A World of Constant Strangers: The Neil Young Results Thread

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

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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.

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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!

hm! i actually cut powderfinger at the last minute. didn't think it'd be the winner, though!
this is great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTV6QB3btQs

here's my unranked ballot

Helpless
Razor Love
Down by the River
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Cortez the Killer
Expecting to Fly
The Old Laughing Lady
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Birds
Time Fades Away

Don't Be Denied
See The Sky About To Rain
Motion Pictures
Ambulance Blues
Tired Eyes
Albuquerque
Don't Cry No Tears
Barstool Blues
Will To Love
Pocahontas

Sedan Delivery
Surfer Joe And Moe The Sleaze
Transformer Man
Cocaine Eyes
Country Home
Crime In The City
Give Me Strength
Harvest Moon
Pushed It Over The End
Danger Bird

Cowgirl in the Sand
Too Far Gone
Little Wing
Speakin’ Out
Revolution Blues
Mellow My Mind
Old Man
Through My Sails
Safeway Cart
No One Seems To Know

Here is mine, recommend everyone check out a live "Pushed It Over The End" if you can.

1. Down By The River
2. After The Gold Rush
3. Revolution Blues
4. Ambulance Blues
5. Don’t Cry No Tears
6. Walk On
7. Out On The Weekend
8. Pushed It Over The End
9. Star of Bethlehem
10. Cinnamon Girl
11. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
12. Danger Bird
13. Barstool Blues
14. Harvest
15. Harvest Moon
16. The Needle And The Damage Done
17. Round And Round
18. Pardon My Heart
19. Comes A Time
20. Sugar Mountain
21. Tell Me Why
22. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
23. Don’t Let It Bring You Down
24. Mellow My Mind
25. Powderfinger
26. Pocahontas
27. For The Turnstiles
28. Don’t Be Denied
29. Lotta Love
30. Sedan Delivery
31. Bad Fog Of Loneliness
32. Broken Arrow
33. Cortez The Killer
34. Motion Pictures
35. A Man Needs A Maid
36. Give Me Strength
37. Old Man
38. Down To The Wire
39. War Song
40. Home On The Range

Surprised only one song from Ragged Glory made it...anyway...

1. When You Dance I Can Really Love
2. Don't Cry
3. Barstool Blues
4. After the Gold Rush
5. Mr. Soul
6. Everybody Knows this is Nowhere
7. Come On Baby, Let's Go Downtown
8. Tonight's the Night part 1
9. Cinnamon Girl
10. Down By the River
11. Country Home
12. Ohio
13. Guitar Solo No. 5
14. Eldorado
15. Cortez the Killer
16. Don't Let it Bring you Down
17. Mellow My Mind
18. Over and Over
19. Cocaine Eyes
20. Arc
21. Love and Only Love
22. Pocahontas
23. Lookout Joe
24. Heavy Love
25. Time Fades Away
26. Borrowed Tune
27. Rockin' in the Free World
28. Thrasher
29. Down to the Wire
30. Big Time
31. Don't Cry No Tears
32. Thrasher
33. Lookin' for a Love
34. Last Dance
35. Love and War
36. Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero part 1)
37. Walk On
38. Sedan Delivery
39. Powderfinger
40. Hangin' on a Limb

I had Stringman!

1. Winterlong

2. Love Art Blues

3. Ambulance Blues

4. Pocahontas

5. Powderfinger

6. Cinnamon Girl

7. Barstool Blues

8. I’m The Ocean

9. The Needle and the Damage Done

10. Revolution Blues

11. Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)

12. Thrasher

13. On The Way Home

14. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

15. I Believe in You

16. Traces

17. Harvest

18. Heart of Gold

19. Soldier

20. Sleeps With Angels

21. Tired Eyes

22. On The Beach

23. Like a Hurricane

24. Stringman

25. Burned

26. Cocaine Eyes

27. Philadelphia

28. Time Fades Away

29. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

30. Love In Mind

31. Cripple Creek Ferry

32. Down By The River

33. Birds

34. Cowgirl in the Sand

35. Pushed It Over the End

36. Albuquerque

37. See the Sky About to Rain

38. I’ve Been Waiting for You

39. Don’t Let It Bring You Down

40. Deep Forbidden Lake

and my next 10, which didn't count for the poll, but what the hell:

41. Love Is a Rose

42. Don’t Be Denied

43. Ohio

44. Cortez the Killer

45. My Heart

46. Expecting to Fly

47. Shots

48. Old Ways (specifically the live version from the Shocking Pinks tour with the awesome backing vocals and just Neil on guitar -- SHIT SMOKES!!!)

49. Kinda Fonda Wanda (same as above...)

50. Journey Through the Past

1. Welfare Mothers
2. Sedan Delivery
3. Winterlong
4. Ambulance Blues
5. Cocaine Eyes
6. When You Dance I Can Really Love
7. I’m The Ocean
8. Like an Inca
9. Lookin’ for a Love
10 Over and Over
11. Drive Back
12. Round and Round
13. Thrasher
14. Fuckin’ Up
15. Drive By
16. Don’t Cry
17. Hippie Dream
18. Love in Mind
19. Comes A Time
20. Wrecking Ball
21. Don’t Be Denied
22. Everyone Knows This is Nowhere
23. Barstool Blues
24. Powderfinger
25. Campaigner
26. Goin’ Back
27. Safeway Cart
28. No More
29. Don’t Cry No Tears
30. On The Beach

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

well I figured this was going to be a poll that got a LOT of votes, and the canonical stuff was gonna get covered no matter what - so I went the strategic voting route and voted for stuff I thought would be underrepresented or could use additional points. just to make things innaresting

although I could totally make an argument that Stringman is genuinely his best/my favorite song - structurally, melodically and lyrically it's a real beauty

All unranked. Made the list:

Ambulance Blues
Don't Be Denied
Don't Cry No Tears
I Believe in You
Look Out for My Love
Lookout Joe
Powderfinger
Sedan Delivery
Tell Me Why

missed out:

Beautiful Bluebird
Change Your Mind
Down to the Wire
Flying On the Ground Is Wrong
Little Wing
One of These Days
Organ Solo (Dead Man)
Razor Love
Roger and Out
Southern Pacific
Wonderin'

yeahhh, so nothing from sleeps with angels made it?

I had two unreleased cuts on mine... who else voted for anything that isn't out officially anywhere?

*raises hand*

Come Along And Say You Will