Mirror Ball - Young, Neil (CD 1995)

As 1995 began, arguably the biggest rock band in the world was splintering apart. Fame had taken its toll on the reclusive frontman, the lead guitarist was drinking and drugging, the two founding friends and longtime bandmates felt helpless and unhappy, and the band's most popular member amongst die hard fans, the drummer, had been fired and replaced by the original drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was not looking good for Pearl Jam. And then Neil Young came along, and along with Jack Irons (the former RHCP skinsman), the two of them "saved the life of (the) band," if Ed Vedder is to.

Neil Young s claim to the title Godfather of Grunge always seemed to waver. Sure, the type of music that would later come to be known as grunge rock invaded Neil s music from time to time, but usually they were within records that were released sandwiched between a couple of folk-rock, acoustic excursions. The obvious change came within the later years of Neil s career. 1989 s Freedom saw a mix of heavy and mellow tunes, the most notable example of the former being the ultra-heavy rock anthem Rockin In The Free World. Ragged Glory, the next year, was a total turnaround, delving into the...

"Mirror Ball" finds Pearl Jam filling the role usually occupied by Crazy Horse as Neil Young's backing band. The two came together to record the album over the course of four days in 1995. The result was a great album showcasing the talents of artists whose careers had begun years apart. This was an excellent tribute to the longevity of Neil Young. Many of his contemporaries from the 60's and 70's are either out of music or doing a reunion tour based on their one or two hits from 20 years ago. This album finds Neil still making relevant music with the very musicians who have credited him as..

I bought this album the instant it came out - without knowing that Pearl Jam comprised the band. It ranks with Freedom as Neil's greatest album. Not to degrade Crazy Horse in any way, but the music on this one is the best of any Young album. Gossard, Ament and company perfectly complement Neil's style of singing. Some of these songs are loonnnnggg, and that is great, because when good licks and good lyrics come together, the songs are often too short. The album opens with "Hey ho away we go on the road to never, where life' a joy for girls and boys and only will get better." The album only...