L.A. (Neil Young song)
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"L.A." is a song written and performed by
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...
from the
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
album '' Time Fades Away'', a live album noted for its abrasive experimentation and its "wild, agonized, deliberately jarring" vocals. Johnny Rogan in his ''Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young'' tells us that "L.A." was "Young's fantasy vision of the destruction of Los Angeles. There is an underlying glee in his apocalyptic vision that is both intriguing and disconcerting." Rogan also suggests that the song may have been written by Young a full five years before it was debuted during his 1973 ''Time Fades Away'' tour. Rogan talks about the song at greater length in the book ''Neil Young: Zero To Sixty''. In 2004 ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' rated "L.A." as Young's 74th greatest song, calling it a "tense, bitter rocker" that is a "tribute to 'the uptight city of smog' that made him a star." Young performed L.A. 22 times on the ''Time Fade Away'' tour and wouldn't play it again until 2015
The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Ge ...
performed the song on some legs of their 2005-2006 reunion tour, with lead guitarist Marc Ford handling vocal duties. Several of these performances saw official release via the band's deal with Instant Live. Although the Instant Live versions are now out of print, several shows have been made available via the band's official live download site, liveblackcrowes.co

Jubilee (band), Jubilee recorded "L.A." (released in January 2008) as a B-Side on their single "Rebel Hiss" with the participation of guest drummer Troy Petrey.Jubilee discography at Isolate by the hour: http://www.isolatebythehour.com/08discography/discography.htm#rhcd Lukas Nelson, son of Willie Nelson, released a version of "L.A." on his CD, ''Promise Of The Real''.


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{{authority control Neil Young songs 1973 songs Songs written by Neil Young Song recordings produced by Elliot Mazer Songs about Los Angeles Song recordings produced by Neil Young