|
|
|
Your
Ad Here
 |
|
Vol. I
No. 10 Five Years Late Dueling Critics
Produced by The Volume Dealers (Neil Young, Niko Bokas) and LA Johnson on Reprise Records, it has the sound quality of much of his earlier works and even feels a bit like rewrites. He does some clever rearranging to put this imminent album together. I truly feel that Neil just wanted to get the message out however he could. Out of desperation and a fervor of political conscience, he has written this collection within a weeks time. Seems like he is getting quicker and quicker at writing things, somewhat like Sir Paul. Now, I don’t want you to think his work is anything but quality work, but, this does feel a bit rushed. The opening track, After the Garden opens with a drum beat like Four Dead in Ohio. With cascading guitar solos, he conjures a tragic hippie anthem showing the perspective of an ecologist. The second and title track, Living with War, has some of the same chord progressions as Cinnamon Girl and paints a bitter portrait of the Veterans and those that have been gravely affected by this sensless War. Number three, the Restless Consumer, begins with an eerie surf guitar intro, then goes into a Chord progression similar to Down By the River. This one goes from the perspective of the middle class, chanting a chakra of “Don‘t Need No More Lies!” The “Shock and Awe” track strangely resembles Into the Blue and Out of the Black. This shows the day late and a dollar short mentality we have now. Waking from the slumber of denial, Neil admits he was duped by the establishment just like all the other Democrats who rolled over for Bush and his war Families has his super chorus ensemble of friends singing sweetly to the open chord distorted guitar he has immortalized on After the Gold Rush. Flags of Freedom is obviously a tribute to Bob Dylan’s Chimes of Freedom. Lets not forget the new National Anthem, Lets Impeach the President, done to the vamped up rendition of Hail to the Chief. Complete with sound bytes of George W. Bush sticking his proverbial foot in his proverbial mouth. Lookin’ for a Leader has a strange resemblance to Down by the River and Southern Man together. This song could be the next presidents campaign song, with a list of qualities that should be the criteria of our president He make references to Colin Powell‘s concience and paints this search like looking for the second coming. “Maybe he’s a woman, or a black man after all.” Hillary, are you listening? Roger and Out is all too similar to Pissing in the Wind. A slow sad dreamy song with heavy back beats, he travels down the Hippie Highway, wherever that may be. It sounds like a lament of the TruckersUnion for the crappy price of fuel. The last track is a souled up Al Capella version of the classic America the Beautiful, proving that Neil is a Patriot, by God! I applaud his message, but still think he should have done this when it wasn’t PC to criticize the government like five years ago when he was touring with CSNY singing, “Let’s Roll.” Nice to have you back Uncle Neil. David Giarrizzo is a writer, activist and the Associate Editor for In The Know. He can be reached at dayvee247@yahoo.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2005-06, Humboldt Sentinel. All rights reserved. |
Pushing
the envelope once again, Neil Young’s latest CD, Living with War,
takes on the Bush administration with the sentiment of most of the nation,
finally waking to the realities of an out of control government. Personally,
I think Neil should have come out and said these things five years ago
when it was the ashes of 911 settled, and the toppling of Saddam’s
statue . Neil has lived in California long enough now to be considered
an American, so it makes sense that he would sound off. Bringing on board
some of the Nashville Players, Chad Cromwell on drum and Rick Rosas on
Bass, Larry Craig as Guitar Tech, Neil and Darnell Brown mold a choir
(100 Voices) that would tear down the walls of Jericho. Peggy
Young was listed as being the source of inspiration. Too cool.