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Chrome Dreams II: +DVD | 
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| Artist: Neil Young
Label: Warner
Category: Music
List Price: £11.99
Buy New: £4.90
You Save: £7.09 (59%)
New (49) Used (9) from £4.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 3500
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 5.1 x 0.5
MPN: 348220
UPC: 093624990642
EAN: 0093624990642
ASIN: B000VQQO3K
Release Date: October 22, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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| Tracks:
| » | Beautiful Bluebird | | » | Boxcar | | » | Ordinary People | | » | Shining Light | | » | The Believer | | » | Spirit Road | | » | Dirty Old Man | | » | Even After | | » | No Hidden Path | | » | The WayDVDContent Includes High Resolution Audio with Moving Video Image. |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
The sequel to a late seventies album that never actually appeared (supposedly after Young played it to Carole King, who described it as "demos"), Chrome Dreams II is the latest entry in the late flowering of the increasingly mortal looking Young, very nearly seen off by illness in 2005. The following year's blunt Living with War, fuelled by disgust at American foreign policy, eschewed platitudes and vague sentiments in favour of attacking specifics, and Chrome Dreams II, though less single-minded, also takes sides. Musically it is terrific too, ranging from the offhanded country-rock prettiness of eighties outtake "Beautiful Bluebird" and the elegant, faintly churchy closer "The Way" to the all out aggression of the wonderfully sleazy rocker "Dirty Old Man" ("I like to get hammered on Friday night, sometimes I can't wait, so Monday's alright"). The oft-bootlegged "Ordinary People", originally deemed too long for 1988's This Note's for You, finally gets an official release, an eighteen minute horn powered epic defending the victims of Reaganomics which still carries a contemporary resonance. But it's not the only marathon number here. The grungy, hook-laden "Spirit Road" and "No Hidden Path" are just as fine, perfect examples of the turgid but irresistible riffing Young has been purveying for some forty years. With his romantic side emerging on "Shining Light" and the soulful "The Believer" it makes for a perfectly balanced set, and one which genuinely bears comparison with anything in his long back catalogue. --Steve Jelbert
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Good music but less than miserable DVD December 28, 2007
As a life long fan of Neil Young imagine the anticipation of a DVD! The music on Chrome Dreams seemed fine enough and then I sat back to watch the DVD expecting some footage of Neil and the band.
What did I get? Well, not the 'moving video image' as stated on the can. There was just music with close-ups of a rusting car and nothing else.
So sorry Neil but the DVD is less than miserable. I bought Steve Earle's 'Washington Serenade' at the same time. Again fine music BUT with a great DVD with Steve showing some passion for music.
Next time maybe try to give your fans a treat with a genuine DVD and don't be afraid to show some love and passion for your music in front of the camera. Come on and give it a go!
Yes - it is the best for a long time!!!! December 28, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Some years ago Neil Young meant everything to me. I loved the classics (no need to mention their names here.) I also found great value in a lot of his more lowly rated and ignored music also. Time goes on and Neil has become more and more of a challenge! The last Neil release of new material that really did the job for me was 'Broken Arrow' with Crazy Horse. That was 1996!!! Nearly twelve years ago!!! 'Silver & Gold' is a reasonable, reflective little album but there are some shoddy releases, 'Road Rock,' 'Are you Passionate,' 'Prairie Wind' and the utterly pathetic 'Living with War.' I got off to a bad start with 'Greendale' after sitting through Neil play it in its entirety at Manchester Appollo to an increasingly restless audience. Try as I might I cannot look back on that night as great and memorable. My old hero visited my home town.............what a waste!
Now, 'Chrome Dreams II.' I think we should forget all about 'Chrome Dreams I.' I do not believe there is any connection whatsoever between these two. I believe Neil is just being a little obscure and deliberately enigmatic. If I have to compare this to another Neil album I will choose 'Sleeps With Angels.' Both of these albums are BIG, they are LONG, they are of MIXED STYLE, they contain an enjoyable rocking throwaway in 'Dirty old Man / Piece of Crap,' they contain a lot of JAMMING. They were both conceived in MIDDLE AGE. Let's not make comparisons with 'Everybody Knows this is Nowhere.' Neil was a young lad when he made that and a number of other truly WONDERFUL recordings. How different are you now to what you were twenty or thirty years ago? Or more?
In all honesty I am writing this review a little too early. 'Sleeps With Angels' took many plays for me to appreciate just how much of a gem it really is. I didn't rush out to buy 'Chrome Dreams II' on the day of release. After Neil's recent form I almost didn't buy it at all!
I will say now that this is a chunky, proper rock record and I am getting the odd little adrenalin rush as I listen to parts of it. I don't know for how long these feelings will last but at the moment I have to say that I think this album is pretty good.
 Release Chrome Dreams 1 - Now! December 22, 2007
So if the stories are to be believed Neil Young dumped number one because Carole King thought it sounded like demo's, do we care? no! So this is a heart felt plea to Mr Young to release it now, if it is anything like number two it will be close to perfect. However, I am having a problem believing he would make such a major decision based on her opinion, not like him at all.
Still this is the Neil Young album I have been waiting for, having been a loyal fan since Buffalo Springfield I have seen him him through tremndous high's, Goldrush, Rust Never Sleeps and the 100% perfect 'On the Beach'that I waited an eternity for on CD to the dreadful lows of Old Ways and Are You Passionate to name but two but not to mention the ranting of the anti war effort which had some high points. This is up there with Goldrush, Sleep and Beach, well almost Beach, so don't mess around buy it now, you wont be disapointed!
So now all we have to do is wait for Mr Y to get the message and let us have a listen to number one.
Are you listening Neil?
CDII December 18, 2007
I still don't really know where I'm going with my opinion as far as Chrome Dreams II goes- I mean, I like it... but it hasn't grabbed me with the same urgency that Living With War did, nor with the same emotional relevance that Prairie Wind did. It's almost like a... Greendale...
But yeh, I'm well aware that several of these songs are old Neil Young songs, and that it's not really supposed to have been conceived as an album... and yes, some of these songs do sound like they belonged elsewhere er... examples, examples... "The Believer" could have been on Are You Passionate?, "Dirty Old Man" is a new "Piece of Crap", except it's good (the highlight for me) and "Piece of Crap" was just what it said on the tin.
Yeh, "Dirty Old Man" a stomping garage rock song. Nothing new, but it's certainly more "Barstool Blues" and "Sedan Delivery" in quality than "Piece of Crap". I like it; I think it's good!
Elsewhere there's nothing really that I don't like, but equally there's nothing that I would put on a Best of Neil Young compilation (just yet). I've read a lot about "Ordinary People" the 18 minute workout, but I'm not enamoured with it like a lot of people are, and like I am with "Cowgirl in the Sand" or "Like A Hurricane" or even "Love to Burn". I just don't think it was a good idea to play that song for 18 minutes. The horns are good, and Neil amazes me with his ability to keep pulling these excellent solos out of nowhere - honestly, 40 years of that guitar style, and he can still improvise something different every time. Don't get me wrong; it's not a song that drags, I just hoped it would be one that I'd be digging heartily.
The other 10+ minuter on the album, "No Hidden Path" is probably a little better, but still misses out on classic Young status.
There is one other highlight for me, and that is the last track "The Way", with it's wistful tune and school choir vocals. It sounds to me like what you would get if you asked The Flaming Lips to provide a soundtrack to The Wizard of Oz (someone should do that), but without the bells, whistles, bleeps and whooshes that would necessarily adorn such an undertaking.
In summation, I guess it's a fairly solid album. Certainly nothing to be ashamed of, it's just that I enjoyed his last two albums a lot more. I think Chrome Dreams II is just too long, whereas Living With War and Prairie Wind were direct and concise.
I am sorry to give it only 3 stars but this is how much it's worth December 6, 2007
I am a huge fan of Neil, I listened to him through my teens, my 20s and 30s, however after a few bad experiences ("sleeps with Angels", "old ways","silver & gold")I avoided to buy those albums of Neil's that even the music critics mentioned as weak, like "Are you Passionate" or the latest "Living with War". I bought this as some mentioned it as "the best since Freedom". I am afraid this is not the case, this is an album that has a couple of good tracks, the best being Ordinary People but also Beautiful Bluebird and No Hidden Path are not bad. Overall the album is not bad but,like others observed, it is very inconsistent and most of the tracks are just bland. Unfortunately no "Rocking in the free world" here or "Crime in the city", just bland tracks that the NY of the old times would have written in his sleep. Unfortunately talent comes and goes, and it's not because he wrote some of the best rock songs ever that he can keep on writing good stuff. Even the solos on Ordinary People pale in comparison with Cowgirl in the Sand or Cortez the killer, and like another reviewer said, those horns on OP are absolutely out of place. I'd be curious to see how it comes out when played live without horns.
Unfortunately Neil is not always capable of distinguishing his good and his bad stuff, so he often puts out mediocre recordings with one or two gems, like here.
Let's hope the next effort will be with Crazy Horse, those records are usually much better and when he rocks sometimes he can write very good stuff.
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