Neil Young
Mirror Ball - Reprise 1995  Tracks: 1. Song X/ 2. Act of Love / 3. I'm the Ocean / 4. Big Green Country / 5. Truth Be Known / 6. Downtown / 7. What Happened Yesterday / 8. Peace and Love / 9. Throw Your Hatred Down / 10. Scenery / 11. Fallen Angel Comments:Neil Young's album "Mirror Ball" recorded together with Pearl Jam in 1995 is an album that divides the waters. Some think it is excellent and that the two together is a fine constellation. Others find Pearl Jam's raw and noisy sound unfortunate in the context of Neil Young, while still others find most of Young's songs to be below his usual level.
I mostly agree with the last two groups myself. The music is recorded live in the studio, and there is not much attention to detail. The construction and structure of the songs is, for the most part, quite simple. Many of the songs are also quite long, and they also felt that way.
There is plenty of energy and vocally Young is in fine form.
Among my favorites I can mention "Song X", which is a heavy folkish song with a pirate "Hey Ho" chorus. "Big Green Country" is a more upbeat and melodic track, although still heavy with distorted guitar. The short "What Happened Yesterday" works really well as an intro for one of the singles on the album, "Peace and Love". The second single was "Downtown", which has a guitar riff a bit like Bowie's "Rebel Rebel", without being as refined as this Bowie classic.
Not one of my favorite Young albums.
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