Neil Young (album)

Neil Young is the self-titled debut studio album by Canadian / American musician musician Neil Young following his departure from Buffalo Springfield in 1968, issued on Reprise Records, catalogue number RS 6317. The album was first released on Young's 23rd birthday, November 12, 1968,[1] the so-called 'CSG mix', but was rapidly superceded by a non-CSG version on January 22, 1969.[2] Both albums simply featured a painting of Neil Young on the cover. It was then partially remixed and re-released again in November 1969, but at no time has the album ever charted on the Billboard 200.

Neil Young
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 12, 1968 (CSG mix)
January 22, 1969 (non-CSG mix)
RecordedAugust–October 1968
Studio
GenreFolk rock
Length35:32
LabelReprise
Producer
Neil Young chronology
Neil Young
(1968)
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
(1969)
Singles from Neil Young
  1. "The Loner"
    Released: February 21, 1969

Release history

The first release of the album used the Haeco-CSG encoding system. This technology was intended to make stereo records compatible with mono record players, but had the unfortunate side effect of degrading the sound. Young was unhappy with the first release. "The first mix was awful", he was reported as saying in Cash Box of September 6, 1969. "I was trying to bury my voice, because I didn't like the way it sounded".[3]

The album was therefore partially remixed (as announced in Rolling Stone issue 47, from December 13), and re-released without Haeco-CSG processing. Most of the songs from the original album were re-released with only the Haeco-CSG processing removed. Only a few songs on the reissue were remixed in full: "Here We Are In The Years", "What Did You Do To My Life?", and "If I Could Have Her Tonight". The words "Neil Young" were added to the top of the album cover after what was left of the original stock had been used up, so copies of both mixes exist in the original sleeve. Copies of the original mix on vinyl are now rare and much sought-after by Neil Young fans who believe that the remix diminished the songs, especially "Here We Are in the Years".

Neil Young was remastered and released on HDCD-encoded compact discs and digital download on July 14, 2009 as part of the Neil Young Archives Original Release Series. It was released on audiophile vinyl in December 2009, both individually and as part of a box-set of Neil's first four LPs available via his official website. This box set was limited to 1000 copies. The remaster was also released on CD, individually and as Disc 1 of a 4-CD box set Official Release Series Discs 1-4, released in the US in 2009 and Europe in 2012.[4] High resolution digital files of both the CSG and non-CSG albums are available to subscribers on the Neil Young Archives website.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Pitchfork7.8/10[6]
Rolling Stonefavorable[7]

Rolling Stone wrote "in many ways, a delightful reprise of that Springfield sound done a new way".[7] In its retrospective review, AllMusic described it as "an uneven, low-key introduction to Young's solo career".[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Neil Young, except where noted. Arrangements on "The Old Laughing Lady", "String Quartet from Whiskey Boot Hill" and "I've Loved Her So Long" by Young, Nitzsche and Ry Cooder. Track timings are from the original 1968 vinyl release, catalogue number RS 6317.[8]

Side one
  1. "The Emperor of Wyoming" – 2:14
  2. "The Loner" – 3:55
  3. "If I Could Have Her Tonight" – 2:15
  4. "I've Been Waiting for You" – 2:30
  5. "The Old Laughing Lady" – 5:05
Side two
  1. "String Quartet from Whiskey Boot Hill" (Jack Nitzsche) – 1:04
  2. "Here We Are in the Years" – 3:27
  3. "What Did You Do to My Life?" – 2:00
  4. "I've Loved Her So Long" – 2:40
  5. "The Last Trip to Tulsa" – 9:25

Personnel

Production

  • David Briggs – production
  • Dale Batchelor, Donn Landee, Mark Richardson, Henry Saskowski – engineering
  • Rik Pekkonen – arrangements, engineering
  • Danny Kelly – photography
  • Ed Thrasher – album art direction
  • Roland Diehl – cover painting

References

  1. Neil Young Archives website; https://neilyoungarchives.com
  2. Neil Young Archives website; https://neilyoungarchives.com
  3. Cash Box Archives online, https://archive.org/details/cashbox31unse_4/page/n11/mode/1up
  4. Official Release Series Discs 1-4 CD box set, https://www.discogs.com/Neil-Young-Official-Release-Series-Discs-1-4/master/421064
  5. William Ruhlmann (November 12, 1968). "Neil Young – Neil Young | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. "Neil Young: Neil Young / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / After the Gold Rush / Harvest | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. December 11, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. Von, Gary (April 5, 1969). "Neil Young Neil Young Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. Neil Young rear cover; http://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/rs6317
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