Published on Mar 25, 1997
You would think that my admitting once that I was wrong about an
album would be enough for our readers – but
noooo, they like me admitting I’ve made an ass of
myself.
Today’s teacher: Ben McCormick, who not only called me to task
for mixing up two songs in my review of
Revolver, but asked me to review one of Neil Young’s classic
albums,
Tonight’s The Night. I cringed – the one time I listened to
this one, I absolutely hated it.
But, I told people I’d take suggestions, so… off to the Pierce
Memorial Archives (Cripes, I can’t think of a stupid line for the
Archives) to dig it out and give it a fair review.
Hoo, boy, was I wrong – I gotta remember to lay off the Schlitz
before I listen to an album for the first time. An album fueled by
the drug-related deaths of Crazy Horse musician Danny Whitten and
roadie Bruce Berry, Young was pissed off, and was going to let
everyone know that he felt that way. In retrospect, he made one
incredible album.
Best known for its title track, Young tells the story of Berry,
as if to remind people he was a human being and friend first, a
drug casualty a distant second. There are two versions of the song
on this album; the first version is more acoustic oriented, and is
more haunting. The electric version that closes the album is
decent, but not as powerful in my eyes.
The most poignant moment on
Tonight’s The Night is “Come On Baby Let’s Go Downtown,” a
song which features the vocal talents of Whitten. To hear his
performance makes me want to cry – this is one amazing performance
that makes the circumstances surrounding his death even more
tragic.
Young carries the emotion through on the song “Borrowed Time,”
which sounds like he’s singing it from the perspective of one of
his fallen comrades. A “borrowed song” from the Rolling Stones,
because he’s “too wasted” to write or finish his own (though I
highly doubt this is autobiographical), the words match the sparse
melody to a “T.”
Yet another famous song from the album is “Roll Another Number”
– and believe it or not, I have no frigging idea what Young is
referring to (he uses the line again in “Albuquerque”) – and I
welcome readers to educate me. The song seems to take on a
country-drunk song one would sing at closing time at the local
watering hole, and is a stitch. (I admit I personally prefer the
version done by The Beat Farmers – Country Dick Montana, we miss
you.)
Tonight’s The Night, like many of Young’s albums, tends to
walk the line between all-out rock and the twang of country – and
Young manages to get the mixture just right on this album.
I’m starting to get tired of pulling my foot from my mouth to
admit I was wrong in my first judgment of an album (either that, or
I’ve got to get a flavored foot). But, I do have to admit that I
was completely wrong in my first opinion of
Tonight’s The Night – upon further review, this is probably
one of, if not the, best of Neil Young’s career. (Now can I ask my
readers to recommend albums I know I like?)