American Stars 'n Bars | ||||
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Studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse | ||||
Released | May 27, 1977 | |||
Recorded | December 13, 1974-April 4, 1977 | |||
Studio | Quadrafonic, Nashville; Wally Heider Studios, Hollywood, California; Broken Arrow Ranch, Redwood City, California; Indigo Recording Studio, Malibu | |||
Genre | Heartland rock, country rock, folk rock, blues rock | |||
Length | 37:54 | |||
Label | Reprise, Warner Bros. | |||
Producer |
Neil Young, David Briggs, Tim Mulligan Elliot Mazer "Star of Bethlehem" |
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Neil Young and Crazy Horse chronology | ||||
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Singles from American Stars 'n Bars | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Robert Christgau | B+ |
Pitchfork Media | (8.3/10) |
American Stars 'n Bars is the eighth studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, released on Reprise Records in 1977. Compiled from recording sessions scattered over a 29-month period, it includes "Like a Hurricane," one of Young's best-known songs. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.
In the summer of 1976, Young rekindled his partnership with Stephen Stills, resulting in a tour that ended abruptly and an album. He then embarked on his second tour of the year with Crazy Horse, but spent the first half of 1977 off the road. His previous album had been issued in November 1975; after recording enough tracks to fill up one side of an album at sessions in April, he assembled additional tracks from earlier recording dates to make up the balance of the new album.
"Homegrown" and "Star of Bethlehem" had initially been slated for his unreleased LP Homegrown. Both of those songs, along with "Like a Hurricane," "Hold Back the Tears" and "Will to Love," had also been slated for yet another unreleased Young album project, Chrome Dreams. Seven of the nine tracks feature his regular backing band Crazy Horse, and another features country music star Emmylou Harris in a vocal duet with Young. Songs from the April 1977 sessions are all in a country-styled vein.
The album cover was designed by actor , who had also written the screenplay that inspired After the Gold Rush. It features Connie Moskos, girlfriend of producer David Briggs, drooping with a bottle of Canadian whisky in her hand and an intoxicated Young with his face pressed against the glass floor.