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May 03, 2006
Neil Young - Living With War
[Posted on behalf of MS.com contributor, Yonah Korngold]
It’s been three years, one month, and thirteen days since shock and awe. Three years since Toby Keith, Fox News, and the Texas Rangers banned the Dixie Chicks from radio play. Ever wonder what three years of jarred anger, frustration, and disappointment sound like when uncapped by an old singer, angst filled electric guitar, and 100 studio vocalists?
Living With War, a fiery yet reflective musical call to attention. An upbeat but angry Neil Young is able to capture the modern American emotion of being seesawed between coming to terms with the fact that roadside bombs have become a part of the daily routine and all the anger and rage that refuses to accept this very concept.
Many will compare this album to Ohio, realised only 10 days after the shootings at Kent State1970. But in the terms of protest songs, this album comes through with a much different sentiment. Neil tapped into Ohio on the spot after David Crosby revealed to him the cover of TIME magazine. Where as Ohio is a gut reaction, Guernica horse screeching, call for action, Living with War is something even more since it not only contains this rage but also holds something that the rock world has never before seen, a calculated, well thought out argument for change, based on three years of living in silent disgust with newspaper headlines.
There are no intentional walks or whispers on this album. No one will need to play anything backwards on the record player when “Let’s Impeach the President” is a song title. Even with all the anger the music somehow manages to be uplifting and inspirational enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two songs land on an intern’s ipod in the West Wing. The album can completely speak for itself the music is raw, lyrically straight forward, honest, and catchy all at the same time. In a period of a couple years Young has managed to make a rock opera, battle an aneurysm, make a beautiful country album, and now take on the President of the United States. I’m not one to keep score but I must say he has to be one up on Bono. I really do hope this album gets all the attention is deserves and is able to rile up feelings of people who are tired and frustrated. As for Young, my guess is that it goes without saying, the southern man do need him around anyhow.
[Yonah can now be had two delicious ways; with, or without.]
Listen to Neil Young's - Living With War [free stream]
Previously: Neil Young - Living With War Movie Review - Neil Young: Heart of Gold
Tags: Neil Young, Living With War, Iraq
Posted by Merry Swankster at May 3, 2006 02:56 PM
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Comments
It's more than a little depressing that the most prominent anti-war voices are stemming from musicians old enough to have protested the Cold War.
Posted by: Monty at May 4, 2006 11:01 AM
Prominent, yes. Though lots of contemporaries have thier "protest songs" as well.
Flaming Lips "At War With the Mystics" has quite a bit of antiwar stuff. Some nuanced and calculated, others more confrontational.
Pink Mountaintops has a great song "Plastic Man You're the Devil" (profiled here: http://www.merryswankster.com/archives/2006/03/pink_mountainto.html)
I've put some thought into this and wrote a bit about it when I posted Celebration's "War" back in January. Check it out: http://www.merryswankster.com/archives/2006/01/ms_daily_pick_c.html
Posted by: Merry Swankster at May 4, 2006 11:46 AM
