Neil Young – Before and After, Pt. 1 Review

Few artists are easier to kick back and relax with than Neil Young. It is not to detract from the smart playing or the ever-consistent lyrics the legendary musician provides but Before and After, Pt. 1, is a treat for the ears after a long day. Bludgeoned by the real world and in need of relief – one-fourth of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young is on hand to help out. This cut from the upcoming Before and After is a titanlike piece – the very peak of Young on both instrumentals and lyrics. His stripped-back yet well-layered approach to the startling presence he has as a songwriter is right here on Before and After, Pt. 1. Young sets a standard for artists re-recording their own work.  

Here is a sample – the first of thirteen examples of how to do it. Take note, U2. Look back in anger, Gallagher brothers continually traipsing out the glory days. Young has an erratic selection in store for his listeners though I’m The Ocean, Homefires and Burned, all from various highs of his career, sound supremely unique and reinvigorated here. Archival bits, heyday covers and even some bits from a time when Young could be considered out of fashion. Not with the already established listeners but with the pop culture of the time, the grunge and UK music scene of the mid-1990s left little room for legends of the guitar. Bringing with him a chance to re-experience songs of old, Young finds the fine line between entertainment for seasoned fans and a collection of covers to rekindle the flame which may not have attracted those the first time around.  

An interesting one, Pt. 1 is. Young insists these three tracks need to be experienced in a continuous stream, and it is hard to prove him wrong. Before and After has a sincerely masterful process to it – the blips or expected jitters which come from overlapping songs are nowhere to be found. A success of streamlined and sincere productions on par with the studio recordings of LCD Soundsystem post-American Dream. Sharp mixing is the key here though Young likely played these over and over and formed them into the elongated track. Sport under the lights, the dingy tracks leading down to card games and the “neat distractions” Young fondly remembers shifting the focus of these three tracks with a raw and genuine power. Reminiscent is not the right word – though it certainly verges on this, close enough.  

Neat wordplay and a powerful acoustic performance from Young brings about a delicate, one-track EP to push forward with yet another record. Here is a chance for Young to retrofit his old works with new meaning. He does not pass up the opportunity to provide this laid-back experience the neat bits and pieces it needs to flourish. Harmonica breaks and a steady acoustic rhythm are the core of this, of course it is. Should it be any surprise Young and Bob Dylan are providing key examples of how reworking your finest songs years down the line can be done? Not at all. As more artists find themselves filtering into their sombre and reflective twilight years, more can be done to showcase the appreciation they have for their own tracks. Before and After, Pt. 1 sets a standard.