Landing on Water cover art

  Studio Album · No. 15

Landing on Water Songwriting Credits by Neil Young

1986 10 tracks 40 min
RockSynth-rockNew wave
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Young carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
10 trackswritten by Neil Young 0 tracksoutside writers
Neil Young's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
1
Lyricists
2
Producers
1986
Released
Data Insight

Neil Young wrote all ten songs on Landing on Water, an album that pushed him deep into mid-1980s digital production with prominent synthesizers, Synclavier, and processed drums. Young co-produced with Danny Kortchmar, and the two of them along with drummer Steve Jordan played nearly every instrument, building the dense, claustrophobic sound that defines the record. "Hippie Dream" stands apart as the most pointed song here, written by Young for his old bandmate David Crosby, whose 1960s counterculture ideals and severe addiction struggles the lyrics quietly mourn. The closing track "Pressure" was the one Young wanted as a single, complete with a processed scream from Jordan, but Geffen turned it down.

"Landing on Water" is the 1986 album by Neil Young, his sixteenth studio record and a rock and new wave set that returned him to contemporary rock after his country and rockabilly detours. It includes "Weight of the World," "Hippie Dream," "Touch the Night," "Violent Side," and "Pressure." Young produced the album with Danny Kortchmar, backed by Steve Jordan on drums and synthesizer, with the San Francisco Boys Choir on two tracks. Its heavy 1980s production, full of synthesizers and Synclavier, prompted one European executive to call it the most claustrophobic record he had ever heard. It peaked at number 46 on the Billboard 200, and Young described it as a creative rebirth after a long period of seclusion.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Weight of the World #33
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
2
Violent Side
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
3
Hippie Dream
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
4
Bad News Beat
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
5
Touch the Night #8
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
6
People on the Street
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
7
Hard Luck Stories
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
8
I Got a Problem
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
9
Pressure
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
10
Drifter
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungDanny Kortchmar Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

NP
Neil Percival Young
Writer
On this album10 written
DK
Danny Kortchmar
Producer
On this album10 produced
NY
Neil Young
Producer · Vocals
On this album10 produced

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Frequently Asked Questions Landing on Water

When was Neil Young's Landing on Water released and on what label?
Landing on Water was released on July 21, 1986, by Geffen Records. It was Young's sixteenth studio album and peaked at number 46 on the Billboard 200.
Who wrote the songs on Landing on Water?
Neil Young wrote all ten songs on the album by himself. There are no co-writing credits anywhere on the record.
Who is "Hippie Dream" by Neil Young about?
Young wrote "Hippie Dream" for his former Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young bandmate David Crosby, who was battling severe addiction in the early 1980s. The lyrics reflect on whether 1960s counterculture ideals survived the era's excesses and reference Crosby's signature song "Wooden Ships." Young later said the song could just as easily have been about himself or anyone of that generation.
Why does Landing on Water sound so different from Neil Young's earlier albums?
Young leaned fully into mid-1980s digital production on this record, using synthesizers, the Synclavier, synth bass, and heavily processed drums. Young, co-producer Danny Kortchmar, and drummer Steve Jordan played nearly all the instruments, creating the dense, layered sound that Young himself described as claustrophobic.
Who produced Landing on Water?
Neil Young co-produced the album with Danny Kortchmar, who had recently worked on Don Henley's Building the Perfect Beast. Niko Bolas handled the mixing, and Steve Jordan's powerful drumming became a defining element of the sound.
What singles were released from Landing on Water?
"Weight of the World" was released as a single in September 1986 and reached number 33 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. "Touch the Night" was issued as a promotional single and peaked at number 8 on the same chart. "People on the Street" received a music video but was not released as a commercial single.
Is there a story behind the "Touch the Night" music video?
Yes. Director Tim Pope filmed "Touch the Night" as a continuous-take video in which Neil Young plays a local television news reporter covering an accident scene. The single peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
What is the song "Pressure" on Landing on Water about?
"Pressure" was the final track recorded for the album and features a processed scream by drummer Steve Jordan along with a reference to the 1980s media character Max Headroom. Young wanted to release it as a single, but Geffen rejected the idea.
How did Landing on Water perform on the charts?
The album reached number 46 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Internationally it peaked at number 15 in Sweden and number 52 in the United Kingdom.

Sources

Wikipedia: Landing on Water MusicBrainz - Landing on Water release group Cover Art Archive - Landing on Water front cover Cover Art Archive: Landing on Water by Neil Young