Each season brings its own particular feeling, and fall is one of transition—even in the desert, with the end of the summer’s extreme heat. It’s a season of contradictions and alternating moods, which might be why musicians thrive making fall music.
1. Neil Young, Harvest
Perhaps the definitive studio album for the season, Young’s 1972 country-rock masterpiece is filled with the warmth, coldness, and yearning that can define the season. Young’s deep desire for connection bursts through on tracks like “A Man Needs A Maid,” “Heart of Gold,” and “Old Man.” The first of these discusses loneliness, and Young gives the feeling an operatic quality, something larger than life. The latter two have Linda Rondstadt’s unmistakable background vocals, which get across human desire as much as any music ever had.
Harvest’s massive success ended up annoying…
