I own more Neil Young albums than I do any other artist, I think, although I haven't bought one in quite a while. He's been doing some very interesting things recently, but his new album "Living with War" sounds like the best yet. The album will be streamed in its entirety at Young's website beginning Friday, April 28. Early reviews here.
Here's a review from a member of the 100-person choir which performed on the album.
This album was recorded so quickly that even his record company was unaware of its existence. Young calls it 'metal folk protest', which is as good a way as any to describe it. Consisting of a 'power trio' (Young on Old Black, Rick Rosas on bass and Chad Cromwell on drums), Tommy Brea on trumpet, and a hundred-piece choir, the music is carefully constructed to serve the message. The 10-song record is meant to be heard from beginning to end in sequence. The driving, distorted guitar, bass and drums lay down a solid bed from which to launch the rocket-propelled vocals. The trumpet solos accentuate the military aspect of the songs. This is martial music, make no mistake - a war against war.[snip]
But Neil Young merely calls it like he sees it, and is not beholden to any party or ideology. He has seen the country hijacked by criminals and is not afraid to come out and say it. In this, he is echoing what the people he meets say to him all over the country. He addresses our concerns - the fear of what will happen if we descend into total war; the love and loss of our children, both the ones we send to war and the ones who stay behind; the rampant corporatism and the mindless commercialism which lets it pillage unchecked; the longing for a real leader; the need for the unheard voices to be heard; the deep love for our country, for our freedom, and the sadness which comes from the harm being done to it in the name of military/industrial domination. One could call it "The Neos And The Damage Done".
If you've ever wondered just how an album is put together, read that review. It was recorded in analog on tape. I thought that went out fifteen years ago.
I think I'll be heading over to that website on Friday.
Posted by Linkmeister at April 24, 2006 12:01 AM | TrackBackRailroad Earth's recent live album, ELKO, used tape after a fashion -- they dumped all the digital tracks into a tape machine as it added a warmth to the sound that was not quite there digitally.
Neil's new album is supposed to be amazing, and he's going out with CSN this summer, too!
Posted by: Scott at April 24, 2006 06:10 AM