Published on Oct 28, 1997
Y’know, back in ’75, when this album came out, we never thought
of Neil Young as the “grandfather of grunge” or whatever he’s
called these days. Instead, Neil was the mysterious, dark figure
who had confoundedus by releasing
Harvest, a beautiful but slightly sappy MOR album, followed
by three discordant and depressing albums (
Time Fades Away,
On The Beach, and
Tonight’s The Night) and a failed soundtrack (
Journey Thru The Past). Was this guy the “balls” of CSNY
(and, boy, they needed ’em) or was he another self-destructive Lou
Reed kinda guy? (Remember
Metal Machine Music?) Enter
Zuma, a tension-drenched version of
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, arguably the best thing
Neil Young and Crazy Horse ever did. With
Zuma, Neil killed all the nay-sayers and fence-sitters dead.
Slain, they were, by tongue and string.
Naturally there are duds on this Aztec odyssey. “Looking For A
Love” is as ridiculously country as some of Neil’s later, John
Wayne tribute stuff. “Stupid Girl” doesn’t work due to poor lyrics
(“I saw you in Mercedes Benz, practicing self-defense; you got it
pretty good, I guess; I couldn’t see your eyes” – puhleeze!)
“Through My Sails” is, well, like the bulk of CSN (&Y), fluffy
and lite.
Yet, Neil Young at his best can make you forget all the clunkers
and raise you from the dead. “Danger Bird” and “Driveback” both
seethe with barely contained anger. Listen to how he mouths through
clenched teeth, “Drive back to yer old town; I wanna wake up with
no one around.” The aching simplicity of “Pardon My Heart” reminds
me of a line from the TV series “My So-Called Life”: “She was so
beautiful it hurt my eyes to look at her.” Finally, “Cortez, The
Killer,” in spite of rather lame pseudo-politically correct lyrics,
overcomes its limitations via some of the most intense
instrumentation ever displayed by Crazy Horse. It is no wonder that
“Cortez” is still a centerpiece of Neil’s live shows 22 years
later.
Zuma has worn pretty well over the years. Enough time has
gone by that I now appreciate the starkness of
Tonight’s The Night and the paranoia of
On The Beach. Still, time and time again, I have turned to
Zuma for comfort, solace, and sheer energy. Bonus
Recommendation: if you wanna hear REAL Rock ‘n’ Roll, check out
Soul Asylum’s version of “Barstool Blues” on the Neil Young tribute
album,
The Bridge. Neil Young. Long may he run.