Neil Young "Living with War"

[Geno]

I have probably 20 Neil Young recordings and have been a big fan since the beginning. I just bought this one, and would like to melt it. I'm not exactly a hawk, but this kind of poison just turned me off. C'mon, Neil, lighten up.

 

[WorldLeader]

Neil Young can't sing, BTW.

 

[BostonMark]

dont always agree

with Neil Young, but I still thought Living with War was a good album musically. He may not be able to "sing" but the man still has more emotion in his voice than two dozen of today's singers.

For the record, I'm fairly conservative myself, but if I had to believe in all the lyrics of all my favorite artists to enjoy the music, I'd have to get rid of quite a bit of my music collection!

I wrote a review of his last album for epinions if anyone is interested:

Living With War by Neil Young

 

[footman]

Not a kick back and relax set.

I do not think this is for easy listening . A thread that runs through this albumn is that this invasion was posited on a concious lie. It was not based on the security of the nation it was based on the needs of Bush. Bush speaks for a select few and those few are not dying or suffering.

 

[BostonMark]

Prairie wind

If you want a great kick back and relax album last years Prairie Wind (available in a CD.DVD set, and now featured in the concert film Heart of Gold) was a great mellow album. It is reminicent of many of Neils earlier quieter albums. Living with War is a rocker, and its definitely political.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Musically I really think he's lost his way. I don't give a good God damn about his politics- my problem with him is that I haven't liked any of his stuff since his wonderful Harvest Moon about a decade ago.

 

[BostonMark]

Rob

even you can benefit from Neils new stuff, because some of his new stuff is RE RELEASES of old stuff on DVD Audio like Hawks n Doves, American Stars n Bars, and On the Beach

 

[Audioholics]

I suppose it's hard to write good music AND have a stark agenda at the same time...

 

[Nomo]

I suppose it's hard to write good music AND have a stark agenda at the same time...

Let alone sing on key.

 

[moverton]

I have probably 20 Neil Young recordings and have been a big fan since the beginning. I just bought this one, and would like to melt it. I'm not exactly a hawk, but this kind of poison just turned me off. C'mon, Neil, lighten up.

Oh no, protest music, from Neil Young, what is the world coming to?

I wish he'd just sell out to the credit card companies like all the other 60's/70's rock stars; it would make me less uncomfortable.

( I heard "all we need is love" on a credit card commercial today, i felt sick)

 

[moverton]

I wrote a review of his last album for epinions if anyone is interested:

Terrific review. Objective and informative. Thanks.

 

[Hawkeye]

but if I had to believe in all the lyrics of all my favorite artists to enjoy the music, I'd have to get rid of quite a bit of my music collection!

Agree 100%

 

[Hawkeye]

Oh no, protest music, from Neil Young, what is the world coming to?

I wish he'd just sell out to the credit card companies like all the other 60's/70's rock stars; it would make me less uncomfortable.

( I heard "all we need is love" on a credit card commercial today, i felt sick)

I saw the commercial as well. Is there nothing sacred anymore? What's next? Zeppelin songs in a car commercial.....oh wait.

 

[shokhead]

I have probably 20 Neil Young recordings and have been a big fan since the beginning. I just bought this one, and would like to melt it. I'm not exactly a hawk, but this kind of poison just turned me off. C'mon, Neil, lighten up.

I dont know anything about it but i knew he cant sing aymore,for awhile now so it wont be one i'll buy.

 

[Geno]

I dont know anything about it but i knew he cant sing aymore,for awhile now so it wont be one i'll buy.

I don't think he ever could sing. (He's said that in a few of his interviews) He's one of those artists (like Dylan, Tom Waits, etc.) who is described as "great singer, terrible voice". I guess the tone of the politics on this one just hit me wrong. Of course, that's just my opinion...I could be wrong

 

[shokhead]

Your right. He's much better in CSNY then just Y but Harvest is one of my fav's but the highlight isnt his voice but it fits.

 

[BostonMark]

Lots of singers can't sing

besides Neil Young

Aside from Bob Dylan, already mentioned, there is Tom Petty, Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull), Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Ozzy Osbourne (although he is understandable singing, not talking), Ric Ocasec (of the Cars), Stevie Nicks, Deborah Harry, Ray Davies, Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd)..

The list could go on and on. All of the above are people in my collection that despite their less than stellar voices, are singers that I enjoy.

In fact, I think there are many "bad" singers that I would rather listen to than some of the polished "good" singers.

 

[shokhead]

besides Neil Young

Aside from Bob Dylan, already mentioned, there is Tom Petty, Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull), Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Ozzy Osbourne (although he is understandable singing, not talking), Ric Ocasec (of the Cars), Stevie Nicks, Deborah Harry, Ray Davies, Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd)..

The list could go on and on. All of the above are people in my collection that despite their less than stellar voices, are singers that I enjoy.

In fact, I think there are many "bad" singers that I would rather listen to than some of the polished "good" singers.

I wouldnt have listed JM or SN but the rest i would say have a different sound.

 

[Craig234]

Um

I suppose it's hard to write good music AND have a stark agenda at the same time...

Of course not. Think about his earlier song, "Ohio". Stark 'agenda'; good music.

Or 'Southern Man', or its response, 'Sweet Home Alabama', both of which have 'stark agendas' and are good music.

Or the whole musical Hair - stark agenda, great music. Long list.

The Beatles had an anti-agenda, good song, 'Revolution'.

However, the whole category of agenda songs was damaged badly by just one horrific crime, the 'too bad to play at Guantanamo prisoners' song "We are the world".

 

[rschleicher]

The Beatles sometimes took some atypical positions on things, and were pretty capitalistic on occasion. I always get a kick out of "Taxman", their protest song against high taxation rates!

Then there are the songs that are ambiguous enough so that people of any position can read their own meaning into the lyrics:

The Who - "Won't get Fooled Again" (Is this saying that nothing ever changes? Or is it saying that the revolutionaries are as bad as the prior regime? Who did they mean by the "new boss, same as the old boss"?)

Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World" - Is this a straight-ahead statement of wanting to change the world, or is it an ironic or sarcastic look at do-gooders and the unintended consequences of their actions? In the line, "Tax the rich, feed the poor. 'Til there are no rich no more.", is Alvin Lee advocating this, or is he instead saying that if you keep raising taxes on the rich, pretty soon there will be no one left to pay taxes?

Tax rates in England used to be so high that even the rock stars thought they were onerous, which is why a lot of them fled to lower-tax locales.