Old man...

Neil Young is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter who really started his artistic career at the age of 18 in a group called 'The Squires', a group with which he obtained the first success of his very young career in 1963 with the title "The Sultan". Group that will make a good reputation for 3 years throughout the Winnipeg region…

We find him 3 years later in the 'Mynah Birds', a group formed by Rick James. An adventure that will unfortunately come to an end because the group will never be able to produce the album they were preparing...

New adventure grouped in the wake when he creates with Bruce Palmer the group 'Buffalo Springfield'. Group which will produce no less than 3 albums between 1966 and 1968 and achieve several high-caliber hits on the Singles side.

The solo adventure meanwhile will start at the very end of the 1960s with the release of an eponymous album in 1969. An album which will go unnoticed to say the least but which will still produce one of its emblematic titles, namely "The loner".

Also in 1969, he surrounded himself with 3 new musicians who took the name of 'Crazy Horse' and recorded with them in record time a new album "Everybody knows this is nowhere". And this time, the success is indeed there, thanks in particular to the success of the Single "Cinnamon girl", a Single which will be released the following year in 1970.

Despite this great solo success, he left in grouped mode by joining the 'Crosby, Stills & Nash' trio shortly after, which suddenly became a quartet that renamed himself 'Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young'.

Despite frequent disputes between Young and Stills, the group still manages to produce the album "Déjà vu" in 1970, an album that will be a real worldwide hit to the point of selling more than 14 million copies in the end. Opus that will remain as the biggest success of the entire discography of the group, just that.

Also in 1970, the artist also produced a solo album "After the gold rush", an album which confirmed his incredible rise to power since the album became his first big personal planetary success.

Success confirmed and further amplified two years later with the release in 1972 of the enormous album "Harvest", an album which will remain as the biggest success of all his discography on the albums side. In particular thanks to 2 flagship titles which are "Heart of gold" released a year earlier in 1971 and "Old man". Paradoxically, the sudden influx of celebrity will push the artist to reject her as much as possible...

New album "On the beach" in 1974, an album with less success because the artist tackles serious subjects such as the collapse of the utopian ideals of the 60s, the disadvantages linked to success and the undersides of the Californian way of life. An opus that will come out of it in extremis thanks to the Single ""Walk on"...

The following year, the album "Tonight's the night" was released in 1975, replacing an acoustic album that the artist had completely finalized but whose dark side he feared. New relative success in the Charts for this new album which, moreover, will not produce any high-caliber singles…

A year 1975 still rich in releases since a second album "Zuma" was born. Album that will do a little better than its predecessor thanks to the Single "Lookin' for a love".

We find him alongside Stephen Stills again in 1976 but this time as a duo on the album "Long may you run". On the Charts side, the album is doing quite well, but it's especially on the Singles side that things don't really work out. Only the title "Midnight on the bay" will manage to do well...

We find him a year later with the 'Crazy Horse' with which he produces the album "American stars 'n bars". Once again the album is a success but still no Single of planetary class at the key…

He will have to wait for the year 1978 and the release of the album "Comes a time" to come back to the top of the race in a consistent way. The album will achieve a notable performance in the Charts thanks in particular to the high-caliber Single "Four strong winds".

At the rate of one album per year, the album "Rust never sleeps" was released at the very end of the decade. Despite disappointing results in the Charts, the album is considered one of his reference albums. But as so often for some time, the album will struggle to produce a hit worthy of the name...

The passage to the 80s is made with the album "Haws and doves", an album with certain success but which will not produce more hits than its predecessor. Just like 'Re:ac:tor' in 1981, 'Trans' in 1982, 'Everybody's rockin'' in 1983, 'Old ways' in 1985, 'Landing on water' in 1986, 'Life' in 1987', 'This note's for you” in 1988, “Freedom” in 1989 and “Ragged glory” in 1990…

It was the 90s and especially the year 1992 that allowed him to come back into the race in a notorious way, especially with the huge album "Harvest moon" which was released that year. Album that will produce the lead Single that bears the name of the album.

A decade of the 90s which will see him release a number of albums that are impressive to say the least, just like the decades of 2000 and 2010. The albums will be real successes but on the Singles side, it will not be quite the same song as they say …

Discography (among others…) :

The sultan (The Squires) 1963
Nowadays Clancy can’t even sing (Buffalo Springfield) 1966
For what it’s worth (Buffalo Springfield) 1967
On the way home (Buffalo Springfield) 1968
The loner 1969
Cinnamon girl 1970
Only love can break your heart 1970
Woodstock (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) 1970
Teach your children (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) 1970
Our house (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) 1970
When you dance I can really love 1971
Heart of gold 1971
Old man 1972
The needle and the damage done 1972
War song 1972
Time fades away 1973
Walk on 1974
New mama 1975
Tired eyes 1975
Lookin’ for a love 1975
Long may you run 1976
Midnight on the bay 1976
Like a hurricane 1977
Sugar mountain 1977
Comes a time 1978
Four strong winds 1978
Hey, hey, my my (Into the black) 1979
Stayin’ power 1980
Hawks and doves 1980
Opera star 1981
Southern Pacific 1981
Little thing called love 1982
Sample and hold 1982
Mr. Soul (Part I and II) 1983
Wonderin 1983
Cry, cry, cry 1983
Get back to the country 1985
Old ways 1985
Are there anymore real cowboys ? 1985
Touch the night 1986
Weight of the world 1986
Long walk home 1987
Mideast vacation 1987
This note’s for you 1988
Ten men workin’ 1988
American dream (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) 1988
Rockin’ in the free world 1989
No more 1989
Got it made (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) 1989
Someday 1989
Mansion on the hill 1990
Over and over 1990
Crime in the city 1990
War of man 1992
Harvest moon 1993
Unknown legend 1993
Philadelphia 1994
Change your mind 1994
Downtown 1995
Peace and love 1995
Big time 1996
Let's roll 2001
Let's impeach the President 2006
Fork in the road 2009
Johnny magic 2009
Love and war 2010
Sign of love 2011
Grey riders 2011
Who's gonna stand up 2014
A rock star bucks a coffee shop 2015
My pledge 2016
Peace trail 2016
Show me 2016
Children of destiny 2017
Hitchhiker 2017
Already great 2017
Lookin' for a leader 2020
Come along and say you will 2020
Homefires 2020
Song of the seasons 2021
Welcome back 2021

Clips :

1963...the very beginnings that rhyme with story without words. A title that does not in any way bode well for the incredible adventure that is looming on the horizon for young Neil...

1966...we find him 3 years later in a group that will make much more talking about him. Starting with this title...

1967...their reference title. A title that will go around the world and which will offer the group the biggest success of its - very short - career...

1968... three years which allowed the artist to learn his skills and above all to reach the big leagues. It remains to be seen what he will offer next...

1969...the first steps in solo. A title which will become a reference title for the artist thereafter but which at its exit will pass under the radars at least...

1970...he will have to wait until the following year to begin to see his efforts rewarded. He won his first success here, a first success that will call for a bunch of others...

1970...a perfectly successful entry into the 1970s since he achieved a second success here. His solo career is well and truly launched this time...

1970...an exceptional 1970 year in all respects because he led a group career in parallel with some friends he had met previously. And who are not lacking in talent either...

1970...everything smiles on him as if by magic, whether alone or with others at the very beginning of the decade. Who could have imagined such a dazzling career take-off...

1970... the quartet will sign here a legendary album which will remain as their finest achievement. With the key to a beginning of consecration that they would never have imagined to see happen so quickly...

1971... solo return on this title. The young artist accumulates hits at an impressive speed and becomes de facto one of the phenomena of the moment...

1971... the singer literally walks on water and will land here what will undoubtedly remain as one of his biggest successes. HU-GE !

1972 ... even if this title will not reach the level of success of its predecessor, it nevertheless confirms the leading position of the singer at the beginning of the decade ...

1972...everything goes for the best in the best of all possible worlds. The adventure is unrolling in an ideal way and above all it is far, very far from being over...

1972...certainly all his titles did not end up at No.1 in the Charts, but they were ranked no matter what. Which is already more than enough to keep him at the head of the pack...

1973... as much the previous years will have been prolific, as much this year 1973 will be at the very least poor in title. Poor and inglorious...

1974... the artist undergoes a strong deceleration since the preceding title and begins to chain the counter-performances. Passenger air hole ?

1975... the height of the matter, this new opus will not produce any singles. Clearly, business is getting more and more complicated...

1975...did the artist rise too much and above all too quickly, that's the question to ask. It is above all the future that will say if this is the case or not...

1975...business picks up somewhat with this title. What is also paradoxical is that the albums work very well but without being able to produce the hits that go with them...

1976...as long as his albums work, the singer doesn't ask himself any more questions than that. And in principle he is absolutely right...

1976 ... especially since the quality remains in place, which does not worry more than that. Afterwards, it is clear that he is on a musical niche which is not necessarily the most prominent at the moment...

1977...a title that will work mainly in England. On the other hand, as long as his titles work somewhere, isn't that the main thing...

1977...this one, on the other hand, will go completely under the radar. Times are tough for the artist who is struggling to get back on his feet after a startling career to say the least...

1978...no major improvement at the start of 1978. The artist will have to ask himself the right questions about what will happen next...

1978 ... it's a cover of the title of Ian and Sylvia dating from 1963 which will save the day and in a very beautiful way. His revisited version will be a real hit and put him back in the saddle in a consistent way...

1979 ... this title there will not really know the same level of success as its predecessor. It will be classified but really narrowly...

1980...here he begins his 3rd decade with the desire to continue the adventure as long as possible. Who would blame him...

1980...a 1980 Vintage which will not remain as its best, that's for sure, None of the 2 titles released that year will know the favors of the public in a consistent way...

1981...fortunately the albums continue to do well and allow the artist to stay afloat without too much difficulty. Hope it lasts...

1981 ... it's slightly better on the Charts side with this title, at least in the United States. Like what, there is no reason at this stage to fear in the future...

1982...the only risk is that he won't be able to reinvent himself during this decade when everything changes very quickly. An essential development he wants to last...

1982...even if this title will not be classified, it shows precisely that the singer understood the message at first sight. And so much the better...

1983...he covers here a title of his former group the Buffalo Springfield dating from 1967. It comes from a good feeling but it will not benefit him more than that...

1983... it is with this kind of sound that he risks attracting the young generation. So be careful not to target the older generations too much...

1983... he revisits here a title dating from Johnny Cash dating from 1955 and as on his previous cover it will not benefit him more than that...

1985...after an empty year 1984, here he is back in this year 1985 in a form that we will qualify as certain. Certain to play Country anyway...

1985...a musical niche which only concerns an audience of insiders and which will inevitably marginalize him somewhat. Maybe that's what he wants too...

1985...one would have thought that bringing the 2 together would create sparks, but that wasn't really the case. Too bad because given the potential of each one, it should have normally...

1986 ... it's rather rare to see him in such a rhythmic musical mode and yet it is indeed the case. A sudden reorientation that pays in any case...

1986...a year 1986 which sees him much more in line with the latest musical developments of the moment. Like what when he wants...

1987... drive out the natural, it comes back at a gallop. We suspected that his Rock reorientation would not last and that he would quickly return to his original style and especially in his comfort zone...

1987...and here he is back in Rock mode, it's making us dizzy. A swipe to the right, a swipe to the left, you get lost...

1988... suddenly, not really knowing what to choose, he mixes the 2. And why not tell me, maybe this is the miracle solution...

1988...the Blues orientation is more marked on this title and once again confuses the tracks. He loves to mix everything and its opposite, it is clear...

1988...here he is again with his longtime friends. This opus will not really have the same level of success as their previous one unfortunately...

1989...a decade of the 80s which ended in supercharged mode to prove that we still exist. And above all that we intend to continue the adventure as long as possible...

1989...a decade of the 80s which could not match the previous one in terms of success but which nevertheless allowed him to maintain himself at the highest level without too many difficulties...

1989 ... back to 4 again on a title that will work much better than their previous one. We are not talking about a mega success but a nice success all the same...

1989...it happens to him infrequently but it still happens to him to go under the radar. And yet this title is not devoid of interest, that's clear...

1990...here he begins his 4th decade with the will to do well as always. It remains to be seen what he intends to offer during this new decade : new or old, good question…

1990...for the moment he is on the way to sticking more or less to his time. Who says stick to his time necessarily says to attract a wider audience...

1990... the years pass, just like the decades, just like the fashions and he is still there in any case. Like what, his long-term career strategy was the right one at first sight...

1992... that doesn't prevent him from going back to his original fundamentals from time to time just to remember where he comes from. To consume in moderation as they say...

1993...he delivers here a title full of finesse, unclassifiable and above all timeless. Dared bet but damn successful bet on this one given the success achieved by the title...

1993... the trend of going back to basics is confirmed with this new title. He really struggles to stay away from his musical roots for too long...

1994... he too is part of this soundtrack of this little film which will have deeply marked the spirits and his time. MA-GIC !

1994...for the moment everything is going as planned and no cloud has clouded its journey through the decades. Hope it lasts...

1995...a particularly inspired mid-decade that saw him string together impressive hits. A longevity and successes that he owes only to a truly extraordinary talent...

1995...not sure that the second part of the decade was so favorable to him, but what is taken is no longer to be taken, as they say. He benefits, he benefits...

1996...the last title of the decade. A landing that is violent to say the least and above all surprising in terms of its suddenness...

2001 ... we find it 5 years later in a form that we will qualify as certain. In any case, enough to bring him back into the race...

2006...on the Singles side, the air holes now follow the air holes. A 2000 decade that will not remain as its best, that's for sure...

2009...paradoxically, he released a significant number of albums during this decade. The albums will work as usual but will not manage to produce hits worthy of the name...

2009...him in any case continues to believe in it and surely does not intend to stop in such a good way. So we're going to find him for a 6th decade...

2010...from now on no more Single will be classified. Only the albums will allow him to see that he is still as popular with his basic fans...

2011...and yet it's not for lack of good will. The problem is that he now has several decades of difference in age with the competition. It doesn't help, that's for sure...

2011...a return to Country mode which isn't going to help either. Afterwards, he conducts his career as he sees fit and nothing, and no one, can change anything about it...

2014...it feels like we've gone back to where we started. Strange strategy that will delight the basic fans once again but unfortunately only them...

2015... as much as he will have made efforts to stick to the new musical trends during the previous decades, as much he will not make any during this news...

2016...we therefore imagine that the whole decade will unroll in the same way. A return to basics that frankly smells of nostalgia for a bygone past...

2016 ... it's a little better on this title but only just. Too bad the artist didn't make the effort to mix old and new influences when he had quite the ability...

2016 ... we will have to be content with what he offers anyway. Because he has no intention at first sight to change anything...

2017... when we no longer believed in it, here it is in a register that is already a little more modern. Like what, when he wants, he can...

2017...we suspected it wouldn't last long. Back to basics once again and above all back to the comfort zone...

2017...fortunately there are a few titles to remind us that we are in 2017 and not in 1977. There are few but there are...

2020...new decade, the 7th to add to a career of exceptional duration. Only the most gifted of each generation are necessarily capable of this...

2020... little hope that the singer will decide to radically change his musical course during this decade. But the adventure continues anyway...

2020... after as long as he continues to enjoy what he does, isn't that the main thing. This is also what the basic fans who have never let go of him since his debut and they are some of them say...

2021... will go all the way anyway. No matter the weight of the years, no matter the fashions, he will only do it his way as long as he can...

2021... so we imagine that this title will surely not be the last. But we do not have many illusions about the fact that he decides to change everything in the years to come...