War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing ... except for inspiring creative sparks like Living With War. Neil Young's new song collection (a self-described "metal folk protest") is a passionate call-to-arms against the Iraq War and its excesses (soldiers coming home in boxes, lying leaders, telephone taps, etc.).This is a plugged-in, crank it up, angry and urgent set. It has the fire of Ragged Glory or Freedom and the attitude of Ohio, his 1970 anti-Vietnam War hit with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Young recorded Living With War quickly, in just one 12-hour session. The sound is worlds apart from his last album, the acoustic, gentle, and tender Prairie Wind. It's as if his anti-war rage had been simmering and now it's boiling. The only calm track is the closing gospel rendition of America The Beautiful, which presents a glimmer of hope for the country.
There's nothing wishy-washy about the songs on Living With War. In the bluntly titled Let's Impeach the President, the chorus has embarrassing, contradictory sound bites by George W. Bush against chants of "Flip! Flop! Flip! Flop!" Those Americans who voted for Bush in 2004 don't escape Young's barbs either: "We had a chance to change our mind, Somehow wisdom was hard to find ..."
It's a shame that it takes a wrongheaded war to inspire a great work like this. Some of the best rock music ever was born of the anti-Vietnam War sentiment of the late '60s/early '70s. Let's hope history does not repeat itself in this fashion. I'd settle for mediocre music over more of this pointless Iraq War.
Read more at the Living With War blog.
Click here to listen to the full album right now!
14 comments:
Hi, Mr. Freethinker; thanks for visiting my blog. I think this stupid war has us all feeling this way. Take care...cdadave
oh yes, I agree, that it is a shame, that it takes a war to do those great musik!
Thanks for the visit. As a "child of the sixties" it is great to finally hear an album with real passion. It is an angry compilation, but it doesn't spoil the quality, if anything it enhances it. To me, it's a shame that it takes a 50 year old to come out with an album like this. Where are the youth?
You gotta hand it to Neil Young -- he really nails it. I listened to "Let's Impeach the President" for six times straight when I got it.
Good point about Neil sticking a barb in voters' sides too. I agree wholeheartedly, as you know from my review. I've been a Neil Young fan ever since I saw Buffalo Springfield back in 67. It's good to see the Last Buffalo is still on the stampede.
This is probably the best album, IMO, that Neil has done since Mirrorball. Its full of urgency and delivers its messages with a rockin' set of tunes. If you want some more then also check out the new Pearl Jam album aptly title "Pearl Jam". The tracks "Army Reserve" and "World Wide Suicide" have Eddie protesting, at his finest, in one track, and in the other showing the cost of war on those left at home.
Isn't it a shame that it takes things at their darkest to sometimes inspire some of our best music.
RadioSilence, you're right on the money with that new Pearl Jam album. I think it's the best album they've ever done. If anyone gave up on PJ after their first album, it's time to revisit them. The new one is better than 'Ten'.
As with Eddie lyrics, ya really have to do two things. Have the lyric sheet nearby being Eddie's enunciation still isn't the best and read between the lines of his lines.
Along with Neil's Living With War, I believe the two best albums of the year 2006 are right here.
I think it´s important that famous artists raise their voices against the killing, the lies and the big business behind war that´s going on the days all over...
Pinhacolada from Portugal.
Well said, FreeThinker! Thanks for your visit to my blog.
I love YOUR blog. I found it on a whim, and I'm trying to read it all. This may take me a few years. But I managed to read Queen of Spain's in 4 days.
I've been trying to get my rear to SF for years. Your blog has great pictures!
And Freethinker, it's kinda freaky reading your site. Sometimes it's like reading my own words.
It's good to see other people out there in the world with so many of the same tastes in music and thought.
Rock on!
You got your way and I got my way,
One thing we have in common we want this damn war to end!
Freethinker, this is great. Living With War reminds me of various versions of "Rockin' in the Free World," except much angrier. Unfortunately, it seems humans never learn from their mistakes. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young never sacrificed their principles or political idealism.
We are all learning, as the military mom said, that "we [all] want this damn war to end." I think of my brother-in-law in Iraq and become frozen between fear for his life and fury at an administration that would send our soldiers into an unjustified war.
Thanks for droppping by, freethinker. Hope you don't mind that we added a link to your wonderful blog at Swiftspeech. If you do, let us know, and we'll remove the link.
Swiftspeech
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