| Hawks & Doves | ||||
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| Released | October 29, 1980 (1980-10-29) | |||
| Recorded | December 11, 1974 – July 5, 1980 | |||
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| Length | 29:47 | |||
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| Singles from Hawks & Doves | ||||
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Hawks & Doves is the eleventh[3] studio album by Canadian-American musicianNeil Young.[4][5] It was released on October 29, 1980, throughReprise Records.[6] It was produced by Young along with Tim Mulligan andElliot Mazer. The first side of the album consists of previously unreleasedfolk-centric material recorded from 1974 through 1977, while the second side features heavilycountry-styled songs recorded specifically for the album in July 1980.
Both contemporary and retrospective reception toHawks & Doves has been mixed. The album's short length, disjointed styles and, in some places, seemingly patriotic lyrical content was met with confusion from fans and critics alike, especially after the critical and commercial success awarded to its predecessors,Rust Never Sleeps andLive Rust (both released in 1979).
Hawks & Doves was moderately successful, reaching the top 30 in the US. However, it only reached number 50 in Canada and its two singles, the title track and "Stayin' Power", failed to chart in either country. The album remained unavailable on CD until it was reissued in 2003 as part of theNeil Young Archives Digital Masterpiece Series.
In 1979, Young released the albumRust Never Sleeps to critical acclaim.[7][8] The previous year, Young's second son Ben was born, who was unable to speak and required the use of a wheelchair due to severecerebral palsy.[9] In an effort to assist Ben, Neil and then-wife Pegi Young engaged in an intense program which Neil described as taking up "13, 14 hours a day, seven days a week".[9] Due to this personal stress, it has been long understood[9] that the scattershot nature ofHawks & Doves was a consequence of Neil's inability to give as much attention to a consistent recording schedule while also participating in the program. Shares Young's managerElliot Roberts in the biographyShakey: "I wasn't allowed to tell people that Neil was involved in therapy with Ben 18 hours a day, and that's why he could not promote anything. I could never use that as an excuse, because it would become the story. One thing we didn't want was pity."[10]
Hawks & Doves's two sides were recorded in different circumstances, side one being culled from sessions dating from 1974 to 1977, and side two from sessions set in early 1980 specifically for the album. It is also one of Young's shortest albums, with a running time of just under half an hour.
Side one, the 'doves' side, includes "Little Wing" and "The Old Homestead", which were recorded during the sessions for 1975'sHomegrown.
The allegorical lyrics of "The Old Homestead" reference Young's ambiguity about working with his band-matesCSNY.[11]
"Lost in Space", like the earlier "After the Gold Rush", was inspired by another screenplay by actorDean Stockwell.[10] The song features studio effects to make it sound like Young is singing underwater. The song was recorded at Triiad studios in September 1977 for an early version ofComes a Time that Young dubbedOceanside/Countryside.
"Captain Kennedy" recounts events from the life ofLou Kenedy, a Caribbean cargo trader who had his schoonerWawaloam destroyed by a German U-boat in August 1941.[12] Young, along with fellow avid sailorJimmy Buffett crossed paths with Kenedy inNassau, Bahamas in the early 1970s and learned of his history there.[13] "Captain Kennedy" was recorded the night of theHitchhiker recording in August 1976.
Side two, dubbed the 'hawks' side, consists of the recordings intended for the album, being the straightest country and western songs Young had penned to date, even more so than those found onAmerican Stars 'N Bars orComes a Time. The songs' lyrics seem to reflect a new, harder-edged political perspective from an artist previously seen as a standard bearer for the hippie movement.[14] The album's release within a week ofRonald Reagan's election reinforced this perception.[15]
The song "Union Man" takes a swipe at the musician's union, and a perceived fecklessness of unions in general.[16]
In "Comin' Apart at Every Nail", Young sings about America's economic backsliding.[16]
The song "Hawks & Doves", which features choruses of 'USA!', was in part influenced by theIran hostage crisis. "I just wish we didn't have to sit there and take it for so long. I was on the edge there." Young would tellBill Flanagan in 1985.[17]
It was unavailable on compact disc until it was released as aHDCD-encoded remastered version on August 19, 2003, as part of theNeil Young Archives Digital Masterpiece Series.
Side two was recorded in a single week in July 1980 atGold Star Studios, Hollywood. The sessions featured longtime collaboratorsBen Keith andRufus Thibodeaux as well as the rhythm section of Dennis Belfield and Greg Thomas, and backing vocalist Hillary O'Brien.
Young performed a single concert with the band from the recording sessions featured on side two. In October 1980, the group appeared at theBread and Roses Festival of Acoustic Music held at theGreek Theatre in Berkeley. The concert featured the songs on side two of the album plus new songs "Winter Winds" and "Motor City". "Motor City" would later be recorded for 1981'sRe·ac·tor.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A−[18] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [19] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [20] |
| Pitchfork | 5.7/10[21] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [3] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 5/10[2] |
Record World wrote that the title track has "straycat guitar leads, cranky fiddle colors and smart chorus fills."[22]Tulsa World noted that "the performances are loose and spontaneous... Everything sounds as if it were made in one take."[23] TheCourier-News concluded that "what unifies this record and makes it so powerful a statement in this particular year is its musical conservatism."[24]
TheSpin Alternative Record Guide opined that "the well ran dry on the folkishHawks & Doves," but praised "The Old Homestead".[2]
All tracks are written byNeil Young.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Little Wing" | 2:10 |
| 2. | "The Old Homestead" | 7:38 |
| 3. | "Lost in Space" | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Captain Kennedy" | 2:50 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stayin' Power" | 2:17 |
| 2. | "Coastline" | 2:24 |
| 3. | "Union Man" | 2:08 |
| 4. | "Comin' Apart at Every Nail" | 2:33 |
| 5. | "Hawks & Doves" | 3:27 |
"Little Wing"
Recorded atVillage Recorders,Los Angeles, 1/21/1975 forHomegrown
"The Old Homestead"
Recorded atQuadrafonic Sound Studio,Nashville, 12/11/1974
"Lost in Space"
Recorded at Triiad Recording Studios, Ft. Lauderdale, 9/15/1977
"Captain Kennedy"
Recorded at Indigo Ranch Recording Studio, Malibu, 8/11/1976 forHitchhiker
"Stayin Power", "Coastline", "Union Man", "Comin' Apart at Every Nail", and "Hawks & Doves"
Recorded atGold Star Recording Studio,Hollywood, 7/2–5/1980
Additional roles
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[25] | 10 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[26] | 50 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27] | 30 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[28] | 4 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[29] | 15 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[30] | 22 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[31] | 34 |
| USBillboard 200[32] | 30 |
