Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 15/05/06
Label: Reprise

To many long-time observers of Neil Young's work, his decision to come out against George W Bush with "Living With War" is yet another one of his infuriating political about-turns. This is the man, remember, who in 1970 wrote "Ohio" in response to the fatal shooting of four protesting students by the National Guard at Kent State University, while just over a decade later decided to declare himself a rabid Reaganite. By the end of the '80s, Young was sticking it to Bush Sr with "Rockin' In The Free World", yet the aftermath of 9/11 saw the grizzled singer penning "Let's Roll" and coming out in support of the Patriot Act.

Now, as the war in Iraq shows no signs of abating, Young has turned again by releasing his most polemical work in over a decade. Written and recorded in just ten days, "Living With War" is an unashamedly vitriolic and unsubtle piece of work that musically resembles a lo-fi version of "Ragged Glory". Though bereft of the services of Crazy Horse, this is Young back on amp-shredding form as he lets rip with his vintage Les Paul while backed by a 100-voice choir. Driven by a passionately righteous ire, "Living With War" is bolstered by some of Young's strongest tunes in an age and the overall effect is staggering.

"Flags Of Freedom" is beautifully evocative as a young girl watches her brother head off to fight in Iraq, while "Shock and Awe" - one the album's strongest pieces - deals with the deaths of thousands of lives from both sides of the conflict and the innocents caught in between. Most damning is the vitriol of "Let's Impeach The President", wherein Young calls for Dubya's removal from office for "lyin' and misleading our country into war / Abusing all the power we gave him / And shipping all our money out the door."

Of course, among the fervent sloganeering, Young drops some monumental clangers. His decision to use a trumpet to spar with on "After The Garden" is, at best, questionable but nothing can save "Lookin' For A Leader" when he sings, "Someone walks among us and I hope he heeds the call / Maybe it's a woman or a black man after all." Rough edges aside, the sentiments and the playing on "Living With War" are undoubtedly sincere and there's a comfort to be had that someone from rock's golden era of protest has got the balls to finally stand up and be counted. It may not be his best album but it ranks as one of his most important.

    by James Marshall