I'm finally giving my first listen to this right now, and come on it's fucking amazing. I know this was at least critically shat on, right, but maybe this has matured to reveal total brilliance. To me, this pretty much rivals Kraftwerk ala "Computer World" and "Man Machine", and I'd choose it at the end of the day.

"Sample and Hold" is THE SHIT.

still havne't heard it. but i'd like to.

That's it!

Fortunately for you, I just upped this on the weekend for a friend of mine.

a'ight. I guess I'll give it a chance. One of the few Neil rekkids I haven't heard.

'Like an Inca' is one of my favourites on there.

thank you sir.

I can't believe Radcliffe hasn't yet quoted my post, minus the "THE."

I recall recently reading that Geffen was royally pissed when NY turned this in as his first release after Geffen signed him to a big-ass contract. Haven't heard it since college tho.

I like the electronic tracks, but I dunno about rivaling Kraftwerk. If I remember correctly, there are also some kinda weak, ordinary rock songs on there, too, aren't there?

But, yeah, "Transformer Man" and "Sample and Hold" are pretty sweet.

There's a really dumb review of Trans somewhere (probably AMG), that, in trying to deride the album, says it sounds "less like new Kraftwerk and more like old Devo". Wouldn't that be a good thing?

He spent all of the 80's turning in shit to Geffen because he didn't want to be on the label.

Yeah, that would definitely be a good thing. Later Kraftwerk hasn't done anything for me, hence my comparison. Their first 4 are in a league of their own though. And I think it's remarkable the different angle at which Neil arrived at this sort of sound, particularly because of the languid rock numbers that are in there. I think it works somehow contextually.

transformer man was always one of my favorites from "unplugged"
i had no idea it was from this album and crazy sounding.

heh heh. um, no disrespect but...great album title neil.

I don't altogether buy that, although there has to be an explanation for the Shocking Pinks. Why sign to Geffen then and deliver a "shit" first record in "Trans"?

I don't think his "shittiness" on Geffen was intentional. He had all the freedom he wanted on that label, and he used it. Maybe he was just a little "lost" during that particular period.

Trans wasn't the problem. The album that pushed Geffen over the edge was Landing on Water.

No one seems to like that album. I've only heard "Hippie Dream" off of it, and it does indeed suck.

Also, I think it's been discussed before, but didn't Neil make this record for his son, Zeke? The computer/vocoder effects were used because that's how Zeke communicates.

You are quite the funnyman, Roy Pearl.

Oddly enough, one of my personal favorite Neil Young albums. Steve Jordan is a bad mutha on the drums.

Easily the worst track from that album. I quite like the rest of it, though.