50 years later, Neil Young's 'On the Beach' remains bleak -- and beautiful

50 years later, Neil Young's 'On the Beach' remains bleak — and beautiful TONYA MOSLEY, HOST: This FRESH AIR. Our rock critic Ken Tucker continues his summer series about great albums celebrating their 50th anniversary. And what could be more appropriate for a summer series than the Neil Young album called "On The Beach"? It's not all sunny, though.

Young has referred to his 1974 album as one of the most depressing records he's ever made. Ken explains the context behind that remark and why he thinks Young's downbeat music is actually thrilling, even inspirational. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ON THE BEACH") NEIL YOUNG: (Singing) I need a crowd of people, but I can't face them day to day.

Though my problems are meaningless, that don't make them go away. I need a crowd of people, but I can't face them day to day. KEN TUCKER, BYLINE: On the title song of "On The Beach," Neil Young sings I need a crowd of people, but I can't face them day to day.

Two years before the release of this album in 1974, Young had put out "Harvest," a huge hit that attracted that crowd of people. It remains his bestselling album. But that success freaked him out.

He started to write songs that were more downbeat, more guarded and prickly. His marriage to actress Carrie Snodgress was collapsing. When his guitarist, Danny Whitten, and one of his roadies, Bruce Berry, passed within months of each other in drug-related deaths, he told Rolling Stone that he held himself partly responsible.

Young went into the stud.