Crazy Horse are best known as Neil Young's backing band - for his harder rocking albums, a least. But they do have a history of their own. They started off as The Rockets in 1968 and in between albums and tours with Neil Young they released the highly acclaimed eponymous "Crazy Horse" album in 1971 containing, among others, the often covered (Rod Stewart, Everything But The Girl) hit "I don't want to talk about it". Then tragedy stroke in the form of band leader Danny Whitten's accidental overdose. This album, their 4th, is also the one where everything falls into place again. New recruit Frank "Poncho" Sampedro proved a worthy successor to Whitten and together with original members Billy Talbot, (bass) and Ralph Molina (drums) formed the definitive -and longest running- incarnation of the band. This album was recorded between Neil Young's "Zuma" and "Rust Never Sleeps" with more or less the same personnel (Neil Young also guests here on guitar and vocals). Not surprisingly, it's like a page from the same book and a great record that probably even beats the first Crazy Horse album, as it is more consistently good. The band is recognizably Crazy Horse as known from Neil Young albums, with scorching guitars and pleasant vocals. The 3 core members share songwriting and vocal duties, which allows for more variation, with forays into R&B and country and some tasty instrumentation including brass and fiddle. A couple of songs ("Too Late Now" and "Lost and Lonely Feelin'") even sound uncannily like The Band. Best tracks are the rockers "She's hot", "Downhill" and "Thunder and lighting" and ballads "Love don't come easy" and "End of the Line". I bought this album on a whim, never having heard of it and not knowing what to expect, and I felt vindicated at first listen. My only objection is that the songs are much too short. Neil Young and Crazy Horse have great chemistry and their long guitar jams are always exciting but here the songs fade out just when the band seems to be warming up...
**** for She's Hot, Love Don't Come Easy, Downhill, Thunder and Lightning
*** for Going Down Again, Lost And Lonely Feelin', End Of The Line, New Orleans, Too Late Now
** for Dancin' Lady, That Day
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