Here’s the recent single from the legendary Neil Young and his new band The Chrome Hearts. “Big Change” equals big heart and big sound in this anthem for driving the changes we need in our world right now. With pounding, crashing percussion from Anthony Logerfo and forceful, muscular guitar from Micah Nelson, this is a song designed to grab your attention. Equally engaging as the music are the song’s lyrics, which reflect Young’s frustration: “Might be a politician // Trying to say something new // Might be your decision // Now you’ve got to see it through // Looks like a collision // Ain’t the worst that you could do // Might be bad, might be good // Big change is coming to you…Gotta do what you gotta do// Head to the hills or go to town.” So, what are we going to do? Do nothing but stand by and watch as the world changes or be part of making it happen? There’s plenty of power in Young’s vocal performance and, when the voices of the band join in, they rise up together in stirring fashion.
John Hanlon, Young’s long time mixing engineer, says the song is, “…in your face loud irreverent rock ‘n roll paint splatter on the canvas in the vein of a Jackson Pollack painting.” What a wonderfully graphic, expressive description of the song’s brash, vibrant, uncompromising impact. A powerful video represents the song well, with the Stars and Stripes being waved all around the country through snow and woodland and across sun-kissed beaches, expanding across territories, perhaps.
For big Neil Young fans and collectors, “Archives Vol. III” deluxe box set is available now. It’s a mammoth set that includes 17 CDs, 198 tracks, 15 unreleased songs, 121 unreleased versions, a 160-page book, and 5 Blu-rays containing 11 films. That’ll keep you going for a while. But if you’ve got a little less time on your hands, then just take a look at the video for “Big Change”.
Dreadful Neil time to get back to the country,