Greatest Hits [LP]

How does one represent the career of one of the most distinctive, powerful singer/songwriters of the 20th century in the space of a single CD? By keeping it simple and sticking to the milestones. That's exactly what GREATEST HITS accomplishes, by presenting 16 of Neil Young's most beloved compositions. The gritty, fuzz-guitar fury of Young's work with Crazy Horse ("Cinnamon Girl," "Hey Hey, My My [Into the Black]") brushes up against the acoustic-based, country-tinged "Old Man" and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," as well as haunting, soul-baring ballads such as "The Needle and the Damage Done." Few would deny that the 1970s were Young's richest decade, and this collection strongly focuses on those years, skipping most of Young's genre-hopping '80s albums and grandfather-of-grunge '90s recordings, but the gems from those years would make a rewarding sequel to this concise, sterling anthology.