Neil Young – Decade (1977/2017) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Released in October 1977, the essential anthology Decade (a triple vinyl album back then!) gives a detailed overview of Neil Young’s work between 1966 and 1976. In 35 titles (including 6 unreleased pieces), the Loner’s genius bursts out for all to see. Mostly solo, but also with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash, this collection particularly shows that this decade was his most fascinating. Building on masterfully written songs, Neil Young mixes rock, folk and country with great originality for the time. In both ballads and much meaner songs, his style is like fireworks. He is most likely the most original artist of his generation. One that never shies away from questioning himself either. Novices can start climbing the mountain of his works with this five-star compilation record, before digging deeper, one album at a time.

Given the quirkiness of Neil Young’s recording career, with its frequent cancellations of releases and last-minute rearrangements of material, it is a relief to report that this two-disc compilation is so conventional and so satisfying. A 35-track selection of the best of Young’s work between 1966 and 1976, it includes songs performed by Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Stills-Young Band, as well as solo work. In addition to five unreleased songs, Decade offers such key tracks as the Springfield’s “Mr. Soul,” “Broken Arrow,” and “I Am a Child”; “Sugar Mountain,” a song that had appeared only as a single before; “Cinnamon Girl,” “Down by the River,” and “Cowgirl in the Sand” from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere; “Southern Man” and the title track from After the Gold Rush; and “Old Man” and the chart-topping “Heart of Gold” from Harvest. This is the material that built Young’s reputation between 1966 and 1972, although he is more idiosyncratic with the later material, including the blockbusters “Like a Hurricane” and “Cortez the Killer” but mixing in more unreleased recordings as the set draws to a close. He seems intent on making the album a listenable one that will appeal to a broad base of fans, and he succeeds despite the exclusion of much of the harrowing work of 1973-1975. Nevertheless, the album is an ideal sampler for new listeners, and since there is no one-disc Young compilation covering any significant portion of his career, this lengthy chronicle is the place to start.

Tracklist:
01. Buffalo Springfield – Down to the Wire
02. Buffalo Springfield – Burned
03. Buffalo Springfield – Mr.Soul
04. Buffalo Springfield – Broken Arrow
05. Buffalo Springfield – Expecting to Fly
06. Neil Young – Sugar Mountain
07. Buffalo Springfield – I Am a Child
08. Neil Young – The Loner
09. Neil Young – The Old Laughing Lady
10. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Cinnamon Girl
11. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Down By the River
12. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Cowgirl In the Sand
13. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – I Believe in You
14. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – After the Gold Rush
15. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Southern Man
16. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Helpless
17. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Ohio
18. Young – Soldier
19. Neil Young – Old Man
20. Neil Young – A Man Needs a Maid
21. Neil Young – Harvest
22. Neil Young – Heart of Gold
23. Neil Young – Star of Bethlehem
24. Neil Young – The Needle and the Damage Done
25. Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night, Pt.1
26. Neil Young – Tired Eyes
27. Neil Young – Walk On
28. Neil Young – For the Turnstiles
29. Neil Young – Winterlong
30. Neil Young – Deep Forbidden Lake
31. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Like a Hurricane
32. Neil Young – Love Is a Rose
33. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Cortez the Killer
34. Neil Young – Campaigner
35. The Stills-Young Band – Long May You Run