I couldn’t let the Groove have all the fun, so in the spirit of the day, I thought I should write about the first album I ever bought as well. Now, almost without fail, most music listeners’ first albums are a source of embarrassment, shame, and years of musical rehab. I recently asked my brother what the first cd he ever bought was, and he answered (with far too much enthusiasm I might add), “5 Motley Crue, 5 Ronnie James Dio, and 1 Journey.” JOURNEY!? And let’s not forget the legions of folks my age who ran out to buy C & C Music Factory (you know who you are). I was fortunate…my first real soirée with music included Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, and Neil Young (all care of my Journey toting brother, who recovered admirably). Having spent my middle school years listening to mix tapes by these artists, I finally went out and bought my first cd during my freshman year in high school (that was 1995-1996 for all of you who are counting). The cd I bought was Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps.
It’s hard for me to remember why I bought this particular cd (and I can say with some pride that it is still one of my all-time favorites). I saw the Rust Never Sleeps video before I bought the album, and it was likely the Jawas that Neil Young used as stagehands, which inspired me to this purchase, but from the first chords of “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)” and the unforgettable line “My my, hey hey, Rock and Roll is here to stay,” I was completely hooked. The use of the acoustic for this first song, contrasted with the rocked out electric number called “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” that ends the album is brilliant, and who can forget the sound of Neil screaming “Hey hey, my my, Rock and Roll can never die.” From that moment on, I knew my music addiction had begun.
Neil Young – “Powderfinger”
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Now, as every owner of a great album knows, picking just one song to highlight is a painful and terrible decision to make; however, I couldn’t help but put up the song “Powderfinger.” I have to say, I definitely prefer the more folk-sounding, acoustically driven songs of Neil Young, but this song is unavoidably great. The story telling, the guitar solo, the subtle humming in the background…it all works. Not all music creates a story, an image, or even characters you can relate to, but Neil Young has succeeded in all three in this one song. You can almost feel the rifle in your hand, see the boat coming down the river, and as the second guitar solo drones on, you can’t help but feel the ever approaching inevitableness of fate. Few artists possess that power, and Neil Young is definitely one of them.
Posted by The Needle
