Interestingly, Before and After has garnered a bit more interest in the UK mainstream press than Neil Young’s recent releases such as World Record or Barn and you might wonder why. The US Slant magazine review which is up on NYA Times Contrarian makes an interesting point, often overlooked when discussing Neil Young’s work, which is that he’s a “conceptual thinker”. According to Wikipedia conceptual art “is art in which the concept(s) or ideas involved in the work are prioritised equally to or more than traditional aesthetic, technical, and material concerns”. Young has been an artist who puts his songs at the service of an overall theme, often discarding some of his greatest songs because they didn’t fit. As a result his true greatness as a songwriter to the general public may have been overlooked to some degree. Which is why Before and After is interesting, as it clearly puts the songs in the service of the album. The theme is the songs. This is especially highlighted by the sequencing and the transitions. Going from one melody straight into another in such an apparently seamless way brings out the true beauty of those melodies. The matching of the melody and the lyrics, which as Randy Newman has pointed out before, don’t always look good on the page but when performed together with that vocal delivery, it’s as though he’s nailed that feeling, that thought, in its most consummate form. You get the feeling that the artist is vindicating himself and rightly so.
@ Dan : Thanks for posting your thoughts on BAA on TW. You’re not wrong! I liked what you had to say.
I know you love vinyl. I just picked up my 4th rare Mark Lanegan / Screaming Trees LP, Last Words. And you have got me now thinking about Before And After on Vinyl. I haven’t bought any Neil Young vinyl other than the Ditch Trilogy & Peace Traill. I had an experience of the covers falling apart and got turned off to Neil on LP. But this one would be cool. It’s all one song!
See you this summer, we hope! Outlaw Field!
Your Brother Alan in Seattle
12/15/2023 12:25:00 AM
[Image] "Before And After" @ Traffic Records, CA (see Neil Young Signing Copies of New Album"Before and After") (Click photo to enlarge) Here is our Review of the Moment of Neil Young's New Album "Before And After" by Dan S.: Before and After is an incredibly intimate listening experience. Neil’s
vocals are crystal clear, fragile, and honest. The authenticity of his
lyrical delivery is what sets this release apart from anything else he’s
ever released. The quality of his vocals reflect the time and place he
exists in now. And Its not just his age, but his life experiences that
set this record apart from any previous recording.
His delivery
is soaked in life lessons that can only be obtained by living it.
Nothing here is phoned in or contrived. He’s living each and every
single word. This is a remarkable achievement that can only be achieved
by someone who has decades of life experiences to draw from, and a few
hard lessons learned.
Neil allows us to feel the lyrics from a
different perspective than where they lived in earlier incarnations.
These are songs that reflect the essence of the artist who has grown
wiser through time. He’s experienced the gifts, and struggles of a
lifetime. The success, and the loss that comes with longevity. And he’s
allowing us the opportunity to witness his growth from his experiences.
For
me personally, it’s his delivery of these lyrics that makes this album
so powerful. The musical approach is secondary to his interpretation of
the lyrics that he wrote when he was much younger (with a couple of
exceptions), and hungrier than he is now. Neil has never felt the need
to prove himself to anyone, and this album is an excellent example of an
artist free to create without being concerned with sales. This record
almost feels like a diary entry.
Neil Young has always
impressed me with his ability to create something special, by being
fearless in his execution. He has created a lot of records that have
been both passionate, and transparent. His desire to create something
meaningful has always been commendable, and Before and After is a
perfect example.
These are my initial impressions of this new
record (after just one listen),and I might be completely wrong……..if I
am, I’m sure someone will set me straight.
"Review of the Moment: Neil Young's New Album "Before And After""
3 Comments -
Interestingly, Before and After has garnered a bit more interest in the UK mainstream press than Neil Young’s recent releases such as World Record or Barn and you might wonder why.
The US Slant magazine review which is up on NYA Times Contrarian makes an interesting point, often overlooked when discussing Neil Young’s work, which is that he’s a “conceptual thinker”. According to Wikipedia conceptual art “is art in which the concept(s) or ideas involved in the work are prioritised equally to or more than traditional aesthetic, technical, and material concerns”. Young has been an artist who puts his songs at the service of an overall theme, often discarding some of his greatest songs because they didn’t fit. As a result his true greatness as a songwriter to the general public may have been overlooked to some degree. Which is why Before and After is interesting, as it clearly puts the songs in the service of the album. The theme is the songs. This is especially highlighted by the sequencing and the transitions. Going from one melody straight into another in such an apparently seamless way brings out the true beauty of those melodies. The matching of the melody and the lyrics, which as Randy Newman has pointed out before, don’t always look good on the page but when performed together with that vocal delivery, it’s as though he’s nailed that feeling, that thought, in its most consummate form. You get the feeling that the artist is vindicating himself and rightly so.
12/11/2023 02:55:00 PM
Thanks Art! Good points on our favorite “conceptual thinker”.
If you listen to the recent interviews, Neil talks a great deal about the editing/sequencing of the tracks w/ Producer Lou Adler.
If you listen very carefully, each song transition edits are on the same chord/key/note.
Hence the floe between songs sounds seamless. No hiccups, weirdness whatsoever. The edits are so subtle as to be transparent.
indeed, saying NY is a “conceptual thinker”. is quite the understatement.
12/11/2023 04:00:00 PM
@ Dan : Thanks for posting your thoughts on BAA on TW. You’re not wrong! I liked what you had to say.
I know you love vinyl. I just picked up my 4th rare Mark Lanegan / Screaming Trees LP, Last Words. And you have got me now thinking about Before And After on Vinyl. I haven’t bought any Neil Young vinyl other than the Ditch Trilogy & Peace Traill. I had an experience of the covers falling apart and got turned off to Neil on LP. But this one would be cool. It’s all one song!
See you this summer, we hope! Outlaw Field!
Your Brother Alan in Seattle
12/15/2023 12:25:00 AM