Young Neil: Chrome Dreams II CD Track Listing
Young Neil
Chrome Dreams II (2007)
Originally Released October 23, 2007 \n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Neil Young spent his 2006 hawking Living with War, an album as immediate as a news bulletin, so perhaps it made sense that after its promo push was done he would retreat into the past, planning to finally finish Archives, the long-promised box set of unreleased performances from his vaults. Two individual discs of classic live performances were released in the winter of 2006/2007, acting as a teaser for the proposed fall release of the box, but like with most things involving Neil, things didn't work precisely as planned, as he once again pushed Archives to the back burner so he could release Chrome Dreams II, a sequel to an album that never came out in the first place. The first Chrome Dreams was slated for a 1977 release, but for some indiscernible reason Young scrapped the album, parsing out some of the songs on subsequent albums, sometimes re-recording the originals, sometimes overdubbing, sometimes just sticking the previously unreleased tracks onto new albums. Among the Chrome Dreams songs that popped later are some of his greatest, including "Like a Hurricane" and an originally acoustic "Powderfinger" and "Pocahontas," along with other such excellent tunes as "Sedan Delivery," "Too Far Gone," and "Look Out for My Love," a pedigree that would suggest that Chrome Dreams II could include its fair share of major songs. Despite the inclusion of the long-bootlegged (and simply long at a lumbering 18 minutes) "Ordinary People," that's not quite true: it's a modest collection of stray songs and new tunes, pieced together in a fashion similar to 1989's Freedom, which in fact is where the 1977 "Too Far Gone" was finally unveiled. \n\nIndeed, Chrome Dreams II shares more similarities to Freedom than the original Chrome Dreams -- so much so that it's a mystery why it's dubbed as a sequel, but it's a mystery not worth pondering, as there are few clues to their correlation, and even if a definitive answer to their kinship could be dredged up, it wouldn't illuminate the 2007 album, which is merely a good Neil Young album. Perhaps a little more than good, actually, as this has a shagginess and tattered heart that's been missing from his work for a long time, as he's spent a good chunk of the past 15 years pursuing conceptual works, ranging from thematic concept albums (Living with War, Greendale) to musical genre exercises (Are You Passionate?, Prairie Wind). Here Neil dabbles in all his signatures, starting the album with the sweet country corn of "Beautiful Bluebird," then careening to the mildly menacing minor-key groove "Boxcar" before he gets to the light, almost bouncy soul-pop of "The Believer" (complete with call-and-response backing vocals), the Crazy Horse mysticism of "Spirit Road," the lazy loping country of "Every After," and the elongated guitar workout of "No Hidden Path." He even gets way out with "The Way," singing with a children's choir, a stab at innocence that's cheerfully at odds with the sludgy "Dirty Old Man," an unexpected revival of the boneheaded off-color jokes of "Welfare Mothers," and then, of course, there's the album's centerpiece, "Ordinary People," a winding epic recorded with the Bluenotes in 1988 that's dated in its splashy production (and perhaps its blaring horns, since Neil largely abandoned the Bluenotes after This Note's for You), yet it sounds immediate and gripping. It's the kind of song to build an album upon, which is precisely what Neil has done with Chrome Dreams II, using it as an excuse to round up other songs with no home. This doesn't make for an album that holds together thematically the way other latter-day Neil albums do, but its mess is endearing, recalling how charmingly ragged albums like After the Gold Rush, Tonight's the Night, Rust Never Sleeps, and Freedom are, even if Chrome Dreams II never manages to soar as high as those classics. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nWhat we have here is easily Mr. Young's finest work in years, one that erases the memory of his well-intentioned but anemic 2006 protest album, Living with War. Recorded using analog gear, with Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina, pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, and Rick Rosas on bass, CD2 manages to sound both home-grown and experimental. It's the work of an artist still not afraid to take chances, who also knows what his strengths are and doesn't stray too far from them. Trainspotters will note that three of the ten songs were written but never released before, while we all might puzzle over the title. Chrome Dreams is the name of an unreleased album from 1977. So, why is this Chrome Dreams II? Is it a similar case to 1992's Harvest Moon, when Young went back to the virtual land of his 1972 hit Harvest to write more material in that vein? As the original was reportedly lost in a fire, we may never know. Chrome Dreams II offers up gorgeous, plaintive laments and country-tinged numbers sung in that achy breaky, heart-on-sleeve voice of Young's, as well as ragged barn-storming rockers delivered with a growl. There's even an 18-minute dirge that excitedly mixes R&B back-up horns with searing electric guitar leads! Wow. --Mike McGonigal \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA Best of 2007, October 30, 2007 \nBy S. Vahey "A Music Fan" (Northeast USA)\nFor me this is in the top 5 releases of 2007. Its just awesome Neil. The sound quality on the bonus DVD in the collector's edition is fantastic thru a good home theater. Its 96kHz stereo, and sounds really excellent. If only more artists did this I'd be a happy guy. Its getting depressing that most of the time you have to track down vinyl recordings to get a true audiophile experience of new material. Due to the loudness race, many artists are releasing overcompressed and over-loud standard CD's, and then releasing a properly mastered version on vinyl for audiophiles. Which are usually about $25-30. Well I applaud Neil for giving us the hi-res DVD packaged with the CD for a nice price of under $20. It sounds fantastic! This edition is a gift, not a rip-off as someone mentioned. If you care about the sound quality of what you listen to, this is the version you want. Just don't buy this version expecting to have something to watch, its just a series of morphing still pictures to accompany the hi-rez audio. \n\nNow as for the actual songs, I love them. My favorite at the moment is the 14:31 long guitar jam "No Hidden Path". I dont think it gets much better than that if youre a Neil fan. Really all the songs are excellent, other favorites are Beautiful Bluebird, Boxcar and Spirit Road. Neil just keeps on going, putting out albums that blow the doors off artists half his age. I hope he keeps giving us more gems like this for many years to come. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA MOSTLY SATISFYING "TEASER" OF AN ALBUM, November 5, 2007 \nBy John W. Evans (La Grande, OR United States)\nI had been eagerly anticipating the release of the always enigmatic Neil Young's newest CD "Chrome Dreams II" for quite some time, in part because it contains several songs I have heard on bootlegged recordings for the last 10 to 15 years. After a few listens to his new album, I find myself perplexed. I find it to be a comfortable and reassuring listen, but I don't find it particularly exciting either. \n\nIt seems that life-changing experiences can mellow people out sometimes, as they often appear to gain a greater perspective in regard to humanity and to their own place within the world. I think Neil Young has found some great inner peace, but I think the music has lost some of its fire in the past ten years or so, most notably so since he had the surgery for his aneurysm. Thus, I'm not surprised that the music itself seems to lack some of the fire we used to hear in Young's work. I think it's cool that Neil has become a kind of spiritual guy and all (check out song titles like "Spirit Road", "The Believer", "No Hidden Path", "The Way", "Ever After" and "Shining Light"), but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot on "Chrome Dreams II" that smolders the way things used to with Young and his band Crazy Horse. I like his stuff more when he's smoldering. If I want to see and hear Neil in his present frame of mind circa 2006, I'll get out my copy of his film "Heart of Gold", as it is a wonderful testament to peace, humanity and friendship through music. \n\nBy all indications, Neil Young is in a comfort zone musically and life-wise. Even if I think such a comfort zone produces music that is in some ways less vital to me as a listener, I have to hand it to Neil. How many of us can get to the highly positive point in life where he seems to be now? \n\nEven with all that said, this new CD has a lot to offer. My favorite of the new tracks is "The Way", the last cut on the CD. It is a very atmospheric song, with lyrics suggesting that things are right there in front of us if we only look... we don't have to be lost. Young doesn't seem to be plugging any particular way to be "found", he just tells us we can find a way if we look for it. I also love the sprawling, overly-long and horn-laden "Ordinary People"; this album's version of the song clocks in at a little over 18 minutes. It's a song I've heard many times on bootleg recordings over the past 10-15 years, and among Young's die-hard fans it has acquired a sort of legendary status. Lyrically it's all over the place and a bit confusing, but it seems to fit together pretty well after a few listens. \n\n"Boxcar" is another tune from years ago that has been bootlegged many, many times. While "Ordinary People" appears to have been recorded by one of Young's "Blue Notes" band line-ups from the time of the "This Note's For You" album, "Boxcar" has been recently redone. I would have rather heard one of the original versions than a re-do, but I still like the tune. Of other songs on the CD, I think "Dirty Old Man" is amusing and fun, but highly out of place on the album in regard to the album's general spiritual mood. "No Hidden Path" is kind of a cool, long Neil jam tune and "Spirit Road" is electric enough... although I don't think either of those two tracks come very close to anything as intensely powerful as "Love and Only Love" or "Love to Burn" from the 1990 "Ragged Glory" album, for example. \n\nI don't think "Chrome Dreams II" is going to find its way into bargain bins like some of Young's other outings. I wouldn't rank "Chrome Dreams II" as highly as such "recent" Young classics as 1992's "Harvest Moon" or 1989's "Freedom" and the relatively-unknown but amazingly good "Eldorado" EP CD from about that same time (released only in Japan and Germany), but I definitely like "Chrome Dreams II" better than the seemingly desultory "Greendale" material, the blandly pleasant "Prairie Wind" and "Silver and Gold", the lyrically relevant but musically cobbled-together "Living With War", the warmed-over cold-leftover live collection "Road Rock Vol. 1" and the mostly uninspired "Are You Passionate". \n\nIn other words, I think "Chrome Dreams II" IS Neil Young's best release of the past ten years, but calling it that isn't really too much of a stretch for me considering that I find his recent output spotty at best. \n\nYoung is now releasing some older "live" recordings at long last, including a couple from Massey Hall and the Fillmore that are very, very good. Neil Young has enough unreleased songs that if he wanted to he could release at least five or six hours of very good songs, mostly ones unheard by just about all of us. \n\nI keep hoping his "archives" series will give us more than just the live material, and that some of what we hear will not be older songs redone, as "Boxcar" has been on "Chrome Dreams II" and as I believe "Razor Love" was done on "Silver and Gold". I rather hope that we will get to hear his unreleased songs in their original forms, as in the recordings from 20-40 years ago. Here's hoping he will release much of that "lost" material. Of course it's up to Neil Young to do this, and for those of us who have been following him throughout his career, we know how unpredictable he can be... sometimes delightfully, but sometimes frustratingly so. \n\n"Chrome Dreams II" seems like a kind of stopgap album. Neil Young loves playing relaxing music with his friends, which is what he is doing more of here, and that's fine. That's what playing music should be all about, really. But for me, "Chrome Dreams II" is more of a musical teaser than anything: will we get to hear the original "lost" "Chrome Dreams" album someday? That "lost" album is a subject for another time... and maybe Neil Young named his new album "Chrome Dreams II" as a statement of sorts, that the days of the original "Chrome Dreams" are now just the "days that used to be". Who knows? \n\nThis new CD as a musical snapshot of where Neil seems to be at his current station in life, a place in which he realizes, with thanks to whatever spirit he knows or seeks, that friends and the love of friends may be our most important earthly treasures. Then again, in some ways "Chrome Dreams II" almost has a feel of Young killing time and having fun while he readies more stuff for release from his vaults. Either way, it's all o.k. with me. \n\nI find very little that is musically or lyrically immediate or profound about "Chrome Dreams II", but it is a very pleasant CD to hear. I certainly have to give it my Neil Young fan Seal of Approval. The most important thing to me, more important than whether or not Young still has a musical fire in his belly or whether he plans to release any of his unreleased songs, is knowing that he is alive, he is well, and he is still writing, playing and singing. Whatever Neil Young does, I will always be a fan and I will always listen. And if you listen to "Chrome Dreams II" too, I think you will probably find things worth hearing. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSomething for Everyone from Rock's Everyman, October 29, 2007 \nBy John C. Bergeron (Saint Paul, MN United States)\nThe first three times I tried to play this disc, I didn't make it through because I kept returning to the third cut, "Ordinary People," an almost unbelievable 18 minute-plus powerhouse mosaic of society, written and performed with equally necessary doses of anger, humor, passion and hope. This song, first produced in the '80s (remember Lee Iacocca?), was never officially released, for Young's ever-active muse apparently drew him into other projects. Those who have followed this man's amazing career know that it has happened a lot over the years. I guess there just aren't enough hours in the day for a genius to get his work done. Or, maybe it was that same prophetic genius that told Young to wait until now, for the song's messages and urgency are a mirror for today, and should be required listening for every living American, no matter how old or young. My fear is that while this song is too great not to get air-play, commercial radio just won't sit still for an 18-minute listening experience. But for a song so great, it needs to be all or nothing. So, here I am, hundreds of characters into this review and I haven't managed to get past one song. Just buy the disc, okay? Trust me on this one: when I finally got through it, I came away feeling like I'd experienced a microcosm of Neil Young's unparalleled career. There are beautiful ballads and classic rockers in equal measure. Lyrically, there are enough lovers and dreamers for those who still believe that this runaway train we're on can be slowed, stopped, and backed up. And there is enough guilt, regret, remorse, anger and recrimination for anyone who has been even semi-conscious these past 7 years. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n(3.5 stars) A worthwhile, hard-rockin' work, October 24, 2007 \nBy finulanu "My beef's with the meat packing ind... (Hiding from the Pun Police)\nThe sequel to an album... that never came out. The original Chrome Dreams album was scrapped in '77 - tracks from it were eventually released on either Rust Never Sleeps ("Pocahontas"; "Sedan Delivery"; "Powderfinger"), American Stars n' Bars ("Will to Love"; "Star of Bethlehem"; "Like a Hurricane"; "Hold Back the Tears"), Comes a Time ("Look Out for My Love") or Hawks and Doves ("Captain Kennedy"), or Freedom ("Too Far Gone") - I don't think "Stringman" ever found its way on the studio album, though it does show up on Unplugged. By the way, is that why Stars n' Bars was so bad other than "Like a Hurricane"? Because it was such a hodgepodge, a mix of outtakes from Chrome Dreams and Homegrown? I think so. Anyway, I can say safely that "Ordinary People" is an awesome winding epic song. It was recorded during This Note's for You's sessions, and if you ask me could've singlehandedly saved that album from being pathetic. Never mind that it's eighteen minutes long - there are all kinds of fascinating solos (guitar; sax; trumpet), and wonderful lyrics about the working-class. Nothing else comes close. It's one of those songs that bumps the rating up all by itself. But none of it's ground Neil hasn't covered before - even good songs like the hilarious "Dirty Old Man" and crunchy, riff-filled "Spirit Road". The other long track, "No Hidden Path" is excellent as well, with a ton of wonderful guitar solos. Even then, it's a lot like "Change Your Mind". The country songs are considerably less impressive than the rockers - I'd rather hear "Harvest Moon" or "Harvest" than "Ever After" or "Beautiful Bluebird", and Neil's one of those few artists that can really make country sound good to me; "Boxcar" is only okay. And I'm no fan of "The Way" - unless you're Pink Floyd, you really shouldn't be recording songs with children's choirs. But I gotta say that the peaks on this one are so good that they make it worth listening to even if it's unoriginal and pales in comparison to After the Gold Rush and On the Beach, or even more recent works like Prairie Wind and Harvest Moon. Still, the rockers on this one are some of his best since Ragged Glory. \nFor the record, a LOT of my favorite artists have been putting out albums this year. So far we've seen releases by the Smashing Pumpkins, Prince, Joni Mitchell, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, the White Stripes, and now Neil Young. I'd like to know who's next in line. Dylan? The Stones? Hey, maybe another Jane's Addiction reunion? One can dream...\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nIn other words, ARCHIVES will wait, October 23, 2007 \nBy o dubhthaigh (north rustico, pei, canada)\nThe big message here is that Archives is still on the shelves, and may remain there for Amber, Ben and Zeke to cobble together long after Shakey's fanbase has followed him into senility. \n\nOddly, this record puts me in mind of Stars n Bars, which essentially was patched together from remnants of other projects, including Chrome Dreams I. This is not a great NY disc, no matter what else you read. It has a better effect overall than the individual songs do on their own. He starts and finishes strong with "Bluebird" (no Stills references) and "The Way." In between are the resurrection of "Ordinary People" (when Young, like Dylan, was in dire need of an editor), "Spirit Road" and "Boxcar." Most of the rest leans heavily on tedious melodies and a lot of repetition. "No Hidden Path" is also crying for an editor. Niko Bolas is no David Briggs and seems to just let the tape roll, a dangerous proposition with an artist who has no filter. Mind you, when he is on, as is clearly evident in the solo accoustic version of "Broken Arrow" from the upcoming Riverboat (Toronto club where he cut his teeth) live disc, available on the Barnes and Noble version of this, Young is a force to be reckoned with. Briggs' genius was in his Teo Macero ability to cull what was extraordinary and present it in the best light possibe for Young. Bolas is a "volume dealer" and you would be wise to regard that literally. \nStill, I like this. I am very glad to see Ordinary People hit daylight. There is often a mystique about Young's songs that were never officially released. Occasionally, it's worth the endeavour to seek them out (Winterlong, Campaigner, Journey Through the Past), most often it's a little less than impressive ("Push
This rock cd contains 10 tracks and runs 66min 19sec.
Freedb: 9a0f890a
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Category
: Music
Tags
: music songs tracks rock Rock
- Young Neil - Beautiful Bluebird (04:30)
- Young Neil - Boxcar (02:46)
- Young Neil - Ordinary People (18:12)
- Young Neil - Shining Light (04:46)
- Young Neil - The Believer (02:43)
- Young Neil - Spirit Road (06:35)
- Young Neil - Dirty Old Man (03:20)
- Young Neil - Ever After (03:34)
- Young Neil - No Hidden Path (14:33)
- Young Neil - The Way (05:14)
