Recorded during his "dark" period, following the tumultuous "Time Fades Away" release, Neil Young comes up with a studio album that maintains a consistency and he calls upon many friends from this time period, to help him out with the music. Longtime collaborators' like steel/dobro guitarist Ben Keith, bassist Tim Drummond and Crazy Horse drummer, Ralph Molina are the core musicians featured within this 8 song selection and a majority of the tracks were cut at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, CA. The general feel of the music contained is very mellow, for the most part, with a few "upbeat" numbers such as the opening cut, "Walk On", which features a boogie-groove shuffle with some excellent slide guitar from Ben Keith and ragged harmony vocals, and "Revolution Blues", a paranoid, edgy number that includes "Band" members Levon Helm and Rick Danko as well as David Crosby on rhythm guitar. "See the Sky About to Rain" is a beautifully sparse, but rich song rendered nicely by Neil on Wurlitzer piano with again, Levon Helm on drums. "For the Turnstiles" is an acoustic number with Neil on the banjo and Ben Keith on dobro, displaying a track that is quietly brooding and moody with Neil's cracked tenor and Keith's ragged harmony vocals adding to the feel of this curiously dark and penetrating cut. "Vampire Blues" is a lazy, late night blues track sung by Neil in his standard nasal-whine vocal register with second guitar by then Crazy Horse guitarist, George Whitsell and again, Ben Keith on organ, respectively.

​

Musician, Rusty Kershaw was befriended by Neil during these recording sessions and his presence is made known on the record's closing songs, "Motion Pictures(For Carrie)" and "Ambulance Blues" wherein he contributes slide guitar and fiddle, respectively. A mercurial character, Kershaw's presence actually influenced the sessions for this record indirectly as Neil was going through some rough patches during this time period in losing some close friends due to the excesses of the rock and roll lifestyle as well as a rocky marriage to his then wife, actress Carrie Snodgress. The second half of the album is very somber, leading off with the title cut that features Graham Nash on the Wurlitzer, Neil on guitar and the rhythm section of bassist Tim Drummond and Ralph Molina on drums; this track moves along at a "slow-motion" pace coupled with Young's fainted tenor. "Motion Pictures" is even more sparse and slower, featuring Kershaw on an interesting inclusion of slide guitar, accompanying Neil with what is a simple, but beautiful acoustic number. "Ambulance Blues" is the final and longest cut of the record, clocking in at almost 9 minutes with Neil on acoustic guitar and harmonica and Rusty on fiddle, this song is sort of an epic; lyrically, reflecting on Young's early years within the music business and towards the end, peripherally condemning the industry with jibes and pokes at music critics. It seems that after Harvest, which was his most commercially successful record up to that point, Neil began making music that hit from a more personal perspective, shunning pressure from the industry and lifestyle that so many of his contemporaries fell foul of and in the process, his strength and longevity as a solo artist grew from stem to stern, with often prolifically rich and powerful results. This record took a few listens to really make an impact and by the time it grew on me, I've found it to be one of my most favorite albums' of his vast and varied discography.

​

Rating Grade- A