Zuma's Neil Young Top 50 to 1

[Zuma]

9 - Pocahontas - Rust Never Sleeps - 1979

IMHO one of Neil's most evocatively written songs from Rust Never Sleeps the sad but beautiful plight of Pocahontas and how her tribe was massacred by early European settlers then describes a fictional meeting between Marlon Brando who was a big advocate of Indian rights, Pocahontas and Young. The song is propelled by Young's 12 string and an Indian sounding percussion and sound effects.

Aurora borealis
The icy sky at night
Paddles cut the water
In a long and hurried flight
From the white man
to the fields of green
And the homeland
we've never seen.

They killed us in our tepee
And they cut our women down
They might have left some babies
Cryin' on the ground
But the firesticks
and the wagons come
And the night falls
on the setting sun.

They massacred the buffalo
Kitty corner from the bank
The taxis run across my feet
And my eyes have turned to blanks
In my little box
at the top of the stairs
With my Indian rug
and a pipe to share.

I wish a was a trapper
I would give thousand pelts
To sleep with Pocahontas
And find out how she felt
In the mornin'
on the fields of green
In the homeland
we've never seen.

And maybe Marlon Brando
Will be there by the fire
We'll sit and talk of Hollywood
And the good things there for hire
And the Astrodome
and the first tepee
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Pocahontas.

 

[Gorry]

Sorry I'm late...

 

[Zuma]

8 - Powderfinger - Rust Never Sleeps - 1979

This live staple, again from the great Rust Never Sleeps album has batted at number 2 in Neil and Crazy Horses setlist longer than Tubby and Slats combined. The lyrics and song structure are much in the style of Dylan, a little more cryptic than usual. Just think of me as one you never figured
I heard that Neil was considering giving the song to Lynyrd Skynyrd not long before that plane crash. The closer they got, the more those feelings grew
As well as its lyrical prowess Neil plays 2 great guitar solos on the record and even more when playing live and Crazy Horse sing in unison with Neil for a powerful last verse which hammers home the message of this song, what ever it is. Remember me to my love, I know i'll miss her

Look out, Mama,
there's a white boat
comin' up the river
With a big red beacon,
and a flag,
and a man on the rail
I think you'd better call John,
'Cause it don't
look like they're here
to deliver the mail
And it's less than a mile away
I hope they didn't come to stay
It's got numbers on the side
and a gun
And it's makin' big waves.

Daddy's gone,
my brother's out hunting
in the mountains
Big John's been drinking
since the river took Emmy-Lou
So the powers that be
left me here
to do the thinkin'
And I just turned twenty-two
I was wonderin' what to do
And the closer they got,
The more those feelings grew.

Daddy's rifle in my hand
felt reassurin'
He told me,
Red means run, son,
numbers add up to nothin'
But when the first shot
hit the docks I saw it comin'
Raised my rifle to my eye
Never stopped to wonder why.
Then I saw black,
And my face splashed in the sky.

Shelter me from the powder
and the finger
Cover me with the thought
that pulled the trigger
Think of me
as one you'd never figured
Would fade away so young
With so much left undone
Remember me to my love,
I know I'll miss her.

 

[Zuma]

7 - Ohio - CSNY Single - 1970

Neil wrote, recorded and released "Ohio" in 10 days after hearing of the US Guard shooting 4 university students dead at Kent State University in Ohio.
Neil plays an ominous electric riff throughout the song and snarls out the lyrics as an angry man in the face of injustice. Neil rated the song his most significant work with CSNY and the song still sends the chills all these years later, in particular when Neil delivered an acoustic performance of it shortly after the Tianaman Square massacre and again in recent years when Neil played songs on tour with just his Gibson gretch and voice which hammered the message home still clearly taken back with emotion whenever he performs this song.

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

 

[JP Sauce]

Don't leave us hanging Zuma

 

[Zuma]

Don't leave us hanging Zuma

I'm a very busy man, will be posting a song a night

 

[Zuma]

6 - Hey Hey, My My/My My, Hey Hey - Rust Never Sleeps - 1979

The acoustic "Out of the Blue" and electric "Into the Black" served as bookends to the mighty "Rust Never Sleeps" album and arguably Neil and the Horses most iconic live song played on virtually every Neil Tour since 1978.

The song, partly inspired by the band Devo and the rise of punk is littered with references to the changing of the guard of culture, music, life, etc famously name checking Johnny Rotten, himself a huge fan of Neil and offering the much quoted line "Its better to burn out than to fade away" which was found on Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain's suicide note. Conversely Neil also offers and emphasizes that "Once your gone, you can never come back"

"My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) The acoustic version which opens both RNS and the soon after issued Live Album "Live Rust". The more popular electric version "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) closes the album and features a distorted riff that is loud and crude with frenzied guitar soloing from Neil and and ferocious drumming from Ralph Molina.

Album version - My My, Hey Hey


Album version - Hey Hey, My My


Jamming the song with Devo (crazy stuff)

 

[Zuma]

5 - Like A Hurricane - American Stars n Bars - 1977

I have seen Neil twice and have never experienced this mighty song, one can easily get blown away on a foggy trip in its swirling atmosphere as Neil's guitar and Crazy Horse with Poncho on organ and the boys pounding rhythm simulating the force of a frenetic hurricane calmly juxtaposed with Neil's trance like vocals that cut through across the breeze. The extended guitar solo is simply awesome and at one point almost blows the speaker if you listen to the record. Several live versions exist all validating the song's greatness and inclusion in any Neil Top 10.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

My favourite.

 

[Righteo]

If your username gives away some measure of bias then I have a good feeling my personal fave is guaranteed to feature among the last selections now. Unthinkable it'd miss altogether...

 

[Zuma]

4 - Needle and the Damage Done - Harvest - 1972

Experiencing too many of his friends succumbing to heroin Neil wrote this brief but direct and affecting acoustic song where you barely hear a pin drop in the audience until Neil plays that last suspended hammer on and the audience cheers. The lyrics say it all:

I caught you knockin'
at my cellar door
I love you, baby,
can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.

I hit the city and
I lost my band
I watched the needle
take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done.

I sing the song
because I love the man
I know that some
of you don't understand
Milk-blood
to keep from running out.

I've seen the needle
and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie's
like a settin' sun.

 

[Zuma]

3 - Cortez The Killer - Zuma - 1975

You called it Righteo, the slow burning classic from the legendary Zuma album, what a killer! The intro stretches and meanders over a few minutes but nicely sets the scene for the unveiling of some of Neil's greatest story telling lyrics of an the invasion of an ancient civilization they came dancing accross the water, with his gallions and guns, a ancient civilization that we could learn alot from today hate was just a legends, and war was never known, the people worked together, and they lifted many stones Crazy Horse create such a vibe for this song, and it is only 3 chords believe it or not! the bass, drums and guitar work so well on this classic which is certainly a highlight of their live show.

 

[Zuma]

2 - Old Man - Harevest - 1972

Neil was barely into his 20's when he purchased his ranch in Redwood California, and there was an older caretaker guy on the ranch who Neil wrote this song about. One reason why I rate this song so high is that this was Neil in his young prime looking forward and now today many aspiring artists look to Neil just as Neil looked to his caretaker, they can see something there that they can relate and aspire to reach. The song was one of his most played on the radio and a rare top 10 hit. I have always loved how Neil begins the song on his acoustic and once you hear that intro riff a million memories instantly flash back. The song is very popular amongst younger generations featuring in movies, covered by a lot of younger artists who keep its flame burning bright. Today on the radio it still sounds as good as it did back in 1972.

Harvest version

Neil in his absolute prime

Later performance featuring the story of how the song came about

Finally Neil joins Jimmy Fallon

 

[Zuma]

1- Ambulance Blues - On The Beach - 1974

Bet that most of you were just pissing in the wind wondering which song would earn my #1 spot. You didn't know it but you were. Now I that friend who told you that you were just pissing in the wind Seriously what a song Neil wrote here back in the old folky days. It is Dylanesque in it's many verses and Neil's slow but sure acoustic guitar styling was influenced by an older Burt Jansch song "Needle of Death". Neil's harmonica playing is superb here and adds a lot to the story. It is always a special occasion when Neil performs this song on solo acoustic tours and recently there were a few masterful performances that sound exactly like the record all these years later.

Since its hard to say the meaning of this song I will post its lyrics below:

Back in the old folky days
The air was magic when we played.
The riverboat was rockin'
in the rain
Midnight was the time
for the raid.

Oh, Isabela, proud Isabela,
They tore you down and
plowed you under.
You're only real
with your make-up on
How could I see you
and stay too long?

All along the Navajo Trail,
Burn-outs stub their toes
on garbage pails.
Waitresses are cryin'
in the rain
Will their boyfriends
pass this way again?

Oh, Mother Goose,
she's on the skids
Shoe ain't happy,
neither are the kids.
She needs someone
that she can scream at
And I'm such a heel
for makin' her feel so bad.

I guess I'll call it
sickness gone
It's hard to say
the meaning of this song.
An ambulance can only
go so fast
It's easy to get buried
in the past
When you try to make
a good thing last.

I saw today
in the entertainment section
There's room at the top
for private detection.
To Mom and Dad
this just doesn't matter,
But it's either that
or pay off the kidnapper.

So all you critics sit alone
You're no better than me
for what you've shown.
With your stomach pump and
your hook and ladder dreams
We could get together
for some scenes.

I never knew a man
could tell so many lies
He had a different story
for every set of eyes.
How can he remember
who he's talkin' to?
'Cause I know it ain't me,
and I hope it isn't you.

Well, I'm up in T.O.
keepin' jive alive,
And out on the corner
it's half past five.
But the subways are empty
And so are the cafes.

Except for the Farmer's Market
And I still can hear him say:
You're all just pissin'
in the wind
You don't know it but you are.

And there ain't nothin'
like a friend
Who can tell you
you're just pissin'
in the wind.

I never knew a man
could tell so many lies
He had a different story
for every set of eyes
How can he remember
who he's talking to?
Cause I know it ain't me,
and hope it isn't you.

Album Version


Live Version - I think Neil tops the studio version here some 34 years later

 

[mellowyellow]

well that was surprising to say the least and the omission of man needs a maid in your top 50 is also perplexing

 

[Zuma]

Here's a recap of my 50-1. Feel free to post videos and comments on what you think were other noteworthy songs and continue the discussion on this great mans enduring career


50 Sample and Hold
49 Prisoners of Rock n Roll
48 Shock and Awe
47 Don't Cry
46 Razor Love
45 She's Always Dancing
44 Lotta Love
43 No Wonder
42 Shots
41 I Am A Child
40 Bandit
39 Words
38 Birds
37 Mr Soul
36 *in Up
35 Four Strong Winds
34 Walk Like A Giant
33 War Of Man
32 Change Your Mind
31 Looking For A Love
30 Expecting To Fly
29 Will To Love
28 Hitchicker
27 Ramada Inn
26 Revolution Blues
25 Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
24 Tonights The Night
23 Roll Another Number (For the Road)
22 Crime In The City (Weld Live Version)
21 On The Beach
20 Heart of Gold
19 Rockin In The Free World
18 After the Goldrush
17 Southern Man
16 Winterlong
15 Cowgirl In The Sand
14 Don't Let It Bring You Down
13 Cinnamon Girl
12 Don't Be Denied
11 Phildelphia
10 Danger Bird
9 Pocahontas
8 Powderfinger
7 Ohio
6 Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)
5 Like A Hurricane
4 Needle and The Damage Done
3 Cortez The Killer
2 Old Man
1 Ambulance Blues

 

[Zuma]

well that was surprising to say the least and the omission of man needs a maid in your top 50 is also perplexing

It's hard to make that change It is an incredible song that's for sure. It actually brings goosebumps and tears to this listener on occasion. Thanks Mellowyellow. Like Neil I will perplex and frustrate a few people along the way, my response to that "eat a peach"

 

[Plugger35]

Good effort Zuma but Cowgirl in the Sand should have been higher, I'd have that in my top 3 along with Cortez the Killer and Old Man.



Listening to Cowgirl in the Sand wasted is a trip man.

 

[Plugger35]

No Alabama either?



Just as influential and catchy as Southern Man if not more.

 

[Righteo]

Ordinary People pretty stiff but great to see CTK snare a podium finish.

 

[JP Sauce]

Great work Zuma, appreciate the effort that went into this.

With such a vast and amazing back catalogue a Neil top 50 was always going to be tough. Should've done a top 100!

Now do Dylan.

 

[Zuma]

Good effort Zuma but Cowgirl in the Sand should have been higher, I'd have that in my top 3 along with Cortez the Killer and Old Man.



Listening to Cowgirl in the Sand wasted is a trip man.

I reckon billy talbot was too going by that bass

 

[Zuma]

Great work Zuma, appreciate the effort that went into this.

With such a vast and amazing back catalogue a Neil top 50 was always going to be tough. Should've done a top 100!

Now do Dylan.

Thanks mate though i could have put more effort into my comments at times. I have plans for a dylan and a mccartney 50-1

 

[Zuma]

Lynard Skynard dislikes this.

I had southern man and words thought it would be too many similar sounding songs then again neil once said that its all one song they all sound the same

 

[Plugger35]

Hey Hey My My what about this song?