Album Review: Neil Young Gives Music A “Peace Trail”
Neil Young is a living legend, and his newest record Peace Trail proves why? Neil has always aimed for music that expressed a hope for “better”: a better world, a better day, and a better version himself and his fellow humanity. Such a desire is common in every person, but not many, can articulate it as masterfully as Neil Young. Peace Trail is Young’s thirtieth album, and it is as timeless as the rest of his catalogue because the effort to further virtue in people will never end.
Neil Young has combined folk music with his activism on several occasions, and Peace Trail feels like his most confident blend. By now, he has had such an accomplished, respected career that he is seasoned in his creativity and build of his liberated intelligence as a musician/ person. Peace Trail as innate, dreamy aura of revolutions. It is as if Young wrote the album from the fire in his soul that only burns brighter when combatting injustice. For Young, Peace is the greatest revolution of all, and it has yet to be fully realized. Each track on the album is an ode to its dreamed realization upon this world, particularly for the Native American community.
Young has long been an advocate for the Native American population, even recently pleading that Obama stand up for Standing Rock. His respect for their cultures and belief of universal spiritualism are heavily ingrained into Peace Trail’s foundation. Lyrically, Young takes a “Kantian” perspective of humanity, believing that their is a blanketed, higher moral version of our species that has been blocked by our heinous choices of hate and self-destruction. As my readers know, for me, words are the most important part to any song, and it is for Young, as well. Peace Trail‘s instrumentals are charmingly simple with pouncing drums, stringed symphonies, and harmonica melodies that are bright in effect. From the minute the kick-drum of “Glass Accident” and ” Indian Givers” begins, you want to grab your partner and hit the floor. They, immediately, stir a folk- rock dance party, but their infectious rhythms are only a foundation to attract attention to his verbosity.
Indian Givers
Naturally, Neil Young’s lyricism reminds me of the revolutionary inclined words of the 70’s. The Woodstock era was known for politicizing music. Artists felt free and, almost, required to lace their songs with their personal, social commentary. Young, an icon of this decade, has kept his conscientious verbosity. Songs like, “Show Me”, “Texas Rangers”, and “My Pledge” feel like protest papers being handed out to the poor, women, minorities, and anyone whom is spiritually chained by governmental policies/ pageantry. Young writes his songs like they are New York Times’ op-eds that are, by chance, played over bouncing folk music. The result is music that stimulates listeners’ intellect.
Peace Trail is a phenomenal album because it is educational. As I mentioned, the instrumentals are fantastically rhythmic. Moreover, Neil Young’s voice will always be a gem for listeners that enjoy the “home” feeling it provides. It has a natural warmth that elevates the wisdom of his music to appear like Heaven’s sage; it billows into your mind with its mutual sweetness and strength. After all, Young is an ultimate promoter of compassion, and Peace Trail is not only his new music, but his newest ideas on the need for such virtue. For More Information on Neil Young and To Buy Peace Trail On December 9 Click Here.
Peace Trail Track List
1) Peace Trail
2) Can’t Stop Workin
3) Indian Givers
4) Show Me
5) Texas Rangers
6) Terrorist Suicide Hang Gliders
7) John Oaks
8) My Pledge
9) Glass Accident
10) My New Robot
