Psychedelic Pill cover art

  Studio Album · No. 33

Psychedelic Pill Songwriting Credits by Neil Young

2012 Reprise Records 8 tracks 88 min

Produced by Neil Young, John Hanlon, Mark Humphreys  ·  Engineered by John Hanlon, John Hausmann, Charles Brotman, John Nowland

Reprise Records Psychedelic rockHard rockFolk rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 8 of 8 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 8 / 8 documented

Who wrote the songs?

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

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

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

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

8
Tracks
1
Lyricists
3
Producers
Debuted at number 8 on the US Billboard 200 and reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, where it spent three weeks at the top.
Worldwide Copies Sold
2012
Released
Data Insight

Neil Young wrote every song on Psychedelic Pill, his first album of original material with Crazy Horse since Greendale almost a decade earlier. The double album leans on extended improvisation rather than concision: the opener "Driftin' Back" runs more than 27 minutes, "Ramada Inn" stretches past 16, and the closing "Walk Like a Giant" pushes past 16 minutes with a long whistled coda from the band. "Driftin' Back" works in autobiographical asides that echo Young's memoir Waging Heavy Peace, including his complaints about the sound quality of MP3s, while "Walk Like a Giant" mourns his generation's failure to remake the world. Shorter songs like the title track and "Born in Ontario" sit between the jams as compact rock and rootsy reflection.

"Psychedelic Pill" is a 2012 double album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse rooted in psychedelic rock with hard rock and folk rock elements, running 87 minutes and 41 seconds as Young's longest studio effort. Neil Young produced the record with John Hanlon and Mark Humphreys, recording it between January and March 2012 with Crazy Horse members Billy Talbot on bass, Ralph Molina on drums, and Frank "Poncho" Sampedro on guitar. The album draws on extended jam sessions and features the 27-minute "Driftin' Back," the 16-minute "Ramada Inn," and "Walk Like a Giant." The record peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top Rock Albums chart, and Rolling Stone gave it four stars, calling it "inspiringly strange." It was the final original collaboration with Sampedro before he retired from the band due to health reasons.

Track Listing & Credits 8 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Driftin' Back
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
2
Psychedelic Pill
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
3
Ramada Inn
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
4
Born in Ontario
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
5
Twisted Road
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
6
She's Always Dancing
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
7
For the Love of Man
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)
8
Walk Like a Giant
Neil Young Neil Young Neil YoungJohn HanlonMark Humphreys Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Crazy Horse (Backing Band)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 4 contributors

NY
Neil Young
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album8 written
JH
John Hanlon
Producer
On this album8 produced
MH
Mark Humphreys
Producer
On this album8 produced
CH
Crazy Horse
Backing Band
On this albumGuest

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Frequently Asked Questions Psychedelic Pill

When was Neil Young and Crazy Horse's Psychedelic Pill released and on what label?
Psychedelic Pill was released on October 30, 2012, by Reprise Records. It was Neil Young's thirty-fourth studio album and his second release with Crazy Horse in 2012, following the covers album Americana.
Who wrote the songs on Psychedelic Pill?
Neil Young wrote all eight songs on Psychedelic Pill himself. There are no covers or outside co-writers; the record is entirely his own material performed with Crazy Horse.
Why is Psychedelic Pill so long?
It is a double album built around extended Crazy Horse jams. Three tracks run longer than 15 minutes, including the 27-minute opener "Driftin' Back," "Ramada Inn" at nearly 17 minutes, and the 16-minute closer "Walk Like a Giant," pushing the total running time to around 88 minutes.
What is the song Driftin' Back about?
"Driftin' Back" is a sprawling 27-minute jam in which Young drifts through autobiographical musings that echo his memoir Waging Heavy Peace, including his well-known complaints about the poor sound quality of MP3s, set against long stretches of Crazy Horse improvisation.
What does Walk Like a Giant on Psychedelic Pill mean?
"Walk Like a Giant" is Young lamenting how his generation set out to change the world and fell short. The 16-minute track features a recurring whistled melody from Crazy Horse and a long, heavily distorted outro that recalls the storm of "Like a Hurricane."
Who played on Psychedelic Pill?
Neil Young handled vocals, guitar, pump organ, and whistling, backed by Crazy Horse: Frank "Poncho" Sampedro on guitar, Billy Talbot on bass, and Ralph Molina on drums, with all members contributing vocals. It was Young's last album with Sampedro before the guitarist retired on health grounds.
Did Psychedelic Pill produce any hit singles?
No. "Born in Ontario" was issued ahead of the album in October 2012, but no track from Psychedelic Pill registered a verified position on a major singles chart. The album was presented as a long-form artistic statement rather than a singles-driven release.
How did Psychedelic Pill perform on the charts?
The album debuted at number 8 on the US Billboard 200 and reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, where it spent three weeks at the top. It also charted strongly across Canada and continental Europe.
Is there an alternate version of the title track Psychedelic Pill?
Yes. The CD includes a bonus "Psychedelic Pill (alternate mix)" as an additional closing track on the second disc, a different mix of the short title song that also appears earlier on the album.

Sources

Wikipedia: Psychedelic Pill Psychedelic Pill - Official Charts (UK) Neil Young: Psychedelic Pill - American Songwriter MusicBrainz - Psychedelic Pill release group Cover Art Archive - Psychedelic Pill front cover Cover Art Archive: Psychedelic Pill by Neil Young