Audio CD review:
Neil Young - Hawks & Doves

Neil Young - Hawks & Doves

Band: Neil Young Title: Hawks & Doves Rating: Release Date: 19 August, 2003 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Little Wing 2: The Old Homestead 3: Lost In Space 4: Captain Kennedy 5: Stayin' Power 6: Coastline 7: Union Man 8: Comin' Apart At Every Nail 9: Hawks & Doves

Customer Reviews The First Unimportant Neil Young Album Released in 1980, it was the beginning of a creative dryspell for the otherwise brilliant Neil Young that lasted nearly ten years. At less than thirty minutes, Hawks and Doves is more of a glorified EP than an actual album. As with Bob Dylan, the 1980s were trying times for Neil Young. It wouldn't be until 1989 that both men made their comebacks. The few highlights are from the acoustic half. 'Little Wing,' 'The Old Homestead,' and 'Captain Kennedy' keep Hawks and Doves soaring. . . just barely. The "album" is not a total disappointment. Hawks and Doves is worth buying if you can find it cheap, but no Neil Young enthusiast should start their collection here. **1/2. (2.5 stars) Has its moments This was a particular flop, his first since the debut: it wasn't put out on CD until 1998, and even today it's widely regarded as one of Neil's absolute worst. This is where Neil's slide into obscurity began: it took him until 1989 to return to form and put out a hit album (Freedom, to be precise). But if ya give it a try, you might find there are one or two songs worth salvaging on this album, including the famously cryptic "Old Homestead". I'm not trying to argue that this is an On the Beach-type find, but it's better than you've heard, at least. I also like the freaked-out folk song "Lost in Space", with a surprising tempo shift and a bunch of other weird gimmicks. The quiet "Little Wing" is reverent and gorgeous and has nothing to do with Jimi Hendrix; "Captain Kennedy" is an interesting solo acoustic performance with cool sarcastic antiwar lyrics - its melody is reminiscent of Fairport Convention, but the lyrics are much more modern. Sadly, all this is offset by five laughable country-rock songs: "Stayin' Power" and "Coastline" are so similar you could be fooled into thinking they were in fact the same song accidentally pressed onto the album twice; the stomp of "Union Man" and "Hawks & Doves" is embarrassing and clumsy, and "Comin' Apart at Every Nail" is pathetic and clichéd. So basically, the acoustic folk songs rule, and the country-rockers are pathetic humiliations. So this is a tough call. Terribly Underrated In the light of Neil's latest, Living with War, it seems appropriate to say a word about "Hawks & Doves," Neil's previous attempt to express his love for the USA. I'll be brief here, although there's a lot to be said for this little record. He's ready to go, if he has to, but willing to stay, pay taxes, and support the ideas of personal freedom and personal responsibility (two big Neil themes) that make America such as crazy and hopeful place to live. And unlike George Bush, Neil really is a "uniter," and sees through the partisan divisions to a common American character. Using the commonplace political associations of American music, Neil sings "Got rock & roll, got country music playin'. If you hate me, you don't know what you're sayin'. " It's all American music, and there's something in us all and at the heart of rock and country music that we share. Chuck Berry and Hank Williams: both hell-raisers at heart, and as American as apple pie. And, his Canadian citizenship notwithstanding, so is Neil Young. . You can see a complete list of all Neil Young discography, or go back to the Neil Young tabs