Neil Young Living with War; SONGS OF THE TIMES. A Librarian at the Kitchen. No. 434.

Living with War

Neal Young:

The venerable left-leaning musician, known for his brazenly anti-war sentiments, has produced an album that addresses the confusion, chaos, and anger surrounding this post-Iraq era. Canadian Young has never shied from any topic--this is the man who, after all, prompted to Lynyrd Skynyrd to pen "Sweet Home Alabama" after Young's "Southern Men" derided the racism of the American South. The release of Living with War prompted a fury of controversy and media attention that Young hadn't encountered in nearly a decade, but all the hoopla missed the point that this is perhaps the artist's most skillful work to date. The album still boasts Young's trademark political consciousness, but it also heralds a foray into musical philosophy that mixes rebellion and rock--tinged with soul and blues.

Neil Young's Garage.