When an old man decides to take a look back at his own life, it’s probably a good idea to listen—especially if that old man is rock and roll legend Neil Young.
Young is not an artist who suffers much from writer’s block. With a prolific career spanning more than four decades, Young has managed to think up enough decent material to fill 34 studio albums and, as of recently, a 500-page autobiography. It’s this memoir (Waging Heavy Peace) that serves as the pivotal inspiration behind Young’s latest release Psychedelic Pill.
With not one but two rock and roll Hall of Fame inductions and multiple Grammys to his name, Young is unquestionably one of the genre’s greatest songwriters. With such an illustrious career, it’s no wonder he has so much to talk about. Since 500 pages just wasn’t enough of a platform for Young, this two-disc studio album gives him the musical outlet to muse on everything from politics to poetry to lost love. As one might suspect from a seasoned musician of 40-plus years, it’s all fascinating stuff. In fact, Young provides more humbling and honest insight than most rock star autobiographical albums combined.
Psychedelic Pill is vintage Young. Grungy guitar solos and extended jams are sprinkled throughout the album. Given some of the tracks’ extensive lengths, Young just might have jammed a little too much. The nine tracks range from a meager two minutes to a marathon of half an hour. It’s a ballsy move, but it pays off.
The album opens with the towering 27 minute opus “Driftin’ Back,” which to some might seem like a self-indulgence on Young’s part. On the other hand, given the artist’s famed acerbity, I’m sure he couldn’t care less. Besides, one listener’s self-indulgence is another listener’s genius. The song itself is a statement on the turmoil of the 1960s. It’s an angry song pointing to the nation’s failure in Vietnam and a society crippled by constant disagreement. It is the kind of song that demands epic length and gets it without question. 
Tracks “Ramada Inn” and “Walk Like a Giant” feature the same unhurried, expansive style. The first is a narrative on a long-term relationship tested by alcoholism. “Walk like a Giant” takes a lighter approach with a whistled refrain and several whimsical guitar solos.
The song “Psychedelic Pill” is pretty flimsy stuff in comparison to the rest of the album. Here, Young finds a decent riff and lets a fragment of a tune cling onto it for dear life. According to Rolling Stone magazine, he even introduced it during an August show in Red Rocks, Colo. by admitting, “It’s a new song but it sounds exactly like an old song. I don’t even know what it is.” Young’s wafer-thin passion makes this track one to bypass.
At the center of Psychedelic Pill is a cranky and boisterous little country number entitled “Born in Ontario,” which compresses the ample themes of this engaging album into one perfectly stated track. It effortlessly encompasses roots, philosophy, family, life on the road, the pursuit of freedom and the consolations of writing. It really is Young in a nutshell.
To some, Psychedelic Pill will seem like a monumental work of self-indulgence. To others, though, its thematically expansiveness and eccentricity make it one of the purest expressions of Young’s genius to date. At its core, Psychedelic Pill is an album inspired by the writing of a book, an album that is at its most profound when the words are engulfed by the greatly irresistible weight of music.
Critic’s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Eric Duffert can be reached at eduffert@aol.com