Neil Young & Pearl Jam
Mirror Ball

Neil Young & Pearl Jam - Mirror Ball (1995)

The greatness of a musician, and in this case Neil Young, lies in not being stuck in musical stereotypes. "Mirror Ball" is the album that confirms this rule.

The image still firmly rooted in many people's minds is that of the sad and lonely songwriter of "Harvest" (1972), the calm songwriter of "Comes a Time" (1978), or the old bison fighting the rust of "Rust Never Sleeps" (1979). Although, however, already in the 1970s, Young repeatedly tried to redefine his role and his human and artistic stature through radical and extreme choices, sometimes far from popular. It should not be forgotten that at the time the release of albums now hailed as "Time Fades Away", "On The Beach", and especially "Tonight's The Night" were greeted as artistic funerals of the Canadian. In the 80s and later, the task was to successfully demolish that popularity that came from such a glorious past. And album after album, Neil doesn't miss a beat, "Freedom", "Weld", "Harvest Moon", become personal challenges to prove to himself that he is still capable of making good or rather excellent music.

This work, powerful, electric, and adrenaline-charged, is yet another challenge, mainly due to the fact that it doesn't rely on the usual friends "Crazy Horse", but on a very popular group: Pearl Jam. "Mirror Ball" synchronizes two different generations, fitting perfectly into each other, as if the Seattle band had always been Young's group.

All eleven tracks on the album are written by Young. The opening track, "Song X", is immediately engaging, powerful and fresh, a typically Youngian waltz. "Act Of Love", a splendid track, is an incandescent sonic magma, with three electric guitars going mad chasing each other and drawing a dirty and rough sound, the Canadian's voice is sharp and the instrumental part of the Jam simply perfect. "I'm The Ocean", another electric and epic track, the sound is mighty, the Pearls are launched like a locomotive at full speed, Neil's voice is superb, vibrant, it's a masterpiece track. "Big Green Country" is softer than the previous three, flowing like a river in full spate, carried by the current of the Jam's guitars that know how to be a band in service of the Canadian. "Truth Be Known" is another great sonic scenario. Nostalgic and full of pathos, the electric guitar is Young's and can be heard in the unique and personal way of playing. It's an old-style ballad still suitable for real-time. Unique and the second masterpiece of the album. "Downtown" is the most Stones-like track on the album (let's not forget that Young is a big fan of theirs). The song is powerful, solid, and full of feeling. Neil's thin voice makes room for the Pearl's guitar jams in another great track.

The seventh composition of the album "What Happened Yesterday" lasts just thirty seconds, a sad and intense fragment, before moving on to a sonic deluge that is "Peace And Love" with Eddie Vedder's voice (so far relegated to backing vocals). The track remains very electric and melancholic, the guitar riffs give substance to this song, making it superlative and a great composition. "Throw Your Hatred Down" recalls the guitar sound rides that only our Canadian has been able to give us. The execution is textbook, with the central motif repeated multiple times and thus more easily memorable. The penultimate track "Scenery" is an intricate embroidery. The three guitars chase and intersect, creating an emotional background before leaving us with the last track of the album titled "Fallen Angel", ninety seconds of pipe organ with a melody that recalls "I'm the ocean". A brief and intense finale probably dedicated to the late Cobain.

A pure rock album, exhilarating and engaging. Another great album from the timeless Canadian, with Pearl Jam not as a bonus, but as the backbone of the entire work. A collaboration between old and new to create a powerful music healthy for our ears and our minds.