Neil Young

Not just newsworthy, but genuinely great, this hastily recorded set of songs about being a U.S. citizen in 2006 is angry and beautiful and important and has a trumpet that somehow makes everything that much more gorgeous. You don't have to agree with the politics to admire the passion that powers it, and even if you don't share the passion, we promise the melodies and lyrics will stick in your skull long after you've removed the headphones. Maybe it'll be one of those trumpet lines, or the way Neil barks "Don't need no more lies" over and over, or how lyrics like, "I join the multitudes/I raise my hand in peace/I never bow to the laws of the thought police" soar when sung by a 100-voice choir. Play loudly and often.

OK, more news event than musical milestone. But a really great news event--believe me, the '60s never produced an album that felt this much like a peace march. The key is the sense of fellowship, with music carried less by the artist's broad guitar and creaky voice than by loud drums, what-the? horn arrangements, and a hundred-person chorus on every song. The second consecutive Neil Young album where you know what all the words mean (following 50-odd where you didn't) specifies that this radical-of-the-moment is not averse to supporting a repentant Colin Powell. This proves him a populist if anything does. (Grade - B+)