Neil Young
Fork In The Road

Being able to navigate the discography, and especially the mind of Mr. Young, is always a challenge that tests both memory and good sense.

When you expect something long-promised to come out (like the famous 10 CD archive), he surprises us with one of those instant CDs that leave you stunned.

Neil Young is, to be clear, no stranger to such endeavors. From the '70s, when he released albums written and recorded "after" but released "before" (as in with Tonight's The Night in 1975, which came out after "On the Beach", written afterward, was already forgotten). In the '80s, with the creation of rather unusual and impromptu albums like Re-ac-tor from 1981, which shares many points in common with this 2009 release.

We last encountered Young in 2006 when he released "Living With War", an album written in a hurry (again) to protest against the Bush administration. It resulted in an electric album with explicit and direct lyrics against the malaise of American politics. It was also an opportunity to reunite the "supergroup" CSN & Y who embraced the cause by organizing a tour, later documented on disc. In 2007, another surprise: "Chrome Dreams 2" came out, a title taken from an old abandoned album, featuring both new and old songs. Intermingled were numerous live album releases from the early career that hinted at the horizon for the release of the famous Young archives. NO SUCH LUCK.

"Fork In The Road" was released unexpectedly, preceded by some strange videos posted on his Myspace site. Electric songs like the title track, the opening song "When Worlds Collide", "Johnny Magic", "Hit the Road". Songs with metallic guitars like "Fuel Line" or more bluesy like "Get Behind the Wheel" or country like the beautiful "Light a Candle". All, however, with a common denominator: the lyrics.

Young has been collecting vintage cars for years, which he keeps in huge barns at his ranch. His love for cars and the environment led him to build cars powered by alternative energy. AND YES,  all the songs on the album are more or less about this.

At this point, anyone who loves Neil Young knows what to expect. Some love him for his impulsiveness in writing songs and albums, while others prefer he releases his work more sparingly. I place myself in the middle. I believe that when an artist has something to say, they must do it, and Young is one to champion the cause even if at times he gets a bit carried away and sacrifices some quality. But I think Neil Young doesn't care about this, as long as the message reaches as many people as possible.

At this point, we await Mr. Young's next move. Logically, "Toast," an album with Crazy Horse written and forgotten somewhere, should be released. But I will be happy to be proven wrong once again!!