Reprise
When Neil Young burst onto the scene with Buffalo Springfield it’s doubtful that anyone could have predicted that he’d still be churning out original material four decades later. With his third studio album in as many years the veteran songwriter makes a triumphant return to form. Recent offerings have both catered to specific subsets of Neil’s fan-base: Prairie Wind was a softly strummed Nashville gem and Living with War was a hodgepodge of antiwar polemics. In contrast Chrome Dreams II is a mosaic of epic rock anthems and folk-tinged ballads in the style of classic albums like After the Goldrush and Harvest .
The album begins with three ’80s-vintage tunes that never made it to the studio. “Beautiful Bluebird” is a sweetly strummed acoustic number that benefits from a harmonica line that evokes memories of a younger more innocent Neil. “Boxcar” picks up the pace with slow-burning banjo leading into the album’s centerpiece “Ordinary People.” This vitriolic ode to blue-collar America became a live favourite on the “Sponsored by Nobody” tour with the Bluenotes. Fans have been clamouring for a studio recording ever since. They won’t be disappointed: Chrome Dreams II presents the original nine verses in a sprawling 18-minute odyssey featuring performances by the original brass section and furious guitar work by Poncho Sampedro of Crazy Horse.
Of course the true test of this album’s mettle is its second act where Neil trots out seven new songs. Fortunately it’s a test he manages to ace with the exception of a few duds like “Dirty Old Man” a coarse attempt to recapture the grit of Ragged Glory the momentum generated by the album’s classic intro is largely maintained. “Spirit Road” pairs sincere inward-looking poetry with a distortion-laden melody and backup vocals that are reminiscent of the songwriter’s best moments from the ’70s. “The Way” is a delicate beautiful waltz that brings Chrome Dreams II to a quiet end showcasing the talents of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City.
Since it offers recently written songs with a handful of familiar cuts there is a good chance this album will generate the kind of buzz that has eluded Neil since his elevation to “godfather” status by the grunge movement afforded him a brief return to the spotlight in the early ’90s. Cleverly playing on the fanaticism of his fans the new album’s title implies that it is a sequel of sorts to the original Chrome Dreams which was recorded in the late ’70s but never released. Conjuring memories of that period which eventually morphed into the wildly popular Rust Never Sleeps might just be a masterstroke of marketing.
