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Harvest Moon

By: Neil Young
Label: Warner
Released: 02 Nov 1992
RRP: £9.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

An aural treat - By: Edward Hough, 01 Dec 2006
This is an excellent CD, & you don't have to be a 'Neil Young Fan' (whatever that means!) to enjoy it. The opener, Unknown Legend, is an excellent introduction to the laid back quality of the album, which continues without a real duff track right the way to the end. Even Natural Beauty, clocking in at an impressive 10+ minutes, holds my attention right until it merges into the rainforest noises at the very end. Songs like One of These Days & Such a Woman are almost ethereal, they somehow sound timeless, hints of a Nashville sound coming & going here & there. If you have been put off Neil Young by impressions of an angry guitar weilding man playing long guitar solos, well, rest assured, THAT Neil Young does not make an appearance here.

I don't find myself thinking about the original Harvest album when I listen to this- I think this stands on its own as a great CD. Sure, there are echoes of the original, but owning the Harvest album is not a per-requesite to enjoying this. James Taylor & Linda Rondstadt supply some backing vox, along with longtime collaborator Nicolette Larson.

I am also very impressed by the photos in the CD booklet of the moon. They are an excellent added bonus to this album.
Slow and easy - By: D. J. H. Thorn, 22 Aug 2006
Neil Young's unpredictability involves being fierce or bizarre one moment & mellow the next. 'Harvest Moon' is largely the latter, loping & lilting its way through love & nostalgia through alll but three of the songs featured here. Its strongest feature is the ambience, unusual for a 1990s recording. The lingering echo of voice & guitar on 'Unknown Legend' sets up a warm resonance that prevails on this mostly folk & country-oriented album. For the most part, though, the content doesn't reallly hit home. 'War of Man' & the last two tracks, which feature more serious issues lack bite. 'Natural Beauty' is a ten minute song that never reallly takes off.

The title track & 'You & Me' work well, while 'Old King', though not to everyone's taste, stands out for being chirpier. 'Harvest Moon', then, has a pleasing feel for the most part but is a little short on substance.
Neil Young's 27th solo album... - By: Docendo Discimus, 01 Jul 2005
...reaches back trying to regain the sound of his 4th.
Released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Young's most popular album, "Harvest", "Harvest Moon" is not a sequel per se, but it has the same feel, & some of the musicians are even the same as in 1972.

Far from Young's recordings with Crazy Horse, "Harvest Moon" is a low-key set of mainly acoustic folk-rock & country-rock songs, most of them drum-less. It is not brimming with pop hooks, but that's has never been Neil Young's thing anyway, & there are plenty of lovely, melodic tunes to be found. The laid-back acoustic shuffle "From Hank To Hendrix" is one. James Taylor & Linda Ronstadt provides vocal harmonies on another, "One Of These Days", & the beautiful title track is the highlight of the album, terrific arrangement & a lovely melody, one of Young's best ever.
"Old King" is a charming banjo-driven country song, one of the few up-tempo ones on this album, a tribute to a deceased dog. And "Dreaming Man" is an underrated gem in Young's lenghty catalogue, a gorgeous melody build around Young's acoustic guitar riff.

"Harvest Moon" is a Neil Young record, which means it is something of acquired taste. Young's high, reedy vocals are every bit as unusual as Bob Dylan's nasal croak...but if this is your thing, that is, if you have good taste, go get it. Fans of Neil Percival Young will definitely want this charming record in their collection.

Mellow gold - By: , 06 Jun 2005
Years ago I would never have imagined myself owning a Neil Young album. Now, "Harvest Moon" is one of four (and counting). I didn't have much time for mellow music in my younger days. Now I am always on the look out for a bit of "mellow gold" that I can play once the babies have gone to bed.

I got in to this album after hearing the title track covered by jazz artist Cassandra Wilson. She manages the impossible: to improve on a perfect original. The song evokes a reflective, moonlit stillness that is very relaxing & that sets the tone for most of the album. Great for unwinding.

If I could be bothered to work out how to program my CD player I would edit out 3 tracks that spoil the overalll vibe. The first is "Unknown Legend" with its cringeworthy lyrical evocation of a diner waitress finding freedom "..on a desert highway..ridin' on a Harley Davidson...". Next offender is "War of Man", again largely for the lyrics. Neil sets the scene in this one with the following couplet: "The little creatures run in from the cold / Back to the nest just like the days of old". The little creatures?!! The days of old?!! Later there is a referece to riding a steed. That says it alll as far as I am concerned. By the way the overalll message of this song is that war is bad news. Actuallly I suppose this is a valuable insight. Last track to miss is "Old King" which is a banjo-led "rocky" number celebrating the life of Neil's dead dog, who he apparently used to tell everything to. If King had still been alive perhaps he might have vetoed some of Neil's lyrical misdemeanours. "King, whaddaya think of my rhymes on "War of Man"? One woof for okay, two woofs & it's back to the drawing board".

But seriously now folks, 4 stars for a very enjoyable mellow album.

A rediscovered gem - By: Anthony Peckham, 30 Jul 2004
Being a huge NY fan, I've had this album tucked away in my collection for a while. There are probably albums that I would reach for before this one, however, one dark night I decided to give it a spin.

This album has definately matured, & maybe in my haste before, I missed the absolute acoustic gem 'You & me'. The lyrics are emotional, the guitar playing that of an acoustic genius. If you're an folky NY fan, this album is worth this track alone. 'Such a woman' & the live track 'Natural Beauty' are also crackers. In my eyes, Neil Young is king, & this album sets him on the way to his corination.