From Hank to Hendrix

Last updated
"From Hank to Hendrix"
Song by Neil Young
from the album Harvest Moon
Genre Rock, country rock [1]
Length5:12
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Neil Young
Producer(s) Neil Young, Ben Keith

"From Hank to Hendrix" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1992 album Harvest Moon . Young has frequently included it in live sets and it has been included on a number of live and compilation albums.

Contents

Lyrics and music

The lyrics of "From Hank to Hendrix" tell of the changes in a relationship over time, using musical and pop culture figures as reference points. [2] The "Hank" in the title refers to either Hank Williams or Hank Marvin, both of whom inspired Young, and the "Hendrix" refers to Jimi Hendrix. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Humanities professor Martin Halliwell takes the view that "Hank" refers to Hank Williams and interprets the title as referring to the 2 musical directions Young likes to take - Williams' acoustic country blues versus Hendrix' "histrionic guitar blues." [7] The pop culture touch points in the song are Marilyn Monroe and Madonna. [2]

The early verses of the song tell of the singer's devotion to the woman, as he sings about how he believed in her and loved her smile over the period covered by the song. [3] But the mood of the lyrics shifts when the singer notes that "Now we're headed for the big divorce California-style." [3] The reference to divorce suggests that the song may be about Young's ex-partner Carrie Snodgress. Rolling Stone Album Guide contributor Rob Sheffield contrasts this song with the Harvest Moon title track in that "Harvest Moon" celebrates a marriage that lasted while "From Hank to Hendrix" mourns one that did not. [8] But many of the Harvest Moon songs, including the title track, are about his then-current wife Pegi Young, in which case the reference to divorce is more jolting. [4] Young has explained that "The divorce is never mentioned again [in the song]. It's just another element in the relationship." [4] Young has further stated: [9]

Well that's one part of the story. There's a whole bunch of things in there...You're constantly wondering which way things are going to go. Whether it's going to last or whether it's going to explode. That's part of the romantic relationship, certain amounts of turmoil.

Rolling Stone critic Greg Kot places this song within a progression of songs that opens Harvest Moon, which "traces a path from restlessness to reaffirmation, in which the rootless 'Unknown Legend' and the doubt-filled narrator of 'From Hank to Hendrix' finally find contentment beneath the 'Harvest Moon.'” [10]

Ken Bielen suggests that the line about divorce displays Young's economical use of words in that the "California-style" divorce suggests the celebrity-driven culture in the U.S and the possible personal cost of that culture. [3] Bielen compares lines in the opening verse that the narrator is a musician with a later line that "The same thing that makes you live/Can kill you in the end" as implying that "the rock-and-roll lifestyle can take a toll on a marriage." [3] And indeed Young's marriage to Pegi came to an end 22 years later. [11] Young biographer David Downing interprets the reference to divorce a little differently. He interprets that the fact that the possibility of divorce is mentioned once but then not again as suggesting that divorce is just part of marriage the way death is part of life. [12] Downing interprets the song as being an "ambitious attempt at understanding the process by which people carry their pasts into their presents." [12]

Bielen describes both the song's melody and Young's vocal as being "tender." [3] In a link to Young's earlier album Harvest , Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor provide backing vocals on the refrain. [3] Neil Young FAQ author Glen Boyd comments on the "gorgeous" pedal steel accents played by Ben Keith. [5]

Reception

Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine considers "From Hank to Hendrix" to be one of Young's best songs. [13] In 2014, the editors of Rolling Stone ranked "From Hank to Hendrix" as Neil Young's 20th greatest song of all time. [2] A Rolling Stone reader poll in 2016 ranked "From Hank to Hendrix" as Young's 9th best song since 1979. [11] Music journalist Paul Williams says that the lyrics start out promising but he considers the "payoff line," "Can we make it last, like a musical ride?" to be "almost as bad as the dreadful American Dream stuff Neil wrote for the last CSNY album." [14]

Live performances

Young has often played "From Hank to Hendrix" in live sets, frequently to open concerts. [11] [5] Many times Young tells the story of how he acquired a guitar previously owned by Hank Williams before playing the song. [5] Young played it as the last song of his 1993 MTV Unplugged concert and it was included on his Unplugged album. [15] Young also sang it at a Saturday Night Live performance, which the editors of Rolling Stone described as "casting a spell that few performers his age could match – a rock elder sharing a little of his hard-won wisdom." [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Harvest Moon</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Neil Young

Harvest Moon is the 19th studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, released on November 2, 1992. Many of its backing musicians also appeared on Young's 1972 album Harvest.

"Sedan Delivery" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1979 album with Crazy Horse, Rust Never Sleeps.

<i>Unplugged</i> (Neil Young album) 1993 live album by Neil Young

Unplugged is a live album by Canadian / American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on June 15, 1993, on Reprise. Recorded on February 7, 1993, the album is an installment of the MTV series, Unplugged. The performance was also released on VHS.

"Danger Bird" is a song written by Neil Young. It was first released on his 1975 album with Crazy Horse, Zuma. A live version was also released on the 1997 album Year of the Horse.

"Out on the Weekend" is a song written by Neil Young that was the opening song of his 1972 album Harvest.

"Cowgirl in the Sand" is a song written by Neil Young and first released on his 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Young has included live versions of the song on several albums and on the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album 4 Way Street. It has also been covered by The Byrds on their self-titled album. Like three other songs from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, "Cinnamon Girl", "Down by the River" and the title track, Young wrote "Cowgirl in the Sand" while he was suffering from the flu with a high fever at his home in Topanga, California.

"A Man Needs a Maid" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1972 album Harvest. It is one of two songs on Harvest on which Young is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. It has appeared on several of Young's live and compilation albums.

"Powderfinger" is a song written by Neil Young, first released on his 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps. It subsequently appeared on several of Young's live recordings. A 2014 Rolling Stone special issue on Young ranked it as Young's best song ever.

<i>Dreamin Man Live 92</i> 2009 live album by Neil Young

Dreamin' Man Live '92 is a live album by the Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released on December 8, 2009. It features live, solo acoustic performances of all ten songs from Harvest Moon, recorded on tour in 1992. The album is volume twelve in Young's Archives Performance Series and the fifth to be released. It was originally slated for release on November 2, 2009, but was delayed for over a month; a vinyl release followed on March 30, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Are You Ready for the Country (song)</span> 1972 song by Neil Young

"Are You Ready for the Country?" is a song written by Neil Young and released on his 1972 Harvest album. The track features Young on piano backed by the studio band dubbed The Stray Gators, comprising Jack Nitzsche on slide guitar, Ben Keith on pedal steel guitar, Tim Drummond on bass, and Kenny Buttrey on drums. Backing vocals on the track are by David Crosby and Graham Nash. The recording was made in a studio set up in a barn on Young's ranch.

"Pocahontas" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps. It has also been covered by Johnny Cash, Everclear, Emily Loizeau, Crash Vegas, Gillian Welch, Trampled By Turtles, and Ian McNabb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will to Love</span> Song by Neil Young

"Will to Love" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1977 album American Stars 'N Bars. A promotional single of "Will to Love" was released, backed with a live performance of "Cortez the Killer."

"The Old Laughing Lady" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1968 debut solo album Neil Young.

"Harvest" is a song written by Neil Young that was the title song of his 1972 album Harvest.

"Unknown Legend" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1992 album Harvest Moon. Although it was not released as a single, it reached #38 on the Billboard Magazine Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

"Crime in the City " is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1989 album Freedom, although Young had performed longer versions in concert earlier. It was not released as a single but reached number 34 on the Billboard Magazine Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It is a lengthy song, with a released version of almost nine minutes, but earlier versions were more than twice as long. It has been characterized as a document of moral rot in urban regions of the United States in the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (song)</span> Neil Young song

"Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" is a song written by Neil Young that was originally released as the title track of his 1969 album with Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. The song was written earlier, and a different version was originally considered for Young's 1968 solo debut album Neil Young

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown</span>

"Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown", also known as "(Come On Baby Let's Go) Downtown" or "Downtown", is a song written by Danny Whitten, possibly in collaboration with Neil Young, that was first released on Crazy Horse's 1971 album Crazy Horse. A live version was later released on multiple Neil Young albums, most famously on his 1975 album Tonight's the Night, and then on his 2006 album Live at the Fillmore East. Phish has covered the song in concert.

"Dance, Dance, Dance" is a song written by Neil Young that first appeared on Crazy Horse's debut album Crazy Horse in 1971. Young later released a live version of it himself and it has also been covered by other artists, including Dave Edmunds, The New Seekers, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Elvis Costello.

"Tonight's the Night" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1975 album Tonight's the Night. Two versions of the song bookended the album, with one version as the first song, and the other as the last. "Tonight's the Night" has also appeared on some of Young's live and compilation albums.

References

  1. ↑ "Harvest Moon by Neil Young – Classic Rock Review". 25 June 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The 100 Greatest Songs". Neil Young. Rolling Stone. 2014. p. 78.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bielen, K. (2008). The Words and Music of Neil Young. Praeger. pp. 74, 77. ISBN   9780275999025.
  4. 1 2 3 Williamson, N. (2002). Journey Through the Past: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs of Neil Young. Hal Leonard. p. 129. ISBN   9780879307417.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Boyd, G. (2012). Neil Young FAQ. Backbeat Books. ASIN   B008RYZ7WM.
  6. ↑ Gulla, Bob (2009). Guitar Gods: The 25 Players who Made Rock History. ABC-CLIO. p. 237. ISBN   9780313358067.
  7. 1 2 Halliwell, Martin (2015). Neil Young: American Traveller. Reaktion Books. ISBN   9781780235493.
  8. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p.  901. ISBN   9780743201698.
  9. ↑ Rogan, Johnny (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young. Omnibus Press. p. 146. ISBN   978-0711953994.
  10. ↑ Kot, Greg (November 26, 1992). "Harvest Moon". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  11. 1 2 3 Greene, Andy (March 9, 2016). "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Post-1970s Neil Young Songs". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  12. 1 2 Downing, David (1994). A Dreamer of Pictures: Neil Young, the Man and His Music. Da Capo. p.  219. ISBN   9780306806117.
  13. ↑ Erlewine, S.T. "Harvest Moon". Allmusic . Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  14. ↑ Williams, Paul (2011). Neil Young: Love to Burn. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857127334.
  15. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Unlugged". Allmusic . Retrieved 2018-09-08.
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.