Fuckin' Up Explained

Fuckin' Up
Type:live
Artist:Neil & the Horse
Cover:Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Fuckin' Up.png
Alt:A white horse in mid-gallop against a black background.
Recorded:November 4, 2023
Venue:The Rivoli, Toronto, Canada
Genre:
  • Rock
  • garage rock
Length:68:24
Label:Reprise
Producer:
Chronology:Neil Young
Prev Title:Before and After
Prev Year:2023
Next Title:Early Daze
Next Year:2024

Fuckin' Up (also censored as Fu##in' Up) is a live album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse under the name Neil & the Horse, released on April 26, 2024, through the Other Shoe Productions and Reprise Records. It is a live recording of their 1990 grunge album Ragged Glory, with each track retitled with a phrase taken from the lyrics (with the exception of the cover version of "Farmer John"). The final song on Ragged Glory, "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)", was not performed. The album was recorded at a private birthday party for businessman Dani Reiss held at the Rivoli in Toronto, Canada on November 4, 2023. Fuckin' Up received positive reviews from critics.

Critical reception

Fuckin' Up received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, which the website categorised as "universal acclaim". Mojo commented that there is an "undeniable zip" to the tracks, while Uncut felt that the album "captures Young and the Horse on blazing form", noting that Nelson is "a capable duelling partner for Young" and "Lofgren's honky-tonk piano lends a shimmying quality to these craggy, elemental songs". PopMatters Christopher J. Lee said that it "highlights Neil Young and Crazy Horse at their best – loose, loud, and long-lasting, but without being long-winded".

A staff review from AllMusic stated that the tracks are "refram[ed ...] in a live setting that's somehow even more ragged, and just as glorious" and "stretche[d] out a little more than on record [...] as Young tries new tricks with his guitar tones and the band injects some exploration into the jammier sections of the tunes". Nick Seip of Slant Magazine felt that the live setting adds "even more grit and grime" as "it's truer to the spirit of the material, as the messier mix captures the energy of a one-and-done performance". Stuart Berman of Pitchfork commented that "the lack of contextual detail puts the focus squarely on Crazy Horse's incandescent noise and slack yet unfailingly steady momentum" and the album "makes a convincing case for Ragged Glory as the definitive Crazy Horse album, showcasing the group in their purest, crudest state".

Personnel

Neil & the Horse

Additional contributors

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[1] 21
UK Record Store (OCC)[2] 39

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lista prodaje 18. tjedan 2024.. HDU. hr. April 22, 2024. May 8, 2024. May 8, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240508093520/https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-18-tjedan-2024/. dead.
  2. Web site: Official Record Store Chart: 3 May 2024 – 9 May 2024. Official Charts Company. May 4, 2024.