I'm really not sure how I came around to this one; it may have been on another of the road trip lists that I glanced over before I left on this trip. I've also found myself comparing people to Neil Young and realized I really haven't heard a lot of his classics. This one got heard for the first time on miles 183-232.
Most of what I've learned about Neil Young is that he is never quite what I thought he was. Each time I'm exposed to something of his, it's not in line with my subconscious expectations. Here, things kick off with a song that is neither overly sunbleached, nor very folksy, nor even very traditionally 'classic rock', in most ways. The tempo surges, the band bends and folds, energy builds, climaxing in a stuttering breakdown. The title track is a little closer, but even here the energy pushes against its walls, and lalala's sound more Zappa than Clapton. Running Dry leads us through weird, arty, dissonant, early 60's reverb, heading into the epic closer, which build tension over and over and over again, not so much climaxing as imploding.
On the other end of things, Round and Round is whiny and awful in a way that is in line with my (otherwise largely mistaken) misgivings about Young, and Losing End is bad-Stones honky tonk, but otherwise, the songs are surprising and great and surprisingly great.
The overall impression is very live, utterly a record of a moment - it doesn't sound like anything that could be recorded again. There's a desperation here that gives it its soul, there is ample anxiety in between notes and slathered over them.
This whole mess is bedposted by a suite of rolling, loping basslines that pull songs apart, that drag your attention and give structure to the jammiest, bits - a sherpa that's a short a couple feet of rope.
This wasn't quite the joy of the Josh Ritter album, but it was still definitely a good road trip album, making the expanses epic, the turns matching the bass swerves. It was all a bit heavy though, and after hour 4+, the music had to come off for a bit. Not hitting a lot while I've been on this trip, but tune in for what I tuned into on my last drive South - maybe ever!? Oh right, 4.5/5
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