I love the country side of Neil. This is one of my favorites. It makes me so happy when I hear it, from the opening guitar line to the amazing harmonies.
The Playlist Special: Top Artists Pick Their Personal Top 10
Norah Jones: Neil Young
Fifteen years ago, Jones first fell in love with Heart of Gold, and she's been a hardcore Neil Young fan since. "At night, when I'm cooking, I listen to him really loud," she says. "It's hard for me to listen to anything else." Over the years she's seen countless Young shows and even performed with him at the Bridge School Benefit in 2008. "There's something so emotional about the way he plays and writes," she adds. "I always cry when I see him live."
Listen: Norah Jones' Top Neil Young Songs
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1."Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere " | Neil Young with Crazy Horse, 1969
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2."Helpless" | Neil Young, 1970
This one is a tear-jerker for me, and the groove is incredible.
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3."Barstool Blues" | Neil Young, 1975
I remember being with friends at the beach, all singing this at the top of our lungs. We put it on repeat. I don't think I ever had so much fun.
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4."Comes A Time" | Neil Young, 1978
There's a string section, and then there's a fiddler. I always imagine a string quartet in tuxedos, next to some guy fiddling in overalls.
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5."Don't Be Denied" | Neil Young, 1973
This is from Time Fades Away, the live album he made of unreleased songs. It's so killer, just a classic Neil guitar riff.
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6."Motion Pictures " | Neil Young, 1974
On the Beach is one of my favorite Neil albums. This is one of those songs that makes you feel like you're underwater. It's weird, beautiful, surreal.
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7."Round & Round [It Won't Be Long] " | Neil Young with Crazy Horse, 1969
The notes and chords are so bizarre. There's like a weird seventh-chord thrown in there, and it's just beautiful.
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8."Down by the River " | Neil Young with Crazy Horse, 1969
This is my ultimate most favorite Neil song, probably. I'm actually learning how to play the guitar solo. So far I've got the beginning down, but that's the easy part.
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9."Star of Bethlehem " | Neil Young, 1977
When I saw him play the Bridge School, tears were streaming down my face. He just gets that reaction out of you.
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10."Harvest Moon" | Neil Young, 1992
I'm a big crier, clearly, but listening to a song like this makes me feel so good. It makes me less restless. Puts me in a zone.
