Chrome Dreams II - Dark Publications

Location: Home » music » Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) » Chrome Dreams II

Similar Items:

•	Raising Sand
•	Magic
•	Revival
•	Kill to Get Crimson
•	Dirt Farmer

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
What we have here is easily Mr. Young's finest work in years, one that erases the memory of his well-intentioned but anemic 2006 protest album, Living with War. Recorded using analog gear, with Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina, pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, and Rick Rosas on bass, CD2 manages to sound both home-grown and experimental. It's the work of an artist still not afraid to take chances, who also knows what his strengths are and doesn't stray too far from them. Trainspotters will note that three of the ten songs were written but never released before, while we all might puzzle over the title. Chrome Dreams is the name of an unreleased album from 1977. So, why is this Chrome Dreams II? Is it a similar case to 1992's Harvest Moon, when Young went back to the virtual land of his 1972 hit Harvest to write more material in that vein? As the original was reportedly lost in a fire, we may never know. Chrome Dreams II offers up gorgeous, plaintive laments and country-tinged numbers sung in that achy breaky, heart-on-sleeve voice of Young's, as well as ragged barn-storming rockers delivered with a growl. There's even an 18-minute dirge that excitedly mixes R&B back-up horns with searing electric guitar leads! Wow. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews: Read 76 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Young's Best Album Since 'Freedom' October 23, 2007
61 out of 69 found this review helpful

If you admire the musical genius of Neil Young, then 'Chrome Dreams II' will blow you away. If you are expecting it to be a poor album, then you will be very pleasantly surprised. 'Chrome Dreams II' is not just another good Neil Young album. It is a great, great album and easily Young's best work since 1989's 'Freedom.' It is likely to exceed almost everyone's expectations. It certainly exceeded mine.

The definite highlight is the 18 minute epic "Ordinary People." Although nearly 20 minutes long, it doesn't drag at all. It could've just been a long jam, but there are lyrics throughout. Then there's "No Hidden Path" which takes one back to "Cowgirl in the Sand" and "Down by the River." I cannot recommend 'Chrome Dreams II' enough. It's really spectacular.

5 out of 5 stars

Communion With A Higher Self October 25, 2007
38 out of 50 found this review helpful

"Young calls this album about the human condition,he delves into the desire for communion with a higher self, and perhaps even a force outside the self. Could it be God? If you've ever gone looking for the divine in Neil Young's songs, you'd probably find evidence of it in his holy visions of natural beauty, love, and family -- Young's stock in trade when he isn't staring into the abyss." Denise Sullivan

One listen, only one listen and I was hooked. This could be Neil Young's most important album since 'Harvest Moon', 'After the Gold Rush', and 'Prairie Wind'. It swept me away-I loved every track. Great lyrics all-Neil Young has kept up with the times and his near fatal intracranial hemorrhage gave him a new light, maybe the 'Shining Light ' he sings about. From the start of 'Beautiful Bluebird' a search has begun for some higher being. Whether it is a white man, a black man or a red man riding in the 'Boxcar', we are traveling with Neil Young. And, then 'Ordinary People' an 18 minute tribute to us, the ordinary ones, who will find the way out of the morass.

'Ordinary people.
They're gonna bring
the good things back.
Nose-to-the stone people.
Put the business back on track.
Ordinary people,
I got faith in the regular kind.
Hard workin' people.
Patch-of-ground people.'

And moving on in the search. The 'Shining Light' he sings about will guide us on. 'The Believer' is such a reverent song of love and searching for the dream. Maybe the 'Spirit Road' that will bring us home to peace again. From the 'New Yorker' they say, "Following "Southern Man" and "Old Man," the track "Dirty Old Man" completes Neil Young's song trilogy about men who've made questionable life choices." As Neil Young treks on in his search, he encounters 'Ever After' the message he is looking for,'The one that I believe in is a wish in a song.' When he is with the one he believes in there is 'No Hidden Path', and finally the truly beautiful song that is sung with a children's choir that shows 'The Way'

'The way, we know the way. We've seen the way
We'll show the way
To getcha back home
To the peace where you belong'

We have come full circle in the search, the longing for 'The Communion With A Higher Self'.

Highly Recommended for assisting us in finding 'The Way'
prisrob 10-25-07

Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD)

After The Gold Rush

Harvest

Prairie Wind

4 out of 5 stars

Three star album with a 20-minute five-star track November 8, 2007
28 out of 33 found this review helpful

Chrome Dreams II ain't a bad album, by any means. But neither is it a great album - as far as albums go, Prairie Wind is the best in ages, and this doesn't touch it. (I say that as a fan of Old Black-wielding Neil first and foremost, too). It's lumpy - putting an adrenaline-pumping epic like Ordinary People in the #3 spot guarantees that the rest of the album feels slow and uncommitted. Neil isn't as focused as he has been on the last two albums. The album's too long. And, for all the strengths that these songs have, they can't live up to the material that was on Chrome Dreams I. What this album is, and what it should have been called, is Freedom II.

Beautiful Bluebird is a very close rewrite of "Sail Away" from Rust Never Sleeps, itself a rewrite (though not as obviously) of Comes a Time's "Human Highway." Sail Away is so far the superior song that Bluebird feels a little wrong, though it's a sweet, sad little lyric anyway. It dates back to the early 80s, from the original (still unreleased) Old Ways album.

Boxcar is a rerecording of a song from Times Square (an unreleased album from '89). This one improves on the original version - it works better coming from a grizzled old Shakey than the still-young man of 40. The band is great.

Let's get it out of the way: Ordinary People is a priceless contribution to the Neil Young discography. Sure, it uses cliches left and right, introduces very little musical complexity, and piles on anecdotes to the sky, but you know what? It works, and it's true, and it's glorious. The problem, though, is that if Neil had released it as a single, it wouldn't be any less essential than this album is.

(Aside: Ordinary People is a 1988 recording, and it sounds like it. It fits surprisingly well with the rest of these songs, but it's clearly not the same singer, or songwriter, or band. And those 80s synths are pretty distinctive.)

Shining Light is a great 50s-ish ballad, quite a surprising track for Neil. It's really quite moving, but it wilts in the shadow of Ordinary People.

The Believer could well be an Are You Passionate? outtake - it sounds just like an MGs track, but without the MGs - which is to say thin and unconvincing. The lyrics retread AYP to no effect. I really liked about half of AYP, but I skip this.

Spirit Road is a pretty rockin' rocker, but it's a little whiny for my tastes. Again the shadow of Ordinary People makes this seem less worth hearing.

Dirty Old Man is this album's Piece of Crap, but this doesn't have the joy or elan that that had. It seems a little pro-forma and forced. Still fun, though.

Ever After is a quirky little observation that makes me smile. One of the album's hidden treasures.

No Hidden Path doesn't work. Not where it is, anyway. Swap it with Ordinary People in the tracklist, though, and this is a very solid four-star album. Funny how that works. I've seen it compared to "Change Your Mind", but it ain't. It's an attempt, but it doesn't have any lyrical rigor - the words seem made up on the spot, and they don't seem particularly insightful. But it's a lot more likable as part of a slow buildup to Ordinary People.

The Way. I mean, a kids' choir? No way. Well, it works - what can I say? This might be the strongest closing track of any album since Sleeps With Angels - reassuring but not cloying, assured but still questioning.

I burned a resequenced copy of this album after listening through it twelve or so times. My tracklist is Boxcar, Spirit Road, Ever After, Shining Light, No Hidden Path, Dirty Old Man, Beautiful Bluebird, Ordinary People, The Way. Try it out if you're so inclined - it may seem strange, but it works pretty well to my ears. Nothing will make this a five-star album, but it can be a strong four star album. Still, new music from Shakey is always welcome to my ears.

1 out of 5 stars

Best Neil since Harvest, honestly! February 6, 2008
16 out of 22 found this review helpful

What the....4 and 5 star ratings everywhere, I dont get it. How can you be that disillusioned or naive. This is an embarrassing album for Neil, I am sorry. If this were released by ANY new artist it would be a career ender for sure. I am in a Neil "phase" right now , happens about once a year, where I listen to his first 10 albums over and over and over, up until around Rust Never Sleeps. This stuff is the bomb, classic, timeless and untouchable. I will even tolerate his 80's Geffen catalogue , Trans, Reactor, Blue Notes etc. What was once regarded as also embarrassing I find quite interesting now.

With the exception of Greendale, I consider his last 4-5 albums to be really bad and getting worse and worse. Living with War was worth 1-2 listens for its immediacy but after repeated listenings I couldn't stand listening to that "Drums 101" track on every song, Are you Passionate has that same damn track, I know its not a machine but it might have darn well been. The same wanky leads on every song. Neil has options to play with anyone of his previous brilliant band members but he is wasting their talents on these brainless rhythms.

More of the same on Chrome Dreams II, totally dumbed down music and lyrics that are almost laughable. How can you associate this album with the former Chrome Dreams from the mid-70s that had Powderfinger, Like a Hurricane and even Homegrown on it. Some people in these reviews are comparing song by song from each of the 2 albums "Like a Hurricane" vs "you name the crappy track", come on people ...can we take some reality pills here? If "Ordinary People" is the standout track on this album and a song that ranks in the top 20 of Neil's catelogue, like many are claiming here, then we are all in more trouble than we think. The best reviews are the ones calling Chrome Dreams II "Album of the Year". I suppose yes if you are only buying one album a year and it happens to be a Neil Young album.

Sorry I'm grumpy but I bought this album based on all the 5 Stars and was completely in disbelief when I listened to it for the first time.

I am not calling for Neil's head here, I want everyone on the planet to go out and buy every single album he has ever made....but, based on quality and merit, not because he is "Neil" brilliant and flawless. Buy it all , Trans, Shocking Pinks, Prairie Wind etc, like it, dont like it, I dont care but don't try and convince the masses that every new piece of poop that gets passed is more glorious than the last one. Please don't stack these records track for track, pound for pound agaist Harvest, Comes a Time nor Freedom. Its like you are trying to rationalize the existance of these songs using history to back up your arguments. New songs are really supposed to stand tall on there own are they not?

Neil, sorry man, I will always be one of the faithful, til the day I die but PLEASE slow it down, instead of a bad album a year, try doing a good one every 2 years or so. Age gracefully, I still believe you have what it takes to do some amazing work in the future. I dont want your legacy to be ruined by sub-standard material, you have rebounded before, you can do it again.

5 out of 5 stars

Rave On In Prayer October 24, 2007
15 out of 21 found this review helpful

Rolling Stone, usually an advocate for Young, gave this a tepid three point five rating out of five. But within this disc, Neil combines his great guitar licks and his visionary song writing into a musical montage that finds niches ( and celluoid riches) worth exploring in his great rock n roll scrap book of dreams, fires and obsessions.....I am thinking of the greatest living guitar players...there's Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton ( when he is motivated), Jimmy Page ( when he is actually playing) and then there is Neal....He who can take you round the bend ( and over the rainbow), set you up for the rising sun needing shades, then rifle a ton of lonely star drenched riffs...to take you into the twilight zone...he tempers all this with a bit humour..."dirty ol man" and a heavy dose of prayer and redemption....this is a great recording....

Powered by Associate-O-Matic