Neil Young's New Album 'Le Noise'

Le Noise by Neil Young
(Click to Zoom Cover)
Release Date: September 28, 2010

Neil Young's new album Le Noise is scheduled to be released on September 28, 2010.

In keeping with his recent social networking activities, the announcement was made using Neil Young's official Facebook page:

“Le Noise” is complete. It is a solo record. Playbacks are happening now. Release date is September 28th. It will be available in Vinyl, CD and I tunes in the first edition, followed by Blu-Ray, and an APP for I-Phone and I-Pad a month or so later. The app will be free. It gives you an interactive album cover. Forgive my use of the word “album”. I am old school. When you buy the songs/movies from I- tunes they show up in your APP.
Peace ny

The album has been produced by Daniel Lanois (who, earlier this year was involved in a serious motorcycle accident) and was recorded in Los Angeles over the course of four full moons. "We cut a couple of solo acoustic songs, but the rest is very electric," Lanois told Rolling Stone last month. "There's no band, but I got in there with my sonics. There's nothing else out there like it."


Producer Daniel Lanois

The album was previewed by a select group last week and early reports indicate there's much to anticipate. From Los Angeles Times by Randy Lewis:

What’s striking about “Le Noise” is the way it both summarizes and distills Young’s singular approach to music, predominantly just Neil and a guitar: his big, white hollow-body Gretsch electric slashing and burning for most of the tracks, a couple built around picked and strummed acoustic instruments. Both are recorded and amplified -- literally and metaphorically -- by Lanois’ signature soundscapes that loop vocals, and enhance the guitars’ bass notes through distortion boxes, synthesizers and other electronics.

The eight songs travel a path from the electrified reverie of “Walk With Me,” through the nakedly autobiographical “Love and War,” to the combative “Angry World” and into the epic journey through the American frontier that’s always fascinated Young with the acoustic guitar-driven “Peaceful Valley.”

The songs bristle with energy -- anger, passion, love, self-doubt, regret, hope -- emotions that seem all the more pure expressed without percussion, keyboards, strings or other instruments, just by Young’s voice and guitars.

Lanois said the project started out as an all acoustic album, but that idea didn’t last long once the producer began prodding Young to really get at what was on his mind and in his heart. “He has the ability to really reach down deep inside,” Lanois said during a break before the album was played a second time, this time accompanied by gritty film footage of Young singing the vocals.

From another preview review on Buzzbands.LA by Kevin:

“Le Noise” is audacious and loud and trippy and layered and blunt and, unless you arbitrarily discriminate against the AARP generation, the best 38 minutes you will have spent in quite some time.

Over on Blogcritics fall music preview "Dylan, Springsteen And Neil Young: The Coming Fall Trifecta From Rock's Holy Trinity" by Glen Boyd comes this verdict:

This won't be a huge commercial hit, but should do solid business with Neil Young's core fanbase. It should also do much better than 2009's Fork In The Road did with the critics, and will very likely make a few year-end "Best Of 2010" lists. This could be one of this years bigger sleepers.

Track Listing:

01. "Walk With Me"
02. "Sign Of Love"
03. "Someone's Gonna Rescue You"
04. "Love And War"
05. "Angry World"
06. "Hitchhiker"
07. "Peaceful Valley Boulevard"
08. "Rumblin'"

Interestingly, the track list omits some new songs recently debuted on the Twisted Road tour like "You Never Call", while adding several unperformed songs like "Angry World" and "Someone's Gonna Rescue You".

Pre-order Le Noise by Neil Young on Amazon.com. (Thanks! You'll be supporting Thrasher's Wheat.)

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