Bruce Berry was a
roadie for
Neil Young around the year
1973. The album
Tonight's The Night (and the
title track) are dedicated to Berry and
Crazy Horse guitarist
Danny Whitten, both of whom died between
Harvest (released in
1972) and
Tonight's The Night (written in
1973 but held from release for two years by his
record label).
Young went into quite the
funk following these (drug-related)
deaths and wrote one of the darker albums in his very lengthy
catalog of work. Tracks like
Albuquerque,
Roll Another Number (For the Road) and the bookended versions of the
title track capture the stupor of Neil's
depression.
Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown features
Whitten on lead vocal, over a live session at the
Fillmore East, probably the best way
Neil could think to show his appreciation for a great talent.
I find
Tonight's The Night to be one of the best of Neil's albums. It's
dark,
drunk and
down. A guy I went to school with referred to the album as
chill-out music. I perhaps wouldn't go that far (since putting this one on would probably
kill the party), but
Bruce Berry got a tremendous
tribute.