The Collegian Wednesday, January 24,1990
Neil Young's Freedom
mourns a wasted decade
by Robb Frederick
Entertainment Editor
Considering the recent
political upheaval in Eastern
Europe, Neil Young's tilling of
his latest release Freedom seems
quite appropriate. The diverse
material found on the disc,
however, focuses more on
celebrating Young's
experimentation with varying
musical styles.
The tracks presented on
Freedom touch upon each area
represented in the spectrum of
popular music, but the, work is
united by an underlying theme
Young relentlessly pursues- a
great dissatisfaction regarding the
accomplishments and setbacks of
the last decade.
The subject matter is gloomy
and depressing, and Young's
harrowing vocals leave listeners
battered and exhausted.
Young's most effective
commentary appears in the song
"Rockin' in the Free World,”
which he presents in two
versions that serve as bookends
for the remainder of the release.
Like the classic "My My, Hey
Hey,” which propelled the 1979
Rust Never Sleeps, "Rockin in
the Free World" showcases the
lyrical mastery and performance
versatility which has allowed
Young to remain such a
prominent musician.
On the acoustic version,
Young returns to the glory days
of his Rust Never Sleeps tour as
he takes the stage with only his
guitar and harmonica. The result
is an intimate live performance
that forewarns listeners to
Young's bitter dissatisfaction
with the current state of inner
city life.
This anthem-like composition
returns in an electrified form to
close Freedom. Young's searing
guitar drowns out his harsh
lyrics, which describe the drug
infested environment of inner-city
life.
The revised "Rockin' in the
Free World" also. adds .a third
verse to the song, as Young
relates the individual plight of the
homeless to the rest of the world.
Throughout the remainder of
Freedom, Young continues to
expose the sorrow of the past
The lengthy "Crime in the
City" documents the threats faced
by a city police officer who
eventually turns toward the other
side of the law.
"I don't know if I can stop it /
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I feel like meat on the street," he
explains. "They paint my car like
a target / ...I take my orders from
fools / Well I play by their
rules."
The brutality of life in the fast
lane is revealed through Young's
update of the Drifters' classic "On
Broadway." As the song's central
character awakens to the
hardships which surround him,
drug use provides a temporary
escape.
The song "No More" details
the helplessness of a desperate
drug abuser who can no longer
sustain his high.
On "Too Far Gone," Young
mourns a relationship destroyed
by an ever-present drug-induced
haze.
Although the bulk of Freedom
focuses on the negative aspects of
modern life, the disc also
contains a few promising
moments.
The track "Someday" defines
Young's respectable approach to
writing ballads. The song
interrupts Freedom's gloomy
spirit by providing a glimpse of
hope for the future.
"Hangin' on a Limb," a duct
with Linda Ronstadt, commends
a couple's determination to
continue with a relationship that
has experienced great difficulties.
This diverse material creates a
welcome return for Young,
whose career has continued to
degenerate over recent years.
To present a work this
powerful, he has collected
numerous unused compositions
from his earlier days. "Don't Cry"
and "Eldorado" appeared on a
successful EP released last year in
Japan and Australia. Several
tracks, including "Ways of Love"
and "Too Far Gone," were written
during the mid-seventies, when
Young's career reached its peak.
Although this material could
have been used to improve
Young's other solo works, its
appearance here provides a solid,
forceful backbone for the bitter
statements behind Freedom.
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