Comment of the Moment: NEW ALBUM: "Peace Trail" by Neil Young

Neil Young

Lots and lots of chatter regarding Neil Young's upcoming album "Peace Trail" due on December 2.

As noted, the album was not recorded with Neil Young's current band Promise of the Real. Instead, the album was recorded with Jim Keltner on drums and Paul Bushnell on bass.

Naturally -- or maybe un-naturally -- this news kicked off a big discussion about Promise of the Real relative to Crazy Horse. Frankly, we're a bit reluctant to entertain any Promise of the Real versus Crazy Horse conversations. It's like the old question, so which one is your favorite child? Or favorite wife. It's a bit unseemly.

That said, Neil fans -- being who they are -- just love to toss all sorts of factors into the mix and make for a lively debate. So here is the TW Comment of the Moment on "NEW ALBUM: "Peace Trail" by Neil Young due December 2 + 2017 Tour News" by Dan1:

Promise of the Real (POTR) represent a rebirth of sorts for Neil after so many of his compadres passed on and with Crazy Horse (CH) seemingly on the ropes.

In a word they represent the future while CH represent the past (albeit hopefully the present too, it was one of the CH guys during their last tour who suggested that it might have been their last). Its been maybe 18 months with POTR and the results have been phenomenal to say the least, a couple albums, some fantastic tours with loads of rare, deep cuts, a rejuvenated Neil, in short a total dream scenario has unfolded before our eyes ...

given that most of these guys are in their 20s and that they've played with Neil since for all of a year+ its silly to expect they'll deliver at the caliber of CH at their peak when CH and Neil have been together for 5 decades ... the analogy that POTR represents some kind of shiny new object that fans are chasing is also shortsighted and disrespectful not just to fans who have been moved by the recent tours but to POTR as well ...

this doesn't seem like a short fling, even if Neil will change things up as he always has the chemistry w POTR is beautiful as is jovial Neil ...

Nothing will ever replace CH, and Neil and CH will hopefully make another run, for my money the last CH tour was epic, as was the best of the PP material ... its cool to compare and contrast but getting too caught up in the fact that RNS or Sleeps w Angles or some other period 20+ years ago that was incredible doesn't need to demean Neil's current output, one aspect of Neil's greatness is he's in the moment, speaking out about today's injustices, making fresh music with fresh people and therefore he keeps things vital and vibrant ...

on that note, South America next summer is sounding like a must do, this train won't ride forever ...

Thanks Dan for the measured response to what turned into a rather volatile subject.

Not that we would ever contemplate some sort of battle of the bands... but ... if we did, here might be a nomination for Crazy Horse. Neil & The Horse on "Cortez" in Rio de Janeiro in 2001... the last -- and only time -- Neil has played in South America.



As Tacoma Paul says: "The epicality of this is gargantuan."

For more on the volatility of bands recording with Neil, see "NEW ALBUM: "Peace Trail" by Neil Young due December 2 + 2017 Tour News".

enjoy!

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