A World of Constant Strangers: The Neil Young Results Thread

it's hard for me to start breaking down a song I've listened to ten million times line by line. The lyrics just float by, carried along by everything else.

my sense about most Young epics...? I'm surprised (in a good way) that you guys remember lines. All I can remember about "Cortez" is NY going cod reggae on DANCING UPON DA WATAH MAN

I take issue with the notion that "Powderfinger" is long, rambling, or wasted.

whoops! you were retreating while I was editing....no need to retreat! people's tastes in NY lyrics are very subjective; I mean, I have jr high school friends who love him as much as I do and we would all but come to blows over certain lines that allegedly "sucked"

I didn't vote for it, but I'm okay with it at #1--it's a great song, and an unpredictable #1 (within reason) is not a bad thing.

so what I'm taking away from this is that people prefer long, rambling, wasted Neil to all his other incarnations.

The rest of the top 5 maybe, but I don't think this is fair to "Powderfinger" at all.

xposts!

DANCING UPON DA WATAH MAN - what version is this from?

iirc, that faux-reggae bit is only on Live Rust (and in the film). I've never heard any other version of "Cortez" where that happens.

Powderfinger is perfect. His best lyrics, his best riff, his best solo, his best singing. His best song.

Not before or since have I heard epics as contained, purposeful of motion, bracing, and intelligent as "Powderfinger" and "Sedan Delivery." I can't think of anyone making music this loud, allusive, and elusive, not even from the punks.

iirc, that faux-reggae bit is only on Live Rust

yep

I've often heard Neil's epics be described as a slog. I disagree for the most part, except for when it comes to "Powderfinger". he single reason why I don't rate Rust as high as most people.

Really surprised at the no.1 - it doesn't stand out for me, and never even considered longlisting it. No idea the rest of you would.

Had Powderfinger at #5, but I could easily have had it at #1. My whole top 10 was pretty interchangable in my mind, honestly.

I first heard "Powderfinger" in the Cowboy Junkies' cover (which is pretty good), and was completely baffled by it. It's still mysterious to me -- the basic narrative tracks pretty clearly, but there's so much left out. It feels very detailed on the one hand but also enigmatic and allegorical.

holy shit @ powderfinger being #1, ya'll are cool ppl

The line goes on to mean something else, but "think of me as one you'd never figured" is pretty definitive as a career statement.

My top 10 (out of 30) all got 15 pts, but Powderfinger was #1.

"Powderfinger" wasn't high on my list (#39 out of 40), but as Horse epics go, I'll take it above "Hurricane" in a heartbeat.

And clemenza, brilliant job on the poll, especially with the photos.

find it kinda hilarious/appropriate that the number 2 song features some pretty glaring mistakes

xp

Really surprised at the no.1 - it doesn't stand out for me, and never even considered longlisting it. No idea the rest of you would.

Listen to it again!

Huge kudos and thanks clemenza. Lots of fun.

I've heard the song a million times, but "When the first shot hit the dock, I saw it comin'" still gets me every time.

Thanks clemenza. Loved the images too - will shamelessly rip off if I ever do another of these.

like of COURSE Neil's best song features dropped beats and flubbed bass notes

xp

I will xps

Many thanks to Clemenza and his brilliant images. There will always be a place for this poll in the Deep Forbidden Lake of my heart.

When the first shot hit the dock, I saw it comin'

hmm always heard this as DOG, not dock - which seems more tragic somehow

Also, I don't think I would consider "Powderfinger" one of NY's "epics" -- I mean, it's under 6 minutes and doesn't have a giant-ass solo section or anything. "Cortez" is in that epic style, as are the obvious "Cowgirl" and "DBTR" but I think of "Powderfinger" as a story song more than anything else.

Neither "Cortez" nor "Powderfinger" ever did much for me, didn't vote for either, but someone must like them and evidently Neil does since those are concert staples. OTOH am I the only vote for "You and Me"? (that was "our song" for, well, someone I really liked and me).

Thx for the great poll and great images Clemenza!

And yes, awesome job all around, Clemenza!

Exemplary roll-out, clemenza. Bar raised.

fabulous job!

Seriously, I didn't "get" "Powderfinger" for the LONGEST time, but it crept up on me over time and once it hit me, it revealed itself to be just the perfect song. It really is SO simple that it could sneak by if you let it.

xposts to Ismael

Powderfinger is 6 minutes that feel like 10. Great lyrics, but slog, slog, slog.

Powderfinger would have been a fantastic Skynyrd song.

That was the idea; supposedly Van Zant was up for recording it.

The line goes on to mean something else, but "think of me as one you'd never figured" is pretty definitive as a career statement.

That's why it's the epigraph to Shakey! :)

Clemenza, this entire thing, from your original post to the screencaps to the post-mortems which haven't even happened yet, has been welcoming, challenging, informative and fun. Not enough superlatives. Thanks.

Neil has routinely stretched that song over the 6 minute mark live - I totally consider it in the same class as Like a Hurricane, Down by the River, Cowgirl, Cortez, etc.

xp

Yeah, high fives Clemenza, great poll.

Thanks. I sat down this morning and checked point totals for 16 albums. These were the Top 10:

1. After the Gold Rush (1970) -- 11 songs/1,861 points
2. On the Beach (1974) -- 8/1,729
3. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969) -- 7/1,607
4. Rust Never Sleeps (1979) -- 9/1,598
5. Tonight's the Night (1975) -- 11/1,414
6. Harvest (1972) -- 9/1,390
7. Zuma (1975) -- 9/1,155
8. Time Fades Away (1973) -- 8/766
9. American Stars 'n Bars (1977) -- 7/699
10. Freedom (1989) -- 10/652

Really impressive: from Everybody through Zuma, the only song not get a vote was "There's a World."

ah, I'd often wondered about Skynyrd/"Powderfinger"......they might have been too funky to play it right, though!

I had 'Powderfinger' at #20 - as with cwkiii it was one that suddenly hit me as being great relatively recently, wouldn't ever have guessed it would be #1 but it's a fine choice.

The poll overall has been great, thanks so much clemenza.

Fun poll, not surprised by the winner, mine was unranked but powder finger is about everything good about neil in one song

I should get away from this chair for a bit...Feel free to start posting your own lists; here's mine. I'll post a summary of the Top 75 later on.

1. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” – 25
2. “Cinnamon Girl” – 23
3. “Cowgirl in the Sand” – 21
4. “Ambulance Blues” – 20
5. “Country Girl” – 20
6. “Tell Me Why” – 20
7. “Cortez the Killer” – 17
8. “Sugar Mountain” – 15
9. “Till the Morning Comes” – 15
10. “Ocean Girl” – 15
11. “Barstool Blues” – 12
12. “After the Gold Rush” – 9
13. “Bad Fog of Loneliness” – 9
14. “Cripple Creek Fairy” – 9
15. “Journey Through the Past” – 9
16. “Helpless” – 8
17. “Roll Another Number” – 7
18. “Love in Mind” – 6
19. “Over and Over” – 6
20. “The Emperor of Wyoming” – 6
21. “Albuquerque” – 6
22. “Ohio” – 6
23. “Tired Eyes” – 6
24. “Scenery” – 5
25. “A Man Needs a Maid” – 5
26. “Sea of Madness” – 5
27. “Are You Ready for Country” – 5
28. “The Loner” – 5
29. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” (Saint Etienne) – 5
30. “Wonderin’” – 5
31. “Comes a Time” – 5
32. “Down by the River” – 5
33. “Soldier” – 5
34. “Prisoners of Rock ‘N’ Roll” – 5
35. “Slowly Burning” – 5
36. “There Goes My Babe” – 5
37. “Hangin’ On a Limb” – 5
38. “It’s My Time” – 5
39. “Out of My Mind” – 5
40. “Pocahontas” – 5

1. Stringman – 30 pts
2. Homegrown – 26 pts
3. Transformer Man – 23 pts
4. Too Far Gone – 19 pts
5. Rockin’ in the Free World – 17 pts
6. Long May You Run – 16 pts
7. This Note’s For You – 15 pts
8. Yonder Stands the Sinner – 14 pts
9. L.A. – 13 pts
10. Lookout Joe -12 pts
11. White Line – 11 pts
12. Crime in the City – 10 pts
13. Bite the Bullet – 9 pts
14. Roll Another Number (For the Road) – 8pts
15. Come Along and Say You Will – 7 pts
16. Dead Man soundtrack – organ solo – 6 pts
17. Oh, Lonesome Me – 5 pts
18. I Believe in You – 4 pts
19. The Loner – 3 pts
20. Lookin’ for a Love – 2 pts

Really pissed my number 1 didn't place at all. FUCK YOU GUYS

"Stringman"! I forgot about it!

Great poll, great rollout -- thanks, clemenza!

Late cut for me shakey....btw your ballot really goes against the canon!