Album of the Day

Neil Young's batting average in the 1970s was extraordinarily high, and ZUMA is another home run. Named after the California beach where Neil resided, the 1975 Reprise collection largely ditches the despair running through his preceding “ditch trilogy,” and the 9 originals include such tender songs as “Lookin' for a Love” and even a CSNY track, “Through My Sails.” Cut with a reconfigured Crazy Horse, the album has plenty of raw energy and some of Young's best-ever guitar solos, most notably on “Danger Bird” and historical epic “Cortez the Killer.” It's an ideal showcase of the intensity, versatility and heart that put Neil Young in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we'll give the gold-certified ZUMA another spin now to wish the man a happy 75th birthday.