Neil Young is an artist whose music I appreciate but whose voice I often can’t stand. So an album of Neil Young covers might be just what the doctor ordered.
That’s what we got last month in Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, a collection featuring performances by Brandi Carlile, Eddie Vedder, Steve Earle, Mumford & Sons, and others. All proceeds benefit a charity established by the 79-year-old Young and his wife.
Fiona Apple contributes a rendition of the title track, a great song made all the better when performed in a voice I love rather than one I hate.
I want to live, I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions I never give
[Chorus]
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
[Verse 2]
I’ve been to Hollywood, I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind, it’s such a fine line
[Chorus]
That keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keeps me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
[Outro]
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
You keep me searching and I’m growing old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Meet Me In Montauk 
An album of Neil Young covers is a brilliant idea, as you are certainly not alone in disliking Young’s voice but appreciating the quality of his songwriting. I may have to check out the rest of this album!