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Editorial Reviews
The first album of original music from Neil Young and Crazy Horse in almost a decade, including over 85 minutes of music. Psychedelic Pill pokes down pathways that have been hinted at before in this teaming, but never fully explored. New textures emerge in the music, new landscapes in the lyrics. In many ways, Psychedelic Pill rounds out an array of probing works with prominent autobiographical threads.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
234 of 247 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Neil Young and Crazy Horse's first real album in nearly a decade can proudly stand among their best
October 30, 2012
Format:Audio CD
Neil Young--despite being, inarguably, one of the greatest and most influential artists in rock's long history--has been pretty hit or miss over the past couple decades, choosing to follow his every crazy whim while still periodically demonstrating, even after all these years, both his undeniable gift for songwriting and storytelling, and the potential to one day create yet one more timeless classic.
Now that potential has come to full fruition, possibly triggered by the penning of his recent autobiography, 'Waging Heavy Peace,' with memories of the glory days reinvigorating him and, through osmosis, Crazy Horse as well. It's probably a bit too early to say definitively, but I think it could be argued that 'Psychedelic Pill' is Neil's best studio effort since 1990's near-perfect 'Ragged Glory,' also with Crazy Horse. It definitely helps here to be a fan of the band's patented sloppy-yet-sublime noodling jams, as they're in such abundance throughout these two discs I could picture even The Grateful Dead going, "guys, that's a bit much don't you think?" But for anyone who's into their more drawn-out songs (like yours truly), this album proves, in case anyone forgot, just who the world's greatest garage band is. Still.
The perfect evidence comes right out of the gate with "Driftin' Back," a positively epic track that's among the band's best, and at nearly half an hour in length, is perfect for the fan who thought the guitar solo in "Cortez the Killer" was about 20 minutes too short. The lyrics--concerning the growing commercialization of music and art, and the "failure" of the 60's counterculture movement to induce change (with such classic, comedic Neil gems as "gonna get me a hip-hop haircut")--are secondary to the quasi-improvisational, marathon jams that find Young loosely but expertly weaving his jagged guitar solos all around the other instruments, to the point that it's nearly impossible to not just drift away into a hypnotized state of blissed-out euphoria.
Another standout is the excellent, 16-minute "Walk Like A Giant," which echoes "Driftin' Back"s theme of the failed promises of the Love Generation, with some of Young's best, most moving lyrics in recent memory: "Me and my friends, we were gonna save the world. Then the weather changed and the white got stained...and it breaks my heart." The fuzzed-out, squalling guitars dominate the song--which showcases some great backing vocals and musical interplay from the rest of the band--until it degenerates into a clangor of noise for four straight minutes, reflecting, in a way, the shattered dreams Young sings about here.
While the longer tracks on 'Psychedelic Pill' will most likely get all the pub, shorter numbers such as "Twisted Road"--a heartfelt tribute to Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and the Grateful Dead--show that Young hasn't lost the ability to write a great, simple pop tune. The 60's-ish garage-psych of the title track nods to Neil Young and Crazy Horse's 1969 classic, "Cinnamon Girl," and to great effect, with swirling guitars that drift from one speaker to the other, resulting in a hallucinatory, tripped-out listening experience made for headphones. The catchy three-chord groove of "Born in Ontario" is actually pretty uplifting, and it's hard to keep from smiling and bobbing your head to its infectious, accordion-laced chorus.
The only subpar note the album strikes, imo, is the slightly underwhelming "For the Love of Man," a leftover song from the 80's that, while not a stinker by any means, just seems too subdued and out of place on an otherwise visceral album, though the lyrics concerning Neil's cerebral palsy-stricken son are touchingly poignant and fit well with the album's theme of catharsis. It just would have fit better on a more personal solo release from Neil, I think. Nit-picky, I know, but it's hard to find any real flaws on the album, so that'll have to do as far as criticisms are concerned.
With a runtime of nearly 90 minutes, one would think that the album's long, meandering jams would get old after a while, but that couldn't be further from the truth. 'Psychedelic Pill' shows signs that Neil Young could possibly be entering a renaissance period, hopefully one that mirrors Bob Dylan's current fifteen-year resurgence. This is an album that I believe stands above anything he's done in over 20 years, and one that can even sit comfortably next to (or just below in a couple cases) his 60's and 70's classics, with or without Crazy Horse, a remarkable feat for an artist in the midst of his sixth decade making music.
Through all the peaks and valleys of his illustrious career, Neil Young has proven he's still capable of surprising the listener with a powerful, moving batch of songs about loss, broken dreams, and redemption, and with some insanely prodigious jamming to boot, thanks to the near-psychic connection between he and the band. Here's hoping there's more where that came from. But I'm just glad he's still out there, plugging away as usual.
Now that potential has come to full fruition, possibly triggered by the penning of his recent autobiography, 'Waging Heavy Peace,' with memories of the glory days reinvigorating him and, through osmosis, Crazy Horse as well. It's probably a bit too early to say definitively, but I think it could be argued that 'Psychedelic Pill' is Neil's best studio effort since 1990's near-perfect 'Ragged Glory,' also with Crazy Horse. It definitely helps here to be a fan of the band's patented sloppy-yet-sublime noodling jams, as they're in such abundance throughout these two discs I could picture even The Grateful Dead going, "guys, that's a bit much don't you think?" But for anyone who's into their more drawn-out songs (like yours truly), this album proves, in case anyone forgot, just who the world's greatest garage band is. Still.
The perfect evidence comes right out of the gate with "Driftin' Back," a positively epic track that's among the band's best, and at nearly half an hour in length, is perfect for the fan who thought the guitar solo in "Cortez the Killer" was about 20 minutes too short. The lyrics--concerning the growing commercialization of music and art, and the "failure" of the 60's counterculture movement to induce change (with such classic, comedic Neil gems as "gonna get me a hip-hop haircut")--are secondary to the quasi-improvisational, marathon jams that find Young loosely but expertly weaving his jagged guitar solos all around the other instruments, to the point that it's nearly impossible to not just drift away into a hypnotized state of blissed-out euphoria.
Another standout is the excellent, 16-minute "Walk Like A Giant," which echoes "Driftin' Back"s theme of the failed promises of the Love Generation, with some of Young's best, most moving lyrics in recent memory: "Me and my friends, we were gonna save the world. Then the weather changed and the white got stained...and it breaks my heart." The fuzzed-out, squalling guitars dominate the song--which showcases some great backing vocals and musical interplay from the rest of the band--until it degenerates into a clangor of noise for four straight minutes, reflecting, in a way, the shattered dreams Young sings about here.
While the longer tracks on 'Psychedelic Pill' will most likely get all the pub, shorter numbers such as "Twisted Road"--a heartfelt tribute to Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and the Grateful Dead--show that Young hasn't lost the ability to write a great, simple pop tune. The 60's-ish garage-psych of the title track nods to Neil Young and Crazy Horse's 1969 classic, "Cinnamon Girl," and to great effect, with swirling guitars that drift from one speaker to the other, resulting in a hallucinatory, tripped-out listening experience made for headphones. The catchy three-chord groove of "Born in Ontario" is actually pretty uplifting, and it's hard to keep from smiling and bobbing your head to its infectious, accordion-laced chorus.
The only subpar note the album strikes, imo, is the slightly underwhelming "For the Love of Man," a leftover song from the 80's that, while not a stinker by any means, just seems too subdued and out of place on an otherwise visceral album, though the lyrics concerning Neil's cerebral palsy-stricken son are touchingly poignant and fit well with the album's theme of catharsis. It just would have fit better on a more personal solo release from Neil, I think. Nit-picky, I know, but it's hard to find any real flaws on the album, so that'll have to do as far as criticisms are concerned.
With a runtime of nearly 90 minutes, one would think that the album's long, meandering jams would get old after a while, but that couldn't be further from the truth. 'Psychedelic Pill' shows signs that Neil Young could possibly be entering a renaissance period, hopefully one that mirrors Bob Dylan's current fifteen-year resurgence. This is an album that I believe stands above anything he's done in over 20 years, and one that can even sit comfortably next to (or just below in a couple cases) his 60's and 70's classics, with or without Crazy Horse, a remarkable feat for an artist in the midst of his sixth decade making music.
Through all the peaks and valleys of his illustrious career, Neil Young has proven he's still capable of surprising the listener with a powerful, moving batch of songs about loss, broken dreams, and redemption, and with some insanely prodigious jamming to boot, thanks to the near-psychic connection between he and the band. Here's hoping there's more where that came from. But I'm just glad he's still out there, plugging away as usual.
69 of 72 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a big smouldering,shuddering recording that sees Neil at his best-with Crazy Horse.
A double CD with 9 tracks commencing with the 27 minute Driftin' Back that also contains several other long tracks with great guitar solo's and jams that sees the band provide their best performance since Ragged Glory. Other reviews here are "spot On" and I won't repeat the information contained but I will say that this album and Bob's Tempest are the two stand out album's of the year with Luther Dickinson's The Wandering also worthy of a mention.
If you like Down By The river, Cowgirl In The Sand and Cortez, then this record is for you.
A double CD with 9 tracks commencing with the 27 minute Driftin' Back that also contains several other long tracks with great guitar solo's and jams that sees the band provide their best performance since Ragged Glory. Other reviews here are "spot On" and I won't repeat the information contained but I will say that this album and Bob's Tempest are the two stand out album's of the year with Luther Dickinson's The Wandering also worthy of a mention.
If you like Down By The river, Cowgirl In The Sand and Cortez, then this record is for you.
61 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Crazy Horse, that is.
Here he is talking about drummer Ralph Molina in his autobiography, Waging Heavy Peace, "...Ralphie is extremely subtle and can express emotions beautifully in both a ballad and a laid-back song. He is completely unique, emotional, and driving at the same time. His flourishes with my feedback at the end of a song are always right with me, as if he knows right where I am going. Fact is, we are going there together, feeling our way, and that really applies to all of Crazy Horse. That is what makes the Horse as great as it is, and as cosmic as it is. That is the Force of the Horse. Making the new albums, Americana and Psychedelic Pill, I have found that this cosmic force has increased, not diminished, with time".
This love and respect comes through loud and clear throughout Psychedelic Pill. It's clear that these guys just can't get enough of playing together. As the packaging label notes, the result is "...over 85 minutes of music". One full hour of this is comprised of just three songs: Ramada Inn, Walk Like a Giant, and Driftin' Back, a lilting 27 minute improvisation. Can there be too much of a good thing?
At first I thought maybe so, but as I listened again I thought really no.
We also learn in Waging Heavy Peace that Neil is into long road trips in big 50's Lincolns and Cadillacs, and that's kind of what these songs are like. The beat just keeps beating, and it takes you away, far away. Maybe that's what he means by the cosmic force of Crazy Horse.
My favorite songs are Twisted Road, For the Love of Man, and Walk Like A Giant. Twisted Road is a tribute to Dylan
Like Hank Williams chewing bubble gum,
Asking me, "How does it feel?".
In The Love of Man, Neil sings poignantly for his son Ben;
For the love of man
Who could understand what goes on
What is right and what is wrong
Why the angels cry, and the heavens sigh
When a child is born to live
But not like you or I.
And Walk Like a Giant, a defiant affirmation of life even in the face of crumbling and disintegration;
I used to walk like a giant on the land
Now I feel like a leaf floating in a stream
I want to walk like a giant
I want to walk like a giant on the land.
It ends with four minutes of single drum beats synched with jagged, distorted guitar chords. Is is a giant walking? Is it a heart beating?
Whatever it is, it's like nothing you've heard before. Those who say they'll fast forward through this part miss the point.
Five stars.
Here he is talking about drummer Ralph Molina in his autobiography, Waging Heavy Peace, "...Ralphie is extremely subtle and can express emotions beautifully in both a ballad and a laid-back song. He is completely unique, emotional, and driving at the same time. His flourishes with my feedback at the end of a song are always right with me, as if he knows right where I am going. Fact is, we are going there together, feeling our way, and that really applies to all of Crazy Horse. That is what makes the Horse as great as it is, and as cosmic as it is. That is the Force of the Horse. Making the new albums, Americana and Psychedelic Pill, I have found that this cosmic force has increased, not diminished, with time".
This love and respect comes through loud and clear throughout Psychedelic Pill. It's clear that these guys just can't get enough of playing together. As the packaging label notes, the result is "...over 85 minutes of music". One full hour of this is comprised of just three songs: Ramada Inn, Walk Like a Giant, and Driftin' Back, a lilting 27 minute improvisation. Can there be too much of a good thing?
At first I thought maybe so, but as I listened again I thought really no.
We also learn in Waging Heavy Peace that Neil is into long road trips in big 50's Lincolns and Cadillacs, and that's kind of what these songs are like. The beat just keeps beating, and it takes you away, far away. Maybe that's what he means by the cosmic force of Crazy Horse.
My favorite songs are Twisted Road, For the Love of Man, and Walk Like A Giant. Twisted Road is a tribute to Dylan
Like Hank Williams chewing bubble gum,
Asking me, "How does it feel?".
In The Love of Man, Neil sings poignantly for his son Ben;
For the love of man
Who could understand what goes on
What is right and what is wrong
Why the angels cry, and the heavens sigh
When a child is born to live
But not like you or I.
And Walk Like a Giant, a defiant affirmation of life even in the face of crumbling and disintegration;
I used to walk like a giant on the land
Now I feel like a leaf floating in a stream
I want to walk like a giant
I want to walk like a giant on the land.
It ends with four minutes of single drum beats synched with jagged, distorted guitar chords. Is is a giant walking? Is it a heart beating?
Whatever it is, it's like nothing you've heard before. Those who say they'll fast forward through this part miss the point.
Five stars.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Neil Young continues to amaze.
To begin with, I am a Neil Young fan. Most of his albums reside closely within reach, and I constantly recommend him to friends. Read more
Published 4 days ago by mtk
5.0 out of 5 stars
More brilliance from Mr Young
Neil Young can be self indulgent whenever he likes. Latest outing with Crazy Horse. Recommend. Not many artists do 22 minute tracks any more. Read more
Published 4 days ago by anne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Neil Young is the man!!!
Younger people cannot understand while the older generation (sound like my parents) can appreciate the artistry of this great songwriter. Read more
Published 4 days ago by T. Imai
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Got Addicted
I became addicted to this record. I listened to it over 20 times the first week and then bought 2 other Neil Young records. Walk Like a Giant and Ramada Inn are epic.
Published 8 days ago by Martin Van Tran
3.0 out of 5 stars
Only OK
I have to totally agree with Zinc55's review of this album - not one of my favorites either. In fact I have a hard time listening to it at all (and I try). Read more
Published 10 days ago by JamesR
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great - best since Cowgirl was new by the River
I think that is the best Crazy Horse album that Neil has done since Everybody Knows This is Nowhere - the first one. Lots of swirly old school psychedelic guitar...
Published 10 days ago by RubberB
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Neil Young and Crazy Horse
As it is with most artists, you either like what Neil Young and Crazy Horse do or you don't. If you do, you'll like this (2-CD 85 minute) album. Read more
Published 22 days ago by src50
3.0 out of 5 stars
I'd ask u 2 edit but u wouldn't listen
Neil Young was a great songwriter until about 1979. In fact he was in rock and roll's upper pantheon (if such a thing exists). Read more
Published 23 days ago by zinc55
4.0 out of 5 stars
It is good.
The Psychedelic Pill is a good CD showing the wonderful talens of Neil Young, but for me, Neil Youngs Greatest Hits is the best.
Published 24 days ago by Charles B
5.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome Back Horse!
Fantastic...Zuma...Like a Hurricane...Rust.. Ragged Glory...and now the Pill. Love the Horse! Love this CD... Ramada Inn...Need I say more.
Love It! Read more
Love It! Read more
Published 28 days ago by Scott Summit
Listmania!
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