NEIL YOUNG
Are You Passionate?
Warner
When it was first announced that the lead single, "Let’s Roll," from Neil Young’s latest album would be a reaction to the events of September 11, fans had reason to be concerned. Many cringed at the thought of another "Sleeps With Angels," Young’s 1994 doom-and-gloom affair released in the wake of another tragedy, the suicide of Kurt Cobain.
From the opening shuffle of "You’re My Girl," it’s clear that this will not be a similarly mopey affair. For the bulk of the album, Young is backed up by Stax legends Booker T & the MG’s, and their influence is abundantly clear. This is the most soulful that Young has ever sounded, and it suits him. Crazy Horse fans get theirs, too, as the band shows up to tear through "Goin’ Home," which clocks in at just over nine minutes. In what is becoming something of a cliché, Young has once again embraced a new sound and successfully merged it with his own.
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