eli@uw-june (Eli Messinger) (09/25/83)
I find that I strongly disagree with bunkerb!mat's assesment of the new Neil Young album, 'Neil and the Shocking Pinks.' Their are several sides to this album... the first (impression wise) is that it comes hot-on-the-heels of Young's last album, 'Trans.' Although I didn't particularly like 'Trans', it was interesting for its "American 60's Folkies Jumps Headfirst Into Computer Technology" banner. That in mind, 'Neil and the Shocking Pinks' is also something of a sur- prise: Young now retreats towards the fifties. I find when listening to this album that it has much more of a "what I listened to when I was growing up" feeling than most of the 1980 model rockabilly bands. Sure, Young's voice sounds rather odd on top of the rocking band and the harmonizing Pinks -- but I find this adds dimension to the music. It's rockabilly as interpreted by Neil Young... not emulated by (fill in your favorite poseurs). I too like many of the new rockabilly bands (Blasters, et. al.), but to me they are primarily aping the 50's as exactly as they can... which doesn't hold my interest for too long. Not really much of a Neil Young fan, but... ... uw-june!eli