Neil Young is indeed recording a new studio album in Los Angeles with U2/Dylan producer Daniel Lanois, Billboard.com can confirm. The sessions first came to light late last week in a Rolling Stone interview with longtime Young friend and bandmate David Crosby.
There's no other information about the project at present, which will be Young's first studio release since 2009's "Fork in the Road."
This is the first time Young and Lanois have worked together, and one of the first times Young has enlisted a big-name producer for one of his albums (he previously worked with Brendan O'Brien on the 1995 Pearl Jam collaboration "Mirror Ball"). Young's close music and film collaborator, Larry "L.A." Johnson, died in January, perhaps prompting Young to try teaming with someone new.
Young is about to begin a solo North American tour, with support from Bert Jansch. The trek gets underway May 18 in Albany, N.Y., and wraps June 7 in Dallas.
This is just what Neil needs at this point in his career. And I think Daniel Lanois can kick cranky Neil's creative but frozen ass into shape. I am a huge Neil Young fan, but I haven't been able to get through any of his albums since Harvest Moon in 1992. They all sound like geezer jams put to tape after one take out in Neil's barn..with his trademark Old Black guitar sound in the forefront. This sound is so popular that even Wilco's Jeff Tweedy tries to mimic it.
I feel that Neil is so prolific,that any change in sound, song structure or style might open the floodgates for him like it did for Johnny Cash/Rick Rubin. It's time to take a risk. He has before with albums like Trans and Everybody's Rockin'(which caused David Geffen to get his panties in a bunch and drop him from the label)...so I welcome this collaboration with Lanois whose sparse lushness could do wonders for Neil. Has anyone ever heard Neil's first album? The Old Laughing Lady? I've Loved Her So Long? Masterpieces.....really weird masterpieces.
I may get some shit flung at me for this, but Crazy Horse bores that very shit right outta me after three songs. (I hope they are sitting this one out)...except for Cortez the Killer...damn, I could listen to that on a loop, but I digress. Here's to the new album.
There's no other information about the project at present, which will be Young's first studio release since 2009's "Fork in the Road."
This is the first time Young and Lanois have worked together, and one of the first times Young has enlisted a big-name producer for one of his albums (he previously worked with Brendan O'Brien on the 1995 Pearl Jam collaboration "Mirror Ball"). Young's close music and film collaborator, Larry "L.A." Johnson, died in January, perhaps prompting Young to try teaming with someone new.
Young is about to begin a solo North American tour, with support from Bert Jansch. The trek gets underway May 18 in Albany, N.Y., and wraps June 7 in Dallas.
This is just what Neil needs at this point in his career. And I think Daniel Lanois can kick cranky Neil's creative but frozen ass into shape. I am a huge Neil Young fan, but I haven't been able to get through any of his albums since Harvest Moon in 1992. They all sound like geezer jams put to tape after one take out in Neil's barn..with his trademark Old Black guitar sound in the forefront. This sound is so popular that even Wilco's Jeff Tweedy tries to mimic it.
I feel that Neil is so prolific,that any change in sound, song structure or style might open the floodgates for him like it did for Johnny Cash/Rick Rubin. It's time to take a risk. He has before with albums like Trans and Everybody's Rockin'(which caused David Geffen to get his panties in a bunch and drop him from the label)...so I welcome this collaboration with Lanois whose sparse lushness could do wonders for Neil. Has anyone ever heard Neil's first album? The Old Laughing Lady? I've Loved Her So Long? Masterpieces.....really weird masterpieces.
I may get some shit flung at me for this, but Crazy Horse bores that very shit right outta me after three songs. (I hope they are sitting this one out)...except for Cortez the Killer...damn, I could listen to that on a loop, but I digress. Here's to the new album.
Until i read this post i hadn't realized it but yeah, most recent NY is a snooze. Live? Different story. Lanois is the perfect producer for him, i can't wait to see what they come up with. In fact Lanois should go back and remix some of Neil's old stuff, that would be worth a listen.
ReplyDeleteI heard it here first. This is great news. I hope you're right cause I love the old Neil (well they young Neil...you know what I mean) and have been bored for the last decade or so too. I left a comment about the girly vid above but it didn't go through!
ReplyDeleteDo you at least like Everybody Knows This is Nowhere with Crazy Horse? That album is a classic! I also couldn't agree more about "Cortez the Killer", it's definitely one of the greatest songs ever. I've often listened to that song on hour long loops. That song couldn't have enough soulful guitar.
ReplyDelete