Full disclosure here, some days I think Neil Young is a genius, this thought came to me after I watched him play in his chicken coop on Farmaid the other day. Genius.
This took me to dragging out Earth, the live(?) album recorded with Promise of the Real and various ambient recordings of nature.
I have had this for some time and have not felt up to playing it since I streamed the album on Spotify, to be honest I bought it out of some completist need and it was cheap.
The concept is a live album with unashamed overdubs of choir like backing vocals and ambient animal sounds throughout. Terrifying in a way, Neil’s songs interrupted by chirping, cheeping, grunts and groans and thats not just the aging audience creaking away in their seats.
So I am not going to attempt to explain what is going on, other than the usual fair of anti-Monsanto pro-planet Neil Young, can’t really argue with pro-planet unless you are a Republican these days. Neil comes off at times as some sort of hippie Captain Planet at times and I have a fondness for Captain Planet.
If all you do is listen to Side 3. of the album, Hippie Dream into After the Goldrush followed by Human Highway your life will be enriched and made better, even the chirping and wolf howls fit in with the overdubbed original cornet solo and sickly sweet choirs, as I said earlier Genius.
You are welcome!
timeweleftthisworldtoday 
Will have to give this a listen, Neil is certainly not one to shy away from novel ideas. “Hippie Dream” just came up on an old mix tape of mine the other day (original version). Even Landing on Water might be worth a new listen!
Landing on water is still a struggle there is something about the production that grates more than other eighties albums. Lower your expectations with Earth and it is a decent listen.
I’ve added it to Spotify. I was blasting Ragged Glory while I worked today – frequently interrupted by bouts of extended air guitaring.
Now in no way am I claiming this is a great album, it is weird odd and slightly quirky and a lot of fun, not great.
He sure is one-of-a-kind, Mr Young.
Love that process, btw: completist -> cheap -> ka-CHING!
An artist I always make time for, even when he misfires, have done ever since ‘After the Goldrush’