Neil Young - Comes a Time

Six and a half years later, Comes a Time finally was the Neil Young album for the millions of fans who had loved Harvest, an acoustic-based record with country overtones and romantic, autobiographical lyrics, and many of those fans returned to the fold, enough to make Comes a Time Young's first Top Ten album since Harvest. He signaled the album's direction with the leadoff track, "Goin' Back," and its retrospective theme augmented with an orchestral backup and the deliberate beat familiar from his number one hit "Heart of Gold." Of course, Young remained sly about this retrenchment. "I feel like goin' back," he sang, but added, "back where there's nowhere to stay." Doubtless he had no intention of staying with this style, but for the length of the album, melodies, love lyrics, lush arrangements, and steel guitar solos dominated, and Young's vocals were made more accessible by being paired with Nicolette Larson's harmonies. Larson's own version of Young's "Lotta Love," released shortly after the one heard here, became a Top Ten hit single. Other highlights included the reflective "Already One," which treats the unusual subject of the nature of a divorced family, the ironic "Field of Opportunity," and a cover of Ian Tyson's folk standard "Four Strong Winds" (a country Top Ten hit for Bobby Bare in 1965). ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Name Credits Anatol Kaminsky Engineer, ? Ben Keith Guitar (Steel), Vocals, Guitar, Producer Billy Talbot Bass, Vocals Bucky Barrett Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) Carl Gorodetzky Strings Carl Himmel Drums Carole Walker Strings Crazy Horse Group, ? Dale Sellers Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar Danny Garcia Engineer Danny Hilley Engineer David Briggs Producer David McKinley Engineer Denny Purcell Engineer Ernie Winfrey Engineer Farrell Morris Percussion Frank "Poncho" Sampedro Guitar, Vocals, Strings Gary VanOsdale Strings George Binkley III Strings George Kosmola Strings Grant Boatwright Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) J.J. Cale Guitar (Electric), Guitar Jerry Shook Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) Joe Osborne Bass Johnny Christopher Guitar (Electric), Guitar Karl Himmel Drums Larrie Londin Drums Laurence Harvin Strings Lawrence Lasson Strings Martha McCrory Strings Marvin Chantry Strings Maryanna Harvin Strings Michael Laskow Engineer Mike Porter Engineer Neil Young Producer, Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar Nicolette Larson Vocals Ralph Molina Vocals, Drums Ray Edenton Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar Rebecca Lynch Strings Richard Adler Engineer Rita Fey Autoharp Roy Christensen Strings Rufus Thibodeaux Fiddle, Violin Russ Kunkel Conductor Sheldon Kurland Strings Spooner Oldham Piano Stephanie Woolf Strings Steve Gibson Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar Steven Maxwell Smith Strings Tim Drummond Drums, Bass Tim Mulligan Producer, Saxophone, Engineer Vic Jordan Guitar (Acoustic) Virginia Christensen Strings