Track Listing

1. Don't Cry No Tears
2. Danger Bird
3. Pardon My Heart
4. Looking For A Love
5. Barstool Blues
6. Stupid Girl
7. Drive Back
8. Cortez The Killer
9. Through My Sails

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3712 in Music
• Released on: 1993-06-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
If Everybody Knows This is Nowhere and Ragged Glory are the two finest studio albums Neil Young recorded with Crazy Horse, Zuma certainly qualifies as a close third. Recorded in 1975, Zuma exudes both a sense of focus and a tentative optimism, two qualities that were completely MIA from the bleak Time Fades Away/Tonight's the Night/On the Beach trilogy that preceded it. "Barstool Blues", "Don't Cry No Tears" and "Drive Back" are terse, punchy rockers, while "Danger Bird" and "Cortez the Killer" are extended guitar work-outs in the grand Crazy Horse tradition. And the two acoustic entries--"Pardon My Heart" and "Through My Sails" (the latter was recorded with Crosby, Stills & Nash)--are absolutely gorgeous. Ignore the terrible cover art, and treat yourself to one of Young's most underrated records. --Dan Epstein

CD Description
Easily the moodiest album in a career not lacking in that quality, ZUMA is a swirling, hypnotic current that drags you into river of self-doubt, bitterness and fear. This is the sound of the '60 gone sour. All the peace-and-love vibes Young dabbled in with Buffalo Springfield and CSNY crash to the ground, and the strange, beautiful sound they make is ZUMA.
It's only through the good offices of Crazy Horse that Young is able to keep the somber, droning quality of these tunes going for an entire album without a moment of boredom. Onthe unforgivingly sarcastic "Stupid Girl" and the paranoid "Cortez the Killer", it's the languid air of acceptance withwhich Young delivers the lyrics that draws you in, but it'sthe twisting thorn bush of electric guitars that keeps you focused. Hidden amidst all this emotional turmoil is one of Young's most poignant, trenchant and concise pop gems, "Don't Cry No Tears".

Customer Reviews

Just great rock music
Released in 1975, not that long after the classic Harvest, this album shares the same downbeat mood though this time, the backing band were Crazy Horse and not the Stray 'Gators. Thus, the musical style is more rock than country.

This is a great album with no weak tracks at all. Dangerbird is my favourite here. What a terrific song. It is one of Neil Young's best ever efforts. More than that, it is one of the best rock ballads ever with some superb guitar and bass licks.

Barstool Blues is another great song, Neil's singing at its best and the classic Crazy Horse guitar sound is here at its finest.

Cortez the Killer is perhaps the best known track on this album and it too is a knockout song. Where Dangerbird was surreal and Barstool Blues dealt with modern day angst, this song refers back to the brutality of the Conquistadors.

Along with Harverst, this CD stands out as the top of Neil Young's early years and it is essential part of any collection of his work. If you particularly like this album then you will surely be interested in some of his later work with Crazy Horse such as Ragged Glory.

A haunting, weeping, rocking epic!
Neil has trodden a maverick path over his 35 odd years, but this one could probably go under the 'typical Neil' banner as well as any. That's because alongside the epic, sinister guitar work-outs of Cortez The Killer, there are delicately beautiful ballads such as Pardon My Heart and the sublime Through My sails. Yet he also finds time to throw in some great pop tunes like Looking For A Love or Barstool Blues. Despite the range of styles, it all remains inimitably Neil Young and the quality of the songwriting is almost unparalleled. For people who love fantastic guitar music and brilliant, simple songs this record is a essential addition to their collection.

****1/2
One of Neil Young's "classic" albums, "Zuma" is named after Zuma Beach, California, where Young had acquired a house at the time.
He is backed by his legendary touring band Crazy Horse on seven of these nine songs, and their costumary gritty, crunchy sound has something of a "live" feel to it.

Neil Young has always been something of an acquired taste, sort of like Bob Dylan. Even his most accessible albums aren't THAT accessible, an even though he has crafted a number of radio-friendly hit singles, Young has always been more of an album artist.
"Zuma" is a musically varied record, ranging from the very low-key acoustic "Pardon My Heart" to the thumping riff-rocker "Drive Back". "Don't Cry No Tears" is an upbeat, lively song with an instantly memorable hook. "Looking For A Love" is an almost Willie Nelson-like country rock song, simple and melodic, while the venomous seven-minute epic "Cortez the Killer" serves as a vehicle for some smouldering guitars solos by Neil Young.

Oh, and "Through My Sails", by the way, is actually a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recording. It is quite rare, at least in connection with CSN&Y, and it doesn't even appear on the Crosby, Stills & Nash box set. Very nice vocal harmonies, not a major song otherwise, but it's okay.
And all in all, "Zuma" is much better than okay. Fans of Neil Young will not want to miss this one.