Reviews Written by Ron F
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December 6, 2000
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December 6, 2000
Disappointing Live Album From Neil
Neil Young is surely one of the most prolific rock artists of all time. "Road Rock Vol 1 - Family & Friends" is Young's second release of 2000, and it's a live recording, made during his 2000 tour. Unlike most of his other live recordings (there have been three official live albums in the last decade alone), this one does not feature his long-time collaborators, the primitive but effective Crazy Horse. Instead, Young is backed by Friends and Family, consisting of long-time friends like Ben Keith, Spooner Oldham, Jim Keltner and Duck Dunn, plus wife Pegi and sister Astrid on backing vocals. While its certainly not a bad CD, "Road Rock" will probably leave many fans scratching their heads.
This single CD includes versions of "Cowgirl In The Sand" and "Tonight's the Night" that, while enjoyable, will not make anyone forget the previously issued live versions of either song. Its nice to have performances of "Walk On" and "Words," two ‘70's classics that Young has not previously revived. Also included is a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," on which the Pretender's Chrissie Hynde joins Young.
The problem with this release is that it doesn't really have anything to say. The musical arrangements and performances are solid but unexceptional; unlike Dylan or Springsteen, for example, Young doesn't seem interested in reinterpreting or reinventing his earlier triumphs. None of the other instrumentalists seem able to push or prod or wrestle with Young as the boys in Crazy Horse would. Complicating matters further is that neither Pegi Young or Astrid Young are accomplished singers, and their performances are somewhat less than professional. Finally, the recording quality of the entire disc is disappointing, with much of the music sounding muddled and indistinct. In the context of a Young with Crazy Horse show, such crudity is acceptable, or even welcome; here its just frustrating.
This is hardly a disaster. There's a lot of fine music here, and perhaps this will sound better over time, as Young's 1973 "Time Fades Away" does now. But this CD is a letdown from an artist of Neil Young's stature. It lacks the power and energy of his Crazy Horse shows, and fails to find the beauty and directness that were so wonderful in Young's 1999 solo tour and recent "Silver and Gold ." Luckily, Young reinvents himself every year or so, and by now is already pursuing another musical direction, as he has throughout his long and varied career. ... -
April 4, 2000
Good overview, but ....
This set is a good overview of Emmylou's Reprise years, and offers a solid sampling of her beautiful and memorable work, from the duets with Gram Parsons to her emergence as a Nashville icon in the '80's. The only problem is the relative paucity of unreleased material. There are only a handful of previously unreleased tracks, plus a few others that are no longer available on CD. A few more rarities would have made this collection an essential purchase. Unless your a completist, you can probably live without this collection if you already have most or all of her previous releases. ...
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Disappointing Live Album From Neil
Neil Young is surely one of the most prolific rock artists of all time. "Road Rock Vol 1 - Family & Friends" is Young's second release of 2000, and it's a live recording, made during his 2000 tour. Unlike most of his other live recordings (there have been three official live albums in the last decade alone), this one does not feature his long-time collaborators, the primitive but effective Crazy Horse. Instead, Young is backed by Friends and Family, consisting of long-time friends like Ben Keith, Spooner Oldham, Jim Keltner and Duck Dunn, plus wife Pegi and sister Astrid on backing vocals. While its certainly not a bad CD, "Road Rock" will probably leave many fans scratching their heads.This single CD includes versions of "Cowgirl In The Sand" and "Tonight's the Night" that, while enjoyable, will not make anyone forget the previously issued live versions of either song. Its nice to have performances of "Walk On" and "Words," two ‘70's classics that Young has not previously revived. Also included is a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," on which the Pretender's Chrissie Hynde joins Young.
The problem with this release is that it doesn't really have anything to say. The musical arrangements and performances are solid but unexceptional; unlike Dylan or Springsteen, for example, Young doesn't seem interested in reinterpreting or reinventing his earlier triumphs. None of the other instrumentalists seem able to push or prod or wrestle with Young as the boys in Crazy Horse would. Complicating matters further is that neither Pegi Young or Astrid Young are accomplished singers, and their performances are somewhat less than professional. Finally, the recording quality of the entire disc is disappointing, with much of the music sounding muddled and indistinct. In the context of a Young with Crazy Horse show, such crudity is acceptable, or even welcome; here its just frustrating.
This is hardly a disaster. There's a lot of fine music here, and perhaps this will sound better over time, as Young's 1973 "Time Fades Away" does now. But this CD is a letdown from an artist of Neil Young's stature. It lacks the power and energy of his Crazy Horse shows, and fails to find the beauty and directness that were so wonderful in Young's 1999 solo tour and recent "Silver and Gold ." Luckily, Young reinvents himself every year or so, and by now is already pursuing another musical direction, as he has throughout his long and varied career. ...