Released from his 1972 album "Harvest", this single made a respectable No. 10 in the UK, but outstanding No. 1s in both the USA and Canada. This song evokes one man's search for his 'heart of gold' (the kind and gentle woman that he needs), spanning a lifetime if necessary. It was very much a one-hit mainstream wonder, mostly due to Young's realisation that he had actually joined that mainstream by recording this middle-of-the-road ballad.
Subsequent work rebelled against the constraints of record industry convention, installing him as more of a cult figure in the music world, and so it remains his only Number One success in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Gold_%28Neil_Young_song%29
how do you not like this? well if yer a Neil Fan you could not like it by considering it as his low point as far as artistic value goes but!! on the same grounds you could really like it cuz it drove him out of he hit making business and straight into the ditch and what resulted was Tonights The Night (73), Time Fades Away (73), and Zuma (74)...with Tonights the Night arguably his best piece of work to date and the other two not far behind...
@timmypeck Or, you could do what I do with Lord Bowie's work and say "it's ALL good", regardless of when it was written, recorded, re-recorded, issued, or re-issued. Say "he can do NO wrong". That's how I approach my favourites. I can pick and choose the rest.
12 Comments (since 4 Feb 2013)
leejohnson
Released from his 1972 album "Harvest", this single made a respectable No. 10 in the UK, but outstanding No. 1s in both the USA and Canada. This song evokes one man's search for his 'heart of gold' (the kind and gentle woman that he needs), spanning a lifetime if necessary. It was very much a one-hit mainstream wonder, mostly due to Young's realisation that he had actually joined that mainstream by recording this middle-of-the-road ballad.
leejohnson
Subsequent work rebelled against the constraints of record industry convention, installing him as more of a cult figure in the music world, and so it remains his only Number One success in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Gold_%28Neil_Young_song%29
leejohnson
[Apart from CSNY input, naturally. Before anyone says that. :) ]
florencevibert
Perfect choice.
BertrandRustles
Magic.
AJDJ
You read his memoirs yet? I got it for Christmas but haven't found the time yet.
leejohnson
Still trying to find time to get through my two latest Bowie books (also Xmas gifts).
lynn200
this is just SO NICE...
Kelly_Ochoa
such a classic
timmypeck
how do you not like this? well if yer a Neil Fan you could not like it by considering it as his low point as far as artistic value goes but!! on the same grounds you could really like it cuz it drove him out of he hit making business and straight into the ditch and what resulted was Tonights The Night (73), Time Fades Away (73), and Zuma (74)...with Tonights the Night arguably his best piece of work to date and the other two not far behind...
dutchzaphod
@timmypeck And the samples live on and on... Just take a listen to my new jam. :)
leejohnson
@timmypeck Or, you could do what I do with Lord Bowie's work and say "it's ALL good", regardless of when it was written, recorded, re-recorded, issued, or re-issued. Say "he can do NO wrong". That's how I approach my favourites. I can pick and choose the rest.