Ever a slave to his impulses, Neil Young’s response to the ongoing folly of the Dubya administration may be a little belated (where was he when the Dixie Chicks of all people were taking the flack?) but it’s welcome both politically and creatively. Not that Young’s mercurial thought processes and his tendency to say or record every thing which comes into his head always lends itself to happy results – his support for the Reagan years, for instance, or songs like Welfare Mothers. And being honest, a new Young LP isn’t necessarily a cause for celebration even among his fans these days – last year’s supposed return to form Prairie Wind was a lacklustre affair, more Silver and Gold than Comes a Time, and while this new CD is unlikely to rank alongside After the Goldrush or On The Beach, it’s nevertheless one of his strongest collections for years.
Recorded in a week or so, Living With War captures an almost gospel spirit of protest, helped by Young’s decision to include a 100 piece choir. Essentially they act as backing vocalists throughout the album, but the effect, as on opener After the Garden, is quite lovely. The rusted fuzz of Young’s ever grizzled electric guitar tone adds a little ragged glory, and the spontaneity of the music adds to the heartfelt anger of the lyrics to capture a feeling of raw, heartfelt emotion. There’s nothing too profound here, but the simplicity of Let’s Impeach the President and rallying calls like Lookin’ For A Leader are perhaps the more effective for that.
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The album closes with America the Beautiful, an entirely unironic performance of religious intensity. It’s unlikely to unseat Dubya’s crusade, but to see Young entering his 60s in such rich form is satisfying enough.
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