3 keepers
keeper avg .300
Neil Young's ninth album (depending on how you're counting) is a rather modest affair of subtly countrified folk or country music, featuring Stray Gators Ben Keith and Tim Drummond. Interestingly, "Goin' Back"****, which kicks off the album, sounds like it would have fit nicely on Harvest, though its copyright date was the same year as Comes A Time; with odd timing changes throughout and a more pronounced rhythm section, it resembles some of Young's more complex compositions from his first few albums. It also features Nicolette Larson, who appears on most of the album's other songs, on harmony vocals. This album's original bluegrass-ified version of the title song**** (it also appeared on Live Rust) especially benefits from Larson's captivating accompaniment. "Look Out For My Love" and "Lotta Love"****, on the other hand, are backed by Crazy Horse. The former is subdued for a Crazy Horse track, though the last verse features the clever use of guitars to stand in for "hydraulic wipers pumpin" and "men with walkie-talkies." The Live Rust version of "Lotta Love" that I'm more familiar with hewed pretty close to this album's version; it's pretty ramshackle compared to the slick, polished cover version Nicolette Larson put out (also in 1978), but it's still a pretty great song. Though at least two more songs became familiar parts of Young's live repertoire ("Human Highway" and "Field Of Opportunity"), the rest of the album (except the blues-y novelty "Motorcycle Mama") is lightweight for Young: stock country (the two I just mentioned), a swoopy ballad ("Peace Of Mind"), a recycled "Long May You Run" ("Already One"), and bland cover of folk classic "Four Strong Winds". Like most of his recordings live versions are better.
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