NEIL YOUNG: Colorado (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

He is no longer being introduced. At 74, Neil Young is a legend in the Canadian folk-rock scene. And for good reason, the artist has a huge discography: about forty studio albums and about ten live albums. Twelve years after his last album with his emblematic band, Crazy Horse, the rocker is back with them for a new album called "Colorado".

Time has passed, but aficionados can rest assured: the musician's paw is undeniably present. It will only take a few seconds in the first track, 'Think Of Me', to immediately find ourselves immersed in Neil Young's sound. Heady, catchy, with a country atmosphere in place, supported by an acoustic guitar and harmonica solos, all the usual components are united in this simple and effective track.

The Canadian, although in his seventies, has not lost his rock'n' roll spirit as evidenced by the most energetic tracks like 'Shut It Down' and his electric guitar with its usual sound and 'Help Me Lose My Mind', which although slower, retains a certain power. 'She Showed Me Love' also has some interesting ideas and is reminiscent of the classic 'Down By The River', although the 13 minutes of the song could (should?) have been divided by two. The guitarist also knows how to calm the game down, and as usual, there are many ballads. 'Green Is Blue' and 'Milky Way' bring a little respite while 'Olden Days' is more rock.

So certainly, we won't find the little spark that made the audience vibrate like on the musician's old albums. The listener will miss the catchphrases that made some titles of the time cult. In an era of irreproachable productions and ever more oriented towards perfection, Neil Young remained anchored in the 70s and 80s. Dirty guitars are still legion and there are even some false vocal notes on 'Rainbow Of Colors' and 'Milky Way' that will surprise the listener. But whatever the case may be, the guitarist's signature is indeed present, and it is perhaps even this touch of imperfection that makes the man's compositions so alive and authentic.

Although the album is not a must in the Canadian's discography, we can only applaud his initiative to release yet another album while many emblematic musical figures with a similar background have not ventured into it for many years. "Colorado" remains an effective album that will delight all fans of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. - Official website

NEIL YOUNG

COLORADO

REPRISE

ROCK