Product Description

This sequel to 1977's unreleased 'Chrome Dreams' sees Neil Young benefiting from expanding album concepts. While his trademark idiosyncratic guitar lines and gruff vocals remain, 'Chrome Dreams II' showcases an expanded sense of scope and depth. This is exemplified by the re-recording of the 1988 track 'Ordinary People' which clocks in at a mammoth eighteenminutes, complete with horn section and saxophone solo. Produced by Young himself and long-time collaborator Niko Bolas, the album features many of Young's colleagues from Crazy Horse and musicians from his vintage previous recordings.

Track Listing

1. Beautiful Bluebird
2. Boxcar
3. Ordinary People
4. Shining Light
5. Believer
6. Spirit Road
7. Dirty Old Man
8. Ever After
9. No Hidden Path
10. Way

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1171 in Music
• Released on: 2007-10-22
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
The sequel to a late seventies album that never actually appeared (supposedly after Young played it to Carole King, who described it as "demos"), Chrome Dreams II is the latest entry in the late flowering of the increasingly mortal looking Young, very nearly seen off by illness in 2005. The following year's blunt Living with War, fuelled by disgust at American foreign policy, eschewed platitudes and vague sentiments in favour of attacking specifics, and Chrome Dreams II, though less single-minded, also takes sides. Musically it is terrific too, ranging from the offhanded country-rock prettiness of eighties outtake "Beautiful Bluebird" and the elegant, faintly churchy closer "The Way" to the all out aggression of the wonderfully sleazy rocker "Dirty Old Man" ("I like to get hammered on Friday night, sometimes I can't wait, so Monday's alright"). The oft-bootlegged "Ordinary People", originally deemed too long for 1988's This Note's for You, finally gets an official release, an eighteen minute horn powered epic defending the victims of Reaganomics which still carries a contemporary resonance. But it's not the only marathon number here. The grungy, hook-laden "Spirit Road" and "No Hidden Path" are just as fine, perfect examples of the turgid but irresistible riffing Young has been purveying for some forty years. With his romantic side emerging on "Shining Light" and the soulful "The Believer" it makes for a perfectly balanced set, and one which genuinely bears comparison with anything in his long back catalogue. --Steve Jelbert

Customer Reviews

Young at his peak?
A magnificant album which sees Young at possibly his peak, will be
difficult to follow, a landmark.

Fantastic
This is a real corker of a Neil Young album ranking on a par with 'After the goldrush', 'Harvest' and 'Rust never sleeps'. I just love Ordinary People, No hidden path, Shining Light, The Way, Beautiful Bluebird, Spirit Road. great to hear crazy horse at full throttle again on the upbeat tracks.

A Strange One
This is a strange one. In essence a sequel to an album that never saw the light of day. The original Chrome Dreams was scheduled for release in 1977 but shelved in favour of what became American Stars n Bars. Now Young releases a follow up to an album that never was.

The man never ceases to amaze. I wonder at times whether he has a butterfly brain - flitting from one project to another. Or perhaps he is a deep thinker. Whatever has prompted this album, I have to say it's not at all bad with numerous high spots, although I find the length of tracks like Ordinary People (18 min 13 sec) and No Hidden Path (14 min 30 sec) rather too daunting.

Young is still capable of putting together some gems and on this album it comes in the shape of three of the quieter numbers that have a definite Harvest or After the Goldrush feel to them. Beautiful Bluebird comes from the 1980s and is a definite return to the original Harvest territory. It's a beautifully wistful song with trademark harmonica. Similarly Shining Light suggests that Young is finally a man at peace with his art.

Strangely the stand out track is one of those infuriatingly catchy Young offerings. I should hate The Way with its children's choir, but it is a superb track with chord changes to kill for.

Overall it's not top notch Young, but neither is it just an old timer going through the motions.