On paper, nothing about the logistics of Neil Young’s second solo album sounds conducive to a good record. From the personnel involved to the state of Young himself, all signs pointed to disaster. Yet, somehow, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere pulled through. It wasn’t a smash success on the charts, but it became a fan-favorite sleeper hit.
Perhaps the most notable hurdle in the making of Young’s sophomore solo release is the fact that he was horrendously sick for a good portion of the time. In fact, Young was so sick that he was pushing a 103-degree fever. (For context: brain damage in adults starts at around 104 degrees.)
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Ultimately, though, that fever—and corresponding bed rest—turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With nowhere to go and nothing to do but lie in bed, Young passed the time by strumming on his guitar. It was during this time that he wrote songs like “Cinnamon Girl”, “Down By The River”, and “Cowgirl in The Sand”. Not too bad for someone in a delirious, germ-ridden state.
Neil Young Used a New Band for ‘Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere’
Another surprising element to Neil Young’s second album, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, is the fact that he was using a practically brand-new band. Young met his future Crazy Horse bandmates through the local Laurel Canyon music scene. They didn’t rehearse before the sessions, and they would only record a couple of takes before calling it quits.
As drummer Ralph Molina later recalled, “The sessions were free and easy. Neil walks in with a song, then we jump in.” He added that they only did one or two takes because “after that, the feel, heart, and emotion are lost. Any more takes, and now you’re just playing a part. When you’re young, there are no politics, nothing to get in the way. We just had fun playing. No thinking.”
While most musicians would say they want playing music to be fun, there are countless artists who would argue that proper preparation is what makes it fun. The idea of recording an album full of songs you’ve never heard before with only one or two tries to make it album-worthy sounds like a nightmare to some (read: this writer). Still, this spontaneity worked in Young’s favor.
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere certainly isn’t Young’s most successful album. It peaked at No. 34 on Billboard in the United States and No. 18 in his native Canada. Some singles enjoyed modest standalone success, like “Cinnamon Girl”, which peaked at No. 55. Still, in the decades that have followed, it’s become a well-loved favorite among Young fans, buoyed by its palpable sense of uninhibitedness (and a little bit of feverish frenzy).
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