Home Before Dark

I know we have some Neil fans on the blargh, so I figured I'd post on his new one, Home Before Dark. Rick Rubin produces again and the band includes Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Smokey Hormel and other luminaries of Rubin's producing stable. I'm a big fan of 12 Songs, but this one isn't doing it for me so far for a couple of reasons.

First, for God's sake, who was editing? Most of the songs here are looooooooooong. I'm talking 5, 6, and even 8 minutes. Which is cool if you're Queen, but not so much for Neil. The lyrics are heartfelt, but sometimes rather trite. I know we're talking about the Diamond man here, but there's a line in the sand that shouldn't be crossed. Still, there are some good tunes and the accompaniment is again sparse and sympathetic. The weird melancholy that has run throughout the man's entire ouevre is present and accounted for, and I'd much rather hear Neil going in this direction than some of the shite he put out in the 80s and 90s. Sadly though, this is not going to put him in the Cash-classics latter day revival category that Rubin is probably hoping for. If you're a fan, check it out for yourself. Feels Typically Processed.