The canonized Harvest is the album that would earn Neil Young his only number one hit (“Heart Of Gold”), as well as the autonomy and beyond-reproach status he’s enjoyed ever since. With the release of Harvest, Neil Young — by now already an unlikely minor celebrity — would find himself propelled to a level of fame and infamy he would spend years trying to claw his way away from. But that was later: In 1972 Neil was in love with actress Carrie Snodgrass, and was, for the moment, enjoying his newfound artistic and financial freedom. Assembling an ad hoc band he dubbed the Stray Gators, Neil created Harvest in fits and starts with a handful of producers and guest stars spread out over multiple sessions and locales. The album is funky and loose, with capacious production that allows each sound to imprint itself on even the most casual listener. It is a landmark album and a pivotal release. All of this is not to say it is Neil’s greatest work. In fact, very few of the songs on Harvest rank alongside Neil’s best. For all of its popular appeal, Harvest is uneven: for every brilliant “Old Man” there is an “Alabama”; for every “The Needle and the Damage Done,” a “There’s A World.” Even the ubiquitous “Heart Of Gold” is, at best, merely a pretty good Neil Young song. Quibbling aside, the performances on Harvest are truly exemplary, and the sound of the record has perhaps as much to do with its enduring legacy as the songs contained therein.