Hawks & Doves [DVD-Audio]

Following up the energetic, one-two punch of RUST NEVER SLEEPS and LIVE RUST, Neil Young takes a more understated route with 1980's HAWKS & DOVES. On rustic tracks such as "Little Wing" and "The Old Homestead" (both written in the mid-'70s), Young revisits his HARVEST era with a spare sound that relies heavily on his distinctive voice and acoustic guitar. As the album progresses, its scope widens both musically and lyrically; "Stayin' Power" is a jaunty, piano-driven tune about the power of love, while "Comin' Apart at Every Nail" is a guitar-laden hoedown that comments on the US government. This surprisingly patriotic tone (especially coming from a Canadian) This politically minded theme takes on a surprisingly patriotic tone on the album's closing title track, the Canadian songwriter's flag-waving tribute to the United States. A highly underrated record, HAWKS & DOVES features some of Young's finest songs of the '80s.|