L.A. (Neil Young song)

"L.A." is a song written and performed by Neil Young from the 1973 album Time Fades Away, a live album noted for its abrasive experimentation and its "wild, agonized, deliberately jarring" [1] vocals.

"L.A."
Song by Neil Young
from the album Time Fades Away
ReleasedAugust, 1973
Recorded1973
GenreRock
Length3:11
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Neil Young
Producer(s)Neil Young
Elliot Mazer

Johnny Rogan in his Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young[2] tells us that "L.A." was "Young's fantasy vision of the destruction of Los Angeles. There is an underlying glee in his apocalyptic vision that is both intriguing and disconcerting." Rogan also suggests that the song may have been written by Young a full five years before it was debuted during his 1973 Time Fades Away tour. Rogan talks about the song at greater length in the book Neil Young: Zero To Sixty.

The Black Crowes performed the song on some legs of their 2005-2006 reunion tour, with lead guitarist Marc Ford handling vocal duties. Several of these performances saw official release via the band's deal with Instant Live. Although the Instant Live versions are now out of print, several shows have been made available via the band's official live download site, liveblackcrowes.com .

Jubilee recorded "L.A." (released in January 2008) as a B-Side on their single "Rebel Hiss" with the participation of guest drummer Troy Petrey.[3]

Lukas Nelson, son of Willie Nelson, released a version of "L.A." on his CD, Promise Of The Real.

Notes
  1. New York Times critic Janet Maslin cited at http://www.thrasherswheat.org/tnfy/timefadesaway_album.htm
  2. Rogan, Johnny (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young. ISBN 978-0-7119-5399-4.
  3. Jubilee discography at Isolate by the hour: http://www.isolatebythehour.com/08discography/discography.htm#rhcd
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