A Deep and Introspective Album
Harvest is a so-called road album that was created between January and September of 1971. It was recorded internationally in several different locations from Nashville’s Quadraphonic Sound Studios to London’s Barking Assembly Hall, and Young’s very own Broken Arrow Studio No. 2 in Northern California. Producer Elliot Mazer, the London Symphony Orchestra, and bandmate and producer Jack Nitzsche all worked on this album alongside Neil Young. The album offered both pensiveness and introspection combined with Neil’s well-known hard-rocking sound.
Neil Young Bares His Soul
The lyrics to many of the songs of the Harvest album were deep, thoughtful, and introspective. Neil bares his soul through “Out on the Road”, “Harvest”, “Alabama”, “Old Man” and other deep and meaningful songs from this iconic album. The vivid elegies speak about uncertainty, personal and political topics, feelings of alienation, and more. The artistic purity brought out through the album’s rage, emotion, humanity, and sadness are what makes it so profoundly memorable.
Harvest – Best-Selling Album of the Year
When Neil Young released his album Harvest, it had a somewhat tepid critical reception. Despite that, it became the best-selling album in the US in 1972. Without a doubt, tracks like “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man” became timeless classics. In retrospects done over the decades, the album has gotten far kinder evaluations than the year it was released and it’s definitely a testament to Young’s artistry that led him to become one of the generation’s most accomplished songwriters.