[Headphony]

A new "Metal folk protest?" album from Neil Young, "Living With War". Anybody heard? I'm not a big fan of Neil's latest stuff, but this should rock. It will stream from his website starting on Friday.
http://www.neilyoung.com/

 

[Coltrane]

Written and recorded in only a few days, I wasnt expecting much from this, especially as Neil has always been a bit hit and miss. This is a great album though. Really fantastic stuff, with great sparse use of horns and a choir. Im sure it helps that I share most of his sentiments, but this is an album that is neccessary in today's culture.

You can listen to the whole thing for free here: http://neilyoung.com/

 

[Coltrane]

Are you serious people?

This is Neil Young we are talking about. And you can listen to the album for free. Check it out!

 

[s m @]

I will definitely try it out, but frankly I'm a bit scared to. I've been a Neil fan long enough to know to never count him out, but also to never count on a masterpiece anymore.

 

[agile_one]

Whether you agree or disagree with Neil's sentiments on Living With War, it would be hard to dismiss his honesty and guts for creating it. Coming, as it does, almost 30 years to the day after Kent State, which inspired Neil to pen Ohio, Living With War is, in my mind, a masterpiece.

Lest one think that Neil is a knee jerk, non thinking peacenik, give a listen to Let's Roll which he wrote after 911, in response to the heroics on United Flight 93.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Politics aside (and PLEASE, let's leave them out of this thread!), I was not at all impressed with LWW. NY has never matched his early work - which I love - (common for many artists), and with the exception of "After the Garden (a catchy rocker), I thought LWW was overblown (with the choir and brass) and somewhat tacky. I think most would be saying that if it were not for the political subtext.

Just my opinion - I don't want this to come off as a thread crap. I like NY but this is really weak stuff IMO. Even as protest, it will not have the staying power of "Ohio" - ten years from now it will be "about as fresh as a Foghat concert" -- to quote a line from "Kingpin".

 

[Coltrane]

Leaving politics semi-aside, do you agree with his political statements overall? Im sure for many that will affect their enjoyment or disenjoyment (no way that is a word) of the album.

I gotta agree that Neil has been VERY incosistent and probably hasnt produced a masterpiece since the late 70s (atleast not an electric masterpiece.) While this is not a masterpiece, i still think it a very very good album. Definitely a ramshackle sounding work, but with textbook Neil electric guitar glory. The choir is a bit much at times, as well as the sampling of W speeches, but when you write an album in a couple days it wont be perfect.

Here is a nice review:
http://tinymixtapes.com/musicreviews/y/neil_young.htm

 

[Stephen_Ri]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coltrane Leaving politics semi-aside, do you agree with his political statements overall?

How can one answer this question with out becoming all-out political? I will address not what he says, but how he says it. I believe that he is being lyrically sophomoric. I was frankly embarassed to be listening to the songs on this album. And disappointed, since we are speaking of a writer who created Harvest and Hawkes and Doves, just to name a couple of my favorites. Musically I found it very weak as well, as if it were trying too hard to rope us into his cause. The big buzz around is that he did it in "only three weeks." And it sounds like it. Why wait to do all this in three weeks? He's had three years to think about it, if we are to believe that he does have any sense of political foresight. Utter garbage. The only good thing about this is that it is free, and even then I feel like Young owes me just for my wasted time.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coltrane Im sure for many that will affect their enjoyment or disenjoyment (no way that is a word) of the album.[/url]

My point exactly. Without the political subtext, this album would be going nowhere.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

Politics and music do not mix because logic and emotion don't. This is my base, non-partisan criticism of any artist that attempts to mix the two. The music generally ends up sounding trite, and rather than creating understanding, serves to embitter both sides. On the other side, the politics end up sounding shrill and bombastic, further driving partisan wedges between people.

Politics requires a cool head, music requires a warm heart. The two cannot be swapped without great trouble ensuing.

 

[acs236]

Interesting view, Jeff. I'm guessing this is tongue-in-cheek, but I'll respond anyway. Looking back on the last 40 years of music in the United States alone, I can't agree with you.

Sure, politics and music can be a recipe for a disaster, but so what? But the fact is people react emotionally to music AND politics.

Maybe in an ideal world people would let their intellects control their political decisions, but this just isn't the way things are.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Guidry Politics and music do not mix because logic and emotion don't. This is my base, non-partisan criticism of any artist that attempts to mix the two. The music generally ends up sounding trite, and rather than creating understanding, serves to embitter both sides. On the other side, the politics end up sounding shrill and bombastic, further driving partisan wedges between people. Politics requires a cool head, music requires a warm heart. The two cannot be swapped without great trouble ensuing.

 

[NiceCans]

the more I play it the more I like it!

Yes, I am a Neil Young fan
Yes, I agree politically
Yes, I know my political views affect my attraction to this album
Yes, I like the lyrics
Yes, I feel that aside from all that, I still like the album as it sounds so 'Neil'

 

[seanohue]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiceCans the more I play it the more I like it! Yes, I am a Neil Young fan Yes, I agree politically Yes, I know my political views affect my attraction to this album Yes, I like the lyrics Yes, I feel that aside from all that, I still like the album as it sounds so 'Neil'

I'm almost exactly opposite of all that, except that I'm a Neil fan. I try not to mix politics and music, but it's tough. I didn't listen to Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam or R.E.M. all of last year. I have muted Green Day from my ears (not that I ever did like them, but I try to get other people away from them). But I can forgive Neil because he did shoot down George Wallace, who Skynyrd endorsed and later criticized Neil in the song "Sweet Home Alabama", and endorsed Carter

during his election. So, Neil is left winger now, and Skynyrd are right wingers now. Back to the album, if I can ignore the lyrics, I do like the songs. They sound like traditional Neil, not exactly the masterpieces of the past but pretty good.

Musicians need to play music and stop with the politics though.

 

[NiceCans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanohue Musicians need to play music and stop with the politics though.

politics, as well as things such as image, can and often do ruin the enjoyment of the music.
That said, I have often found myself enjoying the music of people I used to avoid for such reasons. After I saw past my bias and actually listened to the music I had to admit I enjoyed it.

 

[Doc Sarvis]

Music has always been used for political purposes, but political music usually doesn't last (unless the politics are subtle). "Living with War" is of course about as subtle as a freight train. It won't last.