Chrome Dreams II (2007)

Chrome Dreams II (2007)

Referencing a famously aborted Neil Young album (and subsequent bootleg) was a clever move, but to consider the name-check anything more than an impish wink at his fanbase is to give Neil far too much credit for giving a rat’s ass what his fanbase thinks. Not the return to form its title suggests, Chrome Dreams II begins brilliantly, but ultimately fails to leave much of an impression; its second half, in particular, is full of barely-there songs that never seem to gel. Knowing Neil, this may be the point, as Chrome Dreams II plays like a fan-assembled bootleg, with little in the way of an overarching theme. Still, the Harvest Moon-worthy “Beautiful Bluebird” kicks things off beautifully; “No Hidden Path” is molten and mystical; and the long-but-glorious “Ordinary People” recalls some of Dylan’s eighties masterpieces. These three — which, taken together, are longer than several entire albums in Neil Young’s catalog — are alone worth the sticker price.