Neil Young - Re-ac-tor (or is it 'Reactor'?) - Any Love for this album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Doctor Jimmy, Mar 2, 2018.

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  1. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Silver and Gold
    Greendale
    Prairie Wind
    Chrome Dreams vol. 2
    Le Noise
    Psychedelic Pill
     
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  2. BDC

    BDC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tacoma
    I spent a lot of time with this album, and I like or love every minute of it.
    I just wish "Shots" would of been a more controlled type of kaos.
    A real wasted opportunity IMO on one of the best songs Neil ever wrote.....
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2018
  3. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    I was listening to a Melbourne audience tape from a couple of years ago and at some point people are yelling for T-Bone, and he goes "I don't get too many requests for T-Bone", and then I listened to a show from 1985 I think, also from Melbourne, and would you believe it, more requests for T-Bone!
     
  4. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    "T Bone" is a "cult favourite" Neil Young song, methinks...:laugh: You know yer not talking to a fair weather/"I like Harvest" Neilfan if they start talking about "T Bone".
     
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  5. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    3 of your are acoustic based, which even neil has a hard time screwing up (except 'peace trail' which could have been good but he tried to get too fancy). and many of those were old songs anyway.

    the other 3: 'le noise - old songs

    pill - verbose and overdone - should have been a single album

    greendale - and very sorry for this - just terrible
     
  6. Tom Daniels

    Tom Daniels Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona
    When the material is good, for example Southern Pacific and Shots, it works. There is a lot of filler here, though, like he wanted fulfill a contract or something.

    The cover, the black and red triangles, and as I recall the original LP was kind of glossy? It had a modern feel. It didn't look like a Neil Young album and certainly didn't fit a pure grunge Neil and the Horse effort. Always thought that poor match hurt the album a little.

    It's a fun listen but not a high rotation thing.
     
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  7. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Your opinion. These albums are not perfect but still better than most of his 80s stuff.
     
  8. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    well I had heard the bootleg before Reactor came out.
     
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  9. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    I hope you arent calling Opera Star and Surfer Joe and Rapid Transit filler.
     
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  10. Carl Steward

    Carl Steward Forum Resident

    Location:
    Castro Valley, CA
    There's a part of me that absolutely loves T-Bone. Kind of like "Old King" and "Piece of Crap." Actually, Piece of Crap is an absolute classic.

    I've heard Southern Pacific played love and it sounds pretty strong. The songs are good. Shots is good. Rapid Transit is good. The playing and production are shrill, though. I need to pull it out and play Surfer Joe again. This album and Hawks and Doves leave me in a quandary.
     
  11. Carl Steward

    Carl Steward Forum Resident

    Location:
    Castro Valley, CA
    And applicable for today. Maybe Neil should revisit and reboot.
     
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  12. TheDailyBuzzherd

    TheDailyBuzzherd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    "They're just songs," said Neil Young.

    I forgot: "Motor City" is fun, too.
     
  13. vertigone

    vertigone Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    Uh, 1 old song on Le Noise

    Your opinion - and very sorry for this - just terrible

    Greendale is GREAT. And so is Re-ac-tor.
     
  14. gudnoyez

    gudnoyez Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    Got Mashed Potatoes ain't got no T-Bone. I bought Reactor and Hawks & Doves at the same time radical to mellow Reactor is a must have.
     
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  15. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    i am very surprised at how many people like 'greendale'.

    i find a mess, in every way, musically, vocally, lyrically and story wise. and there are just no hooks anywhere to be found on the entire record.
     
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  16. vertigone

    vertigone Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    It's the most divisive title in his catalog that's for sure. People seem to either really love it or really hate it.
     
  17. hammer99

    hammer99 Forum Resident

    Location:
    MD
    I thought Hawks and Doves was a disaster after Rust Never Sleeps, so I probably overvalued Reactor & played the hell out of it when it came out. Been awhile since I've wanted to hear it again, but I liked it all.
     
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  18. uzn007

    uzn007 Pack Rat

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    That's what I'm talking about.
     
  19. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    See also: Landing On Water, which gets my vote for "most divisive Neil Young album". I fall in the "like" category, by the way.
     
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  20. moonshiner

    moonshiner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    Yep
     
  21. vertigone

    vertigone Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    Sure, and Trans is another one that people feel really strongly about one way or the other.
     
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  22. folkfreak

    folkfreak The cold blooded penguin

    Location:
    Germany
    Love that album. I also love Hawks and Doves
     
  23. Wombat Reynolds

    Wombat Reynolds Jimmy Page stole all my best riffs.

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA, USA
    southern pacific is one of my favorites. However, this is one of the Neil albums I never bonded with and never bought. Heard it thru only once. Didnt hook me for the most part. Southern Pacific - I either taped it or bought a single, if there was such... cant remember.

    as mentioned, the follow up "Trans" was a real head-scratcher.
     
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  24. dirie

    dirie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
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  25. BDC

    BDC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tacoma
    I love Reactor, my original LP still sounds decent, but I want to see what Bellman did with it.....ordered the 2018-hope a US pressing is OK
     
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