thought I would, but the melancholy second half was just kind of a downer.

Neil Young is the singer of one of my favorite songs, but I had never listened to anything else from his. That's why this album was a good surprise: something to listen to relax and unwind.

Another excellent Neil Young album! Not a bad track on this one, and I never even heard of the album! Really enjoyed this one!

A melancholy and stripped down performance that resonates today with the juxtaposition of beauty and ugliness of Americana.

i like a lot of neil young's stuff and have always enjoyed this album, but it's not quite to the level of some of his other work, particularly the two or three albums that precede this one. half of this album is songs i love (like the title track, 'revolution blues,' and 'vampire blues') but the other half doesn't quite do it for me. just feel like the crop of songs is not as strong as on some of his other efforts. it's not that i think the album is bad, i just think it could have been workshopped a bit more.

Pleasant but boring, no songs that stuck out to me.

Pretty snoozy stuff, like Dylan without the wit. I don’t deny that one might find something refreshing in the simplicity, but music about how sad the artist is for being famous is always going to be a tough sell for me.

Neil Young records are always perfect. Nothing more to say

New to me; very cool vibe

Too depressing to go into my regular rotation, but the last few tracks really lay down a melancholy vibe which is sort of cozy in a way. I like the guitar work, and the harmonica and fiddle aren't over the top in the way some folk albums are (looking at you, Bob Dylan)

Neil Young at the height of his pomp and majesty. Though, strange enough, the first two tracks didn't grab me, and I'm an avowed fan. The good news is that everything else did. 'Revolution Blues', 'For the Turnstiles' and 'Vampire Blues' is an incredible trifecta, bang bang bang, one after another. Nobody could pull off this kind of ragged, bleary-eyed folk rock like Young. Plenty have since tried, and perhaps gotten close; but when the big dog's in town there are no true competitors.

One of the fun (?) aspects of digging in the ditch is, presumably, finding nuggets of gold. Which wasn't a problem for Neil Young as he would come up with gold constantly during that time but it would become a problem for fans as this particular nugget would prove elusive to seek over the coming decades. Listening to the music on On the Beach ensures that such a thought comes as no surprise. This album is chock full of venom and contemplation, the kind one would have while having seen the desolation atop the mountain. It is little to no wonder why On the Beach has the mythos that it has, for the amount of time spent in the ditch makes someone see and think ferocious things. Alas, all one has to do is move forward and walk on.

I loved this album. It was imperfect in such a charming way. The music was light and fun, super enjoyable, instrumentation was great, totally would listen again.

The vibe feels like someone on the beach playing some songs. I liked it! Not my favorite Young record but a strong one. 4/5

On the Beach starts off very well for me. Walk On is pure psych, very little of the folk that pervades the songs as the listen continues. It’s one of my favorites for this reason, as Neil’s voice here sounds awesome and super clean, with nice background elements to support him. See the Sky About Rain is the continuer, and it certainly is great, but a step-down from the intro. It feels more folky which increasingly becomes my main gripe with every additional song on this album. Its not that folk isn’t or can’t be good, it’s just harder for me to find a song or album that I can enjoy that is structured in this singer songwriter format. That being said, On the Beach was still a good song as well, surprised me mid listen. All in all, I liked On the Beach, its a good album, but the contrasting genres that fought for prevalence in most songs held it back. Best Song: Walk On Worst Song: Motion Pictures (For Carrie)

Very chill album.

Neil. 3

Underrated Neil hits the sweet spot every time. Drenched in weedy good times. Love it.

I loved it great album

This might be the definitive Neil Young album. I would give this 7 out of 5.

Nokkuð einföld lög, röddin í raun ekkert spes og bandið þétt en án allra flugelda. Og samt virkar þetta svona rosalega vel. Það er eitthvað verulegt Je ne sais quo þarna.

Langsam aber sicher werde ich zum Neil Young Fan. Abwechslungsreiche Musik mit viel Gitarre, Mundharmonika und Harmonie. "See the Sky about to rain" ist mein Lieblingslied.

good but slightly weird

A good solid Neil Young album! Thoroughly enjoyable. Very pleasing. Quintessential

I guess it was just 'more Neil Young' but this did stand out as a particularly good Neil Young album. I didn't know it before and was really good, it seemed to bridge the line between just hardcore guitar solos and pure folky songs. Really nice bluesy sounds.

Very pleasant listen, with nice guitars sprinkled in. I could tell some of my favorite albums were inspired by this. 4/5

good

Never been a NY fan. Don't hate it, don't love it.

I’d never heard a Neil Young album before. I’ve always known who he is and that he’s significant. But I’d never listened to a full album. This was great. Definitely warrants another listen to focus more on the lyrics. But right after a Dylan album, I can see how this would scratch the same itch. I loved the vibe throughout. Some songs hit better than others (did not get “Vampire Blues,” though I assume it’s a metaphor for something…oil?), but overall I liked most of what I heard. Good job, Neil. 4 stars. Standout tracks: Walk On, See the Sky About to Rain, Revolution Blues, For the Turnstiles, On the Beach, Ambulance Blues

Amazing - Neil Young at his best. Perfect mix of slow and folky, and lovely musically guitar etc

Alright

This is a nice easy listening album. Nothing in particular really stands out to me, but I could easily listen to this just about any time.

Sorry, Neil, it's not you; it's me.

Not great. I get that it’s supposed to be his feelings of vulnerability and loneliness, but this album just doesn’t do it for me. I listened to it three times and didn’t find one song that stood out, or any emotional beats that resonated with me. I don’t like Neil Young’s voice, the music was forgettable, and the production was poor.

Alright Neal, pick it up

On the Beach features moody, atmospheric tracks like "Walk On" and "See The Sky About To Rain", but the pacing sags significantly in the second half, becoming sluggish and meandering. While it makes for a solid background listen, it lacks the consistent hooks to be considered a masterpiece, resulting in a middle-of-the-road experience.

Interesting music

I wouldn’t listen to this on the beach. But it’s a fine record

Glad he came back to spotify so I could listen to this

Sadly does not feature a lyric that says “like Mario and Princess Beach”

Slow but probably a grower. Reminds me to listen to Harvest some time soon.

The best part was realizing Neil young is back on Spotify

Que pedazo de disco por favor! Tiene todo... blues, folk, rock. Tremendo.

Wow. Pleased to see this deep cut from Neil on the list. This almost makes up for Fiona Apple . A+ album cover. Raw performances of some seriously dark and unsparingly depressing songs. The sound of a hippy waking up and realizing they failed to stop a war or any violence, really, their friends od'd, and the world went to shit. For some reason, these kinds of songs make me feel good. I guess misery really does love company. The second guitar solo on the title track literally took my breath away. Neil is a unique guitar stylist: quasi-competent, cliche-free, crushingly honest, if I can say that, and this album has some of my favorite playing of his.

I'll admit that I've never really found my groove with Neil Young, so it's harder to embrace an album like this, which seems pretty obscure even for Neil Young fans. (As for my ambivalence, I think Robert Christgau's quote (in the Wikipedia page for this album) puts it far better than I ever could: "Something in [Young's] obsessive self-examination is easy to dislike and something in his whiny thinness hard to enjoy.") As with every Neil Young album (and song), though, there's some interesting stuff going on, and it's funny that the "primitive" production/recording of this album seems to be a theme he keeps revisiting (I think one of his most recent albums he recorded solo at Jack White's house in an ancient disc-recording booth). And the stories behind "Revolution Blues" (and Charles Manson) and "Ambulance Blues" make them far more intriguing to listen to than I initially gave them credit for. I'm also incredibly impressed that they were able to produce anything after subsisting on the "Honey Slides" concoction, a truly foul-sounding substance.

This was a surprise in that I'm surprised I liked it so much. I figured I'd already heard all the good Neil Young songs, though I now realize that no, I've heard the best Neil Young songs... I felt it was blessed with a hint of Bob Dylan in places...

Great classic Neil Young. Really enjoyed the vibe and Young’s vocals are always something that I like, even if they’re not for everyone.

While I am usually not a fan, I really enjoyed most songs from this album.

He really is one of the best. Something so mysterious and unconventional about his voice

No me dice nada este hombre.

The somewhat muted follow up to Harvest. Really quite atmospheric though in an understated kind of way. A consistent one. Won't set your hair on fire though. Solid, haunted and melancholy.

A master piece

is this the websites revenge for me saying i don't like neil young yesterday

Got Rust Never Sleeps early on in this project and was surprised by how little I enjoyed it seeing as how I basically like Neil Young. This felt much more like what I was expecting. Side two is perfect "let's get some work done" music and See the Sky About to Rain is going in the permanent rotation.

It was ok. Not my style.

Personally, Neil's voice and songs (at least on this album) are not one of those that leave you jaw-dropped and make you exclaim "WOW!", at least for me, but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. The truth is, I liked it a lot in general, it was not tedious to listen to it, I saved one or another in my likes. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, it's good but not a big deal, and that's enough.

How many Neil Young albums do we have to hear off this list? Think I liked him better when he pulled his library from Spotify. Just too slow and too monotonous. And apparently he had the blues when he was coming up with song titles as well. I thought Walk On was OK and the best thing this album had to offer. Well, the album title, On The Beach. One of my favorite places to be. That's about it. Hope this is the last of his music. 2

2 Jfc, another Neil Young album. Think this like our fifth? The fact that we’ve had five of these now and zero Bright Eyes or blink-182 albums is either proof of an unfair God or an absence of. Anyway, I really couldn’t tell you what this album does differently than the other two we’ve heard from this era of his career, and vocals-wise, it’s just as grating as ever. Normally I’m someone who enjoys unique, imperfect voices and thinks it adds personality to the music, but Neil Young is not one of those instances for me. Given that I enjoyed his later 90s garage rock record Ragged Glory, it seems that his voice improved with age at least, but man, I could not tell you what draws people to his early work. I swear, it’s like he’s trying to piss you off with songs like For the Turnstiles. Nothing interesting going on musically, and while I do at least found him a decent lyricist and storyteller, the only lyric that really stood out to me here was “Well, I hear that Laurel Canyon is full of famous stars/But I hate them worse than lepers and I'll kill them in their cars” on Revolution Blues. I think it refers to the Manson family, but as someone who actually takes Laurel Canyon to commute to work and has to deal with rush hour traffic on it, it speaks to me on a personal level. Third 2 in a row he’s getting from me after three very similar, subpar albums. At least I’m not forced to listen to his music on YouTube anymore.

This was great. Definitely need to listen to the entire trilogy.

Neil Young's influence and success speaks for itself, but personally I never got the hype. This album has some fun solos here and there, but the lyricism really pulls me out of it. Thankfully, this album isn't very long. If you're into laid back guitars, almost funky bass lines and songs that make remind you of being on the beach with your family, this might be for you. Also, maybe it's just that so many local acts I see sound exactly like this and I'm super sick of this sound. 2.5/5

This is the first one it generated and it’s literally my favourite album

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of Neil Young. I prefer his earlier work. This is one of my least favorite of his albums. Still, he is an extremely talented songwriter and because of that, this mediocre album is just that mediocre. I think that if the average songwriter produced an album this poor (on a relative scale) then it would be just about unlistenable. So, kudos, I guess?

nok den mest easy listening Neil Young vi har haft indtil videre. God baggrundsmusik

Neil Young nailede virkelig en singer-songwriter stil som jeg virkelig godt kan lide tilbage i 70erne, jeg er personligt vild med hvor mange af de her plader vi har på listen

3. album i streg som bare ikke rigtigt vækker noget i mig.

There is something about neil young albums that seems to make them greater than the sum of the parts. Not a great singing voice, slow folksy guitar brought together with great lyrics. I hadn't heard this album but really enjoyed it. 5 stars from me. Highlights were See the sky about to rain, On the Beach.

I thought it was fine, nice background music I should probably give another chance.

Is Neil Young technically a good singer? I'd say no. But is he pleasant to the ear? Also no

pretty good

Gostosinho e calmo, mas sem peças individuais muito memoráveis

I already did this one

Great album

Mooi geheel, wel een beetje te rustig.

I really enjoy this albun

This is the sound of Neil Young "heading for the ditch" after the huge success of *Harvest*. *On The Beach* is consequently a less immediate, more "understated" affair, but it's heartfelt, moody and endearing all the way through. It has clear highlights, and they are the self-assured rocker "Walk On", elegiac "See The Sky About To Rain", drowsy and floating "On The Beach", and stern-yet-elated closer "Ambulance Blues". Yet as noticeable as those songs are, the whole album flows from one song to the next without a bump--just like a cloudy yet still warm afternoon at the beach draws on, eliciting nostalgic memories about the summer about to end. The "summer" is here a metaphor for youth and optimism, of course. And because all things end, all you have left with you is memories of those things, eventually. Those memories could even be about that already old "summer of love" a few years back, tragically concluding with the senseless murders commited by Charles Manson and his "family", personified and even given a "voice" during that snarling and yet instrumentally lively "Revolution Blues". Different sort of shudders here, in keeping with other spooky overtones heard elsewhere in this album, as in a paranoid "Vampire Blues" inspired by the shady dealings of the oil industry... As dark as those passing moments are, the whole mood of this LP is still rather soothing, and even epicurean. Exploring the "ditch" also means you can savour all the little pleasures music can offer, as in "For The Turnstiles", a banjo-driven deep cut that foretells the minimalistic illuminations of a later song such as "Captain Kennedy". Epicurean, and also stoic at times, as in that non-confrontational break-up song that "Motion Pictures" is... But whatever Neil's philosophy really is, and as blurry as it is ("honey slides" enhancing the drug-induced feeling), that unnamed, ambiguous ethos here exemplified through those tunes informs everything that the Canadian singer and guitar player does on this record, as if he was constantly building an ephemeral castle in the sand. And as for all castles in the sand, it's the little details that make such an endeavor endearing--a shell placed on top of a derelict crenellated tower, a little tunnel slowly crumbling under the weight of the miniature sandy edifice above, a seagull's feather planted in the middle of a small yard... Here, those details are all those discreet yet enchanting instrumental arrangements: the fingerpicking on the acoustic guitar, the delicate and frail suspensions during the electrical guitar solos, or those manifold small flourishes played on hamonica, banjo or violin... Waves of oblivion constantly threaten to engulf those endearing details in your mind. Yet they can resurface again on each listen. *On The Beach* is that sort of record that does not merely "evoke" melancholy and longing for ages past. It actually *reenacts* that movement in time, through compositions sufficiently striking to make you gape at their inner beauty, and yet never forceful enough to leave a clear mark in your memory--therefore becoming new again each time you play them. You feel like those songs have been heard by countless other listeners before, though--only not by *you*. Neil Young's album plays with your memory, thwarts it, jogs it at other times, and then erases its own input as soon as the needle hits the circled groove. Its music seems to be about the act of remembering itself, uncovering feelings, discovering things long buried in the sand. Until the sand covers everything again. "Under the paving stones, the beach" said an old revolutionary slogan during the May 1968 Paris student riots. Far from Paris, in California, a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who had been there long enough to feel disillusioned after everything he had seen unwittingly found a new, personal meaning to this slogan. With this record, Neil Young indeed accomplished his own private and near-mute, unobtrusive revolution as an artist, and paved the way for his long and unpredictable career to come. He would never be bound by any shackle from this point on. He would be a free man, for better or for worse. In front of him, the waves lap up each moment of his past, and also each moment to come. 4.5/5, rounded up to 5. Number of albums left to review: 226 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 334 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 197 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 250

Wish he wasn't a cuck

It felt like pleasant chill background music to me. But no stand out songs or anything that really moved me. Just fine

hard to see why this was on the list.

3.5

Another Neil young? Nope.

superbly soothing and dreamy - I dont think anyone makes country this soft + lyrical - sounds almost hallucinogenic/dreamlike.

This was another album released while I was at Uni in Newcastle and rushed back to Sydney on the Flyer every Friday. Often I’d hit a record shop in the city if I wanted something urgently & this was one of those. I still have my American pressing & it still jumps half-way through Ambulance Blues, one of my favourites, with its refrain of “You’re all just pissing in the wind”. When I got back to Newcastle & put it on, I was hearing all those trax for the first time. I was probably hoping for Harvest Part2 but this wasn’t that. It was a gradual love affair, but Neil had me before long. The big news story around it, of course, was the fact that Revolution Blues had been inspired by Charles Manson, who Young met through Dennis Wilson, about 6 months before the Tate-La Bianca murders. Great work on this by The Band’s rhythm section. See The Sky About To Rain sounds like it should have been on Harvest but missed the cut. I love Young’s banjo on For The Turnstiles & I love Ben Keith’s slide guitar throughout. Of course we didn’t know at the time that he had already recorded the Tonight’s The Night album, with most of Crazy Horse, but put it on hold (released in 1975). The 2 albums are so different but both so good.

Dimery has a major crush on Neil Young, as do many critics of his vintage. Neil Young is probably the most represented artist on this list, by the time you tally up his solo albums and CSNY and Buffalo Springfield and every other time he accidentally ran tape while he was sneezing or tuning up his guitar or whatever and it was pressed on vinyl to rapturous critical acclaim from his adoring acolytes. But what is this album but the sound of a wildly successful counter-cultural boomer waking up with a hangover, and realizing that his revolution failed and the old lady left and it's all bullshit, man, so let's get stoned because the whole world is fucked, you know? And the record sounds like shit. There, I said it. Don't get me wrong, I like a shitty sounding record if it gets the heart pumping, but this is just lazy and dull. I know there is a raging throng of Neil Young fans who are still upset that this wasn't released on CD for ages, because it's his best album, maaaaaan! But, secretly in your heart of hearts, you know it isn't. It's just lazy whining. 1 star, Neil, you can do better.

My whole family knows who Neil Young is, but yet, has not heard about this album. I thought this album was perfect from the title, and cover because it’s almost Summer. When I listened to it, the first thing I noticed is the voice of Neil Young. He has one of the best voices in the music industry. My favorite songs from the album were Motion Pictures, On The Beach, and See the Sky about to Rain. It was hard to chose favorites on this album meaning I liked every song. That’s why I am rating this album a 5/5.

Bastante bueno! Muy relajante.

Neil Young has an impressive ability to produce songs with a lot of depth with little amount of lyrics and instrumentals. With a voice like his it’s easy to make albums that are darker in tone and feeling. This is definitely an underrated album as Harvest is incredibly popular but this isn’t far off from sounding similar. This is a short album that provides more in 40 minutes than most albums can in an hour. 7.5/10

mid

This definitely features Neil's voice more prominently. It's a nice album overall.

I reelly like the album cover! 🏵🌻🌼 The album was fine!

Errm..

Look I’m a Neil Young stan. His stretch of early solo records is just great. You have to like proto-grungey guitar that sometimes devolves into ponderous nonsense- which is something I’m here for. On the Beach isn’t among his most well known records and doesn’t necessarily have any hits on it. But it slaps.

It's kinda sleepy, noticing now on the song "On the Beach". The instruments are pretty good and decently interesting. His voice is fine, a little whiney, but decent. Feels like a very mid (3) album. Pretty good, wouldn't mind it being played basically anywhere, but it's a little too sleepy and uninteresting for me in general.

Middling.

Well that was perfect timing, Neil Young's discography was only put back on Spotify within the last few weeks, and today I get my first album of his. This is just a soft, pleasant, enjoyable album. I don't really have much to say about it, since I didn't find it to be that special at all. But it's a solid listen.

Quite ok

Peak Neil Young, plain and simple

Neil Young is to me an entity easier to appreciate tangentially and enjoy casually than really love andcrave deeper dives into. I find so much of his music appealing and easy to like, but never that easy to love. That is mostly due to his too loose a song-writing technique that mostly leaves a lot of room to want a more satisfying tune or a melody or a hook or sth.

Folksy raw and enjoyable

Very good and surprisingly not typically what Neil Young people recommend.

I wanted to like this more than I did but generally found it pleasant but boring. Wouldn’t skip but wouldn’t seek out

I’d give this a solid 3. Pleasant to listen to but nothing that stuck with me

Pleasant listen. His instrumentals are more country sounding than I realized even though his voice is distinctly Neil young and not country

I thought it was pretty good, laid back in a sort melanchonic way. Sounds like the hippie movement dying. His voice is a bit annoying though.

Boring

My first Neil young project! I'm sure there is plenty of growing room for this album with me, but for now, I'm just happy I got to experience this lovely bluesy day on the beach.

Neil does it again, he does it on every album if you ask me

1. Walk On 5. Vampire Blues 6. On the Beach

Hippy chilled country thingy

45 albums in and already a second Neil Young effort. Are there really so few artists out there that we have to have such a density of this whiney gobshite's music? It's just not that fucking good, is it? The mastering on this album is bad even for 1974. I'm so bored of this shit that I can't even be bothered to criticise it more. Catatonic.

I tried. I really tried! I believe Neil Young has spawned so many imitators and derivatives. I also honestly believe I like artificial strawberry flavor more than real strawberry flavor.

I liked this more than expected. Standout song for me is Revolution Blues. Hardest to get through was Ambulance Blues.

I could listen to this all day everyday without getting bored. Love driving to this album. Neil Young really hits the spot for me.

Well done album despite it not necessarily being my kind of music. The B-side tracks are all pretty good and I particularly liked Ambulance Blues’s lyrics. 3.5

This is one of the albums he released after Harvest which was a very well received album critically but a lot of angst alienation and nihilist’s tendency’s that was just part of his makeup he always had interesting opinions I mean how do you not want to give your permission to be filmed and put into the Woodstock Movie? You would think and I did as well that it was only Crosby Stills And Nash playing but he didn’t want his image or name associated with the event for his own Quirky reasons that being said compared to other works it is a really good album if your a consummate fan and I can’t give half stars but because I love a lot of the groups he was a part of I probably give him a slightly higher grade but it’s a 3+ at best

I don’t know if I’ve ever consciously listened to a Neil Young song before, so this was a total surprise. But man, I loved this album.

Never been a fan of Neil Young but there are some good songs on here!

I like the music. It works well as background/study music. Neil Young‘s voice is not my favorite, but it doesn’t bother me that much.

I feel like there is a loose breeziness to this album that it makes easy to listen to, but also hard to latch on to. The reviews talk about it's pessimism, but it comes off more as winsome to me.

The day the music really died is when Neil Young decided he should sing.

Gear: Fostex TH610 Mix: adäquat unspektakulär mit Lichtblicken (insb. Akustikgitarre in "For The Turnstiles" und Percussion in "On The Beach") Musik: Einfach. Gut. Wertung: 🏖️🏖️(🏖️)/5

Neil is so hit or miss for me. This one is too folky. 2.5

I’m gonna make every song I write in the key of life if it sounds this good (shitty joke).

I reallyvlike this album. Starts out string and upbeat. Ends in a bit if a slower nite. Not any real singles, so maybe has passed some people's radar. Still a a great solid album.

I would say Neil Young can die in a fire, but he's probably going to outlive us all.

Neil Young created the perfect sound for late-thirties Albert. It is this album.

I like the album art. Will definitely revisit. I like the melancholy vibe.

Much like the previous Neil young album, not really my thing.

Okay

I enjoyed the first two songs and a few of the last songs a lot. The middle of the album lost it for me a little but overall I enjoyed it. Neil Young definitely captured the energy and sound of music you want to listen to during a day at the beach. Is it groundbreaking and earth-shattering music? No. Does it contain incredibly deep and meaningful messages? No. Does it make me want to lay around and do nothing all day while drinking? Absolutely.

Used to be really into psych rock but its the first time I hear about Neil Young. After listening to it I know why: its pretty boring. It got some country elements that I find cool but its overla not bad, but not memorable

I really liked "See the Sky About to Rain", reminds me of watching the fields at my grandma's house at 6pm. Some other songs I liked, some I didn't.

A nothing sandwich. The instrumentation was okay but I found the lyrics to be mundane and the singer's voice to be boring and somewhat grating. This is just barely a 3 for me, but a 3 I would never listen to again. This is a the tipping point between like/dislike for me, which is always good to find.

I liked some of this sound. Pretty standard stuff.

Aggressively mid. Could be better. Keeps going.

This is a 3 by way of there was stuff I really liked (turnstiles) and stuff I really didn't (lots of on the beach). I'd love a song at the start then it would sputter out and I'd fight the urge to skip to the next song. I didn't hate this album but I probably wont be going back to it any time soon.

Never been a huge Neil fan. Nothing against him; I like the music and everything. Maybe it’s his voice? Very unique, it is.

pretty good

Great album. I feel like this is really where Neil found his own style. Just wish there were a few more upbeat songs.

Singer-songwriter folk/country rock. A very powerful album, full of incredible songwriting and performances. Very introspective and melancholic, Neil provides a subdued yet potent vocal performance, really letting his lyrics and guitar playing shine on every song. Great additions of harmonica, Bob Dylan could never. Some songs felt a little long for what they had to offer, but the nearly 9 minute closer was perfectly paced and deserved every second. An amazing album that really stands out among the rest in its genre. Will definitely revisit if I'm feeling mellow. 4.5/5

Repasar alguna canción como vampire blues

hippy nieprzeszkadzacze

A neil young album without the major hits. Still pretty good!

Solid album with some great musicianship. Neil's got a weird voice, no?

Excellent album.

good stuff

didn’t reach out to me

- good vibes but did not feel insanely beachy to me tbh

- really enjoy the vibes on the first half of this album - a couple snoozers near the end

Solidly enjoyable.

good album! Liked it a lot and will get a relisten in the future sometimes. Also very nice cover

Leppoisaa country ja bluesia. Kivan akustista myös. Parhaat: On The Beach, Ambulance Blues,b

Neil Young is king of the emotive single note. Although his lyrics sometimes need more work, they are solidly built overall and the combination of the music and his singing usually hit the spot for resonating with the listener as they are often very story based rather than abstract or obscure. It is always interesting to me how he bridges a kind of Folk/Americana bringing in banjo, violin, harmonica, and often a strong blues influence, all surrounding an awesome sounding guitar that can really rock when he wants it to.

ideal album

His singing voice always annoys me, but great music otherwise

This is my third Neil Young solo album to review, and like his other albums, I thought this was fine. I liked how the lyrics explored loneliness and disillusionment, with a little bit of cultural and societal critiques as well. I think these are emotions that Neil Young explores really well, and I think that this album is an interesting follow up to Harvest, and the things Neil Young was experiencing in his career and life at the time. Musically, this album was pleasant to listen to, but nothing really stood out to me, and I think the album was weighed down some by the longer songs. Overall though, this was a good album, and I'm looking forward to when I get to review After the Gold Rush.

I'm not the biggest Neil Young fan. This is a good enough collection for a listen. I guess my life is more complete now that I've crossed this off the list. Not really.

This rules. For The Turnstiles is a great track. Really awesome downbeat folk stylings out of Neil on this one.

This is my second Neil Young album, and I do do prefer this one a little more for the more low-key and comforting vibe while still keeping some signature instrumentation and harmonica. Lyrically, it was more introspective with some clever lines. Overall. a very pleasant and comforting listen.

Great laid back album from the master. Didn't know it existed

6/10 Neil Young is always listenable, or at least so far. This is OK, but it is nowhere near the list of my favorite albums from him. 3-16-2024

7/10 Don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a gentle, vibey, country-tinged folk rock album Liked it though Gentle but not outstanding music with an excellent and distinctive voice on top Best: See the Sky About to Rain

Pretty enjoyable. I feel I could sit around a campfire and listen to Neil Young for hours. But everything just blended together. Nothing stuck out at all, and at the end of the album a Bob Dylan song played, and I realized how much more character and charisma Dylan has compared to Young. I’m between a 2 and a 3 here.

The album came in strong with Walk On and then faded until the titular song. I played it in the background of a family gathering and it provided good vibes. Two good songs, the rest of it being good background music makes it a 2-3. I don’t know if it would be the type of thing that I would be satisfied/content listening to all the way through without doing something else. Overall, I’m glad I listened to it, but it doesn’t provide as an album.

Honestly, I’m just lucky that two Neil Young albums came up on this list within my 30 day free trial of Apple Music. All because of the Joe Rogan/Spotify deal I’ve gotta have some other streaming service to listen to this album. And I get it, I’m not a fan of Rogan either, but now cancel culture is effecting me and I hate it. I’m fully embracing my old man shaking his fist at the sky moment. Are these my first steps towards conservatism? But for real, I thought this album was pretty good. Easy listening and blues made for a great Saturday afternoon on the porch. A couple solid songs, like Walk On, Vampire Blues, and On The Beach stood out, and the rest blended together pretty nicely. I enjoyed this album more than After The Gold Rush, but it still wasn’t anything that I’d consider groundbreaking.

I started listening this album on a rainy Friday afternoon. It didn't quite feel like the right atmosphere for it. I wasn't vibing with it, so I stopped and started again the next day on a bright Saturday morning.... I still didn't really like it.

best priem maar niks bijzonders

Mellow

#150. I don't knowall of Neil's work, but he always remained an eclectic songwriter . This was new to my ears - and glad to hear it. Wonderful lyric and acoustic guitars. "Ambulance Blues" poignant song. It may be fn bias but give it a 4

another solid album from this classic rock legend.

Enjoyed most of it, not his strongest one but I like his old voice

chill on the beach seit ewigkeiten auf meiner einen überhörten playlist

Not my favourite Neil young

Great pop/rock album.

01) Walk On - 8,5 02) See the Sky About to Rain - 8,0 03) Revolution Blues - 8,0 04) For the Turnstiles - 8,5 05) Vampire Blues - 8,0 06) On the Beach - 9,0 07) Motion Pictures - 8,0 08) Ambulance Blues - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,25 (83/100) I never actually listened to Neil Young, so I'm looking forward to this one. Love the album cover. The guitars on "On The Beach" are great, I think that's my favorite song on the album.

Motion Pictures......

Good, but wouldn’t bother listening to it again.

Dark lyrics, good production. I like the blues songs on it. Haven't really dove into Neil's catalog other than Harvest and his greatest hits so it's cool to listen to something else by him.

Scores a 5 because it keeps growing on me.

All I had to do was complain, and Mr Young came back to spotify. Thank goodness!

I had never listened to the whole thing in the past. One of the first albums like that on this list where I was more than pleasantly surprised. Really great as background music and also great if you dig in and really listen.

Simplicity at its best.

Ambulance Blues is my favorite Neil Young song on this, my favorite Neil Young album. I love many things about this record, not keast of which are the liner notes written by Rusty Kershaw on the original packaging. " I can't read or write very well, so I don't quite understand why anyone would want me to write liner notes. Except for what I saw and heard. The first time I saw Neil his spirit was down the next time I saw Neil I tryed to Boost his sprits with my music and I did and it work. In return Neil played, Sang and wrote, the Best of any music in a While. Not to speak of the fun we had. We laughed so hard we all had Bruzed ribs. On Revolution Blues, I turned inot a Python, than an aligator, I was crawling like one, makeing noise like one, Plus I was eating up the carpet and the mike stands and such. and in the meanwhiile I started to crawl up towards Neil; Which is pretty Spooky. When your trying to Sing: But anyways by that time the necktie people ask my friend Joe what are we gonna do about Rusty, and my friends answer was, 'Hell I don't know I'm just Hangin around to see if Hel'll Swallow Him or not. But what the Hell I give you my word there is good music in this album. Rusty Kershaw R.K. Cause B`en is My Friend"

Depending on the day, this is maybe my favorite Neil record. The run he was on from OTB to Tonight's The Night to Zuma is maybe the best three album run anyone has ever had? Perfect album, 5 stars, no notes

(5,6/6)

Need to add this one to the rotation

ohhh neil...

An unexpected 5 stars! I have heard plenty of Young’s music, but not this album. That was hauntingly beautiful

10/10 pretty much every track on this is a total banger this is probably my favorite Neil Young album

2024-03-10...

Not my fave but I like the vampire song!

Certainly not my favourite album, but something I'm glad I listened to. The slower, more folkier songs from the later end of the album I actually preferred over some of the earlier tracks. Fav songs: - Motion Pictures - Ambulance Blues

I liked it, and I don't really like Neil Young! Oh well.

I didn’t listen to this in an optimal environment — I started falling asleep during the back half of it.

The instruments and sound are good. Neil’s voice is okay but get’s on my nerves at times.

I didn’t care for him talking about Vampires that just seemed weird but other than that it flowed well lyrically and stylistically

I liked. Nice guitar, I know some peeps don’t love his voice, I didn’t have a problem with it. Yes the lyrics are a little weird in spots and I didn’t understand what he was getting at but he sounded nice and it was kinda relaxing to listen too. Again, I do wish there weren’t three songs that were around 7 minutes, that’s just not necessary.

it's ok-not a huge fan of his voice, but guitar is nice

As with previous Neil young stuff, the fact I have to listen with adverts on YouTube is hugely distracting and ruins the flow of the album. However, this one may the start of me liking his stuff. It's the second one I've had and I enjoyed the mood in this one more than others.

3.5 per track.

Neil Young is the opposite of prog rock. He's so soulful and direct and his instrument usage is subded but sounds perfect. See the Sky about to Rain is beautiful. I liked this album a lot.

Oh. The first second of this album had me thinking this is going to be good. By the third track I got a little teary eyed by how good this is. All of this one is new to me, but every song has me invested on the first listen. The mixing is really well done.

4.1 - Sometimes artists enjoy such a prolific period, writing enough songs to span multiple releases. One recent example that comes to mind is Radiohead -- they followed "Kid A" with the release of "Amnesiac" just seven months later, as a sort of compendium album of remnants from the original recording sessions. I'm sure Neil Young had plenty of songs that didn't make "Harvest" that he could've strung together into a similar sounding record. Instead, he chose to theme his follow-up around the emptiness of fame. Songs like "On The Beach", for example, tell of the isolation he felt after finally achieving his breakthrough moment. Of his records I've listened to, this one may be the slowest burn -- and given the subtlety in his songcraft, that's saying a lot. It took me almost a dozen listens to truly appreciate the quiet and sad beauty in these songs, but it was worth it. Other standouts: "See the Sky About to Rain", "For the Turnstiles", "Motion Pictures", "Ambulance Blues."

Favorite was "On The Beach"

I have had friends over the years that do not share my musical tastes. I can get past those that choose to ignore whole genres like techno or chant, but have a harder time with those that "hate X band." How can you hate a band? But I came to realize that it was often because they didn't like some political aspect or personal reason. But then there are those that simply don't like a band and it is nearly always because they don't like the singer's voice. I love (for example) Rush and Tom Petty. Both of which friends of mine have sited they don't like because they don't like the singers. I still question "every song?" But than again... I never could quite get into Neil Young. Lyrics are fine, band is fine... I think it is his voice actually. I just don't get anything emotional out of it. So I suppose I need to "get it" with my friends and know I too have this reasoning...

Very contemplative listening experience. Perhaps the most engaging album lyrically so far for me. Favourite song on the album on initial listen is Motion Pictures (For Carrie) and it immediately went into my Liked Songs playlist as I was so taken with it. Disliked no songs on the album. I feel I'm only going to appreciate this more and more over time. Not necessarily so instantly catchy but may become more memorable after more listens.

i liked the vibes!! I think Walk On and Motion Pictures (For Carrie) were my faves also everytime For The Turnstiles played it caught my attention

Great album to just feel relaxed at work

Listened on a gloomy rainy morning. Fit my meditative, quiet mood. BTW unable to play it on spotify. Had to find it on you tube.

Niceee

This was a hard one to listen to. I mean physically. It wasn't available on Spotify, I had to use Amazon music which kept stopping midway. Really annoying. First world problems... This was really good. My main exposure to Neil Young is the double CD Decade compilation. It was great just hearing a single album of an era. I enjoyed every track. 5 stars, not quite. I'm rounding down to 4, but it's close.

After the gold rush and harvest are GREAT albums. This is not.

No on Spotify

Pretty relaxing, not bad. Enjoyed it a fair bit, though not enough to bother looking at other bits of the discography.

It's a nice record, probably would listen again but not my favourite NY

I really liked this. Nice and chill.

I think if you really focus on the music and the lyrics and the sound, there is something here. But feels old. If you don't focus on it, it just sounds like music. Ambulance Blues stood out to me more than the rest

decent 3.5/5

Started pretty well but really slowed down in the second half of the album. Not my typical style of music but don’t hate it.

Hidden gem unknown to me. Favorite songs; On the Beach & ambulance blues.

“Though your confidence may be shattered, it doesn’t matter.” Musta been a rough patch for him. This is true NY pluckin’ (and crooning) from the down in the dumps (soul?) Kinda bummed by the end of the experience, but The Man can connect and tell a tale, sad as it may be. I really don’t want to like this album (too melancholy) but damn it’s good. Please bring a smile to my eyes… Walk On (3.9*s)

Great album perhaps my favourite from Neil Young and that's saying something. Every song is a winner, marrying country, rock, blues, and folk all in perfect balance. The playing is subtle and beautiful. It's a quiet album but powerful and emotional. 5 stars

Neil Young is one my favorite songwriters and musicians. I’ve had the opportunity to see him multiple times with my favorite being at Red Rock amphitheater after releasing Harvest Moon. This one goes to 11.

Unable to access on Spotify.

That last piece was moving, and I feel like if I return to this more often my take would improve.

07/1001 I gave myself quite a long time to listen to this album and with Neil's return to Spotify I was listening to this album quite a bit. It's good, very good. Some songs are long enough that you think it will be boring (considering the style of music) and repetitive. But when I got to the end of the songs I felt that all the time I was listening was completely worth it, that I achieved something after 6 or 7 minutes of the same song. It's not a perfect album, but that's what I liked. I will totally be listening to it in my daily life (in fact I am already doing it, I have already listened to it 3 complete times). Notable songs: See the Sky About to Rain (my favorite from the album) Vampire Blues, Walk On and Revolution Blues

though my problems are meaningless, that don't make them go away

Nice easy listening album

Sing it Neil!

7 of 8 songs on this album are absolute winners. "Vampire Blues"...... well....it sucks. It sucks. It's everything that kept me from liking Neil Young in the past. Other than that, this is a fantastic, wistful album. "Sky About to Rain" has some gorgeous slide guitar work and the opener has some equally gorgeous harmonies. "Revolution Blues" is another great political chaos song. This seems to be a specialty of his with hard marching drum beats and stream of consciousness lyrics that feel like the narrator is half concussed. Young had a keen understanding of how country and roots music sunk up nicely with Laurel Canyon singer/songwriter culture. This feels like a story of a country boy stranded in California and burning out.

Sehr relaxing, ruhig. Nicht mein Ding.