Alongside the Fall I like Neil young, ok, to be honest, I admire the stuff he made/makes with Crazy Horse. (The rest seems to be "hippie crap".) But when he plays with Crazy Horse is above reproach. What do U think?

I hate to get behind anything that can be construed as hippie-esque, but Neil has done some great stuff. The Crazy Horse stuff in particular can get sonically overboard to the extreme. It's that guitar sound he gets. Amazing.

He's written some top drawer classic tunes as well.

But, with and without Crazy Horse he has done both staggeringly good work and godarful shit.

Agreed. But overall, genius. I'm a big fan.

Yeah. I voted that way too.

;)

These types of polls--Fall fans praise, gripe about, rate, etc, other artists--are my favourites!

I love Neil Young, with or w/out the Horse, and can forgive almost any misstep. OK, 'Reactor' and a few others from that cranky period sucked. Finally saw him live in mid-90s (with Horse) and it was a very solid two hours. The first arena concert I'd been two since early 80s metal (I was underage and couldn't see punk bands in bars then). This could be another interesting poll: being a card-carrying Fall fan, what arena-size shows would you attend?

virtually perfect records:
Everybody Knows
On the Beach
After the Goldrush
Zuma
Tonight's the Night
Rust & Live Rust
Decades (possibly the only essential 'greatest hits' album ever?)

Something brilliant on most others.

I love Neil Young. Ive never heard reactor tho. And I thought "Rockin in the Free World" was a bit cringeworthy. But all in all he is genius. I really enjoyed Greendale even tho no one else seemed to. Was it Grandpa shot Postman Pat or was it Carmichael? And where was Jess in all this? But anyway... Yeah Neil is great songwriter. I think hes greater than Bob Dylan. "Your Love is like a hurricane...Theres calm in your eye" ah the "Unplugged Album" version always brings a tear to MY eye... You dont get many better lines than that in love songs.

I think the Pixies did a great job of covering Winterlong too...

Sorry.
I just can't bear that whiney voice-
a whiney voice that seems to have been a huge influence on "indie" bands for the last ten years.
Unfortunately.

One man's "whiney" is another deeply emotional lyrical magnificience that taps into the very well of human spinal fluids pure feeling...

Sure. There's Neil's brand of cracked, world-weary, wizened whiny voice which is part of his make up and something he pioneered, then there's the zillions of faceless, pointless whiny indie-rock bands full of young androgynous boys trying to sound all sweet and sensitive.

If anyone's tried to emulate Neil, I've never heard it done well.

i agree with most of these, but i think that the Tonight's the Night album is overrated. Nils Lofgren really really bothers me, and i thought the songs sounded a bit forced (generally).

I would add to your list the Weld record (2nd half) purely for its recording of Tonight's the Night - which, done live here, is really really really good.

YES. Greendale was awesome. Such a good album.

I saw his first of 2 concerts in Toronto Canada (where Lucinda Williams opened for him), and it was sort of lukewarm. I think it was because the audience was generally unreceptive. Neil seemed to really be digging his new music, but no one else really was. And, when he trotted out some golden oldies for the encores, people went nuts but he seemed bored. Personally, i liked the new songs. the 20 minute rendition of carmichael was a particular highlight.

Not enough options here - the guy doesn't qualify as genius, only very, very good. His output's been patchy for over 20 years. And he tends to stick with an idea until he's taken it a few steps too far...

It seems new Crazy Horse jams - including a long instrumental Fuckin Up and an even longer Cortez - are being streamed right now, accompanied by vintage gear porn par excellence.

http://neilyoung.com/

Genius.

Option A.

"It's better to burn out than to fade away...
My my, hey hey"