Of three new songs, only “The Indifference of Heaven” matches his most compelling work. Alternating between keyboards and crisp 12-string guitar, Zevon delivers acoustic renderings of everything from smartass anthems like “Lawyers, Guns and Money” to the unsettling “Boom Boom Mancini.” Although most of the fresh instrumental flourishes click, 13 minutes of “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” is simply exhausting. Zevon’s set, culled from his 1992 solo tour, sports a better sense of humor and a stronger sense of irony but still reeks of recycling. Jimmie Allen Out of CMA Fest, Suspended by Label Following Sexual Assault Allegations Yet overall, it feels like Young’s coasting: The music has the relaxed aura of a friendly fireside folk sing that could use a shot of ragged glory. A beguiling acoustic reworking of “Transformer Man” and a pipe-organ take on “Like a Hurricane” are both revelations. For the last seven songs he’s backed by the current incarnation of the Stray Gators (bolstered by Nils Lofgren) and leans on softer folk, ranging from “Helpless” to three repeats from Harvest Moon. Soul” and the plaintive “Stringman,” a previously unreleased gem. Young’s set is neatly divided into halves: The first seven tunes are strictly solo, tapping darker material like his Buffalo Springfield touchstone “Mr. But if you’re going to peddle new versions of songs your fans already own, you should try to transcend the increasingly empty “unplugged” trend.Įven within the spare context of his appearance on Unplugged, Young flashes both sides of his musical personality: the earnest folkie and the edgy heretic. After being adrift (Young) or absent (Zevon) for much of the ’80s, both are now basking in midlife renaissances. Although both men are approaching 50, they remain defiant originals, mainstream exiles, amiable cynics. Neil Young and Warren Zevon share a deeper kinship than might be immediately obvious.
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