Neil Young – Harvest

One of his very best and a shoe-in for classic status, Young detoured briefly to the Nashville mainstream. On this number one 1972 album, even the singer’s acquired-taste voice comes across smooth and beautiful – the smash “Heart of Gold”, with steel guitars and Linda Ronstadt’s backup vocals, is by far Young’s most commercial-sounding song.

His usual dissonant touches, like the otherworldly guitar in “Out On The Weekend”, are less spooky in this new context. The last two tracks, the deceptively gentle “The Needle and the Damage Done” and the hypnotic rocker “Words (Between The Lines Of Age)”, predict Tonight’s The Night, Young’s haunted 1975 classic.

Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 180 Gram, Gatefold