Neil Young - Neil Young (1968)

Neil Young is a prolific Canadian singer-songwriter who has been releasing records since the 60s.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Neil Young played in many bands in his youth including The Squires and The Mynah Birds, as well as performing solo in folk clubs across the country. In 1966 he went to L.A., and formed Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin. For a brief period the Springfield were one of the best folk-rock bands of their era, though they only ever had one hit (Still's "For What It's Worth"). Before long the band had fallen apart, as all three frontmen were keen to start new projects. For Young, this was the commencement of a solo career.
His eponymous debut album came out in 1968, consisting of some low-key folk rock. Backed by drummer George Grantham and bassist Jim Messina (both of Richie Furay's new band Poco), he played most of all the guitars and keyboards himself, though a couple of songs were produced with Jack Nitzsche (whom he had collaborated with in his Buffalo Springfield days), and featured some elaborate backing vocals and orchestration from outside musicians. It’s clear he was still finding his feet at this stage in terms of his musical identity. His later work would be known for its raw and simplistic production, so Neil Young is a direct contrast in its careful yet understated layering of sounds, and its moments of quiet beauty. His vocals here are unsure and subdued, but at this stage in his career his strength as a songwriter was already obvious.

|> Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)
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