#42
Storytone/Neil Young
(2014)
Storytone was Neil’s second album of 2014. In addition to recording and releasing two albums, Neil had started up Pono, written another book (Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars), toured Europe with Crazy Horse, done a solo, acoustic American tour, divorced his wife of thirty-six years and started dating another actress, Daryl Hannah. Needless to say, 2014 was quite the year for Neil Young. Unfortunately, it was not a great year for new Neil Young studio albums. Storytone is another genre-hopping exercise for Neil Young. Having dabbled with lush, over-the-top orchestral songs in the past like Harvest’s A Man Needs a Maid and There’s a World, Neil went full in on this album. Seven of the ten songs on Storytone were recorded live at the MGM sound stage (the same place The Wizard of Oz soundtrack was recorded) backed by a 92-piece orchestra. The remaining three tracks were recorded in Hollywood at East West along Sunset Boulevard with a jazz big band. The majority of the songs on Storytone are shaped by Neil’s divorce and his blossoming romance with Hannah. Neil reflected on the album, "These songs were written during a period of profound change in my life. Everything I want to share is there." The ‘Deluxe’ version of the record included a bonus disc of Neil performing the ten tracks as sparse, solo acoustic songs.
1.
Plastic Flowers – Song about the first time he met Daryl. “I was doing well, and I thought she liked my style. I had no business thinking like that, but it lasted quite a while.” (2)
2.
Who’s Gonna Stand Up? – From a song about meeting your new love for the first time, to a pro-environment, anti-oil protest song. Neil first debuted this song while he was on tour with Crazy Horse earlier that year. Now we have it as an excessive, string-soaked clunker, complete with a choir. (1)
3.
I Want to Drive My Car – The orchestra is ditched and we get a full band. This sounds like a This Note’s for You/Fork in the Road hybrid. (3)
4.
Glimmer – Back to cheesy-sounding, film-score-wannabe Neil. Here he is inspired by seeing the glimmer of the headlights from the oncoming cars. “And there’s a glimmer of everything good that once came before. There’s a glimmer of everything I first saw in you.” Out with the old (Pegi) and in with the new (Daryl). (2)
5.
Say Hello to Chicago – Back to the full band with this Broadway-styled track. Neil making more hints about the excitement of new love. (1)
6.
Tumbleweed – Another love song to Daryl. This would later resurface on the Paradox soundtrack Neil did for Daryl’s film. (2)
7.
Like the Way You Used to – At least we get something resembling the Neil we’ve come to know and love – some decent harmonica work. However, it quickly devolves into a bad revisiting of the direction he went in the late 80s on This Note’s for You. (3)
8.
I’m Glad I Found You – Another sappy love song to Daryl. Neil is glad he found her. This sounds like some awkward 16 year-old professing his love. (1)
9.
When I Watch You Sleeping – A little closer to what you would expect from Neil. Sounds like Nitzsche rose from the grave and put some orchestral gloss on one of his sunny, country-kissed acoustic songs. You know it’s bad when I’m referencing Nitzsche in a positive way. (4)
10.
All Those Dreams – And Neil moves from watching his new love sleeping to referencing here dreams. Terrible. (1)
Overall score - 2
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- DPM
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