Reviews
Neil Young & Crazyhorse
Greendale
Digg this review.
Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2004-11-12
I know, I know this CD wasn't released in 2004. But I don't care, people deserve to hear about this album and so I am reviewing it anyhow. In the past, Neil Young albums would come out without so much of a blip on my radar. The only time I ever took interest is when they collaborated with Pearl Jam on "Mirrorball", and I actually bought that album. It wasn't the greatest though, and off that little amount of exposure I decided I wasn't into Neil Young.
Now, around 10 years later Neil Young & Crazy Horse release an album called "Greendale". And it was impossible to ignore, I read review after review building this concept album up. Saying it was the most creative and best thing Neil Young had done in years, some of these reviews even put it up as his best album to date. My ears were perked. I have always been a sucker for concept albums. The concept of this album is about a fictional town created by Neil Young and the town is called "Greendale". Along with this town Neil Young has created characters, families that live in the town, and the legendary dead police chief "Carmichael". The concept gives this whole album a refreshed revitalized feel. Everything seems that much crisper, and you can tell the idea has inspired Neil Young himself. The album is 10 songs and almost 80. So right away you can tell what to expect, extended rock and blues jams, long extended songs that come across more like being told a story and less like a song. And a lot of head bobbing, knee tapping, and general body movement getting into the groove of these songs.
If you want to download one song to get a feel for what this album sounds like, to get an idea whether or not its up your alley I recommend "Carmichael". This song is all about the ex police chief of Greendale who was killed by someone in the town named Jed. You can't find lyrics in this booklet, instead you get a story written about the character or family portrayed in the song. But this is a deep song and in it you find out that Officer Carmichael had a fight with his wife that day, and then he was killed and they never spoke again. "So it makes you think, always be nice to those you love, because you never know whats going to happen. Thats the lesson I learnt from this song, I don't care if you learnt it I did" Neil Young writes. I love the defiance and yet the innoence you feel in that lyric. This song opens with a two minute slow jam. You usually would be more likely to find a jam like this in the middle of the song, but they choose to open. And it works, its so catchy and so repetitive that you are in full rock mode before Neil even speaks a word. Neil Young's voice.... wow what to say about Neil Young's voice other than there is nothing else like it. When he tells a story you listen, you can't help it.
"Bandit" is likely my favorite song on this gem of an album. It is by far the prettiest song. With Neil singing in more a falsetto, and the instruments turned down to create more of a folk song or "Harvest Moon" type of atmosphere. The song's story is about an artist by the name of Earl Green who is the uncle of the cop killer Jed from the previous album. Earl is a struggling artist, Vietnam Veteran who is in debt because all he can do is art and he can't get anyone to buy his art. One day the devil goes into Earl's shop, and the next day Earl starts painting beautiful art he never could before and is able to sell it and everything he does to the gallery. Thats the story, but the song tells a different tune. The song sings about sticking to your goals, keeping on trying, and not giving in to temptation. Again and again repeating "Someday you'll find what you are looking for, everything you are looking for". It really is beautiful, and this song really demonstrates the range and multiple levels that the songs on this concept album can get to you.
"Sun Green" finds Neil Young in a pissed off mood. The fictional theme of this song has to do with this character that is a hippy "Sun Green" using the funeral of the singer's Grandpa who had just died, as an opportunity to get everyone together and see her statement against the war. In the end, she ends up in jail visiting Jed. But this song has a way bigger story to tell. This song is Neil Young pissed off about the media, pissed off about the war, and just pissed off in general. The bitching chorus "Hey Hey Mr. Clean, your dirty now too" is phenomenal. And with so few words, he gets so much across. This is the heaviest song on the album, and has a heavy blues influence in the guitars and bass. This song also has Neil Young yelling out lyrics at times through a megaphone, creating a cool echo effect which adds to the grunginess of this song. There is more energy in this song, than people half of Neil Young's age are even capable of hitting on their absolute best song. Also the harmonicas are awesome on this track, they are used quite bit throughout the album but I find them best utilized on this track.
The last song I'll highlight is the opening track "Falling From Above". Its really tough picking favorites on this album, because they are all really fucking good. But this song grips me just a bit tighter than the others. This song kinda serves as an introduction to the family that you are going to hear about throughout the album, and an introduction as to why this album was made. "Sing a song of freedom, sing a song of love. Sing a song for depressed angels, Falling from above. This is a song that if you reach beyond the security blanket of Greendale, and start to apply the themes of the song you can definitely see this has to do with the world as it is post 9/11. "A Little love and effection, in everything that you do. Will make the world a better place, with or without you. " God damn hippy lyrics, but you gotta love it:) And its sounds so nice.
This album is a must have. Seriously, a lot of people probably gawk at that sentence, and think he is an old time artist whose music wouldn't transfer to what you are listening to currently. Bullshit. This album is more current than most artists who are current artists right now. This album taps right into the garage rock / White Stripes / Black Keys type music that is really popular right now, and does it just as well if not better than anybody. This album is really a masterpiece. And if I had of owned it and heard it in 2003 I would have had to give serious consideration to it being my #1 album of the year. So if you like rock music, and you like music that takes you on a journey. Buy your ticket to Greendale, its worth the price of admission.
Tracks that you should download: "Faling from Above", "Leave the Driving", "Carmichael", "Bandit", "Sun Green" (but buy it instead really)
Score: 9.3
There is nothing to complain about here, just 10 rocking tracks that come very close to perfection. Neil Young has come a long way since he delivered papers to my grandpa in Winnipeg some 40 odd years ago.
- Dan