Neil Young ‘Old Ways’ Album Turns 40

Neil Young’s Old Ways, released on 12 August 1985, was Neil’s seventeenth studio album, not country Crosby Still Nash & Young). It was a return to straight-up country-country rock offering that marks a bold detour from the mainstream rock and folk he’d become known for.

In the early 1980s, Young was navigating turbulent creative waters. After experimenting with synth-rock (Trans) and rockabilly (Everybody’s Rockin’), he attempted a fully country album in 1983, his first since ‘Comes A Time’ (1978). But Geffen Records rejected it, prompting a legal showdown and the release of Everybody’s Rockin’ instead. When Old Ways finally did emerge in 1985, it signalled Young’s return to his country roots that had been hinted at as early as Harvest (1972), yet remained largely unexplored in full until now.

He’d previously dipped into country-tinged sounds on albums like Harvest and Comes a Time, but Old Ways is the first album where country is front and centre, from instrumentation to theme, which makes it a rare stylistic pivot in his discography

Unlike the folk-rock or electric guitar-driven albums he produced with Crazy Horse or others, Old Ways embraces pedal steel, classic country phrasing, and Nashville aesthetics. It’s the closest Neil ever came to a “pure” country album.

Young enlisted his long-time collaborator Ben Keith (of Harvest fame) on pedal steel. He also brought in Willie Nelson for a duet (“Are There Any More Real Cowboys?”) and Waylon Jennings on “Bound for Glory.” These cameos gave the album authenticity and depth.

The lyrics are introspective, pondering past ways, youthful memories, fatherhood (“My Boy”), and longing for simplicity. It’s one of Young’s quieter, more reflective records, a stark contrast to visceral raw albums like Rust Never Sleeps or overtly political entries like Freedom.

Recorded between 1983 and 1985 in Nashville, Franklin, and Texas, the sessions feature both longtime collaborators and Nashville session pros, giving it a refined yet heartfelt country sound. The song “California Sunset” even originates from a live performance on Austin City Limits.

Old Ways wasn’t a commercial smash, it peaked modestly and didn’t resonate widely at the Critics too were divided. Some praised its authenticity and Young’s artistic bravery; others found the instrumentation generic, arguing his voice didn’t suit pure country and labelling portions of the album “boring”. In retrospect, audiophiles value early rich vinyl pressings for preserving sonic warmth, something often lost in later digital or subpar CD renderings.

The country tour Young did after recording these songs was captured in the 2011 live album A Treasure, which reissued performances of several Old Ways tracks with his International Harvesters band, reinforcing the album’s enduring live appeal.

Here is the full track listing for Old Ways, as originally presented on vinyl:

Side One
1. “The Wayward Wind” (Herb Newman, Stanley Lebowsky) – duet with Denise Draper (3:12)
2. “Get Back to the Country” (2:50)
3. “Are There Any More Real Cowboys?” – duet with Willie Nelson (3:03)
4. “Once an Angel” (3:55)
5. “Misfits (Dakota)” (5:07)

Side Two
6. “California Sunset” (2:56) – live on Austin City Limits
7. “Old Ways” (3:08)
8. “My Boy” (3:37)
9. “Bound for Glory” – duet with Waylon Jennings (5:48)
10. “Where Is the Highway Tonight?” (3:02)

Old Ways stands out as one of Neil Young’s most idiosyncratic works, a full-fledged country album created at a time when country crossovers from rock artists were uncommon. It’s a sincere expression of Young’s artistic freedom, unfiltered by commercial expectations. For fans of his quieter, emotionally grounded songs, this album offers a unique listening experience, one fueled by nostalgia, simplicity, and genuine reverence for country tradition. Though it remains somewhat overlooked, its place in the broader mosaic of Young’s career is essential, reflecting the restless spirit that defines his artistic trajectory.

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Tagged as: 80s, Canada, Comes A Time, country, Harvest, Neil Young, Old Ways, USA, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson