Sleeps With Angels

Neil Young

Reprise

 

You gotta love Neil Young. A great songwriter and musical chameleon, he's always pulling diverse musical styles out of his never ending bag of tricks. (Even after releasing 35 albums in the last 27 years.) Be it the folky warmth of Harvest and Harvest Moon, the chaotic feedback of, Weld /Arc, or the computerized vocals of, Trans, you must admit he refuses to ride the white line that runs down the middle of the road, instead he prefers the ditch. I'm sure it's one of the reasons he isn't ready for the geriatric ward like his cronies C, S & N. In many ways, we should all be thankful for that.

 

Sleeps With Angels opens with, "My Heart," a little ditty which may be construed as a love song (of sorts), that features Neil on vocals and tack piano. "When dreams come crashing down like trees/I don't know what love can do/When life is hanging in the breeze/I don't know what love can do." A hopeful shaft of light to help you navigate some of the darker passages to be found here. Next, "Prime Of Life," asks "Are you feeling all right/ Not feeling too bad myself/ Are you feeling all right, my friend?". When paired with, "Sleeps With Angels," (rumored to be inspired by the late Kurt Cobain's suicide) it makes for a chilling 8:50. "She wasn't perfect/ She had some trips of her own/ He wasn't worried/ At least he wasn't alone (Too late)/ He sleeps with angels (Too soon)/He's always on someone's mind/ He sleeps with angles(Too late)/ He sleeps with angles(Too soon)." Listen a few times and decide for yourself. (If you're still not convinced, check this out. According to Britain's NME, Neil has decided to no longer perform "Hey, Hey, My, My, (Into The Black)" after learning that Cobain quoted from it in his suicide note.) "Driveby," mourns the loss of the innocent killed in a driveby shooting. "Now she's gone like a shooting star/ Trail of dreams/ Tragic trail of fire/ Now she's gone like a shooting star/ Driveby, driveby, driveby, driveby." A stark performance with an immediate, poignant reality that hits harder than the fleeting electronic images flickering on the tube during the evening news.

 

"Western Hero," is an observation of the often romanticized proliferation of guns and war woven throughout the history of this country. Except now we're paying other countries to become Democratic societies, instead of bombing the hell out of 'em. "Change Your Mind," reminds us of the importance of true love. (The "magic touch.") In essence, time is short, don't waste it. Find that one bona fide love with another person and hang on as if your life depended on it, 'cause it does.(The only things in life you regret are the risks you don't take.) At 14:40 it's the longest cut on the album providing room for Neil and the boys to stretch out and jam while he torments raw, caustic solos from his guitar. (I've heard the edited version played on a couple radio stations. Call and request the full length version. If nothing else, the DJ will have a chance to have a sandwich or use the bathroom and you'll get to hear the whole song.) "Blue Eden," a bluesy guitar romp written by Neil and Crazy Horse, sounds like a live studio jam session. (I've always said he should do a down and dirty blues album. Hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg.)

 

Things quiet down a bit with, "Safeway Cart," another technicolor comment on our failing society. "Like a Safeway cart rolling down the street/Past the Handy mart to the Savior's feet/Going, going, gone and the picture cries./Baby looks so sad/Baby looks so bad/ It's a ghetto down." A faint glimmer in the darkness, "Train Of Love," offers hope to all who attempt to love their partner or their fellow man. "Train of love/Racing from heart to heart/Running late/Still in the lonely part./This train will never run me down/But only take me where I'm bound/It's part of me and part of you/I'll always be a part of you." I have yet to fathom what, "Trans Am," is s'posed to mean, so I'll leave it to you to figure out. (When you do, let me know.) On a seemingly lighter note there's, "Piece Of Crap," for those of us who have been ordering everything that pops up on the screen while watching too much late night T.V. (Jeez don't the words ring true on this one.) "Saw it on the tube/Bought it on the phone/Now you're home alone/It's a piece of crap./ Piece of crap!" Of course that could also apply to many of the goods and services available nowadays. (It's a brave new world folks.)

 

The album closes with "A Dream That Can Last." Neil plays tack piano and sings words that again seem full of hope. "I feel like I died and went to heaven/The cupboards are bear but the streets are paved with gold." I guess you'd have to look at this and the opening cut as loving bookends for the turmoil found in between. It shouldn't take a genius to figure out that this album is both as dark as Tonight's The Night and as socially conscious as Freedom. Chalk up another one for "Father Neil" and while you're at it, don't spare the volume. (SC)

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