Music review: Neil Young with Crazy Horse 'Psychedelic Pill'

It also seems like a declaration of his intent to return to the grungy groove and ragged glory of his early days and create an album that stands alongside his first LP with Crazy Horse, the masterful “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” (1969) and its indelible solo follow-up, “After the Gold Rush.”

The electricity kicks in and so does the entire band on the first chorus of “Driftin' Back,” becoming a mesmerizingly meandering jam as second guitarist Frank “Poncho” Sampedro and the solid, no-frills rhythm section of bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina churn along behind Young's extended, intermittently fuzzed out, distorted and piercing guitar explorations, all reminiscent of long, classic workouts such as “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “Down By the River.”

The title cut is an upbeat rocker all about a party girl lost in the search for a good time and her man's inability to snap her back to reality, with the instruments all strained through the wind-tunnel effects of a '60s-era Leslie speaker.

Then there's the moody 16-minute-plus rock 'n' roll regret of “Ramada Inn,” Young wailing above the din about “things going south” between two jaded lovers who've sought affection elsewhere but still struggle to stay together. “He loves her so,” Young keeps repeating mournfully, and the conflicting emotions are underscored by crashing cymbals and blaring guitars.