What is it like for a rock musician to go through the seventh decade of their life? Well, if that musician is Neil Young, who turned 66 this month, it must be nothing short of fascinating. His career as an outstanding singer/songwriter and guitar player spans over forty years, thirty three studio albums, fourteen live albums and numerous other projects, effectively connecting the 1960s to grunge and the present. In short, he is a living legend. What else would it take for one to rest on their laurels? Neil Young, however, never did that.
I have admired and followed his work throughout the years, and yet I was once more surprised by his most recent album Le Noise, released in September 2010. And I haven’t stopped playing it since. The album includes some of Neil Young’s most elegantly crafted acoustic moments, in the vein of Heart of Gold, among many of his most fierce and impressive guitar riffs, along the lines of Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black). Both aspects are paradigmatic of the quality and integrity of a gifted and restless musician who hasn’t stopped experimenting and isn’t afraid to take risks.
I have admired and followed his work throughout the years, and yet I was once more surprised by his most recent album Le Noise, released in September 2010. And I haven’t stopped playing it since. The album includes some of Neil Young’s most elegantly crafted acoustic moments, in the vein of Heart of Gold, among many of his most fierce and impressive guitar riffs, along the lines of Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black). Both aspects are paradigmatic of the quality and integrity of a gifted and restless musician who hasn’t stopped experimenting and isn’t afraid to take risks.
NEIL YOUNG "LE NOISE" from galys on Vimeo.
Le Noise consists of eight compositions based solely on Neil Young’s voice and guitar, and is an unusual album in that the directness and bareness of the musical setting encompass a particularly rich and complex artistic content. The melodies are evocative just as the rhythms are intense, and they spread out through haunting sonic environments, aided by Daniel Lanois’ production. Neil Young sings as if there is no tomorrow; the passion and the elegance of his performance highlight the strength of the compositions and their lyrical content. His notes on the acoustic guitar come across like delicate drops of rain, while his electric guitar takes the album over by putting forward dense layers of thunderous distortion.
The end result is unmatched intimacy and emotional expressiveness. Le Noise is an inventive album by an accomplished musician who knows that becoming a legend is not an end in itself; it is always the next unpredictable and amazing step that matters the most.
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