Young on ‘Peace Trail’ – Country rejects Beyonce song

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Neil Young, “Peace Trail” (Reprise Records)

Prolific rocker Neil Young is at his curmudgeonly best on “Peace Trail,” bemoaning his place in the current generation while standing up for his decades-long commitment to fighting for the underdog.

In that way, the largely acoustic “Peace Trail” is representative of late-career Young. It’s quirky, soulful, poignant and powerful — if not a little unpolished.

Young stands up for the Standing Rock Sioux and other protesters who have been fighting an oil pipeline in North Dakota on “Indian Givers.” He ends the 10-song album with “My New Robot,” a track that could have easily fit on his computerized 1982 release “Trans.”

On “My Pledge” Young sings, “I’m lost in this new generation, left me behind it seems.” And, in a great touch of irony, he sings it while using Auto-Tune.

Young has become quite a fan of Auto-Tune lately. He used it sparingly on his hybrid live album “Earth,” released just six months ago, and it comes up again on “Peace Trail,” his fourth studio album in less than three years.

On “Can’t Stop Workin’” Young sings that he likes to work even though “it’s bad for the body but it’s good for the soul.” Let’s hope Young, who turned 71 last month, has much more work to do in the years ahead.

Beyonce earned a whopping nine Grammy nominations Tuesday, including best rock performance, but the singer’s twangy song “Daddy Lessons” was rejected by the Recording Academy’s country music committee.

A person familiar with the Grammy nomination process told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Beyonce submitted “Daddy Lessons” — from her album “Lemonade” — to the country category. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed to speak publicly about the topic, said the country music committee rejected the song.

If Beyonce’s song had made it through, it would have been eligible for honors such as best country song and country solo performance.

Representatives for Beyonce and the Grammys didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment.

Lessons

“Daddy Lessons” highlights the Houston native’s Southern music roots, incorporating horns, acoustic guitar and hand claps as Beyonce sings about lessons she learned from her father and former manager. The lyrics include references to the Second Amendment, the Bible and shooting guns.

Beyonce performed the track at last month’s Country Music Association Awards alongside the Dixie Chicks, and later released a version of the song featuring the country trio.

Earlier in the year, the Chicks covered the song on their tour, and others in the country genre welcomed the tune, including Blake Shelton, who defended the song from critics who say it’s not country.

Country star Dierks Bentley told the AP, “There is just something intangible about it that it feels like a country song.”

Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town said, “(Beyonce) has some stories to tell — that’s clear on ‘Lemonade.’ And that’s what makes country music great.”

Also:

LONDON: Pixies frontman Black Francis has been called many things in his time — surrealist poet, alt-rock progenitor and singer in “one of America’s greatest bands ever,” that last one according to Bono of U2.

Sitting backstage at the O2 Academy in London’s Brixton before another sold-out gig, the singer tries on yet another label for size as he discusses what drives him 30 years into a career that many argue changed the face of music.

“What motivates (us)? … It’s not about being inspired by something or being motivated by something. If you decide to become … pardon the expression, a ‘troubadour’ then you become a troubadour, that’s who you are,” says the 51-year-old, also known as Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV. (Agencies)

“Its not even like ‘ Do you feel like doing it today?’ , It’s just like – that’s what I do.”

The Pixies began with four albums and an EP in the late 80s and early 90s. They broke up, then after a few more serious bumps in the road, came back and kept going.

That first seven-year burst cut through the gloop of 80s pop with raw screaming vocals, loud-quiet-loud dynamics and songs about lust, the bible and UFOs, among them “Debaser” and “Monkey”. Everyone from Nirvana to David Bowie queued up to pay homage. (Agencies)

By Scott Bauer

This news has been read 5070 times!