Album Review: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill

Neil Young must be having fun; he's hooked up with his old band, they've made a record (Americana) tearing apart old traditional songs, making them all weird and noisy, and now he's written a bunch of tunes and invited the boys into the studio where they've proceeded to jam out, making a mammoth 88-minute double-album that absolutely cooks.

A minute-and-a-half into 27-minute (yep) opener Driftin' Back, the lead guitar cranks up and the sprawling journey of loose, almost tranquil psychedelia begins. The band are hot, locking in and never letting up; there's not a note out of place and, while there's guitar histrionics throughout, it's devoid of wank. As the sprawling opener flutters away, the hard-driving title track stomps through – with a mammoth riff and phaser on absolutely everything – but then the band eases back into gear for Ramada Inn, a ripping classic rock jam that might be a radio hit if it weren't 17-minutes long. Twisted Road sees Young bow down at the feet of Bob Dylan as he recalls his early performing years and Born In Ontario is equally self-referential. There's a beauty in the simplicity of Young's lyrics and, while some might seem stupid (“Gonna get a hip hop haircut/Hey now now hey now now/Gonna get a hip hop haircut”), his imagery is fantastically relatable.

While their instrumental work is glorious, there are tiny Crazy Horse touches that set this record alight – the whistling in Walk Like A Giant and the harmonies in She's Always Dancing two such examples. All in all, it's another triumph for Young that proves he's still one of the best.