Review: Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts New ‘As Time Explodes: Live Album’ Neil Takes His Latest Backing Band Out For A Spin

While I was out for summer vacation traveling with family and subsequently subsumed in Paul McCartney’s new album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, Neil Young released a live album recorded with his latest backing band The Chrome Hearts entitled As Time Explodes: Live Album. 

The material on this album, I believe, was captured on Neil and the Chrome Hearts tour last year in support of their first album together Talkin’ To The Trees. After that album came out, Neil – who is 80 now – surprised us all by announcing a tour, entitled the Love Earth Tour. I’m not sure how extensive the tour was but I know they played Glastonbury last year.

The Chrome Hearts features members of the band System of a Down and includes Micah Nelson (son of Willie, guitar), Corey McCormick (bass), and Anthony LeGerfo (drums). To round the band out, longtime Young collaborator Spooner Oldham plays organ & keyboards.

Neil has had so many backing bands it’s hard to keep track. There’s the Stray Gators (which featured Spooner), the Blue Notes and of course Crazy Horse. In fact, Neil had been collaborating with Crazy Horse of late and released three great LPs: Colorado (2019), Barn (2021), and World Record (2022).

But with guitarist/keyboardist Nils Lofgren touring the world with Springsteen, and Ralph Molina (drums) and Billy Talbot (bass) doing “god knows what,” Neil pulled together the Chrome Hearts. While Crazy Horse will always be my favorite of Neil’s collaborators (well, short of CSNY), the Chrome Hearts seem to have a good chemistry with Neil.

While Neil has released a lot of live albums over the years, it’s always nice to get a new live LP and get a chance to hear anew Neil ripping into epic guitar solos. And this is his first live LP with the Chrome Hearts. Although I think he did a live LP with Systems Of A Down in ’22. While Neil’s a little creaky in places, he sounds damn good here. The secret weapon in the band is Spooner Oldham whose organ helps elevate every track it’s on.

This show starts off as many Neil concerts do, with an acoustic set. In the old days Neil would open with just him on stage, surrounded by a semi-circle of acoustic guitars and maybe a piano off to the side. On this one it sounds like the Chrome Hearts are out there with him providing gentle backup.

While the acoustic piece of the show is only 3 songs here, I’m delighted with the song selection. And I could really say that about this whole album. The song selection is rich with a bunch of, for lack of a better word, obscurities.

We open with “Daddy Went Walkin'” from 2000’s Silver & Gold, an acoustic gem of a record. I’ve always thought of that as a pretty obscure track. It’s a nice country, acoustic jaunt. Then Neil surprises me even more with “Looking Forward” which was a song he contributed to CSNY’s album of the same name from 1999. It was a track originally slated for Silver & Gold, but when Neil joined the project he contributed the song.

I liked Looking Forward, and it’s great to hear the title track here, but I’ve always considered those to be “lost Neil Young” songs. They might have been served better if left on Silver & Gold. I would have loved to have heard “Slowpoke” from that CSNY record, but “Looking Forward” perhaps fits Neil’s message better here. The band does nice backing vocals.

“Harvest Moon” is a crowd favorite and a personal one as well. It’s a great acoustic strummer of a track. It concludes the acoustic portion of the show and then we’re off to the races. “Ohio,” (originally by CSNY) perhaps the greatest protest track ever staggers just a bit out of the gate but soon finds its footing. It’s a signal we’re in for some great guitar exchanges from Young and Nelson.

The next five songs are all semi-obscurities and this crazy set list really makes this live album jump out to me. “Name Of Love” another CSNY track, this time from American Dream (one of the albums only I like) was a complete surprise. It’s a beautiful song and a plea for peace.

“Be The Rain” is a raucous thing from Greendale, the tour which was the first and probably the only Neil Young show I’ll ever get the Rock Chick to go see. I’m not crazy about this track but they give it their all. After those two tracks, it’s clear politics, which are never far from Neil’s mind, are top of mind here.

The band then launches into Neil’s latest protest song, “Big Crime” which pointedly aims at the corrupt regime we find ourselves under right now. “No more great again, got big crime in DC at the White House.” Indeed.

“Long Walk Home” is a beautiful piano-driven ballad from 1987’s Life. Originally written about Vietnam, Neil rewrote some of the lyrics to fit the latest Middle East conflict we found ourselves in during the late 80s. Here he even mentions Ukraine. Sadly, this anti war song is evergreen. This is a gorgeous rendition.

Next up is a track from the Ditch Trilogy, “Vampire Blues” which compares oil companies to well, the living dead who feast on human’s blood. “I’m a vampire, babe, I’ll sell you 20 barrels worth.” It’s such a great track.

The album is rounded out with two guitar epics, “Cortez The Killer” and “Like A Hurricane.” I feel like every generation should get to go out and see Neil blaze on these guitar solos… it’s like a religious ceremony. Sandwiched between those two is the great piano track “After The Gold Rush.” Oddly I didn’t hear the crowd cheer on the line “And I felt like getting high…” Well, it is legal now.

The last track, after a funny set up from Neil, is “Silver Eagle” a track about, well, a bus. It’s the only track from Talkin’ To The Trees, which is a shame because I’d like to have heard the title track or “Let’s Roll Again.” But I’m splitting hairs here.

This live album isn’t going to change your life or make you an instant Neil Young fan, but it’s a damn solid live album that we don’t usually get these days. Neil has a good chemistry with the Chrome Hearts and I hear they’ve got a new album on the way. I for one will be ready to crank that one up, just like I’ve been doing with this one. It’s certainly worth a listen!

Cheers!