Search - Neil Young :: Fork In The Road (CD/DVD)

3.5 Stars - Recommended for Fans of the Man

Steve Feldman | New York | 04/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Fork In The Road is 10 new songs with a dvd of the audio and 4 video clips - 3 new song videos and Neil performing "A Day In The e Life" in October 2008 (very much the same as we saw at Farm Aid a few weeks earlier). The new songs total just over 38 minutes, so no long jams or overly complex arrangements. All the songs have a similar theme - cars, driving, being green. The feel of the songs bring to mind some of Neil's sloppier works like Re-Ac-Tor (1981), Mirror Ball (1995), and Landing On Water (1986). The package is the typical mini-lp gatefold made out of cardboard that Neil has released with his last few discs. The production is really good - I was worried based on the content that was available on-line before the album was released - it sounded pretty raw.



The songs:

1 - When World's Collide - not a bad opener, one of the better tracks.

The theme of movement and travel is present - "drivin down old route 66"

so it fits with the rest of the song content. This could be a standalone song.

2 - Fuel Line - very much in the ilk of cars and driving and being

green. Neil sings about the praises of alternative fuel electric cars

and how the world is ready, but "some old-timers" aren't. The lyrics

remind me of something you would hear in a Schoolhouse Rock song on a

Saturday morning.

3 - Just Singing A Song - this is a real good song, IMO the best one.

It has a great sounding lead guitar riff and a nice harmony. "Just

singing a song won't change the world". There is also "you can drive my

car, see how it rolls". There is a video for this song on the dvd - it

has Neil rowing a kayak on a lake and lip synching the words - very low

budget. It might mean that he is just one voice in an ocean and he can

sing about change, but how can it really make a difference. One of my

favorite songs from the collection and it could be a stand-alone song as well.

4 - Johnny Magic - Another good song that reminds me a little of

re-ac-tor. This is Neil's ode to his electric car project - LincVolt -

where he is converting a 10 mpg Lincoln Continental into an electric car

that gets over 100 mpg. I like this one as well - "home of the heavy

metal continental" with some decent guitar playing from Neil in the

middle.

5 - Cough Up The Bucks - Other than the annoying repeated chant, "Cough

up the bucks, cough up the bucks" this song could have fit nicely on

re-ac-tor. It is a little sloppy, but it rocks a little more than the

other songs with a nice harmony vocal - "where did all the money go?,

where did all the cash flow? , "it's all about my car, it's all about my

car, and my girl".

6 - Get Behind The Wheel - starts with a nice blues run and would have

fit nicely on 1988's This Notes For You (in fact, Neil uses some of the

same folks on this album as with TNFY). A blatant message for the car

enthusiast to get behind the wheel and drive. The song has a nice feel

and movement to it and some nice guitar playing by Neil.

7 - Off The Road - the first slower tempo song and a nice song at that.

It moves slowly but builds up with some nice harmonies. Almost a

lullaby in parts. "You can never take your eyes off the road".

8 - Hit The Road - Another rocking number with a bit of a phased guitar

sound from Neil. "She looks so beautiful with the top down" - so back

to the driving metaphors. The message is very clear here as it was on

"Get Behind the Wheel". "Let's hit the road and go to town".

9 - Light A Candle - Another slow number that could have been right at

home on 2000's Silver and Gold or Prairie Road from 2006. There is a

video of this song on the dvd as well - a low budget clip of Neil and

Pegi and a stainless steel trailer (that isn't moving) and a candle lit

in the window of the trailer. Another standalone song and one of the

better songs and I like it.

10 - Fork In the Road - The title track and the lengthiest at almost 6

minutes. Also a video, but it is so low budget and pixelated, I

couldn't watch it. Neil tries to mix humor with a message and I am not

sure works on either level.



So, another album from an artist with 45 plus years of creating music.

At 63, Neil is still creating and building worlds in his music that are

new and fresh and at the same time familiar. With other artists, this

would be laughable material because they wouldn't be able to pull it

off. Neil has never left the scene and that gives him the ability to

write and sing about such subject matter in a believable way. On the

negative side, and to use car-related analogies, this CD never really

kicks into high gear. Just when you begin enjoying the trip, it is

over. So, not a classic album from the starting line. If Neil were to never put out another album of new material, I am not sure I like the idea of FITR being his last such new release. Oh well, who knows what Neil has planned next....

"

Not too bad

E. C. Brummer | Athens, GA USA | 04/11/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This isn't Neil's masterpiece, or even close. I had been following the development of this disc as videos of songs were released on the internet. (The lo-fi videos of Neil singing the songs are occasionally funny, but wear a bit thin.) I wasn't too enthralled by lyrics that are often quite clunky and by music that often seemed tossed off. However, when all the songs are put together, the disc falls into a very enjoyable groove. Sure, some of the songs are weak and would have benefited from a little wordsmithing, but overall, the record is a good time. Take it for what it is, roll down your windows, and take a ride. You will be pleasantly surprised. Just don't expect to get "After the Gold Rush II".



Charlie"

Another sub-par studio album from Neil Young

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 05/16/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Let me state upfront that I am 48 yrs old, and a life-time fan of Neil Young going back to the 70s. That said, I have been perplexed by Neil's studio output in this decade, which has been mediocre, and I'm being mild. How many of you are still listening to "Are You Passionate" (from 2002), "Greendale" (from 2003) or "Living With War" (from 2006) in your CD player? Can you hum a single song from any of those albums right now?



"Fork In the Road" (10 tracks; 38 min.) is the latest in Neil's 40+ year musical journey, and themed as an ode to cars and the open road. The opener "When Worls Collide" gave me hope that this might be a better offering. "Just Singing a Song" is also somewhat likeable. But regretfully, the album contains too many dull moments, such as the insufferable "Cough Up the Bucks" and "Off The Road". The short and sweet acoustic "Light a Candle" brings some relief towards the end of the album, but frankly it is too little, too late.



Again, I must ask you: how many of these songs will you find yourself humming after (repeated) listening to this album? That said, at 38 min. the album is short and to the point, an improvement to previous recent studio albums. I still believe that Neil has a great album in him. But "Fork in the Road" is not it, as much as it pains me to tell you."