Comes a Time

Comes a Time is the ninth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, released by Reprise Records in October 1978. Its songs are written as moralizing discourses on love's failures and recovering from worldly troubles. They are largely performed in a quiet folk and country mode, featuring backing harmonies sung by Nicolette Larson and additional accompaniment on some songs by Crazy Horse.[3]

Comes a Time
Studio album by
Neil Young
ReleasedOctober 21, 1978[1]
RecordedJanuary 10, 1976 – November 21, 1977
Studio
GenreCountry folk[2]
Length37:15
LabelReprise
ProducerNeil Young, David Briggs, Ben Keith, Tim Mulligan
Neil Young chronology
Decade
(1977)		 Comes a Time
(1978)		 Rust Never Sleeps
(1979)

Production

The first sessions for the album were held at Triiad Studios in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in September, 1977. Young recorded solo acoustic performances of several of the album's songs, often with layers of overdubs performed by himself. Overdubs were also added to the Hitchhiker recording of "Pocahontas", which later appeared on Rust Never Sleeps. "Lost in Space" on Hawks and Doves also dates from these sessions. Young compiled a solo album from the sessions, entitled Oceanside/Countryside. When Young played it for Reprise executives they asked him if he would consider adding rhythm tracks to what he already had. Young agreed and scheduled additional sessions in Nashville with a full band in November, 1977.

Nicolette Larson (pictured in 1985) sang harmonies on most of the songs.

Much of the album features harmony vocals from Nicolette Larson, who also shares lead vocals with Young on "Motorcycle Mama".[4] Two songs on the album, "Look Out for My Love" and "Lotta Love", featured Young's long-time backing band, Crazy Horse. "Look Out For My Love" was originally intended to close the canceled album Chrome Dreams in 1977 but saw release in its original recording here. Another song, "Human Highway", was written several years prior to the album's release and originally recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in both 1973 and 1976 for a proposed album to be called "Human Highway", but in typical CSNY fashion the recording sessions were abandoned amid acrimony between the four group members and the album never came to pass.[5] The songs "Pocahontas" and "Sail Away" from Rust Never Sleeps were also recorded during the sessions. A personal acetate of an early version of the album, listed for sale by Young archivist Joel Bernstein, includes the songs "Dance Dance Dance" and "Country Home" in the running order for the album, in place of the Crazy Horse tracks.[6]

Young took especial pride in the production of the album, even purchasing the first 200,000 copies of the album when a mastering defect was discovered. The artist had been unhappy with the album's sound, owing to damage that occurred to the master tape during shipment to the mixing facility. Young would explain in a November 1978 interview with Tony Schwartz for Newsweek:

"After five or six albums going in one direction, my feelings demanded that I really craft an album. Musically, I get crazy when it's not right. The record company said, 'Fine, we'll redo it, and we'll mix the first 200,000 in with the rest later.' I said no, but to make sure, I bought all the faulty records back. People say I'm crazy, but that's OK. Now I'm happy with the album. It came out outward, clean and appealing. It's the first record I've released where I'm actually facing the audience on the jacket and smiling. I think of it as a presentation you would make of yourself if you wanted to open the door to further conversations."[7]

The version of the album most widely available today was personally remixed by Young from the safety copy of the original master. In a March 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Young claimed that he, in fact, used the 200,000 LPs as shingles for a barn roof.[8]

Critical reception
Retrospective professional reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Christgau's Record GuideA[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Spin Alternative Record Guide9/10[12]
Tom Hull – on the WebA[13]

Reviewing for The Village Voice in October 1978, Robert Christgau hailed Comes a Time as a "tour de force" for its folkie concept and music, with melodies that rival those of Young's After the Gold Rush (1970) and a sound that is "almost always quiet, usually acoustic and drumless, and sweetened by Nicolette Larson". While noting that listeners may "wonder why this thirty-two-year-old hasn't learned more about Long-Term Relationships", Christgau was ultimately won over by "the spare, good-natured assurance of the singing and playing" for how it "deepens the more egregious homilies and transforms good sense into wisdom".[14] Stereo Review magazine's Noel Coppage found the album to be Young's "simplest, most acoustic, and best produced" record since 1972's Harvest, but more "down to earth and direct" in comparison and highlighted by a healthier perspective to his usual angst and varied songs performed in a consistent style. While lamenting a lack of energy to some degree, Coppage said that repeat listens of the album will provide "rewarding experiences with texture and mood, some real tunes, and the real personality Young puts into his work".[15] Somewhat less impressed was Greil Marcus of Rolling Stone. Describing Comes a Time as "a restrained and modest set of love songs that traces a long affair from first light to final regrets", he expressed disappointment at the relative "facelessness" of the songwriting when compared with rougher music on earlier albums like Zuma (1975) and American Stars 'n Bars (1977).[16]

At the end of 1978, Comes a Time was voted the year's eighth best album in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics nationwide, published in The Village Voice.[17] Christgau, the poll's supervisor, ranked it fifth on his own year-end list accompanying the poll.[18]

According to Rolling Stone's Milo Miles, while the album may have sounded out of place amidst the punk rock craze of 1978, it is in retrospect Young's "most timeless and easy-to-love works, a brief but immaculate" work. Miles interprets the opening track "Goin' Back" as Young returning to folk music in refuge from the real world, much as in the same way the album altogether offers listeners "a steady haven in dark times" with lyrics about "taking shelter from troubles and going out to face them again".[11] AllMusic's William Ruhlmann recommended the album to fans of Harvest, saying "melodies, love lyrics, lush arrangements, and steel guitar solos dominated, and Young's vocals were made more accessible by being paired with Nicolette Larson's harmonies."[9]

Track listing

All songs are written by Neil Young, except "Four Strong Winds" written by Ian Tyson. Track numbering and timings are from the original vinyl release, MSK 2266.

Side one
  1. "Goin' Back" (4:43)
    • Recorded at Triiad Recording Studios, Ft. Lauderdale, 9/1977 and Woodland Studio, Nashville, 11/2/1977.
  2. "Comes a Time" (3:05)
    • Recorded at Woodland Studio, Nashville, 11/2/1977.
  3. "Look Out for My Love" (4:06)
    • Recorded with Crazy Horse at Broken Arrow Ranch, 1/20/1976 with overdubs at CBS Studios London 4/1/1976.
  4. "Lotta Love" (2:40)
  5. "Peace of Mind" (4:06)
    • Recorded at Triiad Recording Studios, Ft. Lauderdale, 9/12/1977 with overdubs at Woodland Studio, Nashville, 11/4/1977.

Side two
  1. "Human Highway" (3:09)
    • Recorded at Triiad Recording Studios, Ft. Lauderdale, 9/14/1977 with overdubs at Woodland Studio, Nashville, 11/4/1977.
  2. "Already One" (4:53)
    • Recorded at Woodland Studio, Nashville, 11/2/1977.
  3. "Field of Opportunity" (3:08)
    • Recorded at Crazy Mama's, Nashville, 5/3/1977 with overdubs at Woodland Studio, Nashville, 11/4/1977.
  4. "Motorcycle Mama" (3:08)
    • Recorded at Sound Shop, Nashville, 11/21/1977.
  5. "Four Strong Winds" (4:07)
    • Recorded at Woodland Studio, Nashville, 11/2/1977.

Personnel

Musicians
  • Neil Young – guitar, harmonica, vocals, production
  • Frank Sampedro – guitar, piano, vocals (on tracks 3 and 4)
  • Billy Talbot – bass, vocals (on tracks 3 and 4)
  • Ralph Molina – drums, vocals (on tracks 3 and 4)
  • Tim Mulligan – saxophone
  • Nicolette Larson – harmony / lead vocals (except on tracks 3 and 4)
  • Ben Keith – steel guitar
  • Karl Himmel – drums
  • Tim Drummond – bass
  • Spooner Oldham – piano
  • Rufus Thibodeaux – fiddle
  • Joe Osborn – bass
  • Larrie Londin – drums
  • J. J. Cale – electric guitar
  • Farrell Morris – percussion
  • Rita Fey – autoharp
  • Bucky Barrett, Grant Boatwright, Johnny Christopher, Jerry Shook, Vic Jordan, Steve Gibson, Dale Sellers, Ray Edenton – acoustic guitars
  • Shelly Kurland, Stephanie Woolf, Marvin Chantry, Roy Christensen, Gary Vanosdale, Carl Gorodetzky, George Binkley, Steven Smith, Larry Harvin, Larry Lasson, Carol Walker, Rebecca Lynch, Virginia Christensen, Maryanna Harvin, George Kosmola, Martha McCrory, Chuck Cochran – strings

Technical
  • Ben Keith – production (except on tracks 3, 4 and 8)
  • Tim Mulligan – production (except on track 7)
  • David Briggs – production (on tracks 3 and 4)
  • Tim Mulligan, Michael Laskow, David McKinley, Danny Hilley, Mike Porter, Denny Purcell, Rich "Hoss" Adler, Ernie Winfrey, Gabby Garcia, Paul Kaminsky – engineering
  • Elliot Roberts – direction
  • Tom Wilkes – art direction
  • Coley Coleman – photography

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart performance for Comes A Time
Chart (1978) Peak

position

Australia (Kent Music Report)[19] 6
US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[20] 7
UK Album Charts[21] 42
Canadian RPM 100 Albums[22] 4
Finnish Album Charts[23] 10
French Album Charts[24] 2
Japanese Album Charts[25] 65
Norwegian VG-lista Albums[26] 9
New Zealand Album Charts[27] 6
Dutch MegaCharts Albums[27] 3
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums[28] 13
US Record World Album Chart[29] 13

Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1979 "Four Strong Winds" Billboard Pop Singles[30] 61
US Cashbox Singles[31] 69
US Record World Singles[32] 67
Canadian RPM Top Singles[33] 61
UK Singles Chart 57

Year End Chart

Year Chart Position
1978 Canadian Year End Chart[34] 60
Cashbox Year End Chart[35] 71
1979 Billboard Year End Chart[36] 56
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[37] 44

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[38] 2× Platinum 140,000^
France (SNEP)[39] 2× Gold 200,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[41] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "BPI".
  2. Clark, Rick (1995). "Neil Young – Comes a Time". All Music Guide to Rock. Miller Freeman. ISBN 087930376X.
  3. Shapiro, Bill (1991). "Neil Young". Rock & Roll Review: A Guide to Good Rock on CD. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0836262174. Young, effectively immersed in his country/folk mode, with a little help from Crazy Horse and some less-than-successful harmony vocals from Nicolette Larson. Replete with pleasant melodies, quietly intense performances, and hard-bitten homilies about love's losses ...
  4. "Comes A Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  5. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's Unreleased LP "Human Highway" | Talk From The Rock Room, http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2014/11/crosby-stills-nash-and-youngs.html
  6. https://recordmecca.com/item-archives/neil-young-neil-owned-alternate-comes-a-time-acetate-with-2-unreleased-songs/
  7. http://thrasherswheat.org/tfa/howtostayyoung78.htm
  8. "Neil Young on Pono, His New Album and Using LPs as Roof Shingles". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  9. Ruhlmann, William. Comes a Time at AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  10. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: Y". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  11. Miles, Milo (January 23, 2003). "The Rolling Stone Hall of Fame: The Greatest Albums Ever Made: Neil Young Comes a Time > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 914. p. 70. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2007. Posted at rollingstone.com December 30, 2002.
  12. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Neil Young". Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  13. Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Grade List: Neil Young". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  14. Christgau, Robert (October 30, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via robertchristgau.
  15. Coppage, Noel (February 1979). "Comes a Time". Stereo Review. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via Google Books.
  16. Marcus, Greil (October 1978). "Neil Young Comes a Time > Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2011. Posted at rollingstone.com January 2, 2002.
  17. Christgau, Robert (January 22, 1979). "The 1978 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via robertchristgau.com.
  18. Christgau, Robert (January 22, 1979). "New Wave Hegemony and the Bebop Question". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via robertchristgau.com.
  19. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 295. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. "Stephen Stills". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  21. "STEPHEN STILLS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  22. Canada, Library and Archives (April 16, 2013). "The RPM story". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  23. Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961.
  24. "InfoDisc : Les Albums (Interprètes, Classements, Ventes, Certifications, Les Tops, Les N° 1...)". www.infodisc.fr. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  25. "クロスビー,スティルス,ナッシュ&ヤングの売上ランキング". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  26. "norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  27. Hung, Steffen. "The Stills-Young Band - Long May You Run". hitparade.ch. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  28. "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  29. "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  30. Comes a Time – Neil Young > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2005.
  31. "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  32. "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  33. "RPM Top 100 Singles - February 13, 1993" (PDF).
  34. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". June 19, 2013. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  35. "Cashbox Year End Chart 1978" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 8, 2021.
  36. "BILLBOARD MAGAZINE: American music magazine 1920's to 2017". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  37. "Top Selling Albums of 1979 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  38. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  39. "French album certifications – Neil Young – Comes A Time" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  40. "British album certifications – Neil Young – Comes A Time". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  41. "American album certifications – Neil Young – Comes A Time". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
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