I can’t read thru all these posts so just wondering if there is a general consensus or at least a majority opinion as to how this record compares to his other recent releases over the last few years.
I love Rick Rubin's low-fi production that enables the album to sound organic, live and intimate. Again no really weak tracks and the album is more mellow and atypical in parts - e.g. the music style of Love Earth. But when the Crazy Horse guitars move to centre stage they are powerful. Having Chevrolet on a separate CD is unusual, but I can see that it's theme may not fit so well with the 'save the planet' theme of the tracks on CD1. Nevertheless, Chevrolet is a standout, classic NYCH 15 minute track. I liked Colorado and Barn also, but this album, with the Rick Rubin input, I find to be more musically diverse and inventive and a more cohesive album.
consensus seems to like this one a bit more than the last 2 albums...which is surprising. I think the variety of songs is what's making it more interesting.
Love Barn, not crazy about Colorado. Still early but I strongly dislike the softer ones on World Record, and I'm lukewarm on the heavier stuff, even Chevrolet.
Waiting for mine to arrive got to love the Greedy hand store. But it sounds like this will be a keeper. I just don't understand why Green dale is so unliked its 100 percent in you face who gives a f... Neil
Colorado/Barn/World Record are obviously siblings. Could be fun to piece together a 40 minute "album" comprising of the best songs from those brothers. Maybe I'll think on it over the holiday.
Pretty valid rankings. As for Storytone, have you checked out the Mixed Pages of Storytone version? That’s where it clicked for me. Neil is so weird. And releasing multiple variants of the same music (Greendale, Living With War, Storytone) is one of those weirdnesses, but sometimes it helps to finally get it across to a stubborn listener like me.
Greendale is to Neil what The Final Cut is to Pink Floyd. 25% love it, 25% hate it. The other 50% are in the middle. (Based on my unprofessional, layman’s, analysis of Forum posts! )
Similar. No love for Colorado but I think Barn is pretty special. World record is a bit ‘twee’ for me.
I listened to it this morning. I gotta say, the only track that I would even halfway want to revisit is Chevrolet. The rest are completely forgettable in my opinion. I still appreciate that he is so productive and producing new music, but my favorite Neil is rock god guitar hero Neil and I think at this point of his career that is probably over with.
10 song album (if I cut ‘Chevrolet’, and I’m not adverse to doing that as it’s in the so-so category for me, I could meet the approximate 40 minute mark) at 53 minutes. 1)Think Of Me (C) 2)Help Me Lose My Mind (C) 3)The World Is In Trouble Now (W) 4)Green Is Blue (C) 5)They Might Be Lost (B) 6)Love Earth (W) 7)Welcome Back (B) 8)Heading West (B) 9)Chevrolet (W) 10)This Old Planet (Changing Days) (W) Draft track order. Subject to change!
Pretty good list! But Think of Me does nothing for me, but Milky Way I love. I swap those. Minor changes elsewhere.
Here's a hot take for ya: Chances of any given new Neil Young being listenable are greater than new McCartney. That said, McCartney is a hero for me in a way Neil isn't...
This is how I see them, and I like all 3, more than the Neil albums that came before them (which is no surprise, he’s usually up a notch or two with Crazy Horse).