1001 Albums Summary

It is very appropriate that the first track of the first album allocated to me in this project is the song that Top of the Pops used as its theme tune for the top 10 countdown. Overall the album has the feel of a polished live performance or jam session. Makes full use of the possibilities of Stereo, with many tracks sweeping wildly widely to and fro. "Thank You" was the standout song on this for me - lovely and melodic!

I've seen the album cover before and thought "oh, that's going to be the noisy and thrashy and raw proto-grunge Neil Young", and given it a miss. I was not expecting a laid back country folk album, much more in the style of Harvest or his work with CSNY. Side 1 (acoustic) My My, Hey Hey - a Dylanesque song about rock and roll that embraces rock and roll style lyrics while rejecting rock and roll instrumentation. Thrasher - has a beautiful flow to the words. Ride My Lama - is a strange little extraterrestrial tale. Pocahontas - one of my favourite Neil Young songs, but honestly I prefer the version on Unplugged. Sail away - very laid back Side 2 (electric) Powderfinger - eases us gently into the electric stuff; almost country rock, but with slide guitar substituting for pedal steel - shades of Rhinestone Cowboy in the bassline Welfare mothers - country rock but with prog progressions Sedan delivery - half punk, half psychedlia, half proto-grunge, all elbowing one another to fit into the space Hey Hey, My My - and here the album forms a neat cycle - going back to the start, but with the song now evolved into an electric heavy-bassed version

Chain of Fools - Very nice syncopation - the main vocul, the chorus, the bass, the guitar and the drums all havetheir own rhythm that meshes nicely together. Isn't the "Chain-chain-chain" but in this reminiscent of A Change Would Do You Good? Money Won't Change You - Not much to say here; I like the thumping bass and horns, but the rest doesn't do much for me - I'd kind of like to see what Fatboy Slim would do with the the horn part. People Get Ready - A bit dreamlike. Niki Hoeky - I was familar with the Bobby Gentry version (my parents listened to a lot of country music when I was growing up) - i think I prefer this version, mainly because the intro to the Bobby Gentry version always tricked me into thinking I was listening to Ode to Billie Joe (an absolute classic song) (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - everything about this is just perfect, you can pick out any element of the arrangement and listen to it and it's just great (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone - Another middling song saved by bass and horns. Good to Me as I am to You - There are plenty love songs, this is a hate song. Just leave him, you can find someone better. Come Back Baby - Look, I've told you, you're better off without him, enjoy your freedom, don't beg him to come back, I beg you. Groovin' - nice and laidback. Ain't No Way - I like this, it kind of reminds me of Paul Williams stuff (there's a very specific F9>Fm7 chord change he uses it a lot, which is present here).

Nothing bad about this album at all... but it all sounds like background music to me, the sort of thing to have on the sound system in an '80s wine bar while drinking colourful drinks in martini glasses and smoking pastel shaded Sobranie Cocktail cigarettes and having conversations about nothing.