Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

7. Neil YoungHarvest

"Think I’ll pack it in/ And buy a pick-up/ Drive it down to LA…"

With these opening words I’m dreaming open horizons and yearning for big American skies. I bought this second-hand on vinyl in my late teens. The buff-coloured cover has darkened and become fuzzy-cornered with age but the music stays wondrous and deep. To my innocent ears ‘A Man Needs A Maid’ was an enigma although its impact was immediate. Over the years its meaning has moved me ever more deeply; I love the shameless expression of a man lost in love and longing for simplicity and the strings are epic as fuck.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens: Georgia, Colin Newman, Suzi Quatro, Jim Jones, Pixies
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