Neil Young Sings For Free

by tristero

Neil Young’s Living With War. What a great album! And you can listen to the thing for free here. It’s everything rocknroll should be: angry, beautiful, dirty, dangerous, lyrical, sloppy, emotional, coldly-calculated, and indispensable for sanity in a world gone mad.

It’s on my must-buy list. Speaking of which, My Smart Spouse got me The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of, a collection of genuine rarities from the 20’s and 30’s wrapped up in some great R. Crumb artwork. Perhaps the rare Son House tracks will convince you. Perhaps the reputation of the Georgia Potlickers. But as flat-out great as the individual cuts are, it’s the cumulative effect that’s so overwhelming. I’m more of a very knowledgeable amateur than a professional when it comes to folk music, but I’m certain that this is the finest compilation of real American folk music since The Anthology of American Folk Music. The Anthology, in case you don’t know it, is essential, and I mean that the way water and air are essential.

Getting back to Neil for a moment, be sure to see Jonathan Demme’s documentary about the old coot. It’s a great film. But best of all, it sets up Living With War perfectly because of the contrast with it. The concert is reflective, personal, country music (sort of). The album is uncompromisingly social, rocknroll (definitely).