Earth (Neil Young and Promise of the Real album)

Last updated
Earth
Neil Young & Promise of the Real - Earth (album cover).jpg
Live album by
Neil Young & Promise of the Real
ReleasedJune 17, 2016 (2016-06-17)
RecordedJuly 5 – October 17, 2015
VenueVarious
Genre Rock
Length97:26
Label Reprise
Producer
Neil Young chronology
Bluenote Café
(2015)		Earth
(2016)		 Peace Trail
(2016)
Promise of the Real chronology
Something Real
(2016)		Earth
(2016)		 Noise & Flowers
(2022)

Earth is a live album by Neil Young and Promise of the Real, released on June 17, 2016 on Reprise Records. Recorded during the band's Rebel Content Tour in 2015, the album was produced by Young and John Hanlon and features live performances augmented by studio overdubs and additional nature and animal sounds.

Contents

Background

Young described the album as "a collection of 13 songs from throughout my life, songs I have written about living here on our planet together." [1] The album's mix also includes nature and animal sounds, including turkeys, insects, crows, and thunder. [2] Young said that he was inspired by animals because "they don't have this uptight vibe. They don't have all the hatred and everything." [3]

Young appeared on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron to promote the album. During the interview, he described Earth as "an ear movie" and said that he wanted to break the rules of live recordings. He discussed a scene in the 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula where the camera shows the perspective of a flying bat, and said this was an inspiration for the album. He revealed that the French horn part in the Earth version of "After the Gold Rush" was lifted from the master tapes of the original 1970 recording of the song, which he intended to have a disorienting effect. He also revealed that the backup singers on Earth are professional vocalists who primarily record commercial jingles, which he intended as an "edgy" choice. He directed the singers to sing optimistically about Exxon and Monsanto, and "make it sound like a beautiful day." [4]

Prior to a scheduled phone interview with Newsweek , Young's publicist instructed writer Zach Schonfeld to listen to the album in the Pono format. Young hung up on Schonfeld three minutes into the call because he did not believe Schonfeld had listened to the entire record. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 66/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Entertainment Weekly B− [8]
Pitchfork Media 6.5/10 [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Exclaim! 6/10 [11]

Earth has a score of 66 out of 100 on the review aggregator website Metacritic, based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [6] In his positive review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called Earth "one of Young's genuinely inspired nutso albums" and wrote that "animal sounds infect Earth, sometimes swallowing the guitars, sometimes chirping along in rhythm, an effect that is precisely the opposite of natural." [7] Writing for Rolling Stone , David Fricke compared the "urgent" performances to "1991's live Weld cut at Farm Aid with the last-stand fervor of Freedom ." [10] Pitchfork Media's Sam Sodomsky wrote that "Simply put, the album would probably be better without [the animal sounds]," but stated that Earth overall "is surprisingly balanced and well-considered," thanks to "the thematic consistency of Young's songwriting" and the "loose, steady groove" of Promise of the Real. [9] Exclaim!'s Stuart Henderson called the album "another daft musical statement", criticizing its "barn-based rock'n'roll". [11]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Neil Young.

Disc 1
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)" Ragged Glory 5:40
2."Seed Justice"-3:58
3."My Country Home"Ragged Glory6:02
4."The Monsanto Years" The Monsanto Years 8:20
5."Western Hero" Sleeps With Angels 4:03
6."Vampire Blues" On the Beach 5:55
7."Hippie Dream" Landing on Water 5:54
8."After the Gold Rush" After the Gold Rush 4:09
9."Human Highway" Comes a Time 4:11
Disc 2
No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Big Box"The Monsanto Years9:20
2."People Want to Hear About Love"The Monsanto Years5:20
3."Wolf Moon"The Monsanto Years6:30
4."Love and Only Love"Ragged Glory28:04

Personnel

Neil Young + Promise of the Real

Additional musicians

Additional roles

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [12] 37
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [13] 9
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [14] 18
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [15] 38
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [16] 30
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [17] 32
French Albums (SNEP) [18] 29
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 10
Greek Albums (IFPI) [20] 54
Irish Albums (IRMA) [21] 27
Italian Albums (FIMI) [22] 33
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) [23] 2
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [24] 30
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [25] 49
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [26] 40
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [27] 14
UK Albums (OCC) [28] 14
US Billboard 200 [29] 138
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [30] 12
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [31] 6
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [32] 22
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [33] 6

Related Research Articles

<i>Unplugged</i> (Neil Young album) 1993 live album by Neil Young

Unplugged is a live album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on June 15, 1993, on Reprise. Recorded on February 7, 1993, the album is an installment of the MTV series, Unplugged. The performance was also released on VHS.

<i>Are You Passionate?</i> 2002 studio album by Neil Young and Booker T. & the M.G.s

Are You Passionate? is the 26th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, his only album to feature Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and his 9th with Crazy Horse, released on April 9, 2002 as a double LP and as a single CD. The album represents Young's foray into soul music, one of many explorations into different genres during his career. Exceptions are rocker "Goin' Home", recorded with Crazy Horse, and the brooding "Let's Roll", a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The album ends with "She's a Healer", an extended jam.

<i>Life</i> (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album) 1987 studio album with live recordings by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Life is the 17th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young and his American backing band Crazy Horse, and it is Young's last release on the Geffen label. As with their 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps, most of the songs were recorded live with later studio overdubs. The album was released on June 30, 1987.

<i>Live from Earth</i> 1983 live album by Pat Benatar

Live from Earth is the first live album by American rock singer Pat Benatar, and was released in October 1983. The album was recorded during Benatar's sold out 'Get Nervous' world tour in late 1982 and early 1983. It also contains two studio tracks, "Love Is a Battlefield" and "Lipstick Lies", which were produced by Neil Giraldo and Peter Coleman. The album peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and shipped more than a million copies. "Love Is a Battlefield" was an international hit single and garnered Benatar her fourth consecutive Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1984.

<i>Chrome Dreams II</i> 2007 studio album by Neil Young

Chrome Dreams II is the 30th studio album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young. The album was released on October 23, 2007 as a double LP and as a single CD. The album name references Chrome Dreams, a legendary Neil Young album from 1977 that had originally been scheduled for release but was shelved in favor of American Stars 'N Bars.

<i>On the Way to the Sky</i> 1981 studio album by Neil Diamond

On the Way to the Sky is the fourteenth studio album by Neil Diamond, released in 1981. It contains the hit "Yesterday's Songs", which reached number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, title track which peaked at number 27 in the US and a third single, "Be Mine Tonight", which also reached the Top 40, peaking at number 35.

<i>Home Before Dark</i> 2008 studio album by Neil Diamond

Home Before Dark is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Released on May 5, 2008, it was the artist's second album for American Recordings.

<i>The Promise</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 2010 compilation album by Bruce Springsteen

The Promise is a compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released November 16, 2010, on Columbia Records. The album is a collection of previously unreleased songs which were recorded during the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions in 1977–1978, with some vocals and additional instrumentation overdubs recorded in 2010. It was released in 2CD and 3LP formats. The album is also available as part of the box set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. The two-CD version of the release entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7. It had been in production for many years and was originally scheduled to be released for the 30th anniversary in 2008. The Promise debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, while the box set, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, debuted at number 27.

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, sometimes referred to as POTR, is an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles in 2008 by Lukas Nelson. The band consists of Lukas Nelson , Anthony LoGerfo, Corey McCormick, Logan Metz, and Tato Melgar (percussion). They have released eight studio albums. two live albums, numerous singles and extended plays (EP).

<i>Stockholm</i> (Chrissie Hynde album) 2014 studio album by Chrissie Hynde

Stockholm is the debut solo album by American singer Chrissie Hynde, lead singer of the Pretenders. It was released on June 10, 2014. It features several guests such as Canadian musician Neil Young and former tennis player John McEnroe.

<i>The Monsanto Years</i> 2015 studio album by Neil Young and Promise of the Real

The Monsanto Years is the 37th studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young and the American rock group Promise of the Real, released on June 29, 2015 on Reprise Records. A concept album which criticizes the agribusiness company Monsanto, it is Young's thirty-fifth studio album and the third by Promise of the Real. The album is the first collaboration between Young and Promise of the Real. The group is fronted by Lukas Nelson and features his brother Micah, both sons of Willie Nelson.

<i>Chapter and Verse</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 2016 compilation album by Bruce Springsteen

Chapter and Verse is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen that was released on September 23, 2016. The album is a companion piece to Springsteen's 500-plus-page autobiography, Born to Run, which was released four days later. The career-spanning album features eighteen songs handpicked by Springsteen, five of which were previously unreleased. The album contains Springsteen's earliest recording from 1966 and late '60s/early '70s songs from his tenure in the Castiles, Steel Mill, and the Bruce Springsteen Band, along with his first 1972 demos for Columbia Records and songs from his studio albums from 1973 until 2012.

<i>Peace Trail</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Neil Young

Peace Trail is the 38th studio album by Canadian / American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on December 9, 2016, on Reprise Records. Co-produced by Young and John Hanlon, the album was recorded at record producer Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studios.

<i>Hitchhiker</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Neil Young

Hitchhiker is the 39th studio album by Canadian / American singer-songwriter Neil Young, issued September 8, 2017, on Reprise Records. It is the ninth release in Young's ongoing archival release series and the first of the Special Release series.

<i>The Visitor</i> (Neil Young and Promise of the Real album) 2017 studio album by Neil Young and Promise of the Real

The Visitor is the 40th studio album by Canadian / American singer-songwriter Neil Young and his second studio album with American rock group Promise of the Real. The album was released on December 1, 2017, on Reprise Records. The album was preceded by the singles "Children of Destiny", which was released on July 4, 2017, and "Already Great", which was released on November 3, 2017 and is in response to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan of Make America Great Again.

<i>Paradox</i> (soundtrack) 2018 soundtrack album by Neil Young and Promise of the Real

Paradox is a soundtrack album by Neil Young and Promise of the Real released on March 23, 2018 on Shakey Pictures Inc. The album serves as the soundtrack to Daryl Hannah's 2018 film, Paradox, in which Young also stars. It is the third studio album recorded by Young and Promise of the Real.

<i>Roxy: Tonights the Night Live</i> 2018 live album by Neil Young

Roxy: Tonight's the Night Live is a live album by Canadian-American musician Neil Young. The album is culled from live recordings made at the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, shows that celebrated the club's opening as part of Neil Young Tonight's the Night Tour 1973. Neil Young and the backing band he called the Santa Monica Flyers played two sets a night on September 20, 21, and 22, 1973, shortly after the band had finished recording Tonight's the Night. Because of that, almost the entire concert is made up of that album.

<i>Colorado</i> (Neil Young album) 2019 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Colorado is the 41st studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on October 25, 2019, by Reprise Records. The album was preceded by the singles "Milky Way" and "Rainbow of Colors" and is dedicated to Elliot Roberts, Young's manager since 1967, who died aged 76 on June 21, 2019. It was also the first album to feature Nils Lofgren as a member of Crazy Horse since 1971.

<i>Noise & Flowers</i> 2022 live album by Neil Young and Promise of the Real

Noise & Flowers is a live album by Neil Young and Promise of the Real. It was released through Reprise Records on August 5, 2022, and recorded during the band's 2019 European tour.

<i>Early Daze</i> 2024 studio album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Early Daze is the 47th studio album by Neil Young, featuring his backing band Crazy Horse. Young has referenced it on multiple occasions, including 12 years earlier, in his biography Waging Heavy Peace. After being postponed and teased several times, Neil Young announced in May that he would be releasing the album on June 28, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "Neil Young + Promise Of The Real". Neil Young. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  2. ↑ "Neil Young and Promise of the Real's New Album: Earth". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  3. ↑ "5 Things We Learned at Neil Young's 'Earth' Album Preview". Rolling Stone. 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  4. ↑ "Episode 717 - Neil Young" . Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  5. ↑ Schonfeld, Zach (2016-07-01). "Neil Young hung up on me". Newsweek. Newsweek. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  6. 1 2 "Reviews for Earth by Neil Young". Metacritic . Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  7. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (23 June 2016). "Earth - Neil Young, Promise of the Real - Allmusic Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  8. ↑ Farber, Jim (20 June 2016). "Neil Young + Promise of the Real's Earth: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  9. 1 2 Sodomsky, Sam (17 June 2016). "Neil Young: EARTH". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  10. 1 2 Fricke, David (16 June 2016). "Earth". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  11. 1 2 Henderson, Stuart (June 29, 2016). "Neil Young and the Promise of the Real - Earth". Exclaim! . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Neil Young + Promise of the Real: Earth" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Greekcharts.com – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  21. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 26, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Neil Young %2B Promise Of The Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  23. ↑ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Neil Young %2B Promise Of The Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Neil Young + Promise of the Real – Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Neil Young Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Neil Young Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Neil Young Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Neil Young Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Neil Young Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.