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Album Club (April 1, 2007 - March 1, 2009); Like a book club, but with albums!
Topic Started: Apr 1 2007, 05:36 PM (18,224 Views)
PsychicEqualizer
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My Sweet Lord
This Guy wants in.

MSN: newrockoldrockdude26@hotmail.com
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Carpenter
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Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young is one of those guys who is most famous for being a singer-songwriter, with emphasis placed on the songwriting. He isn't a pop star who can survive based on his voice or good looks, and he can't necessarily make a lacking song great using only his axe (*cough* Hendrix *cough*). His forte is songwriting: matching brilliant chord progressions or riffs with beautiful, affecting melodies and a nice set of lyrics. And boy, could he write songs. A lot of people have said that his lyrics, especially around this time, were 'incomplete', but I prefer the term 'suggestive' (not in the explicit way). He tells you only what you need to know to get what he's trying to express, to feel the right vibe, so to speak (think Hemingway as opposed to Fitzgerald). He triumphs with every single song in its written form, but his greatest victory is the spot-on execution of every note, every beat. And he isn't alone in the spotlight: credit must also be given to Crazy Horse (Danny Whitten on guitar, Ralph Molina on drums, and Billy Talbot on bass) who play their asses off on it and to Robin Laine, who accompanies him beautifully on "Round & Round".

I'm not going to give each song individual scores as they're all masterpieces. This is not a sum-of-its-parts album: play any song off this album to any rock n roll fan and they will understand. They'll get your ranting and raving once they hear the "Cinnamon Girl" riff, the harmonies on "Round and Round", or the emotion in the words of songs like "The Losing End" and "Down By The River". The mood "Running Dry" sets is simply haunting, no matter who you are. And speaking of the 'no matter who you are-ness' of this album, it's interesting to note how easy it is to 'relate' to the emotions Neil is trying to convey. Some situations he sings about will be almost impossible not to relate with for most people of age ("Losing End"), but some of the more unlikely events he sings about also manage to strike an emotional chord within the listener. Even if you've never shot your lover down by the river, you'll feel it. And that's what music is all about: feeling it. If you don't believe me, just listen to "Cowgirl In The Sand". If it doesn't do something to you, there's something wrong. Everything about that song is spot on: from the instrumentation (don't you feel your face melting?), to the melody, the words attached to it, and the way they're sung. Just like the rest of the album, it's absolutely mindblowing.

I'm glad this is the one Zach decided to kick the Album Club off with as it has set a precedent for this club to feature some great albums in the future. Whoever is next on the list, you've got your work cut out for you! I give Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Posted Image.
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LedZeppelin222
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I'm the taxmaaaaaan
ya this has become like my new current favorite album
anyone for tennis?
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Thaddeus
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Kiss me like a beesting
I still can't get it.

Somebody upload it in a .zip or something.
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TheSmashedGuitar
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Love Will Tear Us Apart, Again
Haha can anyone help BB? :cigar:

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Kira
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Hate me, do it and do it again.
TheSmashedGuitar
Apr 3 2007, 06:11 PM
Haha can anyone help BB? :cigar:

I can, I'll get on it soon time.
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Kira
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Hate me, do it and do it again.
Neil Young has always been an interesting artist for me. He can have the most rocking guitar tunes on the radio, or the sweetest and most gentle ballads of the folk music scene. Well, this album starts with the first kind, and one of his signature tunes – “Cinnamon Girl”. There’s guitars flying at you in every direction and it all fits and makes for a great tune, with some simple lyrics (something uncommon for Neil himself), but it’s a classic rock fist flyer. You have to love it.

The title track sounds very country-rock sounding, like a mix of the old CS&N gang with the track before this one, “Cinnamon Girl”. The backing vocals on the chorus are interesting and while they don’t sound like the best things I’ve heard, they’re laughable in a good way. Your very basic Neil Young and Crazy Horse tune, has a unique sort of dirty yet uplifting feel that they’re known for. Short, simple and sweet. The signature twang guitar on the fade-out adds a lot to the song for me.

Next we have a song that starts with a strange fuzzy sounding bass and guitar; this is a tune I’ve never heard before. Here are those strange backing vocals again, that somehow go perfect with the sound of the song. Very calming so far… the chord is very basic but effective; it gives the song a sort of mystical western feeling. There’s no random mood or style changes, so the song could be a little shorter in length, since it’s just a basic ballad. I’m really starting to like the backing vocals, though.

“Down by the River” – this is a fucking classic track. It has an almost funk sounding guitar, that isn’t too dramatic. The chorus is the whole highlight of this album. The harmonies between the guys in the group suits Neil’s unique vocals extremely well, with a country feel to them. The guitar solos keep it simple but show off some extreme talent with a simple bass line and some strange sounding strumming from the rhythm guitars. I like the guitar sound Neil’s produced through his career. It’s twangy and uses very little distortion, but has a really heavy sound. The lyrics are a brilliant showing of Neil’s capabilities, a far cry from “Cinnamon Girl”. I like how this song is sort of mirrored in itself, doing the same thing twice. It’s set up almost like a jazz song where they play the head, solo, rinse and repeat. This song is a brilliant showing of Crazy Horse’s talent, and the highlight of the album.

The next tune takes it back to folk sounding Neil. Very basic sounding Neil tune, featuring those lovely backing vocals and a great set of lyrics. The beats and rhythm throughout this whole album keeps it very simple and sounds rather raw, and this song reminds me a lot of a song by The Beatles in their early years. Has a very identifiable early ‘60s vibe to it, even being made at the end of the decade. Not a huge standout after “Down by the River” but a great song.

Country blues! That’s what the beginning of this song reeks of. It has a very apocalyptic feel for an old record, very sad and beautiful. The violin has a very interesting sound on here that blends perfectly with the wave of the guitar and the dreary vocals. It reminds me of Bob Dylan’s harmonica solos, hitting high notes that seem annoying but at the same time match the music perfectly. I really like the feel of this song, even for being a drearier track compared to the country and rock feel of the rest of the album.

The other epic song of the album and another one of Neil’s signature tracks. It fits really well at the beginning with the sad intro right after “Running Dry”, and then breaks right into a solo that reminisces from “River”. Again, a simple bass line and strange rhythm sound that just fits perfectly with the album. It’s a perfect jam to end the album, which I easily give 5/5. Since there are such few songs and even the short ones are some of the best on the album, it’s nearly note-for-note perfection. A perfect glimpse into Neil’s vast career, and a great way to start the “Album Club”.
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St. Thomas
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i love katie
this makes a lovely companion piece to the album:

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for what it's worth, everybody knows this is nowhere is the neil young record i play the most.
-thomas

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PinkerThanFloyd
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hey
Bungalow Bill
Apr 3 2007, 11:42 AM
I still can't get it.

Somebody upload it in a .zip or something.

I can't get it either. Would anyone mind sending it to me on AIM?
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Carpenter
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This is how people steal albums:

1. Download a program to download torrents (I recommend BitComet)
2. Go to a torrent search engine (Torrentz.com) and search 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' or 'Neil Young' or whatever your heart desires
3. Choose a torrent with the best 'health' (you won't have to look far)and in a format that your computer can play
4. Download it to your desktop
5. Double-click it, and it will open in BitComet
6. Begin downloading the albums

I know, it's a wretched thing.
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PinkerThanFloyd
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hey
I would, but I can't download anything on this computer, it just won't work. And if I download songs or anything, it comes up in Microsfot Excel for some reason.
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Carpenter
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Well I don't have it on this computer so I can't help you right now. Maybe someone else will be kind enough.
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Kira
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Hate me, do it and do it again.
It's uploading.
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PinkerThanFloyd
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hey
Alright, Dean gave it to me, so I'm listening now.
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Thaddeus
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Kiss me like a beesting
I liked it. There were strong guitars and great melodies.
Posted Image Go get him, Daffy!
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