Americana [CD]

The Neil Young publicity machine has been going at full throttle recently,an album stream ,via a national newspaper,a half hour interview on Radio Four,and news of at least two "new" projects in the pipeline.
I have lived with the new album for a couple of weeks.via the website,and now the physical release has arrived,as one reviewer has stated,as noted on the sticker on the cover this "gleefully irreverant and shambolic garage rocker"is still as mesmerising as ever
if you are expecting a re run of "Harvest"then do not buy this record,for this is Neil rocking as only he can.
"Oh Susannah" is a great starter,it rocks and rolls its way into your brain ,"i come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee"so says the lyric,do Lynryd skynrd know this?
"Clementine" will be familiar to most,but not sung like this,this is a very good version of the old song written way back in 1863.
"Tom Pula" also known as" Tom Dooley",written in 1866 is at over 8 minutes,the longest song yet,and yet again shows YOung on good form.
"Gallows Pole" was of course covered by Led zepelin,as well as some others,this version,is far more strident,ubeat and happy,ironically it is about seeing someone hanging on a pole!
"Get a job" i seem to recall a rock'n'roll band,maybe Sha na na in the mid sixties doing this song,apparently
according to the booklet it was "The silhouettes" in 1957,oh well,you can't win em all!
"Travel on" dates from a recording in 1958,and is based on a British folk song,this six minute song,is a good old hoe down type song.
"High flying bird" dates from the mid sixties and Stephen Stills,ex Young band member played on the original.
"Jesus chariot"also known as "She'll be coming round the mountain"was written in the 1800s and is based on a negro spiritual and is about the second coming of Jesus.
"This land is your land"was written in the mid 1940s by Woody Guthrie,and has since become one of the most famous protest songs ever.
"Wayfarin'stranger" was written in the1900s and still sounds good to me
"God save the Queen" is a brilliant version,of the National anthem,and not a Sex pistols tribute.
Neil Young and crazy horse have made an original and idiosyncratic album that is great to listen to,and funto play.
I look forward to his next reissue project with high expectation!!
The packaging is a gatefold sleeve with extensive notes in the booklet.

NEIL YOUNG
RALPH MOLINA
BILLY TALBOT
PONCHO SANPEDRO

56.55

RELEASED IN 2012

REPRISE RECORDS

There is an alchemy when it comes to Neil Young and Crazy Horse. This is a mixture that just works. They have been called workmanlike and many more derogatory names and yet they have an easy and enjoyable vibe which makes their music somehow work. So any reunion of Neil Young and Crazy Horse does stir a lot of emotions and feelings. Then to hear that its just a rehashing of old songs from American history, for me at least, poured cold water over any interest I had. My expectations were lowered. So this is a bit of welcome relief. Its not a legendary album like their 70's collaborations or Ragged Glory, but its not bad.

It is a rocker of an album in a lazy, easy going style. Tracks like Oh Susannah, Clementine, High Flyin' Bird and Jesus Chariot are the kind of tracks that make you smile and be thankful these guys still make records. Its just a good listening experience. However, there is a sense of dislocation with some of these tracks as they are (after all) old tracks and as such have influenced many tracks since. So listening to Oh Susannah (for example) I hear Venus (She's Got It) in the chorus. Maybe its just me but there are other times where I am hearing other tracks. Some tracks just don't work for me either - Get a Job is one I am yet to warm to.

However, this is a pretty good listen. Its not going to be to everyone's taste as it isn't ground breaking, epic or legendary. There are no tracks on here which sit as high on the NY & CH list as their absolute best numbers. But its a solid offering that rips along nicely and works as a reminder that when these guys get together than can almost turn lead into gold (Clementine just is proof of this as it starts off quite menacingly and the original is anything but). Listen before buying and don't expect a classic - just a solid offering.

I don't think there has been a completely essential Neil Young release in quite a while - and I include 'Prairie Wind' and 'Le Noise'. 'Americana' isn't either, but it's a jaunty, rollicking ride with Crazy Horse doing what they do best or worst, depending on your preference. Played loud, from start to finish, this has some real pleasures to enjoy with those crunchy Young and Sampedro guitar parts and Talbot/Molina groove. Of course it's not refined - and in some cases - in tune, but that's the deal with NY & CH. Maybe some listeners will miss the melodies of the original (or most popular) versions of these folk songs, but the Americana interpretions give them a new edge and fit the Crazy Horse style perfectly. With the exception of 'Get a Job' (worryingly straying close to The Shocking Pinks era), the songs and arrangements hang together well. It reminds me a little of 'Living With War', but with a much looser feel given the band. Standout tracks ? Probably none, as I'm reminded of the quip 'Its all one song' - but that's no bad thing. Having said that, the gentle and sparse take on 'Wayfaring Stranger' is wonderful. Go for it.