Rust Never Sleeps

Closing things out with an album that features a song that many regard as one of Neil Young's best. Released in 1979 as a somewhat Live album "Rust Never Sleeps" is what some may consider his last good record before things went a little crazy. The majority of the record was recorded at The Boarding House in San Francisco during the 78 tour. The album is half acoustic and half electric, closing with the song "My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)". Overdubs were added to cut out the majority of the crowd noise, although some can still be heard. Young would later release "Live Rust" to accompany the album and movie. The album was a play on the Rust-Oleum spray paint. You can credit Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo for that. Few people know that Devo and Neil Young worked together during this time period. While this doesn't really count as a true Live album, it's one of the better 'shopped' ones of its time.

My Dad used to joke this was one of the worst Neil Young albums ever. The ongoing joke was that Neil was to messed up to play his own material. It might have been true. While it's far from the worst album in the catalog, it is one of the more relevant ones. 'My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)' features one of rock musics best lyrics in, "It's Better To Burn Out, Then Fade Away". That line would famously be quoted nearly two decades later in Kurt Cobain's suicide note. Even Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten isn't quite sure why Neil references him in the song. In any case it is one of musics more well known lyrics and song. Neil would later dedicate the album "Sleeps With Angels" to Cobain and even thank him in his Rock Hall Of Fame speech. The song itself was inspired by Devo actually. Just goes to show how many genres music can cross and have an impact.

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