[williamgoody]

Can anyone post any impression of the new Neil Young work, "Greendale" ?

 

[markl]

I've read about it, reviews and live reviews of the show he's created for it. Sounds like this should be a polarizing album for Young fans. It's a story cycle/concept album with characters, a family in a fictional town, written stream of consciousness, very self-indulgent. I have not heard it, but I would say its probably mostly for his hard-core fans only based on what I have read. I like Neil Young but I'm not hard-core enough to buy it.

I'm interested in others thoughts on this too.

Mark

 

[Thump]

I'm a pretty hard-core Neil Young fan, have faithfully bought his new albums when they have come out since the After the Gold Rush days (30+ years). I personally like the new album quite a lot. Yes, it is a concept album. The critics tend to call it self-indulgent, etc. I personally think they are just being lazy-that is an easy and expected evaluation of a concept album, and doubly easy to label it as such when you haven't really listened to it.

There are no hit singles on this album, nor was there intended to be. Personally I think it is some of the best, and most inventive, songwritiing Young has done in years. If you are looking for recent Neil Young that is more accessible, I would suggest Silver and Gold, his previous album, which pretty much following in the Harvest / Harvest Moon mold.

Incidentally, the CD includes a DVD of a live acoustic concert of Greendale done earilier this year in Dublin. Its supposed to be pretty good, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet-the weather here is too beautiful now.

 

[FCJ]

Bill,

I bought it, and while it's not as bad as two of the reviews I read make it out to be (NY Daily News, NJ Star Ledger), it's nowhere near as good as the review in the NY Times would have you believe. The plot makes no sense, and the CD is way too long, but Neil's in good form and I've never heard a bad Crazy Horse album, anyway. I agree that the songs aren't catchy, so you have to play it a few times for it to grow on you. Overall, it's worth a purchase.

Also check out some of the reissues (that have never been available before on CD) that came out the same day. My favorite of the bunch is "American Stars and Bars," which includes "Like a Hurricane."

 

[Thump]

Yes, I forgot to mention the reissues. One that earyone should take a close look at is "On The Beach"-one of Neil Young's finest albums.