Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
First sign of Life after Rust Never Sleeps, December 13, 2000
I've had this CD since it was first released in the late eighties. While this is not even close to Neil's best it was a step back in the right direction. Alot of this has to do with Crazy Horse. Neil seems to be energized with them. "Mideast vacation" is a excellent social statement and a good rock & roll number. "Inca Queen" takes "Cortez the Killer" further south and into a more mellow setting. While "Prisoners of Rock & Roll" is a no excuses Crazy Horse number. Lastly,the CD closes with "We never danced", a number that just as easliy could have been on AFTER THE GOLDRUSH some seventeen years earlier. Sure their has been better Neil since this, ie. Ragged Glory, Weld, Unplugged, and Mirror Ball come to mind, but to fans of Neil Young and Crazy Horse this is a step in the right direction. Now if only Reprise would release ON THE BEACH and JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST, all would be right with the world.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A strange one for sure, March 26, 2004
A strange one for sure. Contains a number of very good songs - Mideast Vacation, We Never Danced, Too Lonely, Prisoner of Rock n Roll - as well as one of his worst - Inca Queen, which still manages to have a gorgeous melody. Around the World is sung with great passion & anger - & sunk by an annoying synth & a recitative that may or may not be sarcastic. Yes, very much a mixed bag, but like Neil's other albums for David Geffen, the misdirections are stories unto themselves, & the disguises are used to evade & filter out the deeply personal emotions Neil finally vented on "Freedom" & "Ragged Glory." Only two of these cuts show up on "Lucky Thirteen," which makes "Life" essential for Neil Young devotees, I should think. Bob Rixon
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Underrated - Yes, Actually, This IS A Five-Star Album!, January 3, 2007
Many of the more one-dimensional Neil Young fans dislike LIFE because they can't handle the 80's stylings and the synths. For those willing to give it a chance, though, there's some fantastic music here and not a dud in the bunch. It's a huge improvement over the so-bad-it's-depressing LANDING ON WATER which was completely drenched in synths and totally uninspired.
Anyone who accuses Young's music of sounding too same-y should check this one out. It combines killer guitar rock with 80's modern production and some weird sensibilities which contribute to its personality. Any open-minded Young fan will find a hell of a lot to enjoy here, and there's plenty of squealing guitar for the meat-and-potatoes Young fan as well.
Breakdown:
"Mideast Vacation" - Neil manages to finally pull off a great, powerful song in a pulsing New Wave style. Listen for Neil's metallic guitar attack toward the end. *****
"Long Walk Home" - the opening mouth-harp signals an abrupt shift in style. This one is a placid piano-based beauty even as it's being viciously battered with sounds of war. ****
"Around the World" - a very interesting song - the contrast between light 'n' airy synths with crunching Crazy Horse riffage is striking. At one point, a wild guitar solo bleeps like a dying computer. *****
"Inca Queen" - why is this beauty being overlooked by so many other reviewers? "Inca Queen" is surely one of Neil's more gorgeous acoustic guitar ballads. Presented with luscious orchestra and some tasty sound effects, it could've filled a whole album side without wearing out its welcome, way past its 8 minute length. A classic musical epic from Neil. *****
"Too Lonely" - coming up for air with some good ole rock 'n' roll, crunchy and nasty. This one provides a glimpse into some of Neil's sharp-edged sense of humor. ****
"Prisoner of Rock N Roll" - a swinging diss on record companies that addresses the practice of releasing crappy material to get out of a recording contract. But the song itself is by no means weak, plus it has a spacey, zen-like "concert-style" climax which lasts nearly a minute. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but I think it sounds kick-ass! ****
The beginning of "Cryin' Eyes" vaguely suggests Neil may have actually been listening to "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure which came out this same year, 1987. Don't tell me he hasn't looked like Robert Smith from time to time! (in particular, see the ARC cover). There's also some strange, Cure-ish alt-rock guitar textures on this one too. Actually, although it's basically a cool, straight-up Crazy Horse rocker, the guitar solos are very strange and completely unique. ***1/2
"When Your Lonely Heart Breaks" - is an amazingly effective and soulful ballad - a deeply moving masterpiece! *****+
"We Never Danced" - effective if dated space-age production decorates this shimmering, beautiful love song. *****
Anyone who admires Neil Young for his fearless, occasionally reckless diversity and can handle an album that ranges from tender ballads to free-wheeling guitar freak-outs should definitely pick this one up!
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~ Neil Young
~ Neil Young
~ Neil Young
~ Neil Young
~ Neil Young & Crazy Horse
by Neil Young 
