Ragged Glory
Encyclopedia
Ragged Glory is the twentieth studio album
by Canadian musician Neil Young
, his fifth with Crazy Horse
, released in 1990.
The album revisits the hard rock style previously explored on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
and Zuma
. The first two tracks are songs Young and Crazy Horse originally wrote and performed live in the 1970s with "Country Home" notably being performed on their 1976 tour. "Farmer John" is a cover of a 60s song, written and performed by R&B duo Don and Dewey
and also performed by garage band The Premiers
. Young revealed that the song "Days that Used to Be" is inspired by Bob Dylan
's "My Back Pages
". The album features many extended guitar jams, with two songs stretching out to ten minutes and more.
"F*!#in' Up" is frequently covered by Pearl Jam
live.
Toronto
-based band Constantines
recorded a version of Neil's "F*!#in' Up" in Winnipeg
, which surfaced at the b-side the their "Our Age" 7"in November 2008. Scottish
heavy metal band The Almighty
recorded the song and included it as a B-side (with an uncensored title) to their "Out of Season" single in 1992.
The album was very well received by critics with Kurt Loder
in Rolling Stone
raving that it was "a monument to the spirit of the garage - to the pursuit of passion over precision" and calling it "a great one". And Robert Christgau
also praised it in his slice of life
capsule review saying "the guitar is great". Later that year, the album was voted the best album of 1990 in the annual Pazz & Jop Poll.
The album continues to be well-regarded with Allmusic calling the music "exhilarating" and Rolling Stone proclaiming it the 77th best album of the 90s in 2010.
except as noted.
Single
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Canadian musician Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, his fifth with Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse (band)
Crazy Horse is an American rock band best known for its association with Neil Young. It has been co-credited on a number of albums throughout Young's career and has released five albums of its own.-Early years:...
, released in 1990.
The album revisits the hard rock style previously explored on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere is the second studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, released on Reprise Records catalogue RS 6349...
and Zuma
Zuma (album)
Zuma is the seventh studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, his second with Crazy Horse, released in 1975. Some believe the album was named after Zuma Beach in Malibu; however, it seems more logical that the title comes from Montezuma, as he is featured prominently in the song Cortez The...
. The first two tracks are songs Young and Crazy Horse originally wrote and performed live in the 1970s with "Country Home" notably being performed on their 1976 tour. "Farmer John" is a cover of a 60s song, written and performed by R&B duo Don and Dewey
Don and Dewey
Don and Dewey were an American rock and roll duo, comprising Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Dewey Terry . Both were born and grew up in Pasadena, California....
and also performed by garage band The Premiers
The Premiers
The Premiers were an American garage band in the 1960s, best known for their 1964 hit, "Farmer John".-Career:The band was formed in 1962 in San Gabriel, California, by brothers Lawrence Perez and John Perez , and neighbours George Delgado and Frank Zuniga...
. Young revealed that the song "Days that Used to Be" is inspired by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "My Back Pages
My Back Pages
"My Back Pages" is a song written by Bob Dylan and included on his 1964 album, Another Side of Bob Dylan. It is stylistically similar to his earlier folk protest songs and features Dylan's voice with an acoustic guitar accompaniment...
". The album features many extended guitar jams, with two songs stretching out to ten minutes and more.
"F*!#in' Up" is frequently covered by Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
live.
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based band Constantines
Constantines
-History:The band was formed by Steve Lambke, Bryan Webb, Doug MacGregor, and Dallas Wehrle in 1999, following the break-up of Webb and MacGregor's emotional hardcore band Shoulder...
recorded a version of Neil's "F*!#in' Up" in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, which surfaced at the b-side the their "Our Age" 7"in November 2008. Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
heavy metal band The Almighty
The Almighty (band)
The Almighty are a hard rock/heavy metal band, from Glasgow in Scotland who formed in 1988. They have released seven studio albums, two anthologies and one live album.-1988-1993:...
recorded the song and included it as a B-side (with an uncensored title) to their "Out of Season" single in 1992.
The album was very well received by critics with Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder is an American film critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at Rolling Stone, during a tenure that Reason later called "legendary". He has contributed to articles in Reason, Esquire, Details, New York, and Time. He has also made cameos on...
in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
raving that it was "a monument to the spirit of the garage - to the pursuit of passion over precision" and calling it "a great one". And Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
also praised it in his slice of life
Slice of life
Slice of life is a phrase describing the use of mundane realism depicting everyday experiences in art and entertainment.-Theater:The theatrical term refers to a naturalistic representation of real life, sometimes used as an adjective, as in "a play with 'slice of life' dialogue." The term...
capsule review saying "the guitar is great". Later that year, the album was voted the best album of 1990 in the annual Pazz & Jop Poll.
The album continues to be well-regarded with Allmusic calling the music "exhilarating" and Rolling Stone proclaiming it the 77th best album of the 90s in 2010.
Track listing
All songs written by Neil YoungNeil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
except as noted.
- "Country Home" – 7:05
- "White Line" – 2:57
- "F*!#in' Up" – 5:54
- "Over and Over" – 8:28
- "Love to Burn" – 10:00
- "Farmer John" (Don Harris, Dewey TerryDon and DeweyDon and Dewey were an American rock and roll duo, comprising Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Dewey Terry . Both were born and grew up in Pasadena, California....
) – 4:14 - "Mansion on the Hill" – 4:48
- "Days That Used to Be" – 3:42
- "Love and Only Love" – 10:18
- "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)" – 5:11
Personnel
- Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Frank SampedroFrank SampedroFrank "Poncho" Sampedro is an American guitarist and member of the rock and roll band Crazy Horse, known mainly for its longtime collaboration with singer-songwriter Neil Young....
- guitar, vocals - Billy TalbotBilly TalbotBilly Talbot is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of Crazy Horse.-Music career:Born in New York City, Talbot started his musical career singing on street corners at the age of 14. He moved to New Jersey with his family the next year, and by 17 he had moved to...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Ralph MolinaRalph MolinaRalph Molina is an American musician, best known as the drummer for Neil Young's backing band Crazy Horse.Born in Puerto Rico, Molina has been a member of Crazy Horse since they were formed in 1962 as Danny & the Memories. He has remained throughout the band's many personnel changes, and has...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... U.S. 200 |
31 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Mansion on the Hill" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| "Over and Over" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 33 |