On the Beach (album)
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| On the Beach | ||
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| Studio album by Neil Young | ||
| Released | July 1974 | |
| Recorded | ??? | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 39:40 | |
| Label | Reprise | |
| Producer(s) | Neil Young, David Briggs, Mark Harman, Al Schmitt | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Neil Young chronology | ||
| Time Fades Away (1973) |
On the Beach (1974) |
Tonight's the Night (1975) |
On the Beach is a rock album by Neil Young, released in 1974. The title track may be inspired by the novel and movie On the Beach.
Contents |
[edit] Album information
Recorded after (but released before) Tonight's the Night, On the Beach shares some of that album’s bleakness and crude production –- which came as a shock to fans and critics alike, as this was the long-awaited studio follow-up to the commercial hit Harvest -- but also included hints pointing towards a more subtle outlook, particularly opener "Walk On".
While the original Rolling Stone review described it as "One of the most despairing albums of the decade", later critics such as All Music Guide’s William Ruhlmann used the benefit of hindsight to conclude that Young "Was saying goodbye to despair, not being overwhelmed by it". The despair of Tonight's the Night, communicated through intentional underproduction and lyrical pessimism, gives way to a more polished album that is still pessimistic but not so much so.
Much like Tonight's the Night, On the Beach was not a commercial success at the time of its release but over time attained both a cult following and high critical regard. The album was recorded in a haphazard manner, with Young utilizing a variety of session musicians, and often changing their instruments while offering only bare-bones arrangements for them to follow (in true Tonight's the Night tradition). He also would opt for rough, monitor mixes of songs rather than a more polished sound, alienating his sound engineers in the process.
Throughout the recording of the album, Young and his fellow musicians consumed a homemade concoction dubbed "Honey Slides", a goop of sauteed marijuana and honey that was, in manager Elliot Roberts' words, "...much worse than heroin. Much heavier." (Shakey: Neil Young's Biography, Jimmy McDonough). This may account for the mellow mood of the album, particularly side two of the original LP. Young has said of it "Good album. One side of it particularly - the side with "Ambulance Blues", "Motion Pictures" and "On the Beach" - it's out there. It's a great take." (Shakey)
For nearly two decades, rarity made a cult out of On the Beach - deleted from vinyl in the early 1980's and never released on cassette, it headed the list of most-desired albums not released on CD. Along with three other mid-period Young albums, it had been withheld from re-release until 2003; the reasons remain murky but there is some evidence that Young himself didn’t want the albums out on CD, variously citing “fidelity problems” and legal issues. Beginning in 2000, over 5000 fans signed an online petition calling for the release of the album on CD; this wish was finally granted in 2003.
[edit] Song information
"Walk On", the album's opener, has Young combining his cynical outlook with a touch of closure and a wish to move on and keep living. The album also includes the high-strung "Revolution Blues", inspired by Charles Manson, whom Young had met in his Topanga Canyon days. "For the Turnstiles" is a country-folk hybrid featuring Young's banjo and a caterwauling harmony vocal from Ben Keith, while playing dobro. Also of note is "Vampire Blues", an attack on the oil industry that foreshadowed Living with War by thirty years. Young also throws in a remake of his Harvest era "See the Sky About to Rain", featuring The Band's rhythm section, Rick Danko and Levon Helm.
Side two of the LP version opens with "On the Beach", a bluesy meditation on the downside of fame, and is followed by "Motion Pictures", a barely audible elegy for Young's relationship with actress Carrie Snodgrass. "Ambulance Blues" closes the album, a Dylanesque folk strum significant for Young's attacks on his critics, Richard Nixon and the state of CSNY. The line "You're all just pissing in the wind" was a direct quote from Young's manager regarding the inactivity of the quartet.[citation needed]
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Neil Young.
- "Walk On" – 2:40
- "See the Sky About to Rain" – 5:03
- "Revolution Blues" – 4:02
- "For the Turnstiles" – 3:13
- "Vampire Blues" – 4:11
- "On the Beach" – 6:59
- "Motion Pictures" – 4:20
- "Ambulance Blues" – 8:57
("Motion Pictures" was dedicated to Carrie Snodgress, Young's then-girlfriend.)
[edit] Personnel
- Neil Young: guitar, banjo-guitar, harmonica, piano, vocal
- Ben Keith: guitar, dobro, piano, organ, percussion, bass, vocal
- David Crosby: guitar
- Rick Danko: bass
- Tim Drummond: bass, percussion
- Levon Helm: drums
- Rusty Kershaw: slide guitar, fiddle
- Ralph Molina: drums, vocal
- Graham Nash: electric piano
- Billy Talbot: bass
- Joe Yankee: harp, electric tambourine
- George Whitsell: guitar
