Broken Arrow cover art

  Studio Album · No. 23

Broken Arrow Songwriting Credits by Neil Young

1996 Reprise Records 8 tracks 47 min

Produced by Neil Young  ·  Engineered by Greg Archilla, John Hausmann, Tim Mulligan

Reprise Records Blues rockFolk rock
88%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 7 of 8 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 7 / 8 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Young carries a lyricist or composer credit.

88%
7 trackswritten by Neil Young 1 trackoutside writers
Neil Young's roles on this album

Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist88%
Composer88%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

8
Tracks
2
Lyricists
1
Producers
1996
Released
Data Insight

Broken Arrow is one of Neil Young's loosest Crazy Horse records, built around long, unhurried electric jams cut largely live with the band. Young wrote all seven original songs himself, leaning on extended guitar workouts like the nearly ten-minute "Loose Change" and the eight-and-a-half-minute "Slip Away," while keeping shorter tracks such as "Changing Highways" and "This Town" sketch-like and unpolished. The album closes with the only outside song, a live version of Jimmy Reed's blues standard "Baby What You Want Me to Do," captured on an audience microphone at a small club gig so that it carries a deliberately rough, bootleg feel. These were the first Crazy Horse sessions after the death of Young's longtime producer David Briggs, and the record's raw, underproduced quality reflects that shift.

"Broken Arrow" is the 1996 album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, his twenty-fourth studio record and a blues rock and folk rock set recorded at Plywood Digital in Woodside, California. It was his eighth collaboration with Crazy Horse, featuring Ralph Molina on drums, Frank Sampedro on guitar, and Billy Talbot on bass, and the album includes a Jimmy Reed cover recorded live at a secret club gig that gives it a bootleg feel, along with "Changing Highways," first recorded in 1974. Young produced the album himself, his first sessions without producer David Briggs, who had died of lung cancer the previous year. Young described the experience as vulnerable and unfinished, saying he wanted to get one under his belt without Briggs. It peaked at number 31 on the Billboard 200.

Track Listing & Credits 8 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Big Time
Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
2
Loose Change
Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
3
Slip Away
Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
4
Changing Highways
Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
5
Scattered (Let's Think About Livin')
Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
6
This Town
Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
7
Music Arcade
Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
8
Baby What You Want Me to Do
Jimmy Reed Jimmy Reed Neil Young Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

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Frequently Asked Questions Broken Arrow

When was Neil Young's Broken Arrow released and on what label?
Broken Arrow was released on July 2, 1996, by Reprise Records. It was credited to Neil Young & Crazy Horse and reached number 31 on the Billboard 200.
Who wrote the songs on Broken Arrow?
Neil Young wrote all seven original songs on Broken Arrow by himself, including "Big Time," "Loose Change," and "Slip Away." The only song he did not write is the closing track, "Baby What You Want Me to Do," which is a cover of a blues standard by Jimmy Reed.
Is the last track on Broken Arrow a cover?
Yes. The closing track, "Baby What You Want Me to Do," was written and originally recorded by blues musician Jimmy Reed. Young and Crazy Horse performed it live at a small club gig in California, and the version was captured on an audience microphone, giving it a raw, bootleg-style sound.
Why are several songs on Broken Arrow so long?
The album was built around extended, loosely structured jams with Crazy Horse. "Loose Change" runs nearly ten minutes, "Slip Away" stretches past eight and a half minutes, and the live "Baby What You Want Me to Do" runs about eight minutes, leaving room for long electric guitar passages cut largely live with the band.
What is "Music Arcade" on Broken Arrow?
"Music Arcade" is the seventh track on Broken Arrow and one of the album's quieter moments, a short acoustic song Young wrote and performed sparsely. It stands apart from the long electric jams that dominate the rest of the record.
How was Broken Arrow recorded?
Broken Arrow was recorded with Crazy Horse in spring 1996 at Young's ranch in Woodside, California. The sessions were the first the band made without longtime producer David Briggs, who had died of lung cancer the previous year, and the resulting album has a deliberately loose, underproduced feel.
What single was released from Broken Arrow?
"Big Time" was the album's only single in 1996. The single also carried "Interstate," an outtake from the earlier Ragged Glory sessions that did not appear on the standard CD. No major US chart peak for the single is documented in the sources consulted.
How did Broken Arrow perform on the charts?
Broken Arrow peaked at number 31 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It charted higher in parts of Europe, reaching number 9 in Norway and number 17 in the United Kingdom, and also charted in Canada, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Who played on Broken Arrow with Neil Young?
Broken Arrow features the classic Crazy Horse lineup: Frank "Poncho" Sampedro on electric guitar, Billy Talbot on bass, and Ralph Molina on drums, all contributing backing vocals. Young handled lead vocals, guitars, piano, and harmonica, and produced the album himself.

Sources