Neil Young - American Stars N Bars

Neil indicated in Decade that "Like A Hurricane" was recorded during his Northern California Coastal Bar Tour, probably in late '75. I would love to hear one of those complete shows. I imagine Crazy Horse would have been on fire during these shows!

 

Love this album. One of NY"s best. Side 2 gets the most frequent spins.

 

Not recorded professionally.

 

interesting. Is it to be assumed then, by the time this album was released, there were all kinds of other finished songs he could have chose to be included on this album?

 

"Will to Love" is getting a lot of love in this thread.

Here's my question: is it true that Neil recorded "Will to Love" in front of a fire--it does sound like you can hearing the crackling of firewood.

 

Love this album, not a weak moment on it.

 

I recall hearing that before

 

Love this album. The 8-track lists 'Homegrown' twice.

 

I did too, a friend told me he had seen a 2nd hand copy in of the shops in Groningen, Netherlands where I lived at that time (1989 or so).
I was their first customer the next day and bought it. I like almost the whole album, just don't like "Will To Love".

 

And photographed by Jim Wood who runs the photography department at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. I teach a couple of portfolio class's there and we were just talking about this cover and shoot a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea he shot it until then and I've known him for years

 

One of my favorite Neil albums, and possibly the one I listen to the most

 

Well, before releasing AS&B he had all the Homegrown recordings, as well as other stuff he had finished for Chrome Dreams, right? There must have been plenty by this point.

 

Personally heard it was recorded to tape then they did overdubs. Would love more clarification.

 

Doesn't Neil dedicate paragraphs if not an entire chapter to the recording of "Will to Love" in Waging Heavy Peace?

I liked when Neil would cook up half an album of new tunes with a band (Stars n Bars, Hawks n Doves, even Rust Never Sleeps) and then fill the other side with "leftovers" and miscellaneous tracks. I prefer this to when he'd integrate old recordings into the flow of new recordings (Zuma, Trans - though I love both of those!).

American Stars n Bars came out after Decade was announced/delayed, so "Like a Hurricane" and "Star of Bethlehem" would have made their debut on Decade. "Bethlehem" would have been another Homegrown outtake like "Deep Forbidden Lake" or "Love is a Rose".

 

I love this album. My introduction to it was in the early/mid 90's when i bought a bootleg cd of it (it hadnt been released on cd yet) and it included a live version of Hurricane and some studio outtakes- the european picture sleeves from the 45's are really cool too! Will to Love is super trippy

 

Different strokes. Huge fan of Neil but this is probably my least favorite next to Amaricana. When he does Hurricane in concert, it's beer time for me.

 

The Old Country Waltz never did much for me and then out of nowhere, it kicked my ass yesterday. I love when that happens.

 

No love for Bite The Bullet? It's about sex, right? Love to hear Linda sing 'bite the bullet". Maybe I just have a dirty mind.

There's a bar hall queen
down in Charlotte town.
I'd sure like to see her
when the sun goes down.
I swear her hair
is midnight black.
And I can't wait
till I get back.

Carolina queen,
She's a walking love machine.
I'd like to make her scream,
When I bite the bullet.
Bite the bullet.

 

Fantastic album...glad to see people here like it because, out there, it has always had a bad press.

One song I particularly love is Hold Back The Tears.

I read somewhere it was written for a friend of his - maybe Stills - who was feeling down after getting dumped by his wife or girlfriend.

It's got a real lachrymose, out-of-tune feel to it, which only Neil could get away with and which just works...

 

Funny this thread popped up as AS&B has been in heavy rotation lately. Old Country Waltz is a great opener. Hey Babe is tremendous, especially the woah-ohs. My only complaint is that Palomino breaks up the flow of side A for me. Otherwise top tier Neil.

 

One of my favs, I'll have to get it out and spin it tomorrow.

 

Was recorded during the rehearsals for the tour.

 

Stars and Bars is a solid Neil classic.
Right up there with On The Beach.
Nuff said.

 

When "Like a Hurricane" first appeared it was like a bolt out of the blue.