Album Review: Neil Young – Oceanside Countryside
2 min read
It’s always a surprise and a pleasure to receive a new album from a legendary act, especially when said album has supposedly been lost for decades. Neil Young’s 1977 album went from being slated for release to vanishing, but the songs on Oceanside Countryside have appeared many times over the years on various compilations and collections. These, however, are the original mixes, and to the more casual listener or unknowing, it’s a whole new album to sink our teeth into.
Sail Away is a serene and sentimental way to begin the album, Neil sounding as though he is singing from his rocking chair, much quieter than expected compared with the bright and present instrumentation. The excellent harmonica solo in the bridge reminds the listener of times when that sort of break was more common, while the airy harmonies lean into the song’s title, drifting away as though unmoored from the bay. Lost In Space and Captain Kennedy are stripped back truly country tunes, the latter featuring smatterings of banjo, whilst the former is layer with acoustic guitar motifs and harmonies. Goin’ Back takes its time, subtle synths rising and falling between vocal lines, while Human Highway doubles down on the acoustics, delivering another solid country ballad.
Field of Opportunity re-introduces the Nashville band that backs half the tracks of the album, the other half being Neil alone. Sweet fiddles and slide guitar glide their way across the waltzy guitars, Neil’s vocals prominent and powerful. A similar melody begins Dance Dance Dance, before shifting into a half-time jaunty number. The Old Homestead trundles along, hints of theremin and a walking bass raising the song from its rumbling roots. It Might Have Been is a gorgeous ballad evoking a sadness and desperation that makes the lyrics more potent, while closer Pocahontas sings of the legendary figure’s story, morphing it into a more modern – at the time – tale of longing and wonder, even mentioning Marlon Brando before the songs conclusion.
Classic in tone, basic in execution, but with a warmth that is hard to find in more contemporary country and folk, Oceanside Countryside manages to wrap you up in a sun-tinged nostalgia, despite being tracks that have been accessible for many years. It’s a look into what could have been, and whilst definitely being a questionable collectors item, it is still a great album that deserves to be enjoyed as a whole.
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
