Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Other Shoes – Reprise – Warner
rock-folk
★★★★
It’s easy to think Neil Young is on autopilot and not worth another listen. Don’t. World Record, like Barn from 2021 or Colorado from 2019, follows its own logic, mood, and instrumental craft. The songs retain the spark of a great producer, Rick Rubin, guiding Young through a debut with the Canadian bard for Crazy Horse. The current lineup, Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina, and Nils Lofgren, marks a moment where three albums in a row were cut live in the studio. The album conveys immediacy and rough edge, yet it sits apart from the raw, rebellious spirit that defined earlier works such as Ragged Glory. Instead, it leans toward intimate cadences and patient pacing. On seven of the eleven tracks Young plays piano or provides harmonies, opening with Love Earth where lilting verses drift over clear water and a skyward sense of purity.
we are not alone
Neil Young offers a love letter to the earth, written with tenderness rather than intoxication or anger. The set returns to themes of shared burden and care, with poignant country ballads such as This Old Planet Changing Days reminding listeners that humanity remains in the same boat. Amid relaxed harmonies, antiwar sensibilities surface as Walking on the Road moves through a humane chorus. The impulse is forward looking, inviting us to join in.
The audio landscape blends delicacy with spontaneity and heart. Ceremonial pieces feel almost ceremonial in their embrace, as if they want to hold you close. The long day Before teases with leafy organ and harmonica, while the quiet piano in Overhead gives a sense of small, precious moments. Even a rough guitar distortion on I Walk with You becomes a softened force, a beast tamed by a patient walk. In the album’s final long track, Chevrolet, a house brand and old car set the stage for a moment of complicated regret that brushes past partner and paternity questions.
Before the final bow, the record reaffirms a belief in human connection on earth. Young’s voice carries a trace of emotion and longing, a hallmark of his compassionate, humane stance. The inner booklet mirrors this mood with photographs that honor his family history and roots in journalism.
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