1 - Goin'Back
2 - Comes A Time
3 - Look Out For My Love
4 - Lotta Love
5 - Peace Of Mind
Reprise Records released the mostly acoustic album, Young’s ninth studio album, ‘Comes a Time‘, in October 1978. It started with him recording alone in Fort Lauderdale while he restored a WN Ragland car and ended up being produced in Nashville by Tim Mulligan. The songs were written on his boat, and one song, “Oceanside Countryside“, remains unreleased. The collection of songs was offered to the record label, by Young, as solo offerings; however, Reprise requested the presence of a rhythm section, and while it has changed the sound, this is not for the worse. Legend has it he broke records (excuse the pun) with the number of test pressings made for the particular mix. Young discovered a ‘flaw’ in the album after it was released and paid out of his pocket to have the 200,000 LPs recalled. In a March 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Young revealed that he used a vast pile of ‘Comes a Time’ records as shingles for a barn roof.
Having split with his partner and mother to his son Zeke , Carrie Snodgress, three years previously, the album is personal and tells a story of a love relationship, from the excitement of new love to the sadness of looking back. Young said of the record, “It’s funky. Not that it’s technically great, that’s for sure… There’s something there that’s me, that record.” This authenticity, the simplicity, the lyrical balladeering, and the back-to-basics acoustic guitar, banjo and pedal steel make this album a classic americana album. Even if he is Canadian and the Godfather of Grunge.
Opening the album, ‘Goin’ Back‘ sets the tone. The first line, “I feel like going back, back where there’s nowhere to stay“, is perhaps a reference to continuing the musical and lyrical themes from ‘Harvest‘. Musically he seems to be taking a break from darkness after the ‘Ditch Trilogy’ and getting catharsis before ‘Rust Never Sleeps‘ in 1979. Young is accompanied on vocals by Nicolette Larson. Larson had recorded with Commander Cody and been a backing singer for Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, who recommended her to Young. Despite being hard-won, Young said in his biography ‘Shakey‘ that this is one of his favourite records, and the song has been a staple at his yearly Farm Aid concerts.
‘Comes a Time‘ starts with a flurry of cajun fiddle by Rufus Thibodeaux, who played for both George Jones and Jim Reeves. The song is unique and a standout, Young offering for the little folk music details such as hand percussion and electric guitar by J.J. Cale, who would play on two other tracks. Lyrically the song is about being ready for love and life and wanting to slow down long enough to settle down “this old world keeps spinnin’ ’round, it’s a wonder, tall trees ain’t layin’ down“.
‘Look Out for My Love‘ is the first of two songs backed by Crazy Horse and was written four years before. It’s an incredible piece of singer-songwriting and guitar skill which is not a surprise, but it is worth noting. Just as you think the song cannot get better, Crazy Horse chimes in with close harmonies reminiscent of all of the 70s and especially CSNY. Listen out for the cheeky addition of Shakey’s fuzzy Gibson, the only hint of an electric guitar so far in the album.
‘Lotta Love‘ is the second song backed by his band Crazy Horse and was written two years earlier in 1976 with them. Nicolette Larson, who duets with Neil Young on this album, would go on tour with ‘Rust Never Sleeps‘ the following year and released her debut album ‘Nicolette‘ just before ‘Comes a Time‘. The lead single from her album was a soft rock version of ‘Lotta Love‘. The song has endured in the sound that emanated from The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev some 20 years later. Lyrically, the song is a true pacifistic gem with phrases like “if you look in my direction and we don’t see eye to eye, my heart needs protection and so do I“, showcasing Young’s characteristic good nature.
If a listener was unconvinced of the Country nature of the album, Young adds Nashville legend Ben Keith on steel guitar and Rita Fey on autoharp and makes sure you are sure. ‘Peace of Mind’ is a love song and a sentimental one at that. Dueting with Larson, Young sings, “You know it takes a long, long time” over and over until the listener gets the message that love is rare and that trust is built with time. Having just married Pegi, the album’s middle tracks about the depth of love are perhaps a direct result of his happiness at home. From: https://americana-uk.com/classic-americana-albums-neil-young-comes-a-time
