Having never explored Neil Young’s 70s rock catalog besides folky or Crazy Horse live material, what an homage to classic L.A. and roots-rock revelry the opener “Walk On” is to this 39-minute rock record adorned in Grateful Dead lettering.
The familiar Canadian brother’s drumming of Levon Helm pervades like a crisp summer ice-cold Canadian light lager or Rolling Rock, just Neil and the boys cruising the Sunset Strip, shooting pool or playing darts.
There’s always a uniform songwriting style with melody and catch phrases to Neil’s pop-rock catalog, but “On the Beach” comes off as the artist in his prime days with friends, beach vibes and not a lot of dragging him down like the sensitive and pointed late-60s folk troubadour.
Helm plus Rick Danko, David Crosby plus Graham Nash, it’s a record of Neil’s buddies from his many phases and iterations- Laurel Canyon, San Francisco, Woodstock and Toronto.
It’s not album rock but it transcends that and refuses to be pigeon-holded to that broad and diluted group. Roots-rock nonchalance with Dead melodies and hooks, reverb, and Band-esque triple point harmonies. The seminal steel guitar sound of Ben Keith that makes it way onto Neil’s staples throughout the early 70s.
That ‘My Morning Jacket’ guy. He’s sauntering down the street, bleary eyed and grabbing a napkin later to write down ad hoc notes of a lyric and rhyme based on an impending rain cloud. That’s how plain yet smooth and easily approachable a tune like “See the Sky About to Rain” feels. It’s defined several generations of songwriters for decades to come.
«MDS, Durham, NY – 4/16/21»
Michael Schoeck 