The Monsanto Years
Neil Young + Promise of the Real,
Warner Bros
Two stars
While Neil Young’s voice, playing and passion are undimmed, his once undeniable lyrical talent have diminished in much of this new album. The Monsanto Years finds the 69-year-old Canadian livid with what he perceives as the despoiling of America at the hands of corrupt corporations and complacent politicians.
The complaints about Walmart and "big box" stores that are killing small shops too quickly devolve into sloganeering. It's a pity the words aren't more nuanced because much of the music, recorded with the Los Angeles band Promise of the Real, is haunting.
Wolf Moon — yes, he's still singing about the moon — is evocative and powerful to begin with, but weakens as it becomes overtly political. Workin' Man uses vignettes deftly to build context, and Rules of Change is driven by a simple, effective percussion evoking Native American rhythms and the beauty of the plains. It's easy to admire Young for taking a stand, for not taking the easy "greatest hits" route, but these songs would benefit from a subtler lyric approach.
