The Ditch Trilogy refers to a trio of rock music albums by Neil Young made in the wake of his chart-topping best-seller, Harvest. The moniker derives from a quote by Young, printed in the self-penned track-by-track liner notes to his career summary compilation Decade of 1977. In the text about the only #1 single of his life, "Heart of Gold," Young states: "This song put me in the middle of the road. Travelling there soon became a bore so I headed...
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The Ditch Trilogy refers to a trio of rock music albums by Neil Young made in the wake of his chart-topping best-seller, Harvest. The moniker derives from a quote by Young, printed in the self-penned track-by-track liner notes to his career summary compilation Decade of 1977. In the text about the only #1 single of his life, "Heart of Gold," Young states: "This song put me in the middle of the road. Travelling there soon became a bore so I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride but I saw more interesting people there."
After his success with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Harvest, Young took an abrupt artistic turn with the soundtrack and film Journey Through the Past. His next three albums cemented this move. Much of this work is characterized by loose, almost "sloppy" playing, a type of performance which Young encouraged. Lyrical themes from this time include the hollowness of show business and commercial success ("LA" from Time Fades Away), the toll exacted by hard drug use,...
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