Living With War

Neil Young's new album- 'Living With War'- is out today and I picked up a copy on my way home. I listened to the online stream last week before buying (kudos to Young's people for utilizing the power of the internet to promote this) and it's a great album. The songs are about, well, living with war. It's a really emotional ride, refreshing in its lack of polish. And, unlike Pearl Jam's new album, I can actually understand the lyrics that are being sung here (seriously Eddie, it's calling singing, not mumbling). You can read Rolling Stone's positive review- here. The themes discussed in the songs are pretty universal and will likely age well (as "Ohio" has), particularly "Flags of Freedom". The song that is getting the most attention- and the one least likely to age well- is "Let's Impeach The President". The song's title has been used to slam the album by Young's critics even before any lyrics were even released (see this video of an interview of Young last month for an example of the almost clueless way some are approaching the album- ie. not in a 'musically good or musically bad?' way, but in a 'is this hurting America?' way). The lyrics list all the big reasons for impeachment (lying us into war, spying, etc), but as with Rolling Stone this line was the one that most stood out to me when I first heard the song-

What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?

Definitely the part of the song that makes the greatest impression.

Finally, of great amusement, as usual, is the expected reactionary disapproval from the backwash Bush supporters. The following was the most recent review on iTunes (only 1 star)-

"By Neil Young making this album and singing 'Let's impeach The President' is extremely unpatriotic, and an Un-American thing to do. It's perfectly ok for Neil Young to think this way, but for him to make an album such as this he is taking a very radical path; I think Neil Young should move to another country permanently. He is not a true American for bashing the president in this way; and must not like this country well enough for making this CD or such remarks. So, Neil, let's just have you live in a different country other than America with all your extreme left wing people who can't stop making fun of our President for keeping us safe from terrorists and keeping America Free. I don't care if he doesn't like President Bush, but as a citizen of this country, you need to at least respect him because we have elected him twice, as our leader and have put him in charge of running our country. I now have lost all respect for Neil Young as well as the Dixie Chicks for their comment a few years ago about the President."

Signed, Sean Hannity.

A truly excellent critique. Now let's just hope the NSA isn't spying on my iPod...