Neil Young goes green on hybrid ‘Earth’

Neil Young, “Earth” (Reprise Records)

Longtime environmentalist Neil Young takes a hybrid approach on “Earth,” a double disc compilation of live tracks loosely related to sharing our planet with the animal kingdom.
The sounds of honking geese, croaking frogs and buzzing bees come and go over the 13 songs taken from Young’s 2015 tour with the band Promise of the Real. Young doesn’t try to hide the studio manipulation, which also includes some overdubbing and — gasp! — auto-tuning, warning on the cover that “Earth” contains “modified content.”
As goofy as all the animal noises may sound, the end result is an oddly hypnotic ode to mother Earth, a trek back to the garden if you will, for an artist who has spent much of his career singing out against environmental degradation.
The undisputable highlight and centerpiece of “Earth” is a mesmerizing 28-minute feedback and distortion-laden version of the rocker “Love and Only Love” from 1990’s “Ragged Glory.”
There’s only one sound that should come from critics after listening to that record-closing scorcher — chirping crickets. Scott Bauer, AP