Next -- a review of the Dixie Chicks' new album.
- Badtux the Music Penguin
In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.
The religious right is motivated by the suspicion that someone, somewhere,
is having fun -- and that this must be stopped.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Music Review: Neil Young, _Living With War_
To summarize: Save your money. Once upon a time Neil Young could write good political songs, such as "Ohio". Those days are past. His lyrics are leaden polemics, his band is just going through the motions, blech. Reminds me of a criticism that Bob Dylan had about Phil Ochs' early output -- "he's not writing songs, he's reporting." Which is probably why Dylan's stuff is still around and still damned brilliant 40 years later, while Phil Ochs' stuff... well, who wants to listen to "Draft Dodger Rag" or "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" nowdays, 30 years after the draft was abolished?
4 comments:
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Yeah, I'm forced to agree with you. "Living With War" is more valuable for its "piss off right wingers" quotient than for the actual music. I've been a huge fan of Neil for years, but his last good album was the one he did with Pearl Jam in 1995. Since then, it's been a steady stream of dreck.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Pearl Jam, if you want to hear strident anti-war anthems by a band that still has a pulse, check out their new one. It's damn good.
Or, listen to some 100 year old war protest songs:
ReplyDeletehttp://antiwar.com/blog/soldier.mp3
I found this album caused me to cry, Do any of you have children. I CAN ONLY ASSUME NOT. Our President and his staff have lied to us for to long. Neil has long been a spokesman for what he believes in. I for one am with him. BUSH need's to go. Jail would not be out of the question if I had a say.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm in full agreement with the sentiments expressed by the lyrics. This is a great political polemic. Thing is, though, if I want to read political polemics, I go over to the DailyKos. When I put a CD in my CD player, I espect to hear good lyrics and good music, "good" measured by the standards of poetry and musicality, not by the standards of "I agree with the sentiments expressed". This album fails both tests.
ReplyDelete-BT