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Harvest Moon

 
Album Review: Harvest Moon

  • Artist: Neil Young
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: October 27, 1992
  • Total Time: 51:39
  • Type: Live, Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

The year of the 20th anniversary of the release of his most popular album, Harvest, Neil Young released a new album that harked back to that recording, employing many of the same musicians, again dubbed the Stray Gators, as well as arranger Jack Nitzsche and background singers Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. He also used a similar folk-country acoustic style and sang songs that often had a personal, confessional tone. But the similarities were more of form than of content because, while Harvest was the statement of a confused, if earnest, 26 year old, Harvest Moon embodied the ruminations of a somewhat regretful 46 year old. Indeed, the greatest comparison to be made between the two records was that Young tried to use the passage of time as a confirmation of continuity. In the first several songs, he seemed to be trying to reconcile with his wife and revive their love, though he was uncertain that was possible. In "One of These Days," he regretted the loss of friendships over the years. "War of Man" and the long and ponderous "Natural Beauty" concerned environmental preservation, and even the rollicking banjo tune "Old King" was a lament for the death of a faithful dog. "I never tried to burn any bridges," sang an artist whose contradictory instincts to move on and to return found him, by the time of his 27th solo album, trying to get back to the feel of his fourth. If the attempt was not completely successful, nevertheless it was well and honestly made, and Young wasn't alone in his desire. As Hollywood has long since learned, sequels have a built-in audience, and Harvest Moon became Young's best-selling album in 13 years. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Unknown Legend (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (4:32)
From Hank to Hendrix (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (5:12)
You and Me (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (3:45)
Harvest Moon (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (5:03)
War of Man (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (5:41)
One of These Days (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (4:55)
Such a Woman (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (4:36)
Old King (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (2:57)
Dreamin' Man (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (4:36)
Natural Beauty (Lyrics) Neil Young Neil Young (10:22)

Credits

Nicolette Larson (Vocals), Ben Keith (Vocals), Tom Allen (Assistant Engineer), Tim Mulligan (Digital Editing), Spooner Oldham (?), Larry Cragg (Vocals), James Taylor (Vocals), John Nowland (Engineer), Maria Newman (?), Astrid Young (Vocals), Joel Bernstein (Photography), David Stenske (?), Matt Funes (?), Jack Nitzsche (Arranger), Ben Keith (Producer), Neil Young (Mixing), Tim Drummond (?), Joel Bernstein (Art Direction), Gregg Gottlieb (?), Bette Byers (?), John Nowland (Mixing), Haim Shtrum (?), Tim Mulligan (Mastering), Rick Gerding (?), Neil Young (Producer), Rob Lorentz (Violin), David Shamban (?), Tim Mulligan (Engineer), Rebecca Holland (Paintings), Cindy McGurty (?), Rob Lorentz (?), Larry Cragg (Photography), Linda Ronstadt (Vocals), Janet Levinson (Design), Harris Goldman (?), Tim Mulligan (Mixing), Israel Baker (?), Berj Garabedian (?), Kenneth A. Buttrey (?), Janet Levinson (Art Direction), Joel Bernstein (Production Assistant), Adriana Zoppo (?), Larry Corbett (?), Maria Newman (Concert Master), John Hausman (Assistant Engineer), Suzie Katayama (Conductor)
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Wikipedia: Harvest Moon (album)
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Harvest Moon
Studio album by Neil Young
Released October 27, 1992
Recorded September 1991 - February 1992 at Redwood Digital, Woodside (except "Such A Woman": Portland Auditorium, OR; Strings recorded at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA)
Genre Rock, country rock
Length 51:00
Label Reprise
Producer Neil Young, Ben Keith
Professional reviews
Neil Young chronology
Ragged Glory
(1990)
Harvest Moon
(1992)
Sleeps with Angels
(1994)

Harvest Moon is a studio album by Neil Young, released in 1992. Due to the abundance of musicians appearing on it who also appeared on his 1972 album Harvest, Harvest Moon is considered a pseudo-sequel to that album.[citation needed]

Recovering from tinnitus that had come about after the recording of 1990's Ragged Glory and its subsequent tour (which produced 1991's Weld and Arc), Young was determined to return to the studio. Returning to Nashville and joining up with compatriots like Ben Keith, Young put down the electric guitar, returning to the acoustic guitar, piano and banjo that had dominated albums such as Harvest, Comes a Time and Old Ways.

Among the track highlights are the title track, featuring the percussive sweeping of a broom, a song for which Young made a rare music video. An ode to his dog, Elvis, on "Old King" found Young plucking a banjo, while he loved, found and lost throughout songs such as "From Hank to Hendrix" and "Such a Woman".

The album earned the 1994 Juno Award for album of the year. The 2009 release Dreamin' Man is a live album of the subsequent 1992 tour and contains live renditions of all Harvest Moon tracks in a different order.

Contents

Track listing

All tracks written by Neil Young.

  1. "Unknown Legend" – 4:32
  2. "From Hank to Hendrix" – 5:12
  3. "You and Me" – 3:45
  4. "Harvest Moon" – 5:03
  5. "War of Man" – 5:41
  6. "One of These Days" – 4:55
  7. "Such a Woman" – 4:36
  8. "Old King" – 2:57
  9. "Dreamin' Man" – 4:36
  10. "Natural Beauty" (recorded live, 1992) – 10:22

Personnel

The Stray Gators

Additional personnel

  • Linda Ronstadt – vocals on 1 2 3 4 5
  • James Taylor – vocals on 2 4 5
  • Nicolette Larson – vocals on 3 4 7 8 9 10
  • Astrid Young – vocals on 4 7 9
  • Larry Cragg – vocals on 4
  • Strings on track 7 (arranged by Jack Nitzsche):
    • Maria Newman
    • Robin Lorenz
    • Berg Garabedian
    • Betty Byers
    • Valerie Dimond
    • Carrie Prescott
    • David Stenke
    • Larry Corbett
    • Greg Gottlieb
    • Haim Sitrum
    • Cindy McGurty
    • Harris Goldman
    • Israel Baker
    • Rick Gerding
    • Matt Funes
    • Adriana Zoppo
    • Ericka Duke
    • David Shamban

Cover versions

  • Pearl Jam covered "Harvest Moon" frequently during their fall 2005 tour of Canada.

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1992 The Billboard 200 16

Single

Year Single Chart Position
1992 "War of Man" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 7
1993 "Unknown Legend" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 38
1993 "Harvest Moon" UK Singles Chart 36

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAAU.S. Gold January 15, 1993
RIAAU.S. Platinum February 3, 1993
RIAAU.S. 2.00x Multi-Platinum July 16, 1997

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Harvest Moon (album)" Read more

 

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