Comes a Time is the ninth album by Neil Young, and a return to the country/folk rock sound of Harvest (1972). "Comes a Time" is also the title song and a single release from this album. Originally, it had started out as a solo record, but when Young played it for Reprise executives they asked him if he wouldn't mind adding rhythm tracks to what he already had. Young agreed to this, and the end product was the Comes a Time that was released. Two songs had Young backed by Crazy Horse, resulting in them having a rawer sound than the smooth production of the rest of the album. "Human Highway" was written several years prior to its release, and originally presented to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 1974 for a proposed studio album by the group which never came to be. Much of the album features harmony vocals from Nicolette Larson. She also shares lead with Young on "Motorcycle Mama".
For years, it was rumored that Young had purchased some 200,000 copies of the album because he was unhappy with the sound, owing to damage that occurred to the master tape during shipment to the mixing facility. The version of the album now available was personally remixed by Young from the safety copy of the original master. In a March 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Young revealed that he in fact used the 200,000 LPs as shingles for a barn roof.
Track listing
All songs were written by Neil Young, except where noted. Crazy Horse appear on "Look Out For My Love" and "Lotta Love".
Grant Boatwright, John Christopher, Jerry Shook, Vic Jordan, Steve Gibson, Dale Sellers, Ray Edenton – acoustic guitars
Shelly Kurland, Stephanie Woolf, Marvin Chantry, Roy Christensen, Gary Vanosdale, Carl Goroditzby, George Binkley, Steve Smith, Larry Harvin, Larry Lasson, Carol Walker, Rebecca Lynch, Virginia Ghristensen, Maryanna Harvin, George Kosmola, Martha Mccrory, Chuck Cochran – strings
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 Hilly, Mike Porter, Denny Purcell, Rich "Hoss" Adler, Ernie Winfrey, Gabby Garcia, Paul Kaminsky – engineering
[1]