VIDEO: "Break the Chain" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse - From Upcoming Album "World Record"
"Break the Chain", from the upcoming album "World Record" by Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse available on 11/18/2022.
Director: Bernard Shakey
Producer: Gary Ward
Editor: Rachel Simmer
Prod Company: Shakey Pictures
Post Production: Lost Planet
Band members:
Neil Young
Billy Talbot
Ralph Molina
Nils Lofgren
Also in the cut:
Zeke Young
Rick Rubin
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.
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by thrasher@PermaLink: 10/21/2022 10:01:00 AM
18 comments
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18 Comments:
What a glorious din! As Elvis Presley once said: "well that woke me up, anyway".
In last year's opinion piece about Barn, I wrote:
"You can be a die-hard Crazy Horse fanatic and like—if not love—this record. You can also play it at respectable volume with no risk of animal cruelty charges for terrifying your neighbour's cat."
I also wrote:
"Most of the music (on Barn) is less eccentric than on Greendale or Colorado. That means it's extremely easy to like and admire... but perhaps harder to fall deeply in love with."
I was enthusiastic about it, but the raw edge seemed slightly softened. My heart longed for something that busted through the speakers and grabbed me. Just like Greendale did, or Weld. Or Toast, in more recent times.
So no offence to the neighbours cat (see above), who I get on well with... But it's good to hear the attitude and spirit taken back up to the max in this new video.
This is the sort of good-natured, benignly impolite music that reminds us we are alive.
That's a pretty significant thing to be reminded of. (It might be the whole point.)
I also like *lyrics* that make me feel alive, which I why I get frustrated when boiled-lettuce-style blandness gets pumped out the creative pipeline, too often. I feel like bellowing "You're the songwriter — so add some seasoning!".
(That's no commentary on World Record, which apart from the singles I haven't heard yet).
Anyway, just jotting down some ideas. The full 5-million-word ramble will be excreted when I've actually heard the album (a few times).
But anybody who's been alongside me on Thrasher's blog for more than 5 minutes knows that I like records with attitude, personality, guts and colour.
There's plenty of all those things, here.
Scotsman.
Ha, it's funny, as soon a I heard this... My first thought was... I wonder what Scotzman thinks? Now I know!
I appreciate Ralph's drums here. I feel like they punch you right in the gut (in a good way). This track also gives Nils a chance to shine.
Not a complaint, but delivery of the vocals strongly reminds me of an amped up Prairie Wind ("Trying to remember what my Daddy said!") But maybe that's intentional, he's on the cover and it's all one song anyway!
What did I say when Love Earth debuted to some predictably lukewarm responses? That maybe the next one would be a crunchy, smoking bath of Horse-ness? Regardless of what you think of either single, this certainly comes as a reminder not to make assumptions about an album from one or two songs!
And previous conflicting viewpoints notwithstanding, I’ll agree with Scotsman about these words. Really grab you by the throat. The promo material for the album keeps mentioning pump organ and various other unusual sounds, but Reprise seems reluctant to showcase these elements through the singles (assuming, per NY, the preview tracks are chosen by committee). Unfortunate but not surprising. Can’t wait to hear the album, just for the experience of new music. In the past, many of the songs might already have been heard in concert… not in 2022. There’s a pronounced element of the unknown here—and it’s refreshing.
My impressions after one listen was……swampy, dirty, funky, heavy, and just plain perfect. The energy is so ’in the moment’ that it feels like they just spontaneously ripped it out of the air on the spot. Playing in the moment successfully is not as easy as these guys make it seem, but through the decades they’ve mastered the art of it. This song sounds familiar, and completely new, all at the same time.
Peace 🙏
That is the best mix/production on a NYCH recording since Briggs days. Sounds like you are in the room with the band. Bodes very well for the LP.
Andrew.
Holy shit, this is PURE Horse in all its ragged, rusty glory.
This comment has been removed by the author.
This is so good
Can’t wait to hear the album
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ian: I can't remember many conflicting viewpoints! And certainly, there's no disagreement on the World Record singles — I haven't written anything about them, aside from the comment above.
Of course, the more often you or I lurch over to the keyboard and hammer out some pithy paragraphs, the more certain it becomes that *everybody* will disagree with *some* of what we write. No two of us are exactly alike.
Point being: "I don't usually agree with the nutcase Scotsman, but..." are words I've heard a few times over the years! You'll find yourself in the same position, too.
Great point about the more "out there" aspects of this record being kept under wraps. Contrast that with the marketing of Bob Dylan's most recent studio album — where the lead track was the most remarkable track on the record.
Back to Neil, and I think Love Earth is a nice enough track. But I'm also well aware that in advertising, it usually makes sense to fire some of your heavy artillery first.
Scotsman.
RTG: your wish is granted — hahaha!
Ah! Now I wondered what the vocals reminded me of. Prairie Wind — you got it.
I love your point about Ralph's drums, and the production as a whole has a real kick to it.
(Talking about the audio version here, which has a different mix to the "fly on the wall" documentary video. But both are variations on the same foundation).
The more aggressive sound might become fatiguing in large doses... but it has clarity *and* warmth *and* guts — and I like that. I like it a lot.
Scotsman.
Thanks, Scotzman! I thought Love Earth was a surprising choice for a single—although, having not heard the rest of the album, who knows?—but I’m glad it came when it did. Not gonna knock *everyone’s* socks off, but I find it quite refreshing, relaxing, good message and pleasing sounds. Definite CDII vibes (e.g. “The Way”). Many of my favorite records tend to mix and temper heavy noise with (for lack of a better word) softness. CDII gets that balance and Barn is similar. Using other, more subjective terms to delineate my preferences seems like abstraction where I’m trying, for once, to get more concrete. My opinions are more useful if people have some idea of my general tastes, right? Assigning freighted, qualitative descriptors to various recordings isn’t, on its own, especially clarifying.
As to disagreements, my remarks were, if anything, meant to be conciliatory rather than shady.
As a huge fan of Greendale and the Horse, I love this song. I hear Sun Green through this whole song. Right from the opening my brain sings " The Imitators were playing, down at John Lee's bar. When Sun went down to see ''em, someone followed her in a car"
I also hear "Sun Green"- similar chord progression?
Perhaps "Love Earth" was the first "single" because Neil does not care about advertisement (in any sense). I hesitate to use any phrase or word to describe his devotion because by now those phrases or words trivialize the problem. As the catastrophe settles into consciousness, the cognitive scope broadens ("Love Earth"- it is all at risk, something environmental scientists have been saying for a long time now, but who are they?).
Abner, I do not doubt Neil’s devotion and passionate activism is fueling his music (and you’re right, referring to it as activism feels a a bit trite abs trivializing). I was referring to his recent comments suggesting that singles are typically chosen by the marketing geniuses at the record company. If so, Love Earth is a mildly surprising choice. Break the Chain sounds like what you would expect them to want for Crazy Horse.
I am probably overdue to listen to Greendale again—it’s been a while since I’ve heard it in full. Maybe time for the live album that came out a few years ago? I’m also trying to revisit Barn before the new record comes out. Music listening shouldn’t be about making stressful choices but there’s only so much time available.
MR, I missed the recent comments about singles being chosen by marketing dudes. I should have figured.
I listened to Love Earth again today. I'm still singing it in my head.
"benignly impolite...that reminds us we are alive".... the thing about Scotzman is he is both an excellent writer and an excellent writer about music. Comments from MR are always interesting, they get me going so that I want to respond.
I just returned from NYC. I was presenting at a Food Systems conference, good to get back into that mode "post-Covid." I walked around humming "Break the Chain." I give you this information, on this blog, not to self-advertise (who really cares anyway, which is actually comforting, the words we use need to matter NOT because of "who we are") but to make the case with Neil: the situation is dire, we are are on a thread.
@ ALL - thanks for all the perceptive insights on Neil's latest.
@ Abner - re: NY's recent comments about singles being chosen by marketing dept...
See The Unbearable Lightness of Being Neil Young (Revisited)
http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2022/10/the-unbearable-lightness-of-being-neil.html
title of post may have thrown you possibly?
anyways, NY goes on about the marketing types and fans 2nd guessing of everything.
cause we know what's best for neil's career, of course.
same as it ever was ...
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