Seven Neil Young Albums That Should Have Won Grammys

Neil Young says he's working on a new album. Will this be the Young studio album that finally wins a Grammy?

Yeah, we know, the Grammys are nonsense and blah blah blabbity blah. And although Young was made MusiCares Person Of The Year at the Grammys over the weekend and won his first Grammy for last year's Archives, Vol. 1 (1963-1972) box set, he still has yet to win a Grammy for a studio album — y'know, a real Grammy.

There's something incredibly wrong about that considering Young's one of the most enduringly popular and influential classic rock musicians around.

Anyway, Young announced in his MusiCares acceptance speech that he'd already started working on songs for the follow-up to last year's Fork In The Road studio album.

"I really don't know what to say," he said in the speech, which can be seen in the video below. "I'm honoured so much. I forgot how many songs I've written and I saw so many of them.

"I just want you to know I'm working on a new album. I've already written four or five songs for it and I don't want to stop. And I hope to be able to continue for a really long time."

Here's Young's speech:

The disc doesn't have a title yet and there's no other information about it.

Here's a list of Neil Young albums that by all rights, if there was any God whatsoever, should have been honoured with Grammy awards:

1. After The Gold Rush (1970)
Do we really need to explain this one? Look at the track listing! This is probably his most popular album (along with Harvest), and it's widely considered one of the greatest albums ever made.

2. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969, with Crazy Horse)
It's got "Cinnamon Girl," "Down By The River" and "Cowgirl In The Sand." That Young can still rock out to the latter track (a 10-minute thrasher) at the age of 64 deserves an award itself.

3. Harvest (1972)
Who hasn't belted their ass off to "Old Man," "Heart Of Gold" or "The Needle And The Damage Done," even when they're played at hockey games or being covered by other people?

4. On The Beach (1974)
"You're all just pissing in the wind" on "Ambulance Blues" describes nearly ever artist who won a Grammy this year.

5. Rust Never Sleeps (1979, with Crazy Horse)
Young's a musical maverick, and this record proves it. "Hey Hey, My My (Out Of The Blue)" is pretty much the first grunge tune, indicating Young was at least a decade ahead of his time. That rolling acoustic guitar intro to "Thrasher" makes it one of my favourite folk tunes ever written and "Powderfinger" is a truly amazing combination of folk, classic, gospel and rock.

6. Tonight's The Night (1975)
This one's songs aren't nearly as well known as those on After The Gold Rush or Harvest, but "World On A String" and the title track alone make the record a classic.

7. Zuma (1975, with Crazy Horse)
Again, this one isn't as popular as some of his other albums, but "Cortez The Killer" contains what I'd argue is one of the greatest guitar solos ever written. And I have a special place in my heart for this one because one of my friends from university can do a dead on, completely side-splitting impression of Young's drawl on that track.

Honourable mention goes to Freedom (1989). Really, what would Nardwuar do without it?