Post by thesoundmonitor on Nov 11, 2003 7:17:40 GMT -5
NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE
Greendale
(Reprise)
By Warren Wheeler
In a long and prosperous career Neil Young has come up with some timeless classics; Harvest, Rust Never Sleeps, etc… now one can add Greendale near the top of the list.
A concept album of sorts, Greendale is a novel put to music, and as such the music is almost incidental. The album plods along at mid-pace speed while Young sets the scene lyrically about a town called Greendale, a ranch called Double E, and the story’s main characters, the Green family - Earl, Edith, their environmentalist daughter Sun, Sun’s cousin Jed, grandpa and grandma.
As Young develops the story the music gets more tense and aggressive though still traditionally Neil Young blues-inspired folk n’ roll. Without revealing the story too much, the drama unfolds when the small town experiences a murder, a sad passing, all of which results in Sun Green’s determination to expose corruption in the local council and “Save the world for another day”.
As the album draws to a close the tunes become more celebratory and final in approach. Young turns the narrative into a duet between himself and Sun - with Sun using the megaphone protest-style.
It does tale a while before the story takes shape as lyrics are not provided, and the Young’s notes read like a book group discussion - but the listener hasn’t read it. The DVD included rectifies this to some degree, which is a complete live solo set of Young performing the very same tunes, in the very same order. Between tracks Young does give insight into the tracks, though he likes to mumble in conversation as well as song - so sometimes you’re no closer to comprehending the tale.
In all, Greendale is a brave move, and one that only someone of Young’s stature could pull off.
Greendale
(Reprise)
By Warren Wheeler
In a long and prosperous career Neil Young has come up with some timeless classics; Harvest, Rust Never Sleeps, etc… now one can add Greendale near the top of the list.
A concept album of sorts, Greendale is a novel put to music, and as such the music is almost incidental. The album plods along at mid-pace speed while Young sets the scene lyrically about a town called Greendale, a ranch called Double E, and the story’s main characters, the Green family - Earl, Edith, their environmentalist daughter Sun, Sun’s cousin Jed, grandpa and grandma.
As Young develops the story the music gets more tense and aggressive though still traditionally Neil Young blues-inspired folk n’ roll. Without revealing the story too much, the drama unfolds when the small town experiences a murder, a sad passing, all of which results in Sun Green’s determination to expose corruption in the local council and “Save the world for another day”.
As the album draws to a close the tunes become more celebratory and final in approach. Young turns the narrative into a duet between himself and Sun - with Sun using the megaphone protest-style.
It does tale a while before the story takes shape as lyrics are not provided, and the Young’s notes read like a book group discussion - but the listener hasn’t read it. The DVD included rectifies this to some degree, which is a complete live solo set of Young performing the very same tunes, in the very same order. Between tracks Young does give insight into the tracks, though he likes to mumble in conversation as well as song - so sometimes you’re no closer to comprehending the tale.
In all, Greendale is a brave move, and one that only someone of Young’s stature could pull off.