Concerning having written it when he was in high school, obviously Crazy Horse didn't exist back then. It's not only Young's chord structure and vocals that define this song but it's all that combined with the dreamy jamming that Crazy Horse brought to the table. I definitely think there's a unique characteristic about this music but other great bands of the era also had signature sounds. It's a great song. And I mean really fabulous. I've had the good fortune of seeing "Mr. Young" live four times and the one time he broke into Cortez was one of the most profound musical moments of my life. That said, in terms of its place in music history, I wouldn't want to get TOO carried away with how pioneering it is. It's not like it opened up new ground like the artists mentioned above like Fahey and Ornette.
|