Best-known as Neil Young’s favorite back-up band, Crazy Horse released a brilliant self-titled album on its own in 1971. Danny Whitten, Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina were joined by ad hoc members Jack Nitzsche and Nils Lofgren for a set that showcased the group’s high-caliber songwriting and raw-boned country-rock sound. Despite the band’s name, the approach here is not unbridled madness — producer Nitzsche maintains focus amidst the blazing guitar licks and stomping rhythms. Lead singer Whitten switches from swaggering rockers (“Gone Dead Train,” “Dirty, Dirty,” “Downtown”) to confessional balladry (“I Don’t Want To Talk About It”) with equal conviction. Lofgren takes the vocalist’s mike on the scorching “Beggars Day,” Nitzsche slides into a honky-tonk groove on “Crow Lady Jane,” and Molina leads the band through a Cajun hoedown on “Dance, Dance, Dance.” A rambunctious camaraderie between these players is evident throughout. Sadly, Crazy Horse’s initial line-up became history with Whitten’s death a year later. Thankfully, we have this album.