#601

All right, all right onwards and upward we go.

Up next: We embark on a new decade with one of Neil’s shortest LP’s in his career.

Ladies and gentleman for your listening pleasure this week, I present to you:

(Released November 3rd, 1980 “Hawks and Doves”)

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#602

I was sure I owned this album but I couldn’t find it yesterday so listened to it a couple of times on Spotify.

It’s actually a brilliant album. Well, not really an album, it’s basically a 5 track EP of new songs (side B), and four outtakes from 74 to 77 (side A). It’s another album that has “contractual obligation” written all over it, but that doesn’t detract from its brilliance.

The outtakes are amazing, as you’d expect from anything recorded in the mid-70s sessions.

Side A: Outtakes
Little Wing also appears on Homegrown. Record in 1975.
The Old Homestead is a dark, sprawling 8 minute classic. I think it was originally going to be on Homegrown but wasn’t on the recent release?
Lost in Space is just lovely, not sure what else to write.
Captain Kennedy reminds me of something, but I can’t put my finger on it. Bob Dylan maybe? It was recorded in 76 and released recently on Hitchhiker.

Side B: New songs
The whole of side B is just great fun and an unusual sound for Neil. The fiddle features heavily.
Stayin’ Power - pretty good
Coastline - pretty country and western and the weakest song on the record
Union Man - I really love the grungy guitar riffs on this. And I love the bit when they shout “Live music is better - bumper stickers should be issued”
Comin’ Apart at Every Nail - another c&w track
Hawks & Doves - my favourite of his new songs. The backing singing of “USA! USA!” is a bit cheesy, but it’s a great tune with some great guitar playing.

Overall this deserves to be mentioned in the list of classic Neil albums and I think it’s massively underrated.

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#603

Havent heard this record in a long time. Looking forward to diving in later in the week.

#604

Don’t think anyone’s ever been less invested in a song than Union Man.

First half of this is absolutely cracking though. Got that really lost thing running through them, ambulance bluesy vibes. Gonna keep spinning this one cause it’s so short, but definitely in the would make a good EP camp.

Cover isn’t making me want to claw out my eyes either which is nice. I mean don’t get me wrong, no-one is trying here but it’s not a squished up face or deliberately grainy nightmare.

#605

I listened again this morning for the first time in decades. It starts strongly, and I was thinking that maybe I was wrong to dismiss it - first four tracks are all great. But boy does it fall off a cliff after that. Union Man and Hawks & Doves are two of the weakest songs we’ve had in this club so far, and none of the rest climbs above average. I suppose the closest comparison we’ve had up till now is Comes A Time. The A side of this one wipes the floor with that, but the B side is far worse. But that’s Neil’s catalogue in a nutshell - if the bad stuff wasn’t there we wouldn’t love the good stuff so much.

#606

Little Wing is absolutely brilliant

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#607

Dragging a couple of gems I haven’t heard from each of these. My Neil playlist is fuller and happier than before!

#608

https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/neil-young-archives-vol-ii-1972-1976-announced/

#609

i LOVE the theramin on the old homestead. it almost saves a pretty listless song. wish that song was like 1/3 of the length. prods along a bit too much.

little wing is the standout here of course.

but im digging stayin power right now. whole song is really corny but it works.

few keepers overall but not top notch neil for me.

#610

Mid week poll for the playlist, choose two off of Hawks and Doves

  • Little Wing
  • The Old Homestead
  • Lost in Space
  • Captain Kennedy
  • Stayin Power
  • Coastline
  • Union Man
  • Coming Apart At Every Nail
  • Hawks and Doves

0 voters

#611

couple of barnyard stompers on Hawks and Doves eh? Easing his way into Old Ways type tunes.

Union Man is straight god awful.

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#612

Hmmn, quite a bit of negativety for H&D. That doesn’t bode well for this thread for the next 8 (eight) weeks until we get to the relief of Freedom. I’ll be ok, I’m old and tough, but I’m not sure everyone is going to make it.

#613

I like a lot of the 80s stuff more than, e.g., comes a time or harvest, and I’d like to think that people have realised synths and vocoders etc. aren’t bad and Neil was right to use them!

#614

All right, all right onwards and upward we go.

Up next: Neil first makes use of the Synclavier on record with his old pals Crazy Horse.

Ladies and gentleman for your listening pleasure this week I present to you:

(Released October 23rd, 1981 “Re-Ac-Tor”)
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#615

‘Shots’ is an all time top twenty Neil tune for me.

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#616

Oh, I share a birthday with this album! It’s exactly six years older than me!

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#617

Never heard this album, or any songs from it. Looking forward to diving in!

#618

Cool. This, possibly like other people, is more or less where I jumped off the Neil train until the 90s. Interested to hear some of these for the first time.

#619

Really lovex the first half of Hawks and Doves about 15 years ago. Deliberately don’t listen to it very much, so that it kind of maintains that kind of time capsule memory thing.

#620

Hawks And Doves was one of the first presents bought for me by a former GF so I’ve got an emotional attachment to it as well.

Listening to it now and ‘Lost In Space’ is like the prototype for a Grandaddy song. Jason Lytle could sing it perfectly.

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