Comment of the Moment: "Love Earth" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse

Neil Young Drops 1st Preview Track "Love Earth"

image via Official Music Video directed by dhlovelife

 

Last Thursday at Midnight, Neil Young dropped the 1st preview track -- "Love Earth" -- from the upcoming album "WORLD RECORD" recorded with Crazy Horse and Produced by Rick Rubin.

As we noted in comments at the time, some rusties initial reaction was a bit on the tepid side -- which was similar to BARN, where it started off sort of slow but then grew in intensity as the tracks spooled out.

Which brings us to our Comment of the Moment on MAJOR NEIL YOUNG NEWS COMING SOON: "WORLD RECORD - CELEBRATE WITH US AT NYA! 9-29-22 Midnight EST - 9pm" PST by the ever oh-so meta The Metamorphic Rocker:

I figured reactions on this track would be across the spectrum, though it's been successful with people I've shared it with so far. 

I hear somewhere between Sleeps with Angels and Chrome Dreams II. That's a good place, in case anyone was unclear. Best NY album of the '90s crossed with his best album of the '00s by my reckoning. The vibe is spiritual, almost New Age-ish in its ambiance. Call it Earth Age: a genre Neil and friends are in the process of inventing.

In view of mixed responses, I feel as though my point about the virtues of a "quiet beginning" may bear elaboration. The tendency, with many albums and artists, is to start off the album with something loud and/or fast to immediately draw the listener in. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but with art, there's always more than one way of doing it.

Although it's obviously premature to judge 'World Record', Neil has a history with starting albums slower, gentler, mellow even. Examples: 'Out on the Weekend' from Harvest; 'Separate Ways' from Homegrown; 'The Emperor of Wyoming' from the first album; 'My Heart' from Sleeps with Angels; 'Beautiful Bluebird' from Chrome Dreams II; 'Song of the Seasons' from Barn. There are others. Some are predominantly sad or melancholy, others a little happier. All are quite simple statements, expressed softly, essentially easing the listener comfortably into the "space" of the songs, the zone, the quiet, contemplative frame of mind that's conducive to feeling music.

A flash of lightning is much more noticeable when it's dark out. In the same way, even the loudest, heaviest sounds have much more impact with ambiance, if there's a clean space around them to receive, absorb, and reverberate the noise. One classic album that starts gently and reflectively is John Lennon's 'Imagine'. No one would describe it as upbeat, obvious hit single material, but it immediately captures the listener's ear. Some would say it takes your breath away.

That's not to compare the two songs per se, or to imply that Young and/or Lennon always take this approach to beginning albums (though both artists revisit the idea a number of times), but to say that what I appreciate about 'Imagine' does coalesce, in some form, in 'Love Earth.' And it's not just the piano, although the sound of that instrument is simultaneously delicate and resonant in a way that makes sense for this kind of song. The piano is an effect, so to speak, rather than a cause.

It's the combination of earnest sentiment and musical tentativeness, the reminder to relax and take a few deep breaths before diving into things, grounding and centering. It's the feeling of floating on slow, clear water in the shadow of a willow tree. Basically, it's about meditation, clearing the mind and heart in a way that gets us ready to fully receive the music.

If none of this airy talk resonates with some folks, they should at least take heart in that the remainder of the album may well sound completely different. When 'Barn' came out, the first two songs we got were 'Song of the Seasons' and 'Heading West', two tracks that couldn't be more in different in almost all respects. Maybe the next offering from 'World Record' will be a crunchy Horse workout. Or maybe it has Neil on pump organ and marxophone. 

You never know until you hear it.

Thank you Meta Rocker for the keen insights here.  It is a bit of deja vu and the initial reaction to BARN back in 2021.  And Dionys' followup comment fits in well here for further discussion, as well.

 

NYA | NEW TRACK: "Love Earth" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

 

 

Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse 

photo by Joey Martinez

 

More reaction to  "Love Earth" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse on MAJOR NEIL YOUNG NEWS COMING SOON: "WORLD RECORD - CELEBRATE WITH US AT NYA! 9-29-22 Midnight EST - 9pm" PST.

World Record - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Date First Available: September 29, 2022*

Release date: November 18th

(now available for pre-order here. Please shop locally & independently. But if you can't, we appreciate your supporting Thrasher's Wheat by clicking this link or YOUR COUNTRY's FLAG up @ top. Thank you!!!)

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