Recorded - February 8, 1971
Released - February 14, 1972
#1 for week of March 18, 1972.
Now we come to the other unexpected singer/songwriter who managed to have a #1 pop hit. Here the term "Unexpected" counts even more as Neil Young's music lies on a higher plain, far above that of AM Radio. In fact, I'm pleasantly baffled that someone who represents musical artistry and maturity is featured on the same charts that later welcomed "Disco Duck" and "The Harlem Shake" with open arms...but I digress.
Neil Young's name first became set in stone during his two year tenure with Buffalo Springfield. It was here that he brought some of the band's most groundbreaking work such as "Expecting To Fly" to the table. After the band broke up, Neil recorded and released two excellent late 1960's solo albums, both of which contain some of his finest work. "Cinnamon Girl", "The Loner", "Down By The River"...all are fantastic compositions that are musically and lyrically high class.
After a brief but fascinating time period working with Crosby, Stills & Nash and with another classic album, (After The Gold Rush) to add to his legacy, Neil began working on one of his most acclaimed albums, Harvest. Recorded throughout 1971 in several different studios and with many different producers, the album is an eclectic work which blends lighthearted country rock melodies ("Old Man", "Harvest"), with mammoth productions, ("A Man Needs A Maid"), as well as somber and stripped down acoustic numbers, ("The Needle And The Damage Done".
One song which lies somewhere in between all of these tropes is "Heart Of Gold". Of course, this just so happened to be a #1 pop hit. Previously, Neil had singles charting in the lower reaches of the chars, but never anything higher than #33. Perhaps it is the inclusion of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals near the end of the song. Perhaps it was the fact that singer/songwriters were very popular in the early 1970's. Or perhaps it was the simple fact that "Heart Of Gold" is a fantastic song. Whatever the reason, I'm putting my bets on the latter.
Musically, "Heart Of Gold" is an acoustic guitar-heavy number. The ever-present harmonica adds a folk element while the slide guitar adds a country rock element. I'd also single out the rhythm track, which features a thumping bass drum that adds a heartbeat-like rhythm to the song. It is the sum of all these parts that give "Heart Of Gold" a haunting and rich quality. And this is all accomplished by relatively few instruments. In this instance, less is indeed more.
Besides his intricate music arrangements, Neil is also known for his one of a kind singing voice and his lyrics. For much of "Heart Of Gold", he sings alone, only being joined much later by James and Linda. This mostly one-man vocal performance helps his lyrics stand out on display: We are all searching for success in life. Yet when we refuse to compromise or change our identity, that road to "Gold" becomes rough and seemingly impossible. No matter how long it takes to achieve satisfaction, we continue to pursue these goals. That way, when we do achieve success, we feel like we truly earned it.
After the unexpected and massive success of "Heart Of Gold", Neil never managed to have such a high charting pop single. The closest would be the followup, "Old Man", which got to #31 on the US pop charts. Hey, you know what? I'm actually glad about this. Why? Because Neil Young is the polar opposite of a pop singer, and doesn't need pop hits to have success.
Neil's music isn't well-regarded because of the amount of copies sold. His near-endless amount of classic songs and albums are considered golden because he never compromised or gave up his identity. Whether he is singing quaint acoustic songs, whether he is living up to his nickname as "The Godfather of Grunge", or whether is is releasing songs and albums that contain satisfyingly direct anti-war lyrics, Neil will always go down in history as a classic artist.
Final Verdict - "Heart Of Gold" transcends its status as a pop hit by its sheer brilliance. The song is musically, lyrically, and vocally satisfying. If you haven't heard the song before, don't just go out and by it as a standalone track. Instead, go buy some of Neil's albums, and get lost in his near-endless sea of brilliant music.
Coming Up Next - "A Horse With No Name" by America.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I've got a heart of gold -
No comments:
Post a Comment