March 6, 2014

I've been listening to On the Beach all day, Neil Young's fifth studio album, released on Reprise in 1974. I've always loved this album because of "Revolution Blues," his fast-paced high-strung ode to Charles Manson and the "ten million dune buggies comin' down the mountains." The song features Young on lead, Levon Helm on drums, David Crosby on rhythm, and Rick Danko on bass. Quite the personnel for an exceptional track. 

But as I listened today, I changed my favorite, as I usually do, to "Ambulance Blues." 

According to Wiki, "The song explores Young's feelings about his critics, Richard Nixon and the state of CSNY." That last part referring to the lyrics "You're all just pissing in the wind," which apparently "was a direct quote from Young's manager regarding the inactivity of the quartet." 

The song is said to have been influenced by Bert Jansch's "Do You Hear Me Now?" But I hear more of a similarity between "Needle of Death," which Young said was "such a beautiful and angry song." 

See if you can hear it. 

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