Albums by this artist

Live At Massey Hall (Recommended) (2007)

Prairie Wind / Devils and Dust (2005)

Are You Passionate? (2002)

Year Of The Horse (1997)

Broken Arrow (1996)

Sleeps With Angels (1994)

Ragged Glory (1990)

Zuma (Recommended) (1975)

On The Beach (Recommended) (1974)

Harvest Moon (2000)

Neil Young

Harvest Moon

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» BEN FRENCH | CO-DIRECTOR

Neil Young Harvest Moon Reprise, 2000 RiYL: Bruce Springsteen's

Neil Young's Harvest Moon is a gentle gem of an album, hiding in the fuzz of the songwriter's mostly rocking '90s work. Its serene glow calls to mind the dreamy acoustica found on the majority of his 70s albums. The album has inherited the immediate accisibilty of it's namesake, Harvest, but its surrealistic imagery, downhome lyrics and heavenly delivery make it more akin to 1977's Stars And Bars or 1978's Comes A Time.

One really can't help but be harmonically hypnotized by the subtle beauty of Harvest Moon. Between the starry-eyed sincerity of the title track and the rural tinge of "Old King" (dedicated to the singer's now-dead dog), Neil Young charms the listener. He pays to tribute to old friends, lovers, and legends, while the music's slide guitars and brush strokes lull the listener into a lovely sense of security.

In a small way, the album almost seems to be a gift to older fans, with its songs harking back to another era of his career. The images and sounds of Harvest are scattered all over Harvest Moon. On tunes such as the title track and "You And Me," Neil makes references to the same characters, the same long lost loves and old men, while he calls to mind familiar country hills and deserted highways.

But the album's sound has unique warmth to it, which seems to spring eternal from the singer's aging voice and the production's digital glow. Backing vocals -- delivered by the likes of Linda Rondstadt, James Taylor and Emmylou Harris -- underline the shimmering light of the singer's performances.

The "simple man" image of Harvest Moon may become a tad overplayed at times -- especially on songs like "Dreamin' Man" and "One Of These Days" -- but it never seems to become overbearing. Neil Young often misrepresents himself as a plain man, but this album proves his more simple approaches to songwriting can often yield his most perfectly enjoyable results.

BEN FRENCH | Ben founded NATN in the winter of 1998-1999 with fellow IU alums Troy Carpenter and Jonathan Cohen. During the day time, he's working for Nielsen Business Media, publisher of Billboard. Ben's favorite acts include Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Sonic Youth, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys.