UNCUT Album Review: Neil Young's Fork In The Road
From The UNCUT Album Review: Neil Young - Fork In The Road by JOHN ROBINSON:
As with its closest precedent, the brief, bracing, garage rock blast of 2006’s Living With War, what’s on offer here is not Neil Young the shy, meditative, folk singer we’ve lately heard emoting from newly released archival recordings. Instead, this is the work of a man who has – again, so soon – been moved by current events to put something down on paper. If Young’s 2009 subject matter makes him a journalist, so does his method. This is no florid essay, but rather angry editorial banged out on a tight deadline, with little regard for the niceties of technique.
Over all, you wonder if it’s a supremely intelligent way to connect with a middle American audience whose No 1 pre-election priority was not solving the war but the restarting of the economy, and a country whose auto industry is in terminal crisis. Remember the guy in the CSNY film who walked out during “Let’s Impeach The President”, saying the band could “suck my dick”? Neil wants him back on board, and perhaps cars is how he thinks he’s going to speak to him.
More on fan reaction to "Fork In the Road".
by thrasher@PermaLink: 4/04/2009 10:50:00 AM
42 comments
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42 Comments:
FITR has got to be Neil's worst album to date.
My way to judge the worth of a new release by an establilshed artist is to ask if the album would launch the career of an unknown. Given that standard, FITR would SINK that career...
A dud.
Who are you kidding in posting a favorable review of this album, when, in fact, the album has been met with criticism or a shrug by the large majority of reviewers so far? As expected, since it is not very good.
Here's an example from The Times:
"Last year’s tour was stunning, so it’s ironic that, between shows, Young spent his time recording possibly his worst album. Among the generic chug of songs inspired by his ecologically-modified car, only the warm-hearted Light a Candle stands out on an album best represented by the title track, to wit: 'Got a pot belly/ It’s not too big/ Gets in my way/ When I’m driving my rig.'"
-Big Old Rig
Thrasher is nothing more than an all-time Neil Young SUCK UP!
Neil's ass - Thrasher's lips.
SMOOCH!!!!!!
Hey BOR, if you hadn't noticed, this site has become nothing but a suck-up-to-Neil one lately, especially since the arrival of Archives Guy. Ol' Thrash has to toe the party line nowadays, nothing but glowing reviews of the new songs and accompanying videos if you please.
I'm sure Neil is laughing his head off at how quick his troops here are to gush all over what he himself probably knows is absolute rubbish that none of these sycophants would give a second listen to if it was from some other artist.
Very nice Victor.
Thrasher i love your site, just wish you weren't such a neil toady.
Fan Boy
this isnt a neil bashing site either the more i listen to the new songs on FITR the more i like it......and by the way neil dont put out bad albums
Hey BORE (Big Old Rig Eats) ---
How about after you've sold a few million albums and performed 1,000's of concerts you come back & tell everyone how it's done.
Rocker Grrrrrll
Waaaah Thrasher is a Neil Young suck up. Waaaaah, but I'm still going to log onto it everyday and post my opinions. Waaaaah.
Get over it. Thrasher is posting positive things about Neil Young, on their own website, and you are commenting on how much you dislike the new Neil Young stuff.
Both are opinions, both are just as valid.
Get over your whining. You don't want Thrasher to just mindlessly like stuff just because it's Neil Young, you just want them to agree mindlessly with you because you think the new stuff sucks. When Thrasher posts positive stuff it's whining because you disagree.
Looks like Fan Boy has some issues.
Do you know the lyrics from Ben Folds' song 'Rock Star' (sung to a rock star from his wife's perspective)? They seem particularly apt with a little modification.
"If you want to be free,
Then I want you to be.
You’re not mine anymore -
You’re public property
You’re a slave to these people who
don’t even know you,
You think they adore you -
They do, then they throw you away.
You’ve got to give the people what they want,
Got to give the people what they want,
Blog Star."
Thrasher, you're a blog star and they're just jealous.
From overseas
Ouch. I'm being called me a "Neil toady" and a "suck up".
Gosh, please stop. You're hurting my feelings with your anon comments.
swat, swat
run along fan boy w/ your anon buddies and take your snark with you.
t
Wow Thrasher!
Raw envy and jealousy are really pathetic and ugly when unbridled as in your comments. I clicked on your website hoping to get a view of some of the arguments about Neal Young's new album Road Fork but instead came face to face with the same old spitting, drooling ‘Olbermann’ style ad hominem attacks (”syncophants”) that so typify angry fans.
Tell me, what is it about your agenda that causes you to be so hateful of anything that besmirches your hero's legacy? You kool-aid drinkers disguised as fans get so cranky when challenged or exposed…
I wonder why there are so few posters here? It could be a personality flaw.
Patiently awaiting your ad hominem attacks,
In Denial
I don't understand why people bother visiting this site when they obviously aren't Neil Young fans. Worst album ever? Hasn't Mr Anon ever listened to any of his 80s albums? I wasn't very optimistic about the new tracks (mainly because of the opinions posted by idiots on this site) until I saw Neil live and he played 3 of them - all great. This new album is exactly why I like Neil Young - you never know what you are getting next. I'm happy for archives to be put on hold - any real fan already has most of the tracks anyway.
And Thrasher, how dare you show pro-Neil Young leanings on your Neil Young fansite that you run for free! You have quite some nerve!
Now will all the negative idiots just piss off to the Pearl Jam forum they probably originally came from and leave us real Neil Young fans alone. We don't want you.
Shaun
Dear Mr. In Denial,
Thank you so much for your visit.
Just so you know, I think I might have you pegged as a poser. The misspelling of the artists name and wrong name of album are a bit of a clue.
btw, we're pretty happy campers. Neil's got a new album, a bunch of wacky vids, and a tour next week.
Don't get much better.
And thanks for your ad hominen attack. Now can you go back to your Rush "Hillbilly Heroin Addict" Limbaugh fan site?
:)
Thrasher
ps - This Blog Is Not For You.
pss - Shaun, thanks. This Blog is for *you*
Valid points on both sides...
this music? is...challenging, but not in the sense of say, reading Thomas Pynchon where one questions if, in fact, one is just not smart enough to figure out why none of it makes any sense whatsoever (and for anyone who's tried to read V or Gravity's Rainbow and felt like an intellectual infant, try Crying of Lot 49 - it's a gift - the writer doing his own Cliff's Notes.) Anyway - for the "would you buy this album from an unknown artist" argument - argument does not apply. Neil Young has earned the right to serious consideration, Your local bar band has not. There may be a method to this "direct" approach to recording. Time may be on Neil's side. Personally, I don't find this to be, for the most part, a recording that I'll sit and ponder for hours with the appropriate chemical enhancement. But I'll put it on in the car and crank up the volume and I will like it better than, say, Reactor.
For those who criticize the site's founder, I echo the "Get your own damn website" response. Note the extreme generosity of the premium placement for the notice about Neilyoung.org. We wouldn't be here if we didn't love the man, and his song. I don't know what the hell he's doing, or if there is poetry,as opposed to commentary, left in his soul.But the record speaks pretty clearly for itself.
Yo Big Old Rig,
A favorable review of a Neil album here? Shocking isn't it?
As you may have noticed, there are dozens of reviews linked on right sidebar -- not all of which are positive.
But who cares what the critics think anyway?
last we checked, FITR was #11 best seller on Amazon. Already.
give it up, man. you're pissin in the wind here and you're wet enough already.
bye, t
ps - oh yeah, I'm sure this site would be a big hit if we spent all of our time trashing Neil rather than just appreciating that he's doing his own thing. You know what freedom is, right? So unless you are truly a free man in every aspect of your life -- career, relationships, etc. -- then just stfu.
For all the complainers posting, realize that if you were dealing with almost any other artist from Neil's era you'd get an album every 4-5 years and maybe a 25 show tour to promote it. Freakin chill out if you don't like it, he puts one out every year, he;s not trying to create a second (or third) version of Harvest or EKTIN, if that's what you expect you're either stupid or you're a newbe... get with the program, there is a a rotation and this is a thematic album designed to be rough, crude and in your face ... try looking at it from the perspective of his whole body of work ...
And the personal attacks on Thrasher are totally inappropriate .... if you don't it here go fXXcking home, get out of here, you have a lot of nerve attacking him, this is an A+ site, Thrasher clearly puts a lot of work into this and doesn't deserve you crap ... if you want to spew your negativity do it elsewhere ... if you want to write a negative review make it intelligent and thoughtful
FITR is a great album. 8 rockers and 2 ballads. Great guitar tones throughout the album. The songs are focused and relativelly short. There are some great stop and start guitar riffs and the backing vocals are well executed.
I have a few observations to make on the previous blogger's comments.
1. The Anonymous who said it was the worst album to date obviously has not listened to Landing on Water (but even that has its moments).
2. Big Old Rig - try Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent. You are merely following the fool from the Village Voice. (Repeat after me, "If I say it enough it must be right".)
3. Smooch! I thought that this was the Neil Young bashing blog. Guess I do need a map to get around. Or was it you who misplaced your guide dog.
4. This Anonymous 04042009 3.31pm could probably find your guide dog because he/she obviously knows everything including where your guide dog is.
5. Fan Boy why not follow the Bambi rule ie if you haven't anything constructive to say curl up and die.
6. In Denial was that some Latin thrown in there? NY's music is not intellectual enough for you so how could you like FITR. Man you should form a progressive rock band with that English lit or is it a law degree?
Pogue Mahone
Percy
You really amaze me Thrash..ya put up with some of the negative shit that is posted.. damn near personal!
I HAVE NEVER SHIT ON OR BAGGED NEIL OR YOU LIKE SOME OF THE SO CALLED FANS. I luv your site and I'm really goin to miss it..SEEYA
LUV ALWAYS DIP
I can't understand why someone can't post a negative opinion about a new Neil album or the way the Archives are being released without getting a lot of grief from most everyone else. We are either whiners or not Neil fans. Correct me if I am wrong but last time I checked Neil was a human being, but a very talented one, and isn't perfect. It seems to me that some of you believe he walks on water and can do no wrong, but that is just my opinion. Now don't get me wrong, Neil is my favorite artist, I have been going to his concerts for over 40 years and have a majority of the music he has released but I have bought some of his music that I didn't like very much. He has put out some really great music over the years, and some not so good. I guess that some of us are Neil fans, and others are stone cold FANATICS, but that is what makes us different and life interesting.
Each to his own, and live and let live.
Lighten Up!
Steve
P.S. to Pinto concerning your remarks about by post on the Blu-ray archives. I think you misunderstood my post. Yes I would love to have the Blu-ray set, but will be more than satisfied with the DVDs. I just took offense to Neil's self promotion of the Blu-ray set. I think that by now anyone who is really interested in getting them knows their benefits and didn't need a tirade from Neil on what a mistake we would be making if we didn't buy them now (Don't Say I Didn't Tell You). At this point in my life I have more important priorities that I need to spend my money on. Again, only my opinion.
Seems like all those crazy ranters at the start of this posting are whining something like:
"There's a Neil-blog out there/ But it's not for me/ It's for all those jerks / wanting TFA on cd"
So what? I'm one of those jerks, and I like this site, it's great - even if I like to make fun of some of the more, let's say, religious approaches to Neil-fandom.
Thank you Thrasher, & keep it up!
(by the way, you're not suckin up to Neil, or to Pepsi either)
NEIL YOUNG RULES...FORK IN THE ROAD KICKS ASS! I LOVE IT REALLY AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? HATE ME FOR IT? LYNCH ME FOR IT? CAUSE I'M DIFFERENT THEN YOU AND YOUR BIG OPINIONS! YOUR A BUNCH OF FASCIST PIG FUCKERS. YOU PEOPLE SHOULD JUST POST: MY OPINION IS RIGHT AND YOURS IS WRONG!!! REALLY! OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES AND MOST OF YOU ARE ONE. OH GOD, DONT WRITE YOU LIKE A NEIL YOUNG ALBUM ON A NEIL YOUNG FAN SITE! THEN YOU ARE BRAINWASHED AND A "SYCOPHANT"...RIGHT? I LOVE THAT WORD THAT YOU PEOPLE USE; A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.
SO TO SAY WE LIKE FITR MEANS WE'RE TRYING TO WIN OVER NEIL?! HAHA OR THRASHER? LOL
MOST OF YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE! GO OUT SIDE AND PLAY WITH YOUR KIDS! OR AT LEAST READ A DICTIONARY. LIFE IS SHORT AND IF YOU WERE HONEST WITH YOURSELVES YOU'D KNOW SOME OF YOU REALLY DONT HAVE MUCH LONGER TO GO.
Shaun - thanks. This Blog is for *you*
Pinto (or Flounder) - good to see. apologies again for mistaking you for one of my regular Neil trolls. Not sure how that happened?! btw, gotta check my Pynchon book.
Steve - Thanks!
Percy - excellent smackdown. Thanks!
PoC - appreciate the support & understanding
Yo SYCOPHANT CITY - inside voices
4% Club - FITR #10 on Amazon right now. See you on chat on Tues for a real-time bitch session.
Better to be Hated for Who You Are, Then to be Loved for Who You are Not. Forever Young.
Neil is my favorite artist of all time but I freely admit that there are probably a dozen albums he has made that I'll never listen to again. I don't buy all his new releases. But the songs I have heard from Fork just flat out sound pretty damn cool to me and I plan to buy it Tuesday. I don't see why folks on either side of this argument are so worked up, tho. I guess you can place me in the 'buy it if you want it and if not, don't' camp, on Fork as well as the Archives.
Steve from Annandale said...
I can't understand why someone can't post a negative opinion about a new Neil album or the way the Archives are being released without getting a lot of grief from most everyone else.
People can, and have, made critical comments on this blog about the new album and Archives, myself included, and they are accepted and respected.
But the comments like the first five responses to this post are pure asshattery, and such posters should probably stick to blogs more on their own intellectual level, like The Free Republic, or Elmo's World.
Thrasher, I respect your desire to not censor your site, but these people have no right to express their opinions in the way they do, rudely, and cowardly from behind an anon username.
Any journalist who is chosen by a source to be his primary outlet to the larger world will inevitably get the label of "suck up". I'm confident you are not. You're just respectful and eloquent and informed. The haters are probably hacks working for dying paper publication rags. Fuck 'em.
--PunkDavid
Someone and someone were down by the pond
Looking for something to plant in the lawn.
Out in the fields they were turning the soil
I'm sitting here hoping this water will boil
When I look through the windows and out on the road
They're bringing me presents and saying hello.
Singing words, words between the lines of age.
Words, words between the lines of age.
If I was a junkman selling you cars,
Washing your windows and shining your stars,
Thinking your mind was my own in a dream
What would you wonder and how would it seem?
Living in castles a bit at a time
The King started laughing and talking in rhyme.
Singing words, words between the lines of age.
Words, words between the lines of age.
you gets what you pays for
freewheelin' bob
Yeah Thrash, take in Punk dave's comments..and don't be such a fuckin' hypocrit with me for christ's sake!
And change ya 'comments policy' so EVERYBODY'S GOTTA HAVE SOME SORT OF ALIAS AND NOT JUST STUFFIN'"ANONYMOUS'!!
Ya put up with all these fuckin' trolls and ya on my back if I digress with some attempted funny comment. I'm the least of ya worries!
Luv Dip
P.S. I've settled down now after my frontal lobotomy.
Dr Dip, you are an anonymous too, man.
John (this is a name) from San Andrews (this is a place).
Dip (this is a name) Sydney (this is a place)
Favourite colour :blue
D.O.B. 03/12/54
occupation: Doctor
Hey Glad to know ya dear Doctor.
John, from San Andrews
favorite colour : none
03/03/1977
Musician.
A little bit fat.
I dig Dr. Dip
keep'em coming Doc
Cheryl
I don't agree with the Thrasher blasting but I do agree that the new songs are pretty bad. This will be the first Neil album that won't join my collection. I would love to see him get back to the art of making music. He seems to have a case of ADD when it comes to quality these days. Quality music would be a nice treat. I have to think he still has it in him. I hope so. In the mean time, its his right to keep putting out all the garbage he wants. Kurt
Bashing Thrasher on his own site is stupid. Not to mention ill-mannered.
That said, I gotta add that I don't like what I've heard from this album so far. I love Neil for being a cranky, unpredictable knucklehead and putting this out. I appreciate the sentiment and the statement. I admire him for not playing it safe. And I am grateful that we still have him around. But based on the songs I've heard, I don't think I'll buy the album. I will probably get it at the library, give it a few spins, and hope it grows on me. But I don't expect it to. It's just not my cup of tea. Neil has better balanced songcraft with a sense of urgency in the past. That music grabs me, moves me, makes me wanna jump around and do something. FITR doesn't. LWW didn't, either. And as hard as I tried to love Greendale, I haven't listened to it since that tour ended. I give every new Neil album a fair shake and really hope to love each one, but truth be told, I haven't loved -- really loved -- a new Neil record since "Sleeps with Angels." I don't spend a lot of time wondering if that's my problem or Neil's. It's just how it is. He does what he does, people like what they like. Long live Neil.
I want to add one more thought to my comment about this album not being my cup of tea: It's a whole song about (ostensibly) cars. It is full of car metaphors, car puns, car symbolism, cah talk. I know a lot of people love cars. I know Neil loves cars. I know we have some hard choices to make as a species regarding our cars. But a whole album about (ostensibly) cars? Zzzzz...I'm nodding off at the wheel. You have to admit that a whole album about cars is kind of a love-it-or-leave it proposition. Incidentally, I have never liked "Long May You Run," either, for the same reason. I think car songs (even if they strive to be symbolic and pregnant with Deeper Meaning) are thin gruel. And if I really need a dose of car poetry, I'll put on Chuck Berry. But that's just me. Maybe one day Neil will write an album about kayaks, and then I'll be stoked. In the meantime, I genuinely hope Neil and his fellow car lovers enjoy the ride. I'll just wave and smile as this particular motorcade passes me by.
Anonymous 12:21:00 am (how else can I acknowledge you).
Well, that was very well put..nothin trollish, offensive or "Sycophantish' or even "syc of it ish"...Just one fan's opinions and sentiments.
Hey, it would be a boring old world if we had exactly the same tastes ,ideals and attitudes about Neil or anything else in the world for that matter.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS SITE SO COMPELLING AND ENJOYABLE!
Maybe put in a comments policy banning 'Anality' and 'Anony mouses'
Thrash, LET the "Pinto's','Sony's' MNOT's, Shittyhorses, "PunkDavid's etc,of this blog, comment without retort..ya know, all those bloggers who have the Balls to 'sign' with some sort of conviction of who they are..even "the Dickwad Dr' sometimes has somethin' constructive to say..be it ever so small!!Ok , continue 'sifting' as you see appropriate..Just remember "diversity is the spice of Life"
Luv DRIP
OH,BTW Thrash,If I can't have a "RED"B" in front of my name can ya at least put a "stethoscope" on my little symbol.thanks
DR DIP m.d.
dd,
You wonder why I find some of your stuff trying my pateince?
b/c you're always on me about the comments policy.
And then you want to have a profile view of your commentss.
well if you would read the little box above where you submit a comment it explains it.
Also, try and limit your comments to one a day. it's all i can take.
Neil's on tour so spare us.
luv,
t
Thanks Thrash, You don't know how good that makes me feel!...That's my last word for the day... I promise!
XXXXXX DIP
P.S. You should see my trying Patients!!
I think Fork has some great music even if the lyrics are kind of throw away. Saying this album would sink a career of a new artist is a bit of an over reaction.
It's also ridiculous to pretend this music is competing with Lady Gaga.
No one in my lifetime (I am 56), in any musical genre, has written as many melodically great songs as Neil Young. No one comes close.
I really love the sound on this recording, gritty and minimalist, but the songs to me are throw-a-ways, not much there. I;m hoping it was just a fun thing that Neil threw together and that he will be back with more great songs in the future.
It's hard for me to believe that he hasn't gotten 'tuned out' by now but I'm assuming that this is just one of those off things.
Thanks Neil!
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