Neil Young: Extra ’Ordinary’
October 24th, 2007 by Wade Tatangelo in News
I’ve spent the past couple of days absorbing Neil Young’s new album Chrome Dreams II, a sequel to an unreleased album from the 1970s. A collection of fresh cuts and archive material, the disc’s centerpiece is the 18-minute-plus “Ordinary People,” which Young reportedly recorded in 1988 with the Blue Notes.
Listening to “Ordinary People,” which I rank as one of Young’s finest, right up there with “Down by the River,” “Like a Hurricane,” etc., got me thinking about long songs. So, I came up with the following list, which is limited to studio recordings.
Lastly, the Young clip posted above appears to be him performing an early version of “Ordinary People” in concert back in ‘88 with the Blue Notes.
Top 10: Long (15-minute plus) songs
1. “Voodoo Chile” (15:05), Jimi Hendrix, from Electric Ladyland
2. “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre” (18:20), Arlo Guthrie, from Alice’s Restaurant
3. “Highlands” (16:31), Bob Dylan, from Time Out of Mind
4. “Spanish Key” (17:32), Miles Davis, from Bitches Brew
5. “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida” (17:05), Iron Butterfly, from In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida
6. “Ordinary People” (18:12), Neil Young, from Chrome Dreams II
7. “A Love Supreme, Pt. 3″ (17:50), John Coltrane, from A Love Supreme
8. “The Gumbo Variations” (16:56), Frank Zappa, from Hot Rats
9. “Sister Ray” (17:27), The Velvet Underground, from White Light/White Heat
10. “Echoes” (23:27), Pink Floyd, from Meddle
October 25th, 2007 at 10:04 am
any DARK STAR from the late 60s
October 25th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Good call but I limited the list to studio recordings. The Dead never released a studio version of “Dark Star.” The epic jam debuted on their 1969 album “Live/Dead,” clocking in at 23:15.
October 25th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Good list.
Mountain Jam – ABB
Space is the place – Sun Ra
Man Sun Ra is cool, especially for an alien.