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Living with War

Neil Young - Living with War Audio CD

A fair review of the Neil Young "Living with War" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Neil Young reviews here, or go back to the Neil Young tabs.

Band: Neil Young
Title: Living with War
Rating:

Release Date: 2006-05-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: After the Garden 2: Living With War 3: The Restless Consumer 4: Shock and Awe 5: Families 6: Flags of Freedom 7: Let's Impeach the President 8: Lookin' for a Leader 9: Roger and Out 10: America the Beautiful

Living with War
Bush policy and whilst I usually do not like political music since I find it to be trite this time is different. Living with War being Neil Young's 2006 release and borrows a page from Dyland in that way that he writes here protest songs against George W. I do not agree with his views but he writes some great melodies and lyrics that are pertinent and not condescending. The album was met with positive reviews and Oakplayer and Rolling Stone both gave it high marks. Many political rock albums sound like teenage projects with lyrics that sound like an angry 15 year old but Young here manages to write lyrics that Dylan himself would have been proud of. All the lyrics are included in the booklet but not a list of whom plays what. 4/5.

Another quickie rush job
Let's rush a bullcrap job to be relevant to the anti-war libtards and make some money in the process. This is the audible equivalent of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911".

"Families"?

I wonder if Neil donated all the proceeds to any veteran's groups? Probably not since the Hollywood types rarely put their money where their mouths are anyway.

"The Restless Consumer"?

Don't need no more lies
Don't need no more lies
Don't need no more lies
Don't need no more lies

Should have read

Don't need no more blah-blah-blah
Don't need no more blah-blah-blah
Don't need no more blah-blah-blah
Don't need no more blah-blah-blah

Yeah, we get it Neil. Only this ain't 1970 and the brilliance of CSNY's "Ohio" is long gone.

"Let's Impeach The President"?

Well gee Neil, ya had 9 years ta do that. Wotttt happened? LOL. . . :D

"Lookin' For A Leader"

Maybe Obama? LOL. . . . Pretty funny considering Neil was a big Ronald Reagan supporter back in the 80s. Check out "Hawks and Doves" for that.

Not to mention Neil's still a Canadian citizen and has never expressed any desire to become an American, instead living here and enriching himself in the evil USA for the last 40 years, so he couldn't vote against Bush, by his own choice.

"Roger And Out"?

With lyrics like "Trippin' down that old Hippie Highway", one wonders if Young has laid down the crack pipe yet. After all, he's what 64 now?

Time to grow up, Neil. You boomer losers need to start acting your own age. Your good stuff ended during the disco era. You're an old age - age old embarrassment now.

Activists, hear this!

Neil tells it like it is, to some pretty good music too. For all you anti-war activists this albumn is a must-have.
This albumn went on my favorites-shelf!.

Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts, But Short Of Perfect

With all the urgent political hoopla surrounding this album, I actually bought it sight unseen the day it was released. Now that President Bush has left office, let me *try* to focus on the lyrics and music of this album, more than the politics. Much to my surprise I was absolutely blown away from the very first track, for two main reasons: The uniqueness and power of Young's overdriven guitar, and the remarkable sincerity of his lyrics. I had only heard more or less acoustic music from Neil Young previously, so I was shocked by the raw power that almost hit me as hard as "Who's Next", despite the rather slow tempo of most songs and the comparatively uninspired backing band.

Musically, it's that overdriven guitar that set my feet to tappin, throughout a full set of simple, but pleasant melodies. The guitar carries this album, in my opinion. The bass is strong and punctuates the songs well, but has a too much of a "lounge lizard" feel to it (as does the mix overall). Similarly, as a drummer I found myself cursing what this album COULD have been, if Keith Moon (or me!) had been on drums. The guitar's energy can only carry these songs so far. While the rest of the band may be competent musicians, they seem noticeably less inspired than Neil Young throughout. Young is clearly the major intellectual and emotional investor in this project.

The backing vocals add a lot to most songs, both in terms of harmony and the evocation of a feeling that Young is speaking out against war on behalf of a large number of people, not just for himself. Unfortunately, too many times the backing vocals take on a cheesy "We Are The World" feel, which diminishes the music's raw power, and dilutes Young's otherwise focused fury. "The Restless Consumer" and "Let's Impeach The President" are good examples of how close the chorus came to ruining great songs. I much prefer the simple vocal harmonies that accompany "Looking For A Leader".

Lyrically, I can only say that whether you agree with his politics or not, Young's passion for ending war is sincere, well-reasoned, and full of heart and soul that values human beings over non-human institutions (the original purpose of the U. S. Constitution).

"After The Garden" puts this loss of focus on human beings into perspective, as we find ourselves devoting our lives instead to serving institutions, dogmas, flags, "leaders", and empty rhetoric, all at the expense of Paradise. You can sense what we've already lost in Young's voice. It's heartbreaking, for those who still have a heart.

"Living With War" looks at the way we are conditioned to believe that war (killing, murder, slaughter, etc. ) is somehow a NORMAL way to live, and makes it clear that we are each responsible as individuals for "remembering peace", rather than falling into an endless loop of revenge and retribution. This is Young's lament of the power of mass propaganda over the minds of formerly independent citizens.

"The Restless Consumer" carries this theme of dehumanizing mass propaganda to another level. This is one angry song, and that anger really makes this song shine, because it's justified. It's reminiscent of Pink Floyd's The Wall ("We don't need no thought control"), but with a greater sense of urgency.

"Shock and Awe" is a much-needed slap in the face, to wake us up from our complacency with so much absurdity, incompetence, death and destruction that accompanied America's response to 911. Young really cuts to the chase here by pointing out that the Bush Administration isn't the problem. WE are. "We had a chance to change our mind" (in 2004).

"Families" and "Flags of Freedom" try to empathize with American soldiers, who sincerely want to serve their country, but find themselves serving a handful of rather insane and/or violent leaders, instead. They are trying to defend their families, and they want to return home to their families--preferably alive. Young is asking, how do we honor decent American soldiers, when they're compelled by forces beyond their own control to behave indecently? The irony, of course, is that these soldiers have no freedom at all, yet they're supposedly defending "freedom". Meanwhile, those of us at home focus our attention on flags blowing in the wind, rather than anything that matters.

"Lets Impeach The President" pretty much preaches to the converted. There's nothing here that will convince a Bush supporter than he has committed impeachable offenses, but it does serve as a rallying cry for taking a responsible look at the litany of serious charges that have been leveled against President Bush. After all, since citizens have nothing to fear from USA Patriot Act searches and interrogations if they've done nothing wrong, then President Bush has nothing to fear from an impeachment hearing, if he's done nothing wrong. Right? The strongest point of this song is to make this Bush Administration's double standard evident.

"Looking For A Leader" is the best song on this album. It's a hopeful call for someone--anyone, to finally show some genuine leadership and take control of a rapidly deteriorating situation. Only in hindsight does this song appear to praise Barack Obama. At the time it was released, Obama was but one of many potential successors. I was particularly touched by Young's willingness to forgive Colin Powell, who might become the leader who will "right what he's done wrong".

"Roger And Out" appears to be a personal statement from Young to a dead soldier that he knew? In any event, it's a heartfelt statement on the sheer absurdity of war, which can hardly "preserve" anything at all, in the midst of so much terrible loss.

"America The Beautiful". I wish Young had omitted this song from the album entirely. His desire to associate his protest with patriotism is understandable under the circumstances (protest is VERY patriotic, after all). But a Victorian Era gospel-style song just has no business on a butt-kicking rock and roll protest album. My great grandfather might have gotten something out of it, but closing this album with "America The Beautiful" completely killed the vibe for me, especially with that annoying "We Are The World" chorus singing it.

The strength of this album lies in it's combination of strong lyrics, powerful, driving guitar work, and the overall significance of a 21st century protest album coming from an aging Vietnam/Woodstock-era rock and roll veteran. Without that historic significance, I'd probably give this album 3 stars. But the end result here truly is greater than the sum of its parts. In fact, I came *this* close to giving it five stars.
.

Great Prophetic Album
Even more interesting in hindsight. This is a great Neil Young album and a bit prophetic in "Lookin' For a Leader" (and this from early 2006) where he mentions maybe it's a woman, maybe a black man and the mentions Obama by name.

You can see a complete list of all Neil Young discography, or go back to the Neil Young tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.