Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2012
With the release of his second solo album, "Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere", a timeless gem, Neil Young took his music as a solo performer to a new level, establishing himself as a noteworthy artist at that time. The album eventually became an epic milestone in Neil Young's long career in the music business, and it was a portent of a string of wonderful albums to come! With the assistance of three(3) friends from a group called, The Rockets, Neil Young redefined his music in a big way. The music on this album was fresh--it was a harder form of West Coast folk-rock, recorded deliberately with few takes in the studio--and the album showcased the wonderful guitar interplay between Neil Young and Danny Whitten. The album included a number of extraordinary songs, among them being: "Cinnamon Girl", "Cowgirl In The Sand", and "Down By The River." And, since the album's release, its music has certainly received plenty of airplay on the radio from coast to coast (and deservedly so!) It can be said that this album has passed the crucial test of time, and as a result, it is well worth a listen, even today!
Neil Young made a distinct mark for himself earlier in the California folk-rock scene as a member of the popular, but short-lived group, Buffalo Springfield, with his outstanding songwriting and guitar playing. However, Neil Young's contributions to the band were overshadowed to a degree with the songwriting by fellow band member, Stephen Stills, and the singing by Richie Furay. The group's first single entitled, "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", was released in 1966, shortly after the group's formation. The song was written by Neil Young. The group's mega-hit that year, "For What It's Worth", a protest song, was released sometime soon thereafter, and it was written by Stephen Stills. Unfortunately, the group's music was not being well produced at the time, and this deficiency was one factor that prompted Neil Young to seek someone else to produce his work in the studio. Here, he found Jack Nitzsche, a well-known producer who had worked with The Rolling Stones. Neil Young even went to the extreme and left the band entirely for a brief period of time to pursue his work in the studio in a different manner, and on his own terms, with Nitzsche's assistance. The result of this collaboration was a wonderful song by Neil Young entitled, "Expecting to Fly." Because Neil Young returned to the group shortly thereafter, the song was fortunately included on Buffalo Springfield's second album, "Buffalo Springfield Again." The album was released in October of 1967.
Neil Young's solo album was recorded in January of 1969, and it was released in May of that year. At about the same time, Stephen Stills, Neil Young's former colleague from the Buffalo Springfield, joined David Crosby, a close friend from The Byrds and Graham Nash, another friend from the British band, The Hollies, to form a vocal band named, "Crosby, Stills, and Nash." The trio released a well-received album, also a gem and a milestone in rock history, only two weeks after the release of Neil Young's solo album! At the suggestion of the president of the record company, Neil Young joined the trio in the studio in a collaboration of sorts. The result was magnificent! The album entitled, "Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young", was yet another gem. And, it is worthy to note here that the group performed together live for the second time only at the infamous mega-concert of that time, Woodstock, in August of that same year!!
![Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere [Vinyl]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/615j6Wbcc5L._AC_US60_SCLZZZZZZZ__.jpg)
