It was, by David Briggs mostly, that's a big difference. Ragged Glory, Sleeps With Angels...those were pre-planned and rehearsed. Someone forcing him to improve his songs and play them at least twice before recording them.
The Volume Dealers! The Eldorado EP is one of the greatest things Neil (w Bolas) has done. I like raw, heavy, distortion loaded, loud Neil the best. That 89-91 period is priceless. From what I'm reading, this album sounds more mellow.
I stopped paying attention a few months back after he dropped the list of in process archival releases. was it known that he had a new crazy horse album in the works or did he just drop the single last night?
Colorado would`ve benefitted greatly from an additional number in the 10-15 minute range...he did have a side of vinyl to spare, after all!?!?!
Rockin' In the Free World and Ohio, two pretty good songs that were "dated" the day of their release. Just listened to the new song here at work on my iphone amongst distractions--sounded good to me. I liked the overall relaxed vibe musically, and the lyrics had a cool human autumnal vibe to my ears. Overall, this song wouldn't have been out of place on Harvest Moon or Silver and Gold. I disagree with those saying his voice has degraded. To me, he's singing fine but intentionally whimsically vulnerable. This song will most likely keep growing on me after repeated listens, and I already know that years from now when memories are all we have left, I'll cue up this tune periodically and it will warm my heart. An old friend strumming away singing from his heart, no artifice needed... NYF
Love that cover---love it! Best neil cover in a long time. Very early 70s doped-out country back to land rock vibe. Best Neil cover in forever. I really want this to be better than Colorado, my least fave Horse lp. I believe they can thrill me again. I have to!
I'm much more interested in hearing this new music than anything from the archives. I think I've listened to the Archives Vol 2 maybe twice. Nothing wrong with it, but I find that I just don't really want to return to the earlier material, but I'm always interested in the newest music. Keep the new stuff coming, Neil!
I’m the reverse of you.Will buy this and probably enjoy it but anticipation is higher for every single one of the Archives releases proposed. I have played every one of the archival releases more than I have Colorado,Peace Trail,The Visitor,The Monsanto Years,A Letter Home and Americana put together. Glad he’s doing both and is no longer thinking it is an either/or thing.
Yeah, I like it all (except for The Visitor. Yikes), but most of the archives material I've either heard before in some form, or it's a variation of something already familiar. The new material, especially the longer jams, is mostly much more interesting.
Adding my two cents to the new versus archival discussion: I am happy that he’s doing new stuff. I am also happy with all the archival stuff. Even though I think the older stuff is usually, on average, better, there’s always still some magic in the new stuff. If, hypothetically, Neil said “look, I’m not doing both. I either retire from writing and recording new music and focus fully on archives, or I abandon any and all archival projects because I want to work on new music. You get to decide what I do,” I would pick new music. He’s an artist. Seeing him evolve his craft over the years is what makes it all worth it. As for the new song, I’m liking it more each time I listen to it. Pretty excited for this new album, especially the way Neil spoke about it today, how he is very happy with every song, how sometimes it’s good and bad and sometimes he’s lucky and it’s all good, and this album is the latter.
You probably are in a minority, I'm in it too Greendale is one of my favourite albums and I love Monsanto Years, CD and DVD.
Have to comment on this. First, I would call Ohio one of the greatest and most important rock anthems of the last 60 years, the significance of which cannot be understated. Without going deep into the politics of the day that song, about the Kent St student killings by our own government, had more to do with turning the tide of middle America against the Vietnam War more than any other single event. Everyday working Americans who sent their kids to college finally realized why speaking out against the war was so important, as was protected free speech, and that the war itself was immoral and wrong and killing a generation of young men. Crosby said when Neil played them the song, they cried at the poignancy of the lyrics. And while its about that significant horrible event in American history, Neil has pulled that song back out in subsequent world events that call for it, such as the young Chinese students protesting their government in Tiananmen Square, with the footage of the boy putting flowers in the barrel of a tank gun. Its a song that has a universal message because its about the right to use free speech to point out the follies of the ruling government and the dangers when that authority gets out of hand, as it obviously did at a small midwestern campus in May 1970. Rockin isnt on the level of Ohio, but for a lot of reasons it carries similar anti establishment and anti authoritarian messages that go far beyond just the Reagan/Bush years. "A thousand points of light, for the homeless man, we got a kinder gentler machine gun hand" is an incredible line which capsulizes the follies of the failed foriegn policy and military excursions in the 80s (Iran Contra, Lebanon) as the US is on the verge of further involving themselves in Mideast entanglements, all the while we're failing to take care of our own people at home. But true to NYs often times mixed messages, the song also celebrates the fall of the iron curtain and the freedoms we possess in this country (and now in those eastern European nations). That dichotomy takes it beyond just 88, 89, and it becomes a bigger anthem which works under a number of circumstances. So I would not minimize the impact of songs such as those.
As soon as I read about the release date of Neil’s new album with the Horse I felt uplifted. Now that may not take much in these crazy times but I love Neil’s albums, yes all of them. Of course some more than others but there’s always something there to love. Bring on the Horse!
