The Monsanto Years

As political as he is prolific, Neil Young has written albums about both war and hybrid cars. On The Monsanto Years, the legendary singer/songwriter teams up with Willie Nelson’s sons Micah and Lukas—as well as the latter’s roots-rock band, Promise of the Real—to take aim at corporations like Monsanto, the American chemical goliath with ties to genetically engineered farming. The result is an inspired collection of loose protest folk (“Wolf Moon”) and rugged guitar jams ( the majestic “People Want to Hear About Love”) that bristle with Young’s trademark idealism.