Description
It is also the kind of intimacy that can easily be mistaken for mere banality or creative drought: spidery picking; low, soft vocals; plain, even austere verse. The opening number, "Good to See You," largely consists of the title phrase repeated a dozen times, the only punctuative color coming from Young's asthmatic-ranch-hand harmonica and the discreet meowing of Ben Keith's pedal steel guitar. An exquisite country-soul rhythm section plays behind Young on most of the album -- drummers Jim Keltner and Oscar Butterworth, pianist-organist Spooner Oldham and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn.
Their contributions, however, are so spare and atmospheric that the notes blow through the songs like Zen-Stax vapor: dusty snare-drum shuffles, sprinkles of saloon piano, the pioneer-chapel wheeze of Oldham's pump organ.