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(9/10) If you have achieved a status like Neil Young did you have the total freedom to experiment and unleash your creativity. This is what happened with his latest album "A letter home". This record will lead to some controversial discussions, but I think it became a great one - eventhough it's maybe not really heavy. But it's damn cool.
So what happened. Neil Young visited Jack White in his studio in 2013. What he discovered there was a kind of old phonebox. The special thing with this box is, that it's a voice-o-graph. This means that you can record audio messages and press those on vinyl. Young was so fascinated that he decided to use it for recording some song. So he put himself, incl. guitar and harmonica into the box and taped tunes.
The result is a very based and low-fidality record. The sound is like from a early vinyl album with all the acoustic noise and the cracks. And this is the cool thing with "A letter home". An analog recording in low-fidelity fits so good to the songs Neil Young is playing on this album. The organic and warm sound is fascinating. Something we lost in this highly digital world with those partly overdone productions.
The songs are all cover versions. But this doesn't matter since the versions are very unique due to the before mentioned. Young interprets song from Gordon Lightfoot as well as from the Everly Brothers, Bruce Springsteen ("My hometown") and "On the road again" from the legendary Willie Nelson.
Again, I know, that this album isn't heavy, but it's so unique, that it's worth to share it on my blog. If you are a bit openminded you should give it a try. Maybe even for a second and a third round. It's worth it. "A letter home" is a unique experiement and it's 100% authentic music.
(9/10)
Tracklist:
- A letter home (Intro)
- Changes
- Girl from the north country
- Needle of death
- Early morning rain
- Crazy
- Reason to believe
- On the road again
- If you could read my mind
- Since I met you baby
- My hometown
- I wonder if I care as much
Label: Reprise (Warner)
Genre: Rock
