The sound of rock and roll isn’t intended to be flawless. Today, many musicians grow up in a world where click tracks and Pro Tools facilitate seamless song production. However, what made the biggest hits of the 1970s sound so amazing was that they frequently had an unstable quality. Although Neil Young typically likes his songs to be a little more disorganised than most, he acknowledged that his performance on “Like a Hurricane” was probably not as precise as he would have liked.
However, Young was never really into editing. Even though he had complete control over everything he worked on, there were plenty of times when it seemed like he was winging it, especially when it came to albums like Everybody’s Rockin‘, which were meant to annoy people.
Nonetheless, Young was still experiencing the height of what Eddie Vedder would later refer to as his “mountain funk” era. This was during the time when he worked on American Stars ‘n Bars. Even though Rust Never Sleeps featured some of the heaviest music of the 1970s, Zuma’s work brought Harvest back to Earth. It almost gives the impression of listening to a jam session instead of a full-length studio album.
With Young basing every song on Crazy Horse, it’s simple to find that same intensity on this album. Even though “Like a Hurricane” features all the elements of a great Neil Young song—including his trademark black guitar from Rust Never Sleeps—he felt that allowing him to take a solo ruined the entire song.
When it comes to lead breaks, Young is popular for his own vocabulary, but he acknowledged that “Like a Hurricane” lacked polish. In Waging Heavy Peace, he stated, “‘Like a Hurricane‘ is probably the best example of Old Black’s tone. However, if you listen too closely, it is all but ruined by all the mistakes and misfires in my playing.” But, the emotion that emanates from our instrumental sections makes that recording unforgettable.
However, it’s difficult to characterise what Young did hear as a “failure” in the strictest sense. Are the notes consistently accurate? Not really, but the point isn’t really that. This kind of recording is meant to capture emotion in addition to instrumentation. Despite occasional tuning issues, it still sounds like a band at the very end of its abilities. They’re trying to bring out the best in each other.
Of course, it can be difficult to distinguish between Young’s style and total chaos at times. Consider a song such as “Rockin’ In the Free World.” One of the most iconic songs ever released by a rock and roll artist is probably this one. However, the lead break veers halfway between an odd solo performed on the spot and a guitarist’s freakout that results from drinking too much.
Although it’s good that Neil Young can still see the occasional error in his timeless songs, this is by no means a badly executed take. It’s just another instance of an artist being human. Since this record came out, the world would have been gravitating towards technical guitarists. It’s nice to hear someone occasionally play like they’re on the verge of anarchy.
