31. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, “Prime Of Life” (Sleeps With Angels, 1994)
I long took this shuffle for granted, thanks in large part to the heartbreaker I blurbed at #40, but considering album tracks on an individual basis for this ballot dramatically increased my appreciation. Possibly inspired by his recent tour with Booker T & The MGs, Neil’s got Crazy Horse in a real atypical boogie (there’s a lot of atypical on Sleeps With Angels), with flute feedback (played by Neil!) and other overdubs adding to the ambiance. With all this eerie disquiet, it’s easy to miss that the lyrics don’t suggest any reason for concern: king and queen together, in love since the time they met, prime of life, not feeling too bad myself. Once you have something, though, you also have something to lose. Just because you know better than obsess on it, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to forget. This live-in-studio clip lacks the flute (really would love that visual), but even here the subtext hits you before the text.
