Neil Young and Meta-Memoir

I've been quite curious about the new Neil Young memoir since it came out earlier this month. I have been a Neil Young fan for a long time - Rust Never Sleeps is easily one of the best rock & roll records of all time; Harvest, Harvest Moon, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere - the list goes on. As well, the concert film Heart of Gold is fantastic, and a new concert film, Neil Young Journeys, is also out this month. He released Neil Young Archives, Vol 1: 1963-1972 a few years ago - home recordings, early demos, personal stuff. So it is natural to think that his memoir would be illuminating - Young is looking back on his life and career, and has the desire to share it with his fans.

I listened to Neil Young on NPR's Fresh Air a couple of weeks ago - and however astute and interviewer Terry Gross is, Neil Young was still, well, Neil Young, as mysterious and reluctant to share as ever. Perhaps he isn't reluctant to share, just reluctant to submit to someone else's terms. Levi Asher at Literary Kicks thinks so, too. His latest blog post is titled "Neil Young's Book Is Not a Great Memoir, But It's a Great Something":

A memoir? Waging Heavy Peace is a stream-of-consciousness, sucking in to itself like a vortex every thought, idea, opinion, business plan, musical memory, old grudge, old friendship or hilarious observation that flits past Neil's eyes as he sits there trying to write. Heavy Peace is a highly self-conscious work -- meta-memoir, to be sure -- and Neil does not seem happy about the fact that he has committed to writing an autobiography, even though he did so of his own free will. He swerves crazily, like a drunken bus driver on a mountain trail, between past and present tense, between the 1960s and the 1980s and now, between technology talk and random memories and musical explanations and tributes to his long-lost friends. The book will keep you awake and amused, but it won't deliver the punch of truth and honesty that a great memoir should deliver, and that recent books by Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and Patti Smith all delivered.

The rest of the article is a great review of the book - I am still intrigued about the book; however, when I read it, I won't be looking for answers.

The Relevance of Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan released a new album this week, his 35th studio album, Tempest, and he is once again thrust into the spotlight. I haven't been able to give it a proper listen, but my first couple of listens had my toe tapping and brain spinning. He's 71! And still relevant - not in a Tony-Bennett-duet-with-Amy-Winehouse way, or a Neil -Diamond-pretty-good-for-an-old-guy way, but in a real, meaningful way - perhaps only Neil Young has managed to stay relevant as long.

First, start out with the video for the lead single, Duquesne Whistle: 

                   

                   

                   

This video summarizes Tempest: love is a series of crushing disappointments. And through it, over it, Dylan walks with the outcasts and violent, oblivious to anything except his eventual destination. 

Next, read reviews of the album from several excellent publications, courtesy of bobdylan.com: Hype.

Will Hermes of Rolling Stone writes: "Lyrically, Dylan is at the top of his game, joking around, dropping wordplay and allegories that evade pat readings and quoting other folks' words like a freestyle rapper on fire."

Vish Khanna at CBC Music writes:

Lifting the veil and standing in plain sight, Tempest is Dylan’s most musically daring record in years and he sings with the conviction of a wronged outlaw who tastes blood. These songs aren’t threats, they’re outright warnings of gory eventualities, and that’s an important distinction to make; on Tempest, things are gonna get lowdown one way or another. You must hang on just to survive.

Now it's time to listen to the album. You can find it wherever fine music is sold!

Finally, read Steven Hyden's article on Tempest from Grantland.com, comparing it to two other newly released albums from The Dave Matthews Band and The Avett Brothers. Basically, he writes that Dylan still kicks ass.

The overall theme through the reviews and articles is "carnage." The darkness of the album, the focus on death, the body count - Dylan sings about death better than anyone. Heck, even Nick Cave covers a Dylan song on his album Murder Ballads. At 71, Dylan is still teaching others with his words and music, proving he is still relevant to fans, critics, and artists.

BONUS CONTENT: two lists that I have come across fit perfectly to this post:

The 15 Best Bob Dylan Albums

The Top 10 All-Time Best Bob Dylan Lyrics