After a pretty dark (but excellent and mesmerizing) series of albums in the mid-seventies, it finally seemed like Neil Young was ready to have some fun.

The intensity of “On the Beach”, “Tonight’s the Night” and “Zuma” emphasized the heavier side of his stylistic nature, but on “American Stars and Bars”, he set out to do something different. A few ‘near-albums’ (such as “Homegrown” and “Chrome Dreams”) almost happened but were cancelled and left unreleased for one reason or another. This left Young with a lot of material that remained unheard by the general public, with the exception of a few songs that were added to the three-album compilation set entitled “Decade.”

Instead, “American Stars and Bars” appeared from left field, with a whacky album cover showing Neil face down on a barroom floor (apparently a glass floor, since we get a view looking up through the floor). The cover sets the pace, and away we go…

…but the thing is, the album is far from a yukfest. It opens with an incredibly pretty classic country waltz (unsurprisingly called “The Old Country Waltz”) and stays lighthearted for the entirety of side one, alternating between the laugh-out-loud humor of “Saddle Up the Palomino” and “Bite the Bullet” with some straight up pretty tunes like “Hey Babe” and “Hold Back the Tears”.

There’s a continuity that sounds like the whole thing happened in one quick session (which turns out to be true, as the entirety of side one was recorded on 4/4/77). Flipping the record, though, places the listener in a significantly different state of mind. “Star of Bethlehem” is a reflective song that would have fit nicely on “After the Gold Rush”, but “Will to Love” brings back Neil’s darker side with a burnt-out melody that barely manages to survive its seven minutes. Then, appearing almost as an act of defiance, “Like a Hurricane” bursts to life with a transfixing energy that demands attention, exuding an energy that highlights the entire album. Side two ends with the playful “Homegrown,” which only makes the listener want to flip the record and do the whole thing all over again, and truth be told, that would be a very good idea, because “American Stars and Bars” is surely one of the most diverse and engaging albums of Neil Young’s myriad career.

Featured tracks:

The Old Country Waltz

Saddle Up the Palomino

Hey Babe

Hold Back the Tears

Bite the Bullet

Star of Bethlehem Will to Love

Like a Hurricane

Homegrown