Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Neil Young 19: Old Ways

After what seemed like ages (and a detour with Crazy Horse that went nowhere), Neil’s next real album finally turned up. Old Ways was a straight Music Row country album through and through. No matter how many times you listen to side one of American Stars ‘N Bars, side two of Hawks & Doves and all of Comes A Time, you won’t be ready for this. This is strictly Hee-Haw music, with Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins on piano, the seesawing fiddle of Rufus Thibodeaux and a pile of all-star duets.

“The Wayward Wind” is a standard with too much syrup for it to go down smoothly, sung with the otherwise unknown (to us) Denise Draper. “Get Back To The Country” comes from the same bad intentions as the still-unreleased “Gonna Rock Forever”, and the wacky jaw harp boinging all the way through doesn’t help either. “Are There Any More Real Cowboys?”, a duet with Willie Nelson, finally makes a good point, in this case asking what true country is. The sweeet “Once An Angel” could easily be a hit for lots of other people, while “Misfits” spends a lot of time telling a tale that never finishes.

“California Sunset” is a souvenir from the Austin City Limits TV show, while “Old Ways” came from the post-Trans era and asks the same questions as “Are There Any More Real Cowboys?”. “My Boy” is even sweeter than “Already One”, a lovely song to either of his sons. “Bound For Glory” is a truck-drivin’ song that could have been a hit for Charlie Rich ten years earlier, and “Where Is The Highway Tonight?” ends it all with a dull thud.

He had another album’s worth of songs put aside that his touring band had mastered, but his career was going nowhere with no rescue in sight. It would recover, just as the music from this period would gain appreciation, but for now, it was getting tough to be a fan.

Neil Young Old Ways (1985)—2

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