“Young had abandoned the ragged, first-take approach of his previous three albums, but Crazy Horse would never be a polished act, and the music had a lively sound well-suited to the songs, which were some of the most melodic, pop-oriented tunes Young had crafted in years, though they were played with an electric-guitar-drenched rock intensity. The overall theme concerned romantic conflict, with lyrics that lamented lost love and sometimes longed for a return (‘Pardon My Heart’ even found Young singing, ‘I don’t believe this song’), though the overall conclusion, notably in such catchy songs as Don’t Cry No Tears and Lookin’ for a Love, was to move on to the next relationship” (Ruhlmann).

“But the album's standout track (apparently the only holdover from an early intention to present songs with historical subjects) was the seven-and-a-half-minute epic Cortez the Killer, a commentary on the Spanish conqueror of Latin America that served as a platform for Young's most extensive guitar soloing since his work on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” (Ruhlmann).