Lost song of the day

- Neil Young -- "Thrasher", off Rust Never Sleeps

I love Neil Young.  I've talked about it before, and I'll talk about it again.  What I particularly enjoy about him is that he has alternated so exceedingly between hard and soft for his entire career.  Harvest has "Heart of Gold" and "Out on the Weekend", but also has "Words" and "Alabama."  Everybody Knows this is Nowhere is a phenomenal album, including my favorite song by him "Cowgirl in the Sand", and is almost entirely electric, while After the Gold Rush, critically considered his best record, is almost entirely soft.

Anyway, because I tend to get obsessed with songs and albums for months, and sometimes years, at a time, I sometimes avoid the rest of the catalogue.  I had heard bits and pieces of Rust Never Sleeps before, but never the entire album, which I finally listened to in December. "Thrasher" stuck out for me. 

It's just Neil with his guitar and harmonica, and could have easily been recorded on a solo acoustic tour or in a studio.  His voice and the lyrics are strong, and defiant.  Nearly every lyric paints a picture, evokes imagery, and conjures up imagination.  The melody is repeated and doesn't deviate, but that doesn't take away from it.    I am genuinely sad it took me nearly 29 years to find this song.