Why I love Neil Young

On this, the release date of Neil Young's new album, Prairie Wind, I am stopping to reflect on why I love the music and persona of this legendary artist. Outside of some of the greatest rock albums in history, the legacy of Neil Young will most likely be seen by rock historians to be his refusal to do the expected. In every sense of the word he has been a rock and roll maverick, flip flopping between different styles, bands, and moods. Quiet acoustic, towering electric, and even electronica have been parts of the Neil Young canon at one time or another. Rather than polished studio albums, Young has chosen to be raw, flawed, but exciting. Though his voice is an acquired taste that some find downright irritating I have grown to love its reedy, shaky, timbre and appreciate its naked honesty. His guitar playing prizes emotion and passion over technical prowess and often walks the fine line that separates brilliance and ineptitiude. And who can forget the albums: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, Zuma, Tonight's the Night, On the Beach, Rust Never Sleeps, Freedom, and Ragged Glory just to name a few of my favourites. "Papa Neil", as I call him, has kept me company through some of the low periods of my life and his music, not to mention his refusal to sell out, has become very precious to me. He is an artist of great musical integrity and deserves to go down as one of the great singer/songwriters in history. A man of vision, a great musician, a great artist, a great Canadian, Neil Young, I salute you and I can't wait to hear the new album.