Recorded live in 2023, Fu##in’ Up finds Neil Young and co. performing their classic 1990 album Ragged Glory almost in its entirety. When first released, that album solidified Young’s newfound reputation as the Godfather of Grunge.
This gloriously loud and distorted rendition does nothing to dispute that sobriquet. The songs have been re-titled, presumably to drive home the point that old songs can exist anew – they’re familiar, but different.
Young and Crazy Horse never perform their songs in quite the same way each night, of course, and Fu##in’ Up exemplifies that spontaneous, exploratory spirit. Listening to these geezers whipping up a hurricane of monolithic thud and skronk is always irresistible.
The climactic 15-minute version of Chance On Love (Love And Only Love) is a particularly gargantuan thrill. This latest chapter in Young’s investigative journey through his vast back catalogue is no mere exercise in nostalgia, it sounds absolutely vital.
