Track Listing

1. My My Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)
2. Thrasher
3. Ride My Llama
4. Pocohontas
5. Sail Away
6. Powderfinger
7. Welfare Mothers
8. Sedan Delivery
9. Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5549 in Music
• Released on: 1993-06-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Neil Young has recorded many live albums, but none capture his two dominant musical personalities with as much power as 1979's Rust Never Sleeps. The acoustic side opens with "My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue)", a devastating anthem about the state of rock & roll. Comparing the Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten to the late Elvis Presley, Young delivers perhaps his most famous line: "It's better to burn out than to fade away." Side two demonstrates the emotional power of Young's hard-rocking quartet, Crazy Horse, with the scathing political songs "Powderfinger", "Welfare Mothers", and the loud reprise of "My, My, Hey, Hey". --Steve Knopper

CD Description
As far as pure songcraft goes, it hard to beat this 1979 offering from Young & Crazy Horse. By the end of the '90s, Young, Talbot, Molina and Sampredo had refined their crushing sonic assault to the extent that they could bludgeon the listener with Wagnerian riffs and rhythms (the entropy hymn "HeyHey, My My") or provide just enough grit to keep Young's far-out lyrics from ascending into the stratosphere ("Ride My Llama".) Songwise, RUST is a schizophrenic album. Young moves from the brilliant surrealist imagery of "Pocahontas", with it's evocation of "Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me", to the sharp narrative perspective of the equally transcendent "Powderfinger" and the good-humored social commentary of "Welfare Mothers".

Customer Reviews

Songwriter
I'm just getting into Neil Young. Man he is amazing. Such a great songwriter. This album, recorded live with the audience track removed, has songs of the highest calibre. The first half of the album is acoustic, the second electric with Crazy Horse backing him. I can't say whats the best song on the album, they all are genius cuts, but among the highlights are 'Thrasher' and 'Hey Hey, My My(into the black)'. The first time I listened I was quite overwelmed and emotionally stunned by the music and the sheer quality of the writing. I don't know how I missed Neil Young in my 28 years but now I can't wait to get on my journey through the rest of his wonderful carear. I urge you to 'Add To Shopping Trolly' right now. You wil not regret it.

Yes
Neil in fine form !The first five tracks are all acoustic with no duff ones among them. "My my,hey hey(out of the blue","Thrasher" and "Pocahontas" would make it if another "Best of big Neil" appears."Thrasher" has the most amazing lyrics,it's a short story set to music,Neil ain't stopping at the fancy hotel with heated pool and bar,he's "Got his own row left to hoe "Good old Neil ,always the mystery man.
He keeps to his favourite subject .the plight of the Native Americans on "Pocahontas""With my Indian rug and a pipe to share ""Ride my Llama" is a good laugh and "Sail away" has lovely lyrics ! "Powderfinger" another epic with Neil playing fine guitar!Then the fun begins ,remember this is in the punk era and Neil dumbs down the lyrics and The Horse are having fun on "Welfare Mothers" and Sedan delivery"This was the year of "look ,we can't really play,but we're having a ball" that's the point,Neil is getting across and I think he lost some of his Hippie following with this album.Neil ain't no hippie anyway !! "Hey hey,my my (into the black)" ends the album and this is the beginning of the grunge,Man !Great angry lyrics "We gotta kinder,gentler machine gun hand"
A must buy CD

****½
Often called Neil Young's best record, "Rust Never Sleeps" was recorded live with the audience track subsequently removed (which is why it doesn't sound like a live album - no cheering or clapping or singing along).

The acoustic set, which made up the first side of the original LP, opens with the classic "My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)", probably the most concise and knowing description of the entertainment industry ever written.
And that song is reprised later on as a tough electric rocker, "Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)" with slightly altered lyrics and raw, crunchy electric guitars courtesy of Crazy Horse, Young's legendary backing band.

In between you have the folkish acoustic "Pocahontas", a country-tinged lament about the mistreatment of the Native Americans, but also a love song, and a powerful tale of travelling through time.
And there is the superbly melodious country ballad "Sail Away", wonderfully arranged and with subtle harmony vocals by the late Nicolette Larson, and the thoughful, meditative and very personal "Thrasher".

The electric half is highlighted by the magnificent "Powderfinger", Neil Young's best electric rock song, capturing Crazy Horse in full electric stride, and featuring two superb, grinding solos from Young and a simple, yet memorable two-string riff which serves as a "chorus" of sorts after each verse.

If everything else on "Rust" was thrash, it would still be a must-have for any Neil Young fan just for this one song, which captures all of Young's strenghts as a composer, a writer and a musician.

4 1/2 stars. Highly recommended.