Dean Christakos« Ouch! | Main | How to Deal with Those People »
April 28, 2006
Neil Young's New Album
Last summer, Neil Young, of whom I have been a fan since high school, released a new album entitled Prairie Wind and late the following winter released a film of the tour's debut concert.
The latest news is that this spring, Neil Young recorded a new album in three days, entitled "Living In War." While the album won't be in stores for another month or two, you can listen to the album online. It's great. The Prairie Wind album is good, and if you're already a fan of Neil Young, buy it. However, "Living with War" is simply stunning, and it's with even greater frustration that I won't be able to have the CD in my hand for another 2 months or so, now that I can listen to it now and hear how good it is.
Its only weakness is that by the end of the album, it becomes a bit too specifically topical. The brilliance of Neil Young's album "Freedom" is that while it was political, what was being discussed in 1989 was mentioned obliquely with subtle mentions of individuals, and cultural references that could be recognized at the time but still remain relevant to anyone picking it up today. A couple times, Neil Young gets too tempted in "Living with War" to name names which, in 20 years, might be more or less forgotten. At the same time, despite its weaknesses, this will be the album that everyone remembers Neil Young for as his "album released around 2005 or so," rather than "Praire Wind," because this one overall better. Isn't that really the standard by which this sort of thing is judged? Even though a few passages and lines might not "stand up over time," as a whole, the album itself definitely will.
So you can't buy "Living with War," now, but you really, really should listen to it.
More reading:
The Neil Young official website
The Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young tour schedule
Posted by Dean at April 28, 2006 11:02 AM
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