Track Listing
1. Walk On
2. See the Sky About to Rain
3. Revolution Blues
4. For the Turnstiles
5. Vampire Blues
6. On the Beach
7. Motion Pictures (For Carrie)
8. Ambulance Blues
| Details | | Contributing Artists: | David Crosby, Graham Nash, Levon Helm, Rick Danko | | Producer: | Al Schmitt, David Briggs, Mark Harman, Neil Young | | Distributor: | WEA (Distributor) | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel: Neil Young (vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica, Wurlitzer piano); David Crosby, George Whitsell (guitar); Ben Keith (slide guitar, steel guitar, dobro, Wurlitzer piano, organ, background vocals); Rusty Kershaw (slide guitar); Joe Yankee (harp); Graham Nash (Wurlitzer piano); Tim Drummond (bass instrument, percussion); Rick Danko, Billy Talbot (bass instrument); Ralph Molina (drums, background vocals); Levon Helm (drums).
Recording information: Sunset Sound, Hollywood, California; Broken Arrow Studios, San Francisco, California.
After working his way through loss and chaos on the brilliant TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (recorded in 1973, but not released until 1975), Neil Young deftly exorcised any lingering demons with 1974's ON THE BEACH. The album opens with the saunter of the aptly titled "Walk On," followed by the utterly gorgeous, Wurlitzer-tinged "See the Sky about to Rain."
The set also features a trio of scathing songs--"Revolution Blues," "Vampire Blues," and "Ambulance Blues"--that address issues important to Young, both social and personal. It is good to hear Young back with such bite and vitriol, especially after the broken desperation of TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT. But while ON THE BEACH is edgy and deeply felt, it also manages to sound liberating and relaxed, with glimmers of hope and humor peeking through the spare, evocative arrangements. Inexplicably unreleased on CD until 2003, ON THE BEACH is both unflinching and resilient, and easily stands as one of Young's finest albums.
Editorial Reviews
5 stars out of 5 - ...As a document of a despairing personal low, ON THE BEACH would be a kind of masterpiece by any standard....A moving experience...
Uncut (08/01/2003)
5 stars out of 5 - ...As a document of a moment when rock still meant something, it is peerless...
Mojo (07/01/2003)
...The sound is stripped down and casual, but the vibe is intense... - Rating: A
Entertainment Weekly (09/05/2003)
4 stars out of 5 - ...Vintage Young....[songs] coalesce with the landmark consistency of 1972's HARVEST...
Rolling Stone (07/24/2003)
Included in Mojo's The 67 Lost Albums You Must Own! - He decided the world was going to hell in a handcart. He sang it all with brutal-fragile beauty.
Mojo (03/01/2004)
Included in Q's Best Re-releases of 2003 - [S]avagely triumphant....ON THE BEACH stills reverberates with an honest urgency out of step with early '70s rock.
Q (01/01/2004)
4 stars out of 5 - ...Vintage Young....[songs] coalesce with the landmark consistency of 1972's HARVEST... Entertainment Weekly (9/5/03, p.77) - ...The sound is stripped down and casual, but the vibe is intense... - Rating: A
Rolling Stone (07/24/2003)
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