Neil, Friends, Relatives, Red Rocks, Road Rock, WTF?

The last official live album I have left to review is ROAD ROCK (2000), aka ROAD ROCK V. 1. This could very easily be confused with the DVD release RED ROCKS LIVE (2000), which has the same cover photo. Good thing they make the cases in different shapes, and put them in different sections of the Best Buy that I've been known to stumble through drunkenly.

Actually, the DVD is better in my opinion, for two obvious reasons: it has video, and it has more songs. Plus, people claim DVD sound is better than CD sound (my ears must be shot - they both sound good to me, but I was happy with vinyl LPs!).

Here's the CD line-up:

Cowgirl In The Sand (18:00) - San Diego, CA
Walk On (4:30) - Vancouver, BC
Fool For Your Love (3:06) - Santa Barbara, CA
Peace Of Mind (5:00) - Vancouver, BC
Words (11:00) - Vancouver, BC
Motorcycle Mama (5:30) - San Diego, CA
Tonight’s The Night (10:00) - San Diego, CA
All Along The Watchtower (7:50) - Cleveland, OH

The biggest selling point for the CD over the DVD is the final song, which includes a great guest appearance by Chrissie Hynde. It's the only song that's not included on the DVD, and it's smokin' hot! By and large, though, I'm partial to the RED ROCKS versions of most of these cuts (maybe it's that clean, Colorado air). The prime example is "Cowgirl In The Sand", which appears in its natural encore position on the RED ROCKS LIVE DVD, and was recorded during what appears to be the outbreak of a vicious thunderstorm. Thus, it has been dubbed by some as "Cowgirl In The Rain". I don't know if it was the very real possibility of electrocution or what, but Neil's guitar sounds a bit more pleasingly wicked to me on the DVD version.

With either the DVD or the CD, you get the same outstanding backing band (Ben Keith, Spooner Oldham, Duck Dunn, Jim Keltner, Astrid Young and Pegi Young). Neil's sister and wife make a fairly formidable duo on backing vocals (this is no Yoko Ono shit here, or worse...Linda McCartney, not to disrespect the dearly departed).

By the way, I'm listening to the ROAD ROCK (CD) version of "Cowgirl" right now, and it sounds better than I remembered. I still prefer the DVD version, but I certainly wouldn't knock this version. (Or, as my friend's dad used to say to my friend and I, while we were watching Charlie's Angels as 9-year-olds, "I wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating crackers!" Man, do I need therapy or what?!)

"Fool For Your Love" was previously unreleased, and it's a pretty good-natured, laid-back tune. The DVD also includes "Bad Fog Of Loneliness", which is otherwise unreleased. The song line-up is a bit eclectic compared to other official live releases, with "Motorcycle Mama" and "Peace of Mind" from COMES A TIME as examples.

Other songs on the RED ROCKS LIVE DVD that aren't on the CD: "Powderfinger", "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere", "I Believe In You", "Unknown Legend", "Buffalo Springfield Again", "Razor Love", "Daddy Went Walkin'", "Winterlong", "Harvest Moon", "World On A String", "Mellow My Mind". I mean, my goodness, there are 19 songs on the DVD, compared to only 8 on the CD!!!

Bottom line: I'd probably recommend any of the live albums with Crazy Horse over ROAD ROCK, because I'm partial to Crazy Horse. However, if you're looking for a live Neil album with a more laid-back, mellow feel, ROAD ROCK might fit the bill. It still has plenty of rockin' guitar ("Cowgirl", "Words", and of course, "Watchtower"). I think I paid $10 for the CD (brand new), which is a bargain in my book. However, I paid $16 for the DVD (brand new), and that's a FREAKIN' DEAL!!!!