It somehow is fitting that Fork in the Road arrived in stores a week after President Barack Obama announced his bail-out plan for the American automobile industry: it's Neil Young's one-man campaign to remind everybody what cars used to mean and what they should be again. Neil always has had a soft spot for cars -- he drove a hearse from Toronto to Los Angeles, immortalizing the vehicle in "Long May You Run" -- so this album-length motor manifesto couldn't be called unexpected, nor could its palpable, ever-flowing undercurrent of nostalgia be a surprise for a man who owns a toy train company. Plus, romanticizing the classic years of Detroit is natural; those big boats were gorgeous, so unlike the colorless, characterless sedans that rule the road these days. Neil knows this and knows that dependence on oil is crippling the culture, not to mention the environment, and is enough of an evangelist to cobble together his own green machine, putting an electric engine in a 1959 Lincoln Continental, driving the car to Washington and writing a whole album about the vehicle and its downtrodden times. Fittingly, Fork in the Road is like his Lincvolt: it has a new engine in an old body, so it has all of the classic contours but runs a little differently. The Lincvolt might be smooth and efficient, but Fork in the Road is charmingly clunky, a side effect of its quick creation and Young's hard-headedness. Neil might be writing records as quickly as a blogger these days but musically he's stuck in the past, never letting go of his chunky Les Paul and candied folk harmonies, embracing his status as an old crank so enthusiastically he happily presents himself as a crazy old coot on the album's cover. At times, he certainly does sound like the resident codger, snarling about the fading economy and how everybody's been downsized, good naturedly sneering "big rock star/my sales have tanked/I still got you/thanks" on the title track. Despite the undercurrent of auto nostalgia here, Young isn't living in the past and he's keenly aware of the present. This blend of dreamy thoughts of yesteryear, spitting fury over the present, and planning for the future gives Fork in the Road a bit of a kick that propels it through a few songs that aren't much more than a garage groove, but the whole thing benefits from its messiness; the loose ends make it feel alive.
Neil Youngby Dan Weiss • April 17, 2009 Neil YoungFork in the Road(Reprise, 2009)It's not entirely absurd to call Fork in the Road the best Neil Young record since Living With War, which was his best record since what, Ragged Glory? His seventh studio job in nine years follows plenty of marginalia and live-live-live collector's items here, there, and everywhere, not to mention a CSNY mess to k.
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Recently, we wrote about how the initial consensus around Neil Young's Greendale and Living With War was that they were flawed and misguided. Our opinion was that Fork in the Road seemed to be falling right into the same mindset. But we maintain that the three works together actually constitute a cohesive trilogy that may just validate Neil's early 21st century work.There's an intriguing arc ...
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Fork in the Road is Neil Young’s timely commentary on the current state of America. Undoubtedly rushed to ensure impact and relevance, Young’s work on the ten-song release feels more honest, more accessible, and definitely more fun than anything else he’s recorded in the last few years.Who can deny America’s love affair with the [...]Related posts:Hillcrest Road - Life After Liftoff Hillc
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"Light a Candle" distills Neil Young's efforts to promote and pursue zero-emissions fuel technology into something haunting and beautiful. Unfortunately, Fork in the Road features nine other songs.
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Neil Young is on rock n roll fire: touring, various archive projects (Sugar Mountain), starting a YouTube royalties debate (see below) and a new album (Fork In The Road), which comes on the heels of 2007's Chrome Dreams II. Fork in the Road, Young's 33rd studio album, is out April 6th. A couple months back Young entertained with a no frills video for the title track. The next single "Johnny Ma...
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An update on that Neil Young Looks You Straight In The Eye & Talks About His Potbelly post. Uncut is reporting that "Fork In The Road" is not just any song off Neil's forthcoming new album, it's the title track. Wow. In one week we get news of a new Neil Young album and new video. But seems news of a new Neil Young album is bumming some Young die-hards as its postponing the long awaited, alr...
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Neil Young - Fork In The Road
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Neil is streaming his new CD at Myspace prior to the release next week. Start your weekend with Neil's latest gift of music. Click the album cover to listen.
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Props to Charley Rogulewski on turning me on to this... hoping more see it so I'm posting the video too. I got hope, but you can't eat hope.Neil Young - Fork In The Road
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It's not all that often that an artist remains relevant well past his prime. Yet, it's 2009, and Neil Young is dropping his 213th album next week and it's pure Neil, straight to the point.Not excited yet? Check out Young's myspace page, to get an early listen and stream all of Fork in the Road. His new album is all Neil, all the time. Tackling current events and subjects like cigarette taxation...
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Who ever would've thunk that Neil Young would get a Widget?Well it's here. See the videos, photos, etc from the forthcoming album Fork In the Road (out Apr. 7th).
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Neil Youngby Dan Weiss • April 17, 2009 Neil YoungFork in the Road(Reprise, 2009)It's not entirely absurd to call Fork in the Road the best Neil Young record since Living With War, which was his best record since what, Ragged Glory? His seventh studio job in nine years follows plenty of marginalia and live-live-live collector's items here, there, and everywhere, not to mention a CSNY mess to k.
More >
Fork in the Road is Neil Young’s timely commentary on the current state of America. Undoubtedly rushed to ensure impact and relevance, Young’s work on the ten-song release feels more honest, more accessible, and definitely more fun than anything else he’s recorded in the last few years.Who can deny America’s love affair with the [...]Related posts:Hillcrest Road - Life After Liftoff Hillc
More >
MUSIC NEWS - Neil Young posted this video for his new tune, FORK IN THE ROAD . Check it out and the full lyrics below. Let us know what you think, does Neil still have hope ??? Lyrics to "Fork in the Road" Got a pot belly, It's not too big Gets in my way When I'm driving my rig Driving this country In a big old rig Things I've seen Mean a lot Friend has a pickup Drives his kid to sch...
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Neil Young keeps 'em coming. Watch the video for Get Around, another track from Fork in the Road.» neilyoung.com
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MUSIC NEWS - Neil Young premiered the brand video today for his new JOHNNY MAGIC tune! His love of cars and the open road hasn't deminished!!! His new album, FORK IN THE ROAD is out on April 6, 2009. Check out the music and video below, from Shakey Pictures -
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MUSIC NEWS - MySpace Music has proudly premiered the new Neil Young video today for "Cough Up The Bucks." (see below) from his upcoming album, Fork In The Road. Fork... is set for release April 7 on Reprise Records. Fans should stay tuned to MySpace Music for more exciting Neil Young news coming up in the next couple of weeks.Neil Young - Cough Up The Bucks Neil Young has bee
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Recently, we wrote about how the initial consensus around Neil Young's Greendale and Living With War was that they were flawed and misguided. Our opinion was that Fork in the Road seemed to be falling right into the same mindset. But we maintain that the three works together actually constitute a cohesive trilogy that may just validate Neil's early 21st century work.There's an intriguing arc ...
More >
A few post-SXSW morsels for you...two new videos for two new songs from Fork in the Road, shot by Neil Young himself. "Cough Up the Bucks" gives us Young in a suit, reading the Wall Street Journal and asking "Where did all the money go...where did all the cash flow?"...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 When Worlds Collide |
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| 2 Fuel Line |
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| 3 Just Singing a Song |
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| 4 Johnny Magic |
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| 5 Cough Up the Bucks |
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| 6 Get Behind the Wheel |
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| 7 Off the Road |
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| 8 Hit the Road |
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| 9 Light a Candle |
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| 10 Fork in the Road |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Fork in the Road")
