Customer Reviews

Chrome Dreams II

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

If you admire the tremendous talent of Neil Young, then 'Chrome Dreams II' will blow you away. If you are expecting it to be a poor album, then you will be pleasantly surprised. 'Chrome Dreams II' is not just another good Neil Young album. It is a great album and easily Young's best work since 1989's 'Freedom.' It is likely to exceed almost everyone's expectations.

The album opens with a gentle acoustic ditty called "Beautiful Bluebird." It's no "Out on the Weekend," but a nice enough song to get Chrome Dreams II rolling. The definite highlight is the 18 minute epic "Ordinary People." Despite its length, the song doesn't drag at all. It could've just been a long jam, but there are lyrics throughout. Then there's "Spirit Road" and "No Hidden Path" which take one back to "Cowgirl in the Sand" and "Down by the River." I cannot recommend 'Chrome Dreams II' enough. It's spectacular.

Chrome Dreams II ain't a bad album, by any means. But neither is it a great album - as far as albums go, Prairie Wind is the best in ages, and this doesn't touch it. (I say that as a fan of Old Black-wielding Neil first and foremost, too). It's lumpy - putting an adrenaline-pumping epic like Ordinary People in the #3 spot guarantees that the rest of the album feels slow and uncommitted. Neil isn't as focused as he has been on the last two albums. The album's too long. And, for all the strengths that these songs have, they can't live up to the material that was on Chrome Dreams I. What this album is, and what it should have been called, is Freedom II.

Beautiful Bluebird is a very close rewrite of "Sail Away" from Rust Never Sleeps, itself a rewrite (though not as obviously) of Comes a Time's "Human Highway." Sail Away is so far the superior song that Bluebird feels a little wrong, though it's a sweet, sad little lyric anyway. It dates back to the early 80s, from the original (still unreleased) Old Ways album.

Boxcar is a rerecording of a song from Times Square (an unreleased album from '89). This one improves on the original version - it works better coming from a grizzled old Shakey than the still-young man of 40. The band is great.

Let's get it out of the way: Ordinary People is a priceless contribution to the Neil Young discography. Sure, it uses cliches left and right, introduces very little musical complexity, and piles on anecdotes to the sky, but you know what? It works, and it's true, and it's glorious. The problem, though, is that if Neil had released it as a single, it wouldn't be any less essential than this album is.

(Aside: Ordinary People is a 1988 recording, and it sounds like it. It fits surprisingly well with the rest of these songs, but it's clearly not the same singer, or songwriter, or band. And those 80s synths are pretty distinctive.)

Shining Light is a great 50s-ish ballad, quite a surprising track for Neil. It's really quite moving, but it wilts in the shadow of Ordinary People.

The Believer could well be an Are You Passionate? outtake - it sounds just like an MGs track, but without the MGs - which is to say thin and unconvincing. The lyrics retread AYP to no effect. I really liked about half of AYP, but I skip this.

Spirit Road is a pretty rockin' rocker, but it's a little whiny for my tastes. Again the shadow of Ordinary People makes this seem less worth hearing.

Dirty Old Man is this album's Piece of Crap, but this doesn't have the joy or elan that that had. It seems a little pro-forma and forced. Still fun, though.

Ever After is a quirky little observation that makes me smile. One of the album's hidden treasures.

No Hidden Path doesn't work. Not where it is, anyway. Swap it with Ordinary People in the tracklist, though, and this is a very solid four-star album. Funny how that works. I've seen it compared to "Change Your Mind", but it ain't. It's an attempt, but it doesn't have any lyrical rigor - the words seem made up on the spot, and they don't seem particularly insightful. But it's a lot more likable as part of a slow buildup to Ordinary People.

The Way. I mean, a kids' choir? No way. Well, it works - what can I say? This might be the strongest closing track of any album since Sleeps With Angels - reassuring but not cloying, assured but still questioning.

I burned a resequenced copy of this album after listening through it twelve or so times. My tracklist is Boxcar, Spirit Road, Ever After, Shining Light, No Hidden Path, Dirty Old Man, Beautiful Bluebird, Ordinary People, The Way. Try it out if you're so inclined - it may seem strange, but it works pretty well to my ears. Nothing will make this a five-star album, but it can be a strong four star album. Still, new music from Shakey is always welcome to my ears.

"Young calls this album about the human condition,he delves into the desire for communion with a higher self, and perhaps even a force outside the self. Could it be God? If you've ever gone looking for the divine in Neil Young's songs, you'd probably find evidence of it in his holy visions of natural beauty, love, and family -- Young's stock in trade when he isn't staring into the abyss." Denise Sullivan

One listen, only one listen and I was hooked. This could be Neil Young's most important album since 'Harvest Moon', 'After the Gold Rush', and 'Prairie Wind'. It swept me away-I loved every track. Great lyrics all-Neil Young has kept up with the times and his near fatal intracranial hemorrhage gave him a new light, maybe the 'Shining Light ' he sings about. From the start of 'Beautiful Bluebird' a search has begun for some higher being. Whether it is a white man, a black man or a red man riding in the 'Boxcar', we are traveling with Neil Young. And, then 'Ordinary People' an 18 minute tribute to us, the ordinary ones, who will find the way out of the morass.

'Ordinary people.
They're gonna bring
the good things back.
Nose-to-the stone people.
Put the business back on track.
Ordinary people,
I got faith in the regular kind.
Hard workin' people.
Patch-of-ground people.'

And moving on in the search. The 'Shining Light' he sings about will guide us on. 'The Believer' is such a reverent song of love and searching for the dream. Maybe the 'Spirit Road' that will bring us home to peace again. From the 'New Yorker' they say, "Following "Southern Man" and "Old Man," the track "Dirty Old Man" completes Neil Young's song trilogy about men who've made questionable life choices." As Neil Young treks on in his search, he encounters 'Ever After' the message he is looking for,'The one that I believe in is a wish in a song.' When he is with the one he believes in there is 'No Hidden Path', and finally the truly beautiful song that is sung with a children's choir that shows 'The Way'

'The way, we know the way. We've seen the way
We'll show the way
To getcha back home
To the peace where you belong'

We have come full circle in the search, the longing for 'The Communion With A Higher Self'.

Highly Recommended for assisting us in finding 'The Way'
prisrob 10-25-07

Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD)

After The Gold Rush

Harvest

Prairie Wind

I'm a huge Neil Young fan. I've seen him many times in concert and always love how he's adapted his styles and changed without caring what others thought. I love his voice and think it's just beautiful when he wails out and puts all his effort into it.
Owning all his CDs, rarities and even Chrome Dreams I (hard to get) I was ecstatic to hear that this was in release.
I've heard Ordinary People many times before and Boxcar on Times Square so these aren't new to me. First of all, I think Ordinary People is a fantastic song and the 18 minutes moves along at a steady pace that sews together a fabric of different people and lifestyles in our society. Amazing.
Other great songs on this CD are "No Hidden Path" , "Beautiful Bluebird" "Spirit Road" and "Dirty Old Man". "The Way" is a beautiful (albeit different) song and reminds me of "Lost In Space" from Hawks and Doves with the children chorus.
I do hear alot of Stars and Bars in this album, too, which is way underrated.
Seeing Neil in concert November 21st in Toronto at Massey Hall (another great great album!!) and cannot wait. I can't wait to see his hometown Canadians response to him.
Keep going, Neil. You've got a lot to still contribute. Bring on the boxset!

Is there an artist more eclectic than Neil ? And if there is , is there any artist that composes great stuff in any genre he tries (Frank Zappa is the only other that comes to mind). Anyway , I digress. Here is the acoustic , country , rock and roll , grunge , bluegrass , electric , eclectic Neil all on one disc. And because this is exactly what Neil Young has been for 40+ years it all wears as well as an old slipper.

Great CD. Listened to it over and over again. I am an old fan from the 60's and this one stacks up to the best. Every track is gold.

This is without a doubt Neil Young's best album of the decade. Some of the softer songs might not completely hold up to some of his previous work, but the rockier songs sound like they would have been right at home on Ragged Glory. No Hidden Path doesn't feel anywhere near its 14-minute length, even if Ordinary People comes a little too close to dragging on. Spirit Road and Dirty Old Man are also great tracks.

Overall, it's a great mix of Harvest Moon-style country/folk and Ragged Glory-like guitar riffs. It's hard to describe an artist with such varied styles as Neil Young as "returning to form", but I'd have to say he got his groove back with this album.

This is the album we've been waiting for latter day Neil to make. Guitar crunch, lilting ballads in the mellow tradition, long guitar freakouts - YES! God bles Shakey Deal and all who ride with him!

Now, bring on the Archives already...PLEASE!

Neil is still the man, this new set of songs really rocks. This is a must for any fan who loves to jam. Track three clocks in at over 18 minm awesome jam.

Neil's best work since "Sleeps With Angels". A magnificent,soaring body of songs that at times remind me of Ragged Glory or even Everyone Knows this is Nowhere. Finally released on this CD is Ordinary People a huge song from 1988 never previously released but well known by Young fans. Boxcar and Beautifull Bluebird are also older songs not previously issued but the newer songs hold there own and Spirit Road,I'm a Beliver and The Way are amongst Youngs best work.

Mojo Magazine gave this a 5 star rating and gave it a Classic listing- they are correct.