Ragged Glory

Last updated

"It's probably closer to that record than anything else I've done. I can't compare it to anything else. I purposely wanted to play long instrumentals because I don't hear any jamming on any other records. There's nothing spontaneous going on on records these days, except in blues and funkier music. Rock & roll used to have all that. People aren't reaching out in the instrumental passages and spontaneously letting them last as long as they can. I love to do that, but I can only really do it well with one band. I tried it a little on Freedom. But that style of music is better for me with Crazy Horse. We played just like a band. It wasn't someone in a control room with a bunch of machines, a MIDI and synthesizers and a drum machine and producers and tech people. You just can't get that old-time vibrating feeling with machines. That happens with musicians who just love to play and improvise together. I knew that not many people were doing that, so I really wanted to do it. We did cut an acoustic track for it, but it wasn't one I wrote in the same time frame as I wrote the majority of the songs. It just didn't fit, the feeling didn't fit, so we left it off. It's funny, I wrote seven of the songs in a week. It was two weeks before Farm Aid. Those are the last seven songs on the album. The first two, "Country Home" and "White Line," I wrote years and years ago; they were songs we were never able to get right back then. And I wrote "Fuckin' Up" around the end of the Freedom period, when I did Saturday Night Live . We used it for a warm-up song there." [7]

"Farmer John" is a cover of a 1960s song, written and performed by R&B duo Don and Dewey and also performed by British Invasion group The Searchers as well as garage band The Premiers. [8] Young explains the inclusion of the cover: "That was really spontaneous. It just came about while we were practicing one day. Well, we were recording, because practicing and recording are all the same for us. We were rolling the tape and putting things down, but we'd just about finished the album and then we got this take." [7] Young used to play the song as a teenager in his first live performances in a band. He credits these performances with discovering his love for improvisation and playing live. [9] Poncho Sampedro remembers asking Young "Man, why don't we just play some song that you played in your first band when you were starting out? Let's just play something different to be loose.” He then started 'Farmer John.' We played it one time. And it made it on the record. [10]

The song "Days that Used to Be" is inspired by Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages" and employs the same melody. It was written while sailing in the Pacific after the release of This Note's for You .

The closing track, "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)", uses the melody of the folk song "The Water Is Wide". Young recorded the guitar at Farm Aid and said it is "based on an old hymn. I don't know the name of it, but it's a traditional melody from years gone by. And I modified it. I used different chords and screwed around with it. The folk process. I'm just an old folkie; I can't find my acoustic guitar anymore, that's the problem [laughs]." [7]

Outtake and B-side "Don't Spook the Horse" was promoted as a "special profane bonus track". Young told Rolling Stone that it is "a condensed version of the whole album. Especially for reviewers who don't like me at all. Just listen to that one, and you'll get all you need." [7]

The song title was inspired by the band's tendency to lose their nerve and ability to play with feeling when there is a sense they are being watched or judged. Guitarist Poncho Sampedro explained in a March 2021 interview for Rolling Stone: "John Hanlon was a new guy and we didn't know him. He started running around behind our amps and looking at everything and checking out the front of the amps where the mics were placed and looking at this and that, and looking at the room mics. He was just everywhere and I ended up calling him 'The Fly' because he was floating around everywhere. The next day, we went to play the songs and we just couldn't. Things we started the day before just fell apart. That's when Briggs said, 'Well, you can't spook the horse.'" [10]

Reception and legacy

Ragged Glory
Raggedglory.jpg
Studio album by
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
ReleasedSeptember 10, 1990 (1990-09-10) [1]
RecordedApril 1990
StudioPlywood Digital, Woodside, California (except "Mother Earth": The Hoosier Dome)
Genre
Length62:43
Label Reprise
Producer
Neil Young chronology
Freedom
(1989)		Ragged Glory
(1990)		 Weld
(1991)
Crazy Horse chronology
Left for Dead
(1989)		Ragged Glory
(1990)		 Weld
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Entertainment Weekly A− [14]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
MusicHound Rock 4/5 [16]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [17]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10 [18]
The Village Voice A− [19]

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone , Kurt Loder hailed Ragged Glory as "a monument to the spirit of the garage - to the pursuit of passion over precision" and calling it "a great one". [8] In the Los Angeles Times , John D'Agostino deemed the record "garage rock" and "impressive primitivism coming from a 45-year-old rock icon", [2] while Village Voice critic Robert Christgau called it "an atavistic garage stomp" that "makes good on several potent fantasies--eternal renewal, the garage as underground, the guitar as shibboleth and idea." [20] It was voted album of the year in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll, [21] and in 2010 it was selected by Rolling Stone as the 77th best album of the 1990s. [22] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [23]

The CD single culled from the album, "Mansion on the Hill", included the otherwise unreleased song "Don't Spook the Horse" (7:36). "F*!#in' Up" (pronounced "Fuckin' Up") is frequently covered by Pearl Jam live (see Category:Pearl Jam Official Bootlegs for recordings), and was performed by Bush in their headlining set at Woodstock 1999. Toronto-based band Constantines recorded a version of "F*!#in' Up" in Winnipeg, [24] which surfaced as the B-side to their "Our Age" 7" [25] in November 2008. Scottish heavy metal band The Almighty recorded the song and included it as a B-side (with an uncensored title) to their "Out of Season" single in 1992. An outtake from the sessions for the album, "Interstate", was released on the vinyl version of the 1996 album Broken Arrow and on the CD single for the track "Big Time". [26] [27] UK Americana band The Whybirds frequently covered the song live. [28]

Smell the Horse

In December 2018 Young revealed in a post on his Archives website that during the process of remastering the album, engineer John Hanlon discovered 38 minutes of unreleased music from the recording sessions (featuring "five songs, with two versions of one, and one long extended take of another"). The expanded set, named Ragged Glory II, was expected to be released on CD, vinyl and Hi-Res audio in 2020 but was delayed. [6] In February 2021, the album was again announced, now titled Smell the Horse, containing all of Ragged Glory as well as "four added tracks", and was set for release later that year, but was eventually pushed back to 2023. [29]

Track listing

All songs written by Neil Young except as noted. [30]

Ragged Glory track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Country Home" 7:05
2."White Line" 2:57
3."Fuckin' Up"Neil Young, Frank "Poncho" Sampedro 5:54
4."Over and Over" 8:28
5."Love to Burn" 10:00
6."Farmer John" Don Harris, Dewey Terry 4:14
7."Mansion on the Hill" 4:48
8."Days That Used to Be" 3:42
9."Love and Only Love" 10:18
10."Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)" 5:11
Smell the Horse track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Interstate"6:22
2."Don't Spook the Horse"7:51
3."Boxcar"3:16
4."Born to Run"12:13

B-sides

B-sides on Ragged Glory singles
TitleSingle
"Don't Spook the Horse""Mansion on the Hill" [31]
"Interstate""Big Time"

Personnel

Crazy Horse

Additional roles

Charts

Chart performance for Ragged Glory
Chart (1990)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [32] 62
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [33] 20
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [34] 19
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [35] 18
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [36] 42
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [37] 22
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [38] 13
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [39] 25
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [40] 38
UK Albums (OCC) [41] 15
US Billboard 200 [42] 31
Chart performance for singles from Ragged Glory
YearTitleChartPeak
position
1990"Mansion on the Hill"Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks3 [43]
"Over and Over"Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks33 [43]

Certifications

Certifications for Ragged Glory
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [44] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [45] Silver60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Freedom</i> (Neil Young album) 1989 studio album by Neil Young

Freedom is the 19th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, released on October 2, 1989. Freedom relaunched Young's career after a largely unsuccessful decade. After many arguments and a lawsuit, Young left Geffen Records in 1988 and returned to his original label, Reprise, with This Note's for You. Freedom brought about a new, critical and commercially successful album. It was released as an LP record, cassette tape, and CD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy Horse (band)</span> American rock band

Crazy Horse is an American rock band best known for their association with the musician Neil Young. Since 1969, fifteen studio albums and eight live albums have been billed as being by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. They have also released six studio albums of their own between 1971 and 2009.

<i>American Stars n Bars</i> 1977 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

American Stars 'n Bars is the eighth studio album by Canadian-American folk rock songwriter Neil Young, released on Reprise Records in 1977. Compiled from recording sessions scattered over a 29-month period, it includes "Like a Hurricane", one of Young's best-known songs. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200 and received a RIAA gold certification.

<i>Weld</i> (album) 1991 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Weld is a live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse released in 1991, comprising performances recorded on the tour to promote the Ragged Glory album. It was initially released as a limited edition three-disc set entitled Arc-Weld, with the Arc portion being a single disc consisting in its entirety of a sound collage of guitar noise and feedback. Arc has since been released separately.

<i>Rust Never Sleeps</i> 1979 studio album with live recordings by Neil Young with Crazy Horse

Rust Never Sleeps is the tenth album by Canadian American singer-songwriter Neil Young and his third with American band Crazy Horse. It was released on June 22, 1979, by Reprise Records and features both studio and live tracks. Most of the album was recorded live, then overdubbed in the studio, while other songs originated in the studio. Young used the phrase "rust never sleeps" as a concept for his tour with Crazy Horse to avoid artistic complacency and try more progressive, theatrical approaches to performing live.

<i>Sleeps with Angels</i> 1994 studio album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Sleeps with Angels is the 22nd studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, released on August 16, 1994, on Reprise as a double LP and as a single CD. The album is Young's seventh with Crazy Horse. Co-produced by David Briggs, the album is Young's last with his long-time producer, who died the following year. The title track was written and recorded as a tribute to Kurt Cobain in wake of his suicide. Although the rest of the album was recorded before that event, the album takes on a somber, subdued tone throughout. Musician and author Ken Viola described the album as one of Young's "top five records. It examines the nature of dreams — both the light and dark side — and how they fuel reality in the nineties. Dreams are the only thing that we've got left to hang on to."

<i>Zuma</i> (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album) 1975 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Zuma, the seventh studio album by Canadian/American musician Neil Young, was released on Reprise Records in November 1975. It was the first album co-credited to Neil Young and Crazy Horse in six years and the first with Frank Sampedro on rhythm guitar, following the death of Danny Whitten in 1972.

<i>Are You Passionate?</i> 2002 studio album by Neil Young and Booker T. & the M.G.s

Are You Passionate? is the 26th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, his only album to feature Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and his 9th with Crazy Horse, released on April 9, 2002 as a double LP and as a single CD. The album represents Young's foray into soul music, one of many explorations into different genres during his career. Exceptions are rocker "Goin' Home", recorded with Crazy Horse, and the brooding "Let's Roll", a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The album ends with "She's a Healer", an extended jam.

<i>Broken Arrow</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Neil Young with Crazy Horse

Broken Arrow is the 24th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, and his 8th with Crazy Horse, released in 1996.

<i>Life</i> (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album) 1987 studio album with live recordings by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Life is the 17th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young and his American backing band Crazy Horse, and it is Young's last release on the Geffen label. As with their 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps, most of the songs were recorded live with later studio overdubs. The album was released on June 30, 1987.

<i>This Notes for You</i> 1988 studio album by Neil Young & The Bluenotes

This Note's for You is the 18th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, released April 11, 1988, on Reprise. The album marked Young's return to the recently reactivated Reprise Records after a rocky tenure with Geffen Records.

<i>Homegrown</i> (Neil Young album) 2020 studio album by Neil Young

Homegrown is the 42nd studio album by Canadian-American Neil Young. It was released on June 19, 2020, by Reprise Records. The album consists of material recorded between June 1974 and January 1975. The album was recorded after the release of On the Beach and before the sessions for Zuma. Like those two albums, much of the material was inspired by Young's relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress, which was deteriorating in 1974. The album was compiled and prepared for release in 1975. Instead, Tonight's the Night was released, and Homegrown remained unreleased for 45 years. It was finally set for release as part of Record Store Day 2020, amid Neil Young's ongoing Archives campaign. Its release was again delayed by Record Store Day's postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before finally seeing release on June 19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Sampedro</span> American musician

Frank "Poncho" Sampedro is an American retired guitarist and member of the rock band Crazy Horse, known mainly for his longtime collaboration with singer-songwriter Neil Young. Sampedro has played and recorded with Young in many other configurations aside from Crazy Horse and earned co-writing credits on several Young songs. Out of all Young's musical collaborators, Sampedro has perhaps proven the most adept at working with the mercurial artist.

<i>Psychedelic Pill</i> 2012 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Psychedelic Pill is the 34th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released on October 30, 2012. It is the second collaboration between Young and Crazy Horse released in 2012 and their first original work together since the Greendale album and tour in 2003 and 2004. The album was streamed on Young's website on October 24, 2012, and leaked onto the Internet the same day.

<i>Colorado</i> (Neil Young album) 2019 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Colorado is the 41st studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on October 25, 2019, by Reprise Records. The album was preceded by the singles "Milky Way" and "Rainbow of Colors" and is dedicated to Elliot Roberts, Young's manager since 1967, who died aged 76 on June 21, 2019. It was also the first album to feature Nils Lofgren as a member of Crazy Horse since 1971.

<i>Return to Greendale</i> 2020 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Return to Greendale is a live album from American-Canadian folk rock musician Neil Young and American rock band Crazy Horse recorded in 2003 while touring to promote the album Greendale.

<i>Way Down in the Rust Bucket</i> 2021 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Way Down in the Rust Bucket is a live album and concert film from Canadian-American rock musician Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse, released on February 26, 2021. It is Volume 11.5 in the Performance Series of Neil Young Archives.

<i>Toast</i> (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album) Album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Toast is the 44th studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young and Crazy Horse. One of Young's several "lost" albums, it was recorded in 2000-2001 but shelved in favor of Are You Passionate?, and was finally released on July 8, 2022. It is Volume 09 of Neil Young Archives' Special Release Series.

<i>Odeon Budokan</i> 2023 live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Odeon Budokan is a live album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young, released on September 1, 2023, on American record label Reprise Records.

<i>Fuckin Up</i> 2024 live album by Neil & the Horse

Fuckin' Up is a live album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse under the name Neil & the Horse, released on April 26, 2024, through the Other Shoe Productions and Reprise Records. It is a live recording of their 1990 grunge album Ragged Glory, with each track retitled with a phrase taken from the lyrics. The final song on Ragged Glory, "Mother Earth ", was not performed. The album was recorded at a private birthday party for businessman Dani Reiss held at the Rivoli in Toronto, Canada on November 4, 2023. Fuckin' Up received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. ↑ "Neil Young Archives". Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  2. 1 2 D'Agostino, John (April 23, 1991). "COMMENTARY : Colorful Chameleon : Music: Fans that have stuck by as Neil Young changed from one style to another are finally rewarded with his newest effort. He plays the Sports Arena tonight". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  3. ↑ "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone . April 1, 2019.
  4. ↑ "BPI".
  5. ↑ Greene, Andy (April 1, 2019). "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Ragged Glory : Massive Discoveries in the vault!". Neil Young Archives. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Henke, J. "Back in the Saddle Again". Rolling Stone, 0035791X, 10/4/90, Issue 588
  8. 1 2 3 Loder, Kurt (September 20, 1990). "Neil Young's Guitar Ecstasy". Rolling Stone . No. 587. p. 99.
  9. ↑ AARP: The Magazine. Feb/Mar2016, Vol. 59 Issue 2C, p10-10. 1/2p.
  10. 1 2 Greene, Andy. 2021. "Neil Young and Crazy Horse's Frank 'Poncho' Sampedro on New Live LP, Why He Left the Band". Rolling Stone. March 2, 2021. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/frank-poncho-sampedro-interview-neil-young-crazy-horse-1134522/.
  11. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Ragged Glory - Neil Young, Neil Young & Crazy Horse | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved January 7, 2006.
  12. ↑ Kot, Greg (September 6, 1990). "3 To Watch Out For". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  13. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Neil Young". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0857125958.
  14. ↑ Sandow, Greg (September 14, 1990). "Ragged Glory". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  15. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (September 16, 1990). "Neil Young's 'Ragged Glory' Touches on Faded Ideals". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  16. ↑ Graff, Gary (1996). "Neil Young". In Graff, Gary (ed.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Detroit: Visible Ink Press. ISBN   0787610372.
  17. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Neil Young". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide . London: Fireside. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. Portions posted at "Neil Young > Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  18. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Neil Young". Spin Alternative Record Guide . New York: Vintage Books. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  19. ↑ Christgau, Robert (October 23, 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  20. ↑ Christgau, Robert (March 5, 1991). "Hard News in a Soft Year". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  21. ↑ "The 1990 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice . March 5, 1991. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  22. ↑ "100 Best Albums of the '90s". Rolling Stone . May 22, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  23. ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (February 7, 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN   0-7893-1371-5.
  24. ↑ "Constantines: Celebrating 10 Years". Arts-crafts.ca. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Arts & Crafts - Constantines - Our Age - Arts & Crafts - Music Stream". Arts-crafts.ca. 2008-11-25. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Broken Arrow". Discogs. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Big Time". Discogs. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  28. ↑ "The Whybirds Fuckin' Up". YouTube. February 3, 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  29. ↑ "ORS 5". Neil Young Archives. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  30. ↑ Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Ragged Glory (Reprise Records, 1991).
  31. ↑ "Neil Young And Crazy Horse - Mansion On The Hill (Edit)". 45cat. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  32. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 308.
  33. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7745". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit X Y". 2015.
  36. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Charts.nz – Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  40. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Neil Young - The Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  43. 1 2 "Neil Young - Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Neil Young – Comes A Time". Music Canada . Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  45. ↑ "British album certifications – Neil Young – Ragged Glory". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 5 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.