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brak_jb_page
10-04-2004, 04:06 PM
Neil Young and Crazy Horse- Weld (Live)
(1991)

Vocals/Lead Guitar-Neil Young
Rhythm Guitar-Frank “Poncho” Sampedro
Bass-Billy Talbot
Drums-Ralph Molina

Ahhh, Neil and the Horse, at their crushingly-loud best. Neil Young is a musical genius, and one of the most influential artists of our time. His music ranges from acoustic folk to heavy, loud rock, and this release is definitely the latter. Most of the songs on this album are Crazy Horse classics, and even a Dylan song is thrown in. Neil and Crazy Horse have recorded about twelve albums together, and most of them are great. They released “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, their first album, in 1969, and their latest album, “Greendale”, in 2003. Now for the songs.

DISC 1

Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) - 5:42- The opening song is one of my favorites. A classic riff, great lyrics, and great vocals. A great song to sing along to, as well. 4/5

Crime In The City -6:32- Another great song. I think that this version is much better than the acoustic one on “Freedom”. This song has a very dark, punk feel, and, in my opinion, some of the best guitar work on the album. It tells a story, as most of Neil’s songs do. I love this song and the feeling of urgency that it gets across. 5/5

Blowin’ In The Wind -6:49- (written by Bob Dylan)- This song always sends chills down my spine. It opens very Pink Floyd-ish, with the sounds of gunfire and bombs dropping. Then, those guitar notes come in. This proves that great guitar doesn’t have to be complicated. Neil’s voice is absolutely chilling; he sings the lyrics with passion, feeling, and emotion. Even though he didn’t write the lyrics, you can tell he really means them. This song is pretty much an anti-war anthem. Another great. 5/5

Welfare Mothers -7:04- This is another punky song, yet a little lighter then the three songs before it. The simple, chugging guitar riff is pretty nice. The lyrics are pretty bizarre, (“welfare mothers, make better lovers”), but fun to sing along to. Neil pretty much yells on this song, but his voice is great nonetheless. The end is pretty funny, with Neil and Frank (?) yelling at each other. This is a pretty fun song, not meant to be taken seriously. 4/5

Love To Burn -10:01- A Ragged Glory classic. The song is kind of a hippie-type jam, with lyrics basically saying that humankind needs love to survive. It goes on for a pretty long time, with some nice guitar improvising between Neil and Frank. Yet again, it’s a great one. 5/5

Cinnamon Girl -4:45- Probably one of the most well-known songs from Neil and Horse, this one comes from their first album. This song is heavy, then kind of psychedelic and ballad-y, then heavy again. Another classic riff, great to sing along to, and great lyrics. 5/5

Mansion On The Hill -6:14- This song describes a place where “psychedelic music fills the air”, and “peace and love live there still”. Another psychedelic, hippie type song. Great lyrics, as usual. This song has great vocals as well. 5/5

F*ckin’ Up -7:09- Another Ragged Glory classic is added in the lineup. This song never really changes from its basic melody. You can’t help but sing along to the simple lyrics. It has a call and answer feel. A simple, rockin’ song. 4/5

DISC 2

Cortez The Killer -9:46- It doesn’t get any better than this. Absolutely amazing lyrics, haunting vocals and guitar, just great. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest songs of all time. Neil’s guitar work rocks, as does everything about this song. The Dave Matthews Band also does an amazing version of this song with Warren Haynes. The best song on the album, in my opinion. 5/5

Powderfinger -5:58- The greatness just doesn’t stop. This song tells a pretty bizarre story about a kid dying while trying to defend his family (set in the old west (?). Neil does some great country-style guitar, with amazing solos as well. This song has feeling and emotion, another sing-along. 5/5

Love And Only Love -9:17- Pretty much the same idea presented in “Love To Burn”, that we all must learn to depend on love. The two songs are very similar in their hippie-ish jam, this one maybe being a little heavier. Good stuff. 4/5

Rockin’ In The Free World -9:22- Probably the most well-known Crazy Horse song, this is another classic. Neil sings about the things that are wrong with society. The lyrics are pretty dark, but yet again great to sing along to. A simple guitar riff propels the song. The lyrics really paint a picture, like any good Neil Young song. 5/5

Like A Hurricane -14:00- Another fan-favorite, this is the longest song on the album. The lyrics make you feel like you’re in a dream. The guitar is great as usual. We see Neil and the guys jam for a while on this one. The song really conveys a sense of beauty and confusion. 4/5

Farmer John -5:00- This is a punky, guitar driven song. The yelling part, (WO-OH) (you’ve really got to hear it to know what I mean), adds a sense of fun to the song. This song is pretty short compared to the rest of the album. This is a fun song to listen to, much like “Welfare Mothers”. 5/5

Tonight’s The Night -8:45- This song, a tribute to roadie Bruce Barry who died of a drug overdose, paints a picture of drug use and abuse. I really like how the drum beats on when Neil sings the verses. “Tonight’s The Night” is one of my favorite Neil Young songs, and the album of the same name is also one of my favorites. A great, chilling song. 5/5

Roll Another Number (For The Road) -5:19- This song always gives me a chuckle. Basically, Neil sings an anthem to rollin’ up a fat boy. With a tinge of country, I can almost imagine a bunch of people sitting around a campfire, singing this song. A great way to end the album, this ends it on a lighter note. 5/5

In my opinion, this is one of the best live albums there is. Taken from their Ragged Glory/Smell the Horse tour, Neil and company really have great chemistry on stage, as shown in their extended jams. Neil proves himself as a great on guitar. At its heart, this is heavy, guitar driven rock. This is a great album to crank up and rock out to. Overall, I give it a 5/5. Classic.

Tell me what you think, point out mistakes....

Broken Arrow
10-04-2004, 04:20 PM
Excellent Review :thumb:

I think I will do Everybody Knows this is Nowhere soon.

brak_jb_page
10-04-2004, 04:22 PM
Excellent Review :thumb:

I think I will do Everybody Knows this is Nowhere soon.

I'll be awaiting it...

The only CD's I need to complete my Neil collection are Zuma and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

By the Way, Thanks :thumb:

Woodstock
10-04-2004, 04:51 PM
Great Review, not a huge fan of Young but very good work.

Broken Arrow
10-04-2004, 04:58 PM
I'll be awaiting it...

The only CD's I need to complete my Neil collection are Zuma and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

By the Way, Thanks :thumb:
Everybody Knows this is Nowhere is really good I will review it when I dont have as much homework

Zesty Mordant
10-04-2004, 06:02 PM
solid review, i want to pick one of his live albums and i couldn't decide between this and rust never sleeps.

maybe i'll know which one to get now

brak_jb_page
10-04-2004, 06:24 PM
solid review, i want to pick one of his live albums and i couldn't decide between this and rust never sleeps.

maybe i'll know which one to get now

Actually, this album is just the heavy side of Neil, and Rust Never Sleeps is half Neil Young with an acoustic guitar, half Neil Young and Crazy Horse. So if you're looking for some variety, than get Rust Never Sleeps, but if you want to hear Neil Young at his heavy guitar-rock best, get this. They're both about the same as far as quality goes, just different.

By the way, this one will probably cost you more, since it's a 2 disc set.

splashfreak
10-05-2004, 02:45 PM
I find it kind of difficult to call this album "hard" rock, but then again the different genres are so messed up and so subject to opinion it isn't even funny...

Good review, although I personally can't stand Neil Young.