Harvest [CD, Import, from US]

   ニール・ヤングは、多彩な音楽を取りいれようとする前向きな姿勢の持ち主がゆえ、アルバムごとに色が変わることで有名だ。そのため、傑作や迷作が多いことでも知られる。ハイ・トーンの独特のヴォーカルと、ソングライティングのセンスに定評がある彼。そのミュージシャンとしての存在を絶対的なものにしたのが、本作である。
   全体的にはメロウで泥臭い感じなのだが、彼らしい個性が光り、70年代ロックの名盤ともいわれている。ジェームス・テイラーやリンダ・ロンシュタットが参加したシングル<4>とともに72年全米No．1に輝くなど、セールス的にも成功を収めた。（春野丸緒）

Proclaiming his intentions with "Are You Ready for the Country?" Young detoured briefly to the Nashville mainstream. On this No. 1 1972 album, even the singer's acquired-taste voice comes across smooth and beautiful--the smash "Heart of Gold," with steel guitars and Linda Ronstadt's backup vocals, is by far Young's most commercial-sounding song. His usual dissonant touches, like the otherworldly guitar in "Out on the Weekend," are less spooky in this new context. The last two tracks, the deceptively gentle "The Needle and the Damage Done" and the hypnotic rocker "Words (Between the Lines of Age)," predict "Tonight's the Night," Young's haunted 1975 classic. --Steve Knopper

Proclaiming his intentions with "Are You Ready for the Country?", Young detoured briefly to the Nashville mainstream. On this 1972 album, even the singer's acquired-taste voice comes across smooth and beautiful--the smash "Heart of Gold", with steel guitars and Linda Ronstadt's backup vocals, is by far Young's most commercial-sounding song. His usual dissonant touches, like the otherworldly guitar in "Out on the Weekend", are less spooky in this new context. The last two tracks, the deceptively gentle "The Needle and the Damage Done" and the hypnotic rocker "Words (Between the Lines of Age)", predict "Tonight's the Night", Young's haunted 1975 classic. --Steve Knopper