On The Beach
by Neil Young

In my top four Neil Young albums and love that sleeve design. An album of two halves, both excellent for different reasons.

This one is hard.. but.. my Neil Young's favorite Album

When Neil Young was in that melancholic stage of his career we really got some of his best work ever record as evidenced by this project and Tonight's The Night. I do prefer Tonight's The Night but there is so much musical quality to get stuck into on here that it doesn't fall far behind. We get an exceptional slower side for side 2 which works so well with Young's vocal accompanied by some emotional guitar strumming and some brilliant harmonica work as well. The record truly peaks with the two longer songs of On The Beach and Ambulance Blues which captivate the style and feel of this album perfectly. Young also writes some fantastic lyrics on here full of personal troubles and despairs and he makes his words so easy to relate to. Overall, a darker and more troubled record from Young that demonstrates both his writing and musical talents very well making it one of his strongest releases.

Great record

Neil Young's best record in my opinion. Part of his acclaimed, informally-coined 'Ditch Trilogy' (along with 1973's live album 'Time Fades Away' and 1975's 'Tonight's the Night'), this album finds Neil Young colored by pessimism and melancholy, which, as often does in art, makes for more compelling songwriting. Ranging from ambivalent ('Walk On', 'On The Beach', 'Ambulance Blues') to defiant ('Vampire Blues', Revolution Blues'), Young sings and strums his way through what's essentially a stoned blues rock album (with folky overtones here and there for good measure).

In my opinion, one of the greatest albums of all time. This record has gone from being an overlooked gem from its release to now being held in high esteem as one of his (if not the) best.

Essential picks: On The Beach, Ambulance Blues, Walk On, Revolution Blues

From AAL2014 07/06/2022 19:27 | #287149

One of Neil Young’s most Neil Young albums. And that’s not to say it’s predictable or reliant on isms of the artist. Only in ways so pure and natural is this record so Neil Young-like.

From the opening song and it’s for lack of better terms “fuck it” attitude, to Vampire Blues where we get one of his most properly detached vocal performances, to the phenomenal lyrical moments all over the record, I feel this as good of a representation of the man as anything from his work, and just as enjoyable.

Oh yeah, an AMAZING album cover too.

From pedro1976 05/02/2022 05:57 | #284856

Album of the year.1974.

Good album, but not the greatest Neil Young, probably the most I like Revolution Blues and Ambulance Blues and titoe track is pretty impressive, but songs like For The Turnstiles and Vampire Blues are really overwhelming for me.

From Jboy56 12/12/2021 14:00 | #277417

Neil Young is a solid songwriter, this is a great early album. It is very similar in tones to his earlier, rather dark in chord and key choices.
Picks: On The Beach, Walk on, See the sky, all the blueses
So not a bad track here

musing autobiographical clear concise statements typical Neil Young strum vocal lyrics harmonica quite good