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Review: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Americana [Album]

Warner Bros // "a contemporary set of traditional folk songs, originating from the country’s many sub-cultures"

by Huw Hopkins, July 4th, 2012 and has been Read 1208 times.
Last Edited by: Ffion Davies July 4th, 2012.

Any humble historian, passionate patriot and aware American can appreciate what Neil Young & Crazy Horse have done with their latest album Americana. In a nod to the United States short but dramatic history, this collection is a contemporary set of traditional folk songs, originating from the country’s many sub-cultures.

You would barely recognised many of the carefully selected roots tunes, starting with ‘Oh Sussanah’. A song famous for it’s minstrel, up-beat rhythm, is given a stark makeover and Young reminds the world why he is the founding father of grunge, and the following ‘Clementine’ is a re-working of the traditional American folk tune ‘Oh My Darling, Clementine’, with a dark twist but ultimately the same structure as the original ballad.

WATCH // 'Clementine'

Tom Dula’ features some attempts to mirror the original harmonies of it’s predecessor, ‘Tom Dooley’ but with many of them out of tune this North Carolinian camp-fire sing-a-long sounds like exactly what it is. The chanting of the words “Tom Dula” becomes a mantra and a little excessive.

A much-needed relief arrives after 8 minutes by the title of ‘Gallows Pole’, originally ‘The Main Freed from the Gallows’, it is a track that Led Zeppelin fans may recognise. The track is a bit more chipper and constructed in a more traditional manner. The haunting harmonies are flawless above an electric gospel blues riff that would sound as comfortable being played by a Mississipi jug band.

Then comes the delightful rock and roll number, featuring Neil Young’s dark spirit in ‘Get A Job’, the former doo-wop song by The Silhouettes. The song is built around barber-shop vocalists that would sing about ‘Barbara Anne’ if they were on the West coast with The Beach Boys, instead they are stuck in the jobless south with Neil Young and his heavily distorted guitar as a back up.



There may not be a more American sounding song as ‘Travel On’. It’s narrative about travelling free, not to mention the mention of war over the country backdrop that Crazy Horse play so well, screams red, white and blue. Young then removes the red and white to blues up ‘High Flyin’ Bird’, where his guitar hangs in the atmosphere of the track with an ethereal tone of misery.

The traditional American folk songs continue to be cranked out with an adaption of ‘Coming Round the Mountain’ derived from African slave song ‘When the Chariot Comes’. This version, simply titled ‘Jesus’ Chariot’ is choral and raw on a guitar that whammy’s and wah’s in places that echoes the fragility of the message behind it.

WATCH // 'Jesus’ Chariot'

Neil Young’s reported obsession with Americana music is evident throughout Americana, his version of ‘This Land Is Your Land’ is sung with a passion and respect of the United States short history that makes parts of this album beautifully pleasant to listen to.

Not many people will be able to match Eva Cassidy’s version of ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ but Neil Young simplifies the music and plays it to appease the ears of folk lovers everywhere. He takes a sidestep away from U.S. classics to close out the album and nods toward the reason the United States of America is even in existence, and perhaps a reference to the British Jubilee celebrations this year with a unique version of ‘God Save the Queen’.

Americana is stupendous, but could only be done once. It is borders on overkill with the cult-inspiring version of ‘Tom Dula’, but overall the tradition Neil Young & Crazy Horse have wrapped up in their own unique sound is brilliant.

Listen to:

• Gallows Pole
• Get A Job
• Jesus’ Chariot

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Americana is out now