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List Price: $11.98 | | Label: Interscope Records
Salesrank: 14926
Released: August 1, 2000 |
| Our Price: $5.15 |
| Used Price: $4.27 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Old Ways Track Listing:
1. Wayward Wind
2. Get Back to the Country
3. Are There Any More Real Cowboys?
4. Once an Angel
5. Misfits
6. California Sunset
7. Old Ways
8. My Boy
9. Bound for Glory
10. Where Is the Highway Tonight?
Editorial Review:
Neil Young's most dependable route has always been to head for the back roads. Country-flavored releases Harvest (1972), Comes a Time ('78), Harvest Moon ('92), and Silver & Gold ('00) are among the most commercially popular titles in a fitful career, which makes Old Ways something of a anomaly. Released in 1985 as the mid-title in a misbegotten five-LP stint with Geffen, it failed to exhibit the kind of roughhewn muscle of its more robust country cousins. With Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson making vocal contributions and a mix of longtime Young sidemen and Nashville cats laying down a bed of fiddles, steel guitar, and banjo, it would seem to be cruising right up Music City's main drag of the mid-'80s. But Young being Young, he goes around the bend with "Misfits," which summons an indelible image of space-station astronauts watching reruns of Muhammad Ali fights. It happens to be the most memorable number on Old Ways, which perhaps explains why those new fans never showed up and the old ones found other things to do for awhile. --Steven Stolder
Old Ways Reviews:
Old Ways 
2009-10-03 - Once again Neil Young delivers an album with great song-writing and music. As the title suggests, this bunch of songs are very country-rock 'n roll similar to his albums Harvest, Comes A Time and American Stars 'N Bars. Enjoyable listening with toe-tapping and knee-slapping tunes. A must have album if you like Neil's country side.
Gold Neil
2009-06-12 - When folks talk about "Gold" and Neil Young in the same breath, they mean a long career of thoughtful folk rock and and hard chrging old style rock & roll. This great "Oldie but Goodie" needs to be in your collection if you're a fan as are my son and I. Great listening.
Neil Young's Best Album Yet!
2009-05-01 - I received a copy of "Old Ways," for Christmas during my Neil Young phase, when I was a teenager. And in my move out of my parents' house I sadly lost it. Fortunately, several years ago, I was able to buy a replacement copy. And I have it on my iPod. It has some GREAT numbers on it. A lot of the songs are ones that Neil Young wrote, but there are also ones that are classics. For example, everybody knows "The Wayward Wind." And "Any More Real Cowboys," is also pretty popular. "My Boy," makes me cry every time I hear that cut.
If all you care about it Neil Young's rock music, this may not be the right choice for you. However, if you are a big fan of Neil Young, period. Then by all means buy yourself a copy of this first rate CD. You'll be glad you did!
Hardcore Country - Good Stuff 
2009-02-04 - Neil finally goes all the way, putting out a full-on, hardcore country album. Fantastic stuff, with Waylon and Willie adding to the mix, along with all the studio musicians in Nashville, seemingly. This album didn't do much when it came out, oddly. I can only imagine that it had to do with both the lawsuits surrounding this release (Geffen wanted something more commercial), and the fact that while most Neil fans like his countrified folk/pop stuff, they just don't like the real deal. Pity. I own all of Neil's albums, and this one always floats around near the top of the pile.
One great song, a few decent ones, but not a good Neil Young album... 
2008-11-03 - I do like some of this album, but most of it feel forced and many of its cuts are way overproduced. Neil has done material with a country tinge to it before, and has done it very well, but when he tries to do a "real" country album, he overdoes it. It's a shame, because the idea of Neil Young doing a country album sounds great on paper.
The song The Wayward Wind, a country music classic covered by just about everyone, is butchered under one of the most overbearing string sections ever. A more subtle approach would have worked so much better. The song Are There Any More Real Cowboys? ventures into self parody, coming across as someone who understands nothing about cowboys. Misfits has some of the silliest lyrics ever in any of Neil's work. The only song that I absolutely adore is Once An Angel, an absolutely beautiful ballad with a sweet production and a moving, sincere vocal by Neil. It's one of my favorite Neil Young songs.
This album is actually one of the better albums from the 80's Neil's Geffen period. As Neil fans know, Geffen sued Young during this time because he felt Neil was purposely doing subpar work to get out of his contract. While that point is debatable, this is one of the few 80's albums that Neil is trying to do something good. He just doesn't succeed fully. It's worth a listen or two, but the only song worth hanging onto is Once An Angel. Old Ways is a noble failure.
