Living with War (CD - 2006)

Arranger: Neil Young.

Neil Young has never been one to avoid political commentary. Ever since "Ohio," his classic anthem of moral outrage about the Kent State student massacre in 1970, Young's music has pulled no punches about the injustices of American policy both foreign and domestic. 2006's LIVING WITH WAR continues that trend; in fact, the album is the most overtly political of Young's long, dazzling career.

A collection of protest songs that takes the Bush administration directly to task for their actions in Iraq and elsewhere, LIVING WITH WAR boils with outrage and aches with pathos (the grungy, midtempo opener "After the Garden" is a fine example of the latter). "Let's Impeach the President" and "Lookin' for a Leader" leave little question as to Young's opinion of George W., while the crunching, electric-guitar-heavy feel of the album underscores Young's bitter aggression. The album draws on the artist's lineage to the socially conscious activism of the 1960s, yet it feels energized, angry, contemporary, and timely, further highlighting Young's status as one of rock's longest-running and most integrity-driven heroes. minimize