American Stars 'N Bars [Remaster]

Performer: Neil Young
Artist: Linda Ronstadt; Emmylou Harris; Nicolette Larson
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Neil Young (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Frank Sampredo (acoustic & electric guitars, synthesizer); Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Nicolette Larson (background vocals). Ben Keith (steel guitar, dobro, background vocals); Carole Mayedo (violin); Billy Talbot (bass, background vocals); Tim Drummond (bass); Ralph Molina (drums, background vocals); Karl T. Himmel (drums). Producers: Neil Young, David Briggs, Tim Mulligan, Elliot Mazer. All tracks have been digitally remastered using HDCD technology. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Neil Young (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica); Ben Keith (vocals, guitar, steel guitar, dobro); Ralph Molina (vocals, drums); Emmylou Harris, Nicolette Larson, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Talbot (vocals); Frank "Poncho" Sampedro (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, strings); Carole Mayedo (violin); Tim Drummond, Karl Himmel (drums). Director: Elliot Roberts. Unknown Contributor Roles: Crazy Horse; Frank "Poncho" Sampedro. Released right after the career albums TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT and ZUMA and right before the big-selling COMES A TIME and RUST NEVER SLEEPS, this country-rocky 1977 album is often forgotten. But it introduced the sensational "Like A Hurricane," which has remained a staple of Young's concerts, and such quirky favorites as "Homegrown," an ode to marijuana, and "Old Country Waltz," which is exactly what it says it is. As Neil Young's legendary 1970s albums go, it might be a bit of a tossed-off affair, but most country-rockers can only dream of making one album this good.

Spin (12/03, p.125) - "...It's got 'Like a Hurricane,' one of rock's great guitar-wank epics..." Q (4/02, p.142) - "...Weirdly sex-obsessed country tracks, taped at rehearsals without telling fellow vocalist Linda Ronstadt..." Musician (5/94, p.68) - "...AMERICAN STARS 'N' BARS (1977) found Young and Crazy Horse cranking out their most primitive garage rock with a honky-tonk edge..."

Like the Band, Neil Young eschewed his Canadian roots to create a sound rooted in American folk and country, which he mixed with visionary, poetic rock in Buffalo Springfield and on his solo albums. He played the crucial fourth wheel role in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but ultimately proved too individualistic to participate in a democracy. The gritty, electric assault of his work with Crazy Horse is the alter ego of Young's more folk/country-based work, and also proved a key influence on the grunge sound of Seattle (Young even recorded a live album with Pearl Jam as his backing band). Over the years, he's followed his mercurial muse through everything from rockabilly to synth-pop to big-band blues, always remaining uniquely Neil.

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