Neil Young
This Note's For You

After concluding the unfortunate and troubled recording partnership with David Geffen, Neil Young returns in 1988 with his historic label, Reprise. Those who think the stylistic oddities of Crazy Horse are over are once again caught off guard: "This note's for you" indeed accentuates the musical schizophrenia of an artist lost in the aftermath of an irretrievably ended golden age and increasingly caught up in notorious family vicissitudes. The result turns out to be decidedly superior to expectations: not enough to herald a complete rebirth (which would come the following year with the acclaimed "Freedom"), but capable of presenting a more lucid and inspired vein while stubbornly continuing to engage in awkward and bizarre musical territories. Some tracks renew the sardonic and mocking tone of "Everybody's rocking" (iconic titles like "Ten men working", "Hey Hey" and "Married man" are emblematic, just like verses such as "get off of that couch, stop watchin' that MTV") and are listened to with pleasure and amusement. Yet another groundbreaking album of that decade, "This note's for you" is also recorded with the rhythm and blues ensemble the Bluenotes (with whom Neil has played on an album by the trusty Crazy Horse), and showcases vivid and spirited soul tones.

The magnificent sax of Steve Lawrence particularly underscores the blues feeling of the ten tracks present here, which unfold between pugnacious outbursts barely softened by brass and hypnotic chiaroscuro capable of delivering an intense and reflective Young as was not heard in years. Among such outbursts certainly stands out the title track: a raucous mid-tempo rock-blues in which Neil satirizes the corporate rock branded by Coca-Cola and Budweiser so popular in the 80s, complete with a video clip (paradoxically awarded precisely at the MTV awards) that lovingly makes fun of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. It's like shooting fish in a barrel, you might say. Certainly, but it must be said that the Canadian bear has always been consistent in rejecting sponsorships, endorsements, and various nonsense. Not surprisingly, he is still one of the few artists to have never allowed his pieces to be used for commercials and advertising (while Bob Dylan has, alas, been seduced by the soft dollars from a known lingerie manufacturer). At a deeper level is the corrosive "Life in the city": a classic Youngian ride, a clear embryo of the "Crime in the city" that would shine on "Freedom" and in the monumental live "Weld". The lyrics depict a combative and scorching Neil portraying the social disintegration of Reaganism: if the States in 1988 are the "daydream nation" (immortal metaphor from his friends Sonic Youth), it's up to the old Neil, with a bloody and heartfelt vocal interpretation, to show the most authentic and forgotten America: unsurprisingly, a few months later, the old magician from Ontario will pull "Rockin' in the free world" out of his hat.

But on "This note's for you", the former Buffalo Springfield shows he can still forge exquisite candlelit ballads. "Coupe de ville" and "Can't believe you're lying", caressed by velvety jazz charms, remind us how Neil has been one of the most extraordinary white soul men ever known. Even better is "Twilight": a track dominated by a dark lyrical tension, between pulses of jazz and pressing solos that pierce sudden silences and almost make it a precursor to the late masterpiece "Sleeps with angels".

A worthy seal to this surprising and to be rediscovered album is the solemn gait of the concluding "One thing": a perfect snapshot of a successful transition.

Three and a half stars.