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Andrew Byrom's previewGot the CD through the mail this morning and have listened to it a few times now, so I feel able to give it a fair review.
Let me start by saying I hated Let's Roll, and was not possitive about this collaboration with Booker T at all. How wrong I was! This is a very good Neil Young album -- and more importantly, a very DIFFERENT album. I am sure that this will split fans down the middle.
I would describe it as Neil's "Soul" album. Here are a few preliminary comments about the songs...
You're My Girl -- A weak start, I think. It's a nice enough song, borrowing music from This Note's For You's Sunny Inside. Unfortunately it's spoiled for me by Neil's out of tune, fragile singing.
Mr.Disappointment -- Wow, where did this come from? Very odd, very good. Is Neil almost rapping? Love the guitar.
Differently -- Again a strong track. Funky melody, nice backing singing. Weird feedback ending.
Don't Say You Love Me - We all know this song from last year's Euro Tour with the Horse. Nicely done here with Booker T.
Let's Roll -- Well, I just don't like this song. BUT... this longer version (5:45) is stronger, and there is some nice guitar work towards the end.
Are You Passionate? -- Lovely song, nice piano, beautiful lyrics, can't fault this at all.
Going Home -- Not the tour de force that it was live in Europe. Here it's less of a battle cry, more like a homecoming. It features a really odd ending -- the band is in full flow, Neil's ripping notes out of the guitar... then crunch, screech, it stops (and the next song starts). No idea what that is all about...
When I Hold You In My Arms -- Again a song we all know from last summer. Again a nice version.
Be With You -- Very obvious R&B feel to this one. Probably the most up-tempo song on the album. But to me, one of the weaker tracks. Not that I don't like it, it's just that it doesn't seem as well constructed as the rest.
Two Old Friends -- I wasn't sure about the live CSNY version of this one, but this studio version is is much, much better.
She's A Healer -- I just love this track. The really superb groove, the lovely muted horn -- a great ending to the album. Pretty sure this one will fly when played live. Ace guitar work throughout.
Hard to decide how highly I would rate this against Neil's other work, simply because it is so different. But I will be bold and say it's his best work in ten years! My friends Bry and Mark and I have been playing this album in rotation for the last week, and we all agree that it is Neil's strongest and bravest material in many, many years. An absolute pleasure to listen too.
Andrew Byrom
I've been living with Neil's new album for almost a week now, and I thought I'd post a short track-by-track rundown for the benefit (and possibly frustration) of the less fortunate.
- You're My Girl
No mistaking the backing band; this sounds like a good old-fashioned 60s soul tune... Like something the Temptations may have recorded. The lyrics are obviously about Amber Jean. A nice song, unfortunately Neil's vocals are a bit brittle and shakey - especially in the chorus. Nice guitarwork by Neil. - Mr Disappointment
Kicks off with a heavy Neil riff, then settles into a slow soul groove. Neil's vocals are very low, reminiscent of Trans Am, except in the chorus where he sings very high - possibly a little too high. Neil duets with himself in the chorus, which is cool. A good song, excellent lyrics. - Differently
A bouncy song in a minor key. The best song so far. Neil sings very well, and the lyrics are outstanding -- essentially Neil apoligizing to Pegi and the kids for not being perfect, not being around all the time... A sad song with a silver lining. - Don't Say You Love Me
This was one of the weaker tracks debuted on the 2001 Euro tour, and I'm still not overly fond of it. The riff sounds like Tie A Yellow Ribbon. The lyrics are on a similar note as Differently. But Neil does the best he can with it and sings it perfectly. Pegi and Astrid (I assume) back him up. - Let's Roll
Well, you've all heard this one. I'll just say I'm still not sure about what I think of it - musically, it's no masterpiece. The lyrics are powerful, but I'm still not sure I like the third verse - regardless of what message Neil may be trying to get across (and I know this has been discussed on Rust). I just don't think literally demonizing your opponent is a very good idea. Enough said. - Are You Passionate?
Now THAT is more like it! This song knocked my socks off the first time I heard it, and still does... A slow, bluesy song. Very personal lyrics, somewhat along the same lines of On The Beach.-
Once I was a soldier, I was fighting in the sky
And the gunfire kept coming back at me
So I dove into the darkness and I let my missiles fly
And they might be the ones that kept you free. - Goin' Home
My personal favourite of the new tracks from the Euro tour. Heavy, pounding, epic, fantastic lyrics. Unfortunately, the version here isn't the best I've heard. The Horse plod on as they should (when it comes to Crazy Horse, "plod" is a GOOD thing). Neil's vocals, however, are not good. Not only are they weak compared to some of the live versions, but they are very high in the mix. On the best live versions of this, Neil was screaming his head off to be heard over the racket. Here, he just coasts along on top without having to reach down deep. Still a good song, but it would have been better if they had just taken one of the live versions and put it on the album.The ending of the song is weird... it just stops in the middle of a riff and we hear some short studio banter.
- When I Hold You In My Arms
Another Euro 01 song, another good one. Well done as well, as good as any of the live versions I've heard... Booker T's organ adds a nice touch. (And Jules, by "organ", I mean his Hammond B3!) Nice backing vocals by the girls, too. - Be With You
An uptempo happy soul number. If you add some horns you get instant Bluenotes. Slight, but fun. - Two Old Friends
I first heard this on MP3 from one of the first CSNY2K2 shows. This is a better version. A rarity in that it's a Neil Young song which actually seems religious. The lyrics are VERY sentimental -- let's just say the odds of Neil playing Hippie Dream at any upcoming concerts are pretty high. But it works. A slow, plaintive song... A prayer. Nice guitar. - She's A Healer
Possibly the best song of the album. A mid-tempo song built around a simple bass line with some menacing Sleeps With Angels style guitar on top... sort of Let's Roll meets the coda to Last Dance, if that makes any sense at all...The song chugs along like that, with no chord changes or anything, until they hit an instrumental bridge around 3 minutes in. Then back to the groove. The girls and Poncho (?) sprinkle backing vocals here and there. Neil sings "All I got is a broken heart, and I don't try to hide it when I play my guitar", and then he goes into a great bluesy solo. Poncho answers with some lines, then a muted trumpet comes in from nowhere...
The song keeps building for over 9 minutes without ever leaving that tip-toeing, insistant groove laid down by Duck. Should be incredible live.
On a whole it's a good album. Not a masterpiece, but IMO better than Silver & Gold. Lyric-wise, it's interesting to note that with the exception of Let's Roll and Goin' Home, the focus is still on his family (as it was on S&G), but with a darker edge. Not as cuddly.
A couple of weaker tracks, a couple of GREAT tracks. Excellent playing throughout. But it seems the years are finally taking their toll on Neil's voice; he just doesn't seem to have any power when he goes for the high notes. He reaches them, but they sound very thin and brittle. I'm hoping against hope that the reason for the delay of the release is so Neil can redo some of the vocals...
Notable: not a single acoustic track, no harmonica. Whether it's going to shift more than 300,000 copies is still anyone's guess, but... I like it.
Bjorn
Happy like John Denver
- (more reviews coming...)
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