Neil Young Reveals His “Worst” Record

Neil Young has never been afraid to take risks, but even he admits that not every experiment has worked out. One of his most regrettable ventures was the 1973 live album Time Fades Away, recorded with The Stray Gators during his tour in support of Harvest. Despite its historical significance, Young has openly called it the lowest point of his career.

A Disappointing Live Album

By 1972, Harvest had made Young a superstar, and his label booked him for a massive 90-city tour. However, rather than performing familiar hits, Young played entirely new material—songs the audience had never heard before. Worse, the chemistry within his band, The Stray Gators, was completely off. The result was Time Fades Away, a raw and unpolished live album that Young later described with brutal honesty.

“My least favorite record is Time Fades Away,” he admitted in a 1987 UK radio interview with Dave Ferrin. “I think it’s the worst record I ever made – but as a documentary of what was happening to me, it was a great record. I was onstage, and I was playing all these songs that nobody had heard before, recording them, and I didn’t have the right band.”

A Tour That Felt Like a Job

The Time Fades Away tour wasn’t just musically disappointing—it was personally draining for Young. Instead of feeling inspired, he felt trapped in an exhausting routine.

“It was supposed to be this big deal – I just had Harvest out, and they booked me into ninety cities. I felt like a product, and I had this band of all-star musicians that couldn’t even look at each other. It was a total joke.”

The stress of the tour took its toll, and Young later reflected on how much he disliked the entire experience. In a 1999 interview with Q, he admitted:

“The whole tour was a nervous experience. It wasn’t really a lot of fun. I kind of got into documenting that vibe. It’s not something I want to listen to a lot, and when I listen to it, I’m not that impressed.”

A Lesson in Artistic Struggles

Despite Young’s disdain for Time Fades Away, the album has since gained a cult following. Some fans appreciate its raw, unfiltered sound, viewing it as an honest snapshot of a troubled time in Young’s career. While he may still consider it his worst work, it remains a fascinating piece of his musical journey—one that highlights the struggles even the most daring artists face.