My Music Monday

During some of my Record of the Month selections, I will take artists to task for never changing and in turn, stagnate and wither.  I totally see the irony in the fact that I love Neil Young, though, when looking at his over-arching career, he doesn't change all that much.

Yes, he's attempted a few new branches (his rockabilly Everybody's Rockin', his distortion record with Crazy Horse Live Rust), but generally he's maintained a good folk-rock persona that has served him well over 40+ years.

Young floats back and forth between solo work and leading Crazy Horse - and now and again appearances with Crosby, Stills and/or Nash, he churns out material fairly regularly and with decent consistency.

Granted, I do like his mid to late '70s work the best - American Stars & Bars, Comes a Time and Rust Never Sleeps.  But in 1992, he released what people hailed as a follow-up to his classic album Harvest. This was called Harvest Moon.

Not breaking into any charts with it - like most his disks - it was a subtle album that contained a song which has been on any number of my playlists since:  "War of Man".

Mostly consisting of bass, drum and acoustic guitar (though in parts there is a little keyboard thrown in). Oh and Nicolette Larson.  Like most selections on Harvest or Harvest Moon, the song is fairly understated and it works well.

Larson sang background vocals on many of Young's records in the '70s before having a hit herself with  Young's own "Lotta Love".  With her being a huge presence on Young's Comes a Time, I always felt her vocals complimented Young's rougher, untrained voice.

Reuniting on Harvest Moon was good for both of them, though Larson died a few years after the fact, but she always complimented his work.

Once again, Young and Larson do a good collaboration.