Having experimented with various bands, Neil Young has a clear vision for his musical approach. This is especially true when it comes to capturing his sounds. With a focus on capturing emotions in his writing, he naturally aims to express his passionate feelings through his vocals, guitars, and other instruments in the studio. This also means that he reflects on the product with regret when he hasn’t approached it in this manner.
Young’s preference is to capture things live in order to ensure the highest quality in his work. Occasionally, he may have added some extra elements over the years. However, in order to truly capture the genuine sound of a band playing and create a more intense groove, he believes that this approach is necessary. That’s why he considers his 1968 self-titled debut as his least successful work. As it didn’t employ his preferred method.
In April 1970, Young spoke to Rolling Stone, just months before the highly anticipated release of his album, After the Gold Rush, in September. Songs like ‘Helpless‘ and ‘Country Girl‘ showcased his signature style. During the interview, Young expressed his satisfaction with his recording process. After capturing the era-defining Déjà Vu with the supergroup CSNY across the second half of the previous year, this experience reaffirmed to him his preferences and dislikes in the studio.
Similar to his bandmate, David Crosby, also had a preference for recording live. However, due to the absence of other musicians to play instruments like the additional organ, guitar, and keyboard on the trio’s pre-Young debut album, CSN in 1969, overdubbing was necessary. Young would also point out that this marked the primary distinction between The Beatles and their British invasion peers, The Rolling Stones. The group consistently performed their music together, resulting in a stronger sense of rhythm and genuineness. The imperfections that arose from mistakes added a vibrant energy, surpassing that of the Beatles.
“It’s a human voice that you’re hearing,” the Canadian explained.
The topic of essence is the main focus of Young’s 1968 debut. Addressing the comment about the music’s studio-like quality, Young acknowledged, “Yes, I understand what you’re saying.” The sound doesn’t just emanate from the studio, but rather from the musicians themselves, that’s a fact.
He continued: “That’s what I believe is the flaw of the initial album – just like my own debut album.” They recorded the audio through overdubbing rather than performing it live. I believe that the audience thoroughly enjoys listening to these individuals perform together. Performing live is incredibly thrilling, particularly when the guitars ignite a fire within me. And the collective sound of everyone playing together creates a captivating atmosphere. However, some bands opt for a different approach.
Young considers the track ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You‘ to be the standout from his debut solo album. The songwriter remarked, “That’s the only one that sounds like it got off” due to the fact that the instruments were recorded on separate occasions. He also cited this as an example of how overdubbing can occasionally be effective. Importantly, he had a strong emotional connection to his parts during the recording process, resulting in a captivating final product.
Nevertheless, Neil Young tends to have a pessimistic perspective on the record. When questioned about his level of satisfaction with the album upon its release in November 1968, he expressed contentment with his efforts. However, the poor mixing greatly surprised him. Interestingly, Young’s strong reaction to the so-called ‘CSG mix’ prompted a partial remix and re-release of the project in late summer 1969.
He said, “The debut album?” I was pleased with my work, as much as I could be. However, when the mastering job was completed, I was completely taken aback because I couldn’t perceive the work I had done… However, it has undergone a remastering process, resulting in a noticeable improvement in its audio quality. The mixing was done poorly.
