Neil Young

The widespread reverence for Neil Young gets mileage from his versatility, as he appeals to fans of pretty folk, solipsistic experiments and no-bullshit hard rock. Psychedelic Pill finds Young in the latter mode, enlisting his classic Crazy Horse line-up to grind out a record that, unfortunately, is an extremely tough slog. Despite some inspired moments, this album mostly consists of excessively extended jams (the 27-minute “Driftin’ Back”) and clunky throwaways (the nostalgia exercise, “Twisted Road”). Worse still are the awkward “psychedelic” production touches and uncharacteristically dull musicianship. Young gets cool points for consistently carving his own path, but Psychedelic Pill is not an album you need to own.