Apologies to Idle Thoughts for his Rod Stewart Poll, but this is a natural continuation of that thread.
Well, do you? I’ll post a brief poll in a moment.
I do. I prefer the Crazy Horse stuff.
I love playing and singing Down by the River, Cowgirl in the Sand, and Losing End.
The guitar playing through the middle of Like a Hurricane off American Stars and Bars is some of my favorite music. I generally like the “rocking” Neil Young. His singing sounds like a cat with his tail caught in a screen door and his guitar playing has all the finesse of a drunken roadie at sound check, but the emotion, the torture of that guitar, just speaks to me. His sound is polarizing, so obviously YMMV, but I like it.
His folksy stuff, meh. So yeah, Crazy Horse era.
I’m a casual fan. I do have a few of his albums. Definitely one of rock music’s most enduring performers.
I also admire him for his devotion to his sons, who have cerebral palsy, and for his work with handicapped children.
I bet most people don’t know that in 1966, Young played in a band called the Mynah Birds with Rick James.
I may remember this quote for the rest of my life.
I saw Neil do a pipe organ encore that was one of most memorable concert moments ever.
Really liked his early stuff, but not a big fan otherwise. I’ve saw him in concert several times back in the day, including the Rusted Out Garage tour, the first Bridge Concert and right up front at a show at the old Saddle Rack in San Jose
Forget about waterboarding. You wanna torture terrorists? Tie them up and put headphones on them blasting Neil Young singing. They’ll break down and spill all their secrets within minutes.
(Guess who cast the lone “I can’t stand him” vote. 
)
I love Neil Young.
More Barn!
Like many I somewhat prefer his earlier 1960’s - 1970’s output. However I do intermittently like some of the stuff he has done since then.
But even when I haven’t cared for his output, I still have had tremendous respect for the way he has remained creative and vital over half a century. Something that very, very few of his contemporaries can say. Forays into different genres seem unforced. Collaborations with folks like Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth never seemed like just publicity stunts.
He may not be for everyone ( and Duke of Rat’s description really is dead on 
), but I do consider him a true giant in the field.
Same here. He’s an incredibly talented songwriter, but I prefer his fuzzed-out/full-throttle approach like he had with Crazy Horse.
I’m starting on filling in my collection - I was in college during the Crazy Horse era, and so like that also. But I wish I could find his first album, which is also excellent. Especially “Last Trip to Tulsa.”
I don’t know how many nights I was up too late playing Live Rust on my Walkman.
I voted Yes, because there was no Fuck Yeah option.
I love his music but I prefer the studio versions.
I don’t think I’m all that familiar with him. Didn’t he do a song called Heart Of Gold? Or was that someone else with a similar voice.
Nice. For a long time, Neil Young was a guy I enjoyed kinda hating. His voice was just unavailable to me, and he hung out with the folk-rock Motley Crue, CSN. So the description above worked for me in a negative way.
Over time, I have come to deeply respect his songwriting. Melodies for songs like Only Love Can Break Your Heart are up there with McCartney’s Yesterday in its timelessness. His lead guitar work could be played with hooves, but it works for him and I dig it. So now I am with you and think of your quote as true, but in a positive way. I don’t think I will dig in deep, but will invest more time in his work when I have time.
ETA: GuanoLad, yes, Heart of Gold is him. Cinnamon Girl, Needle and the Damage Done, Keep on Rockin in the Free World, many many well known and regarded songs.
Love him, love his voice. Love his fuzzy rockers. Love his quiet folkers.
He is in my musical holy trinity.
More fun Neil trivia (that Leaffan will appreciate): Neil’s dad is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
mmm