The year is 1982 and today's electronic acts are no more than a bulge in their daddy's acid wash jeans. Neil Young, being the prolific social activist he is, decides to turn his attention to the ever prevalent "computer age" which is sweeping through the nation. Bear in mind that a computer circa 1982 resembles a wood-paneled TV with a typewriter super-glued to the front (seen here). This was enough, however, to catch Young's attention. So, what does he do? He releases a mind numbing, seizure inducing, electrosexual masterpiece that we at NLG consider to be a thrusting factor in the birth of modern electro music (which is fitting since the boys from Chromeo may very well have been conceived to this album).
Young's album, entitled "Trans", is an amalgamation of rock 'n roll, dance, and Pac-Man, that could easily slide into rotation beside any modern electro album in your collection. Besides being a techtastic groove piece, the album also manages to touch on society's growing dependence on technology. Track titles like "Computer Age" and "We R in Control" exemplify the shift from computers being used solely by researchers at UC Berkley to calculate the decimal expansion of pi, to ubiquitous forces that dictate our every move. But, when I listen to the album, all I hear is "get roonied and party 'til you're comatose".
We leave you with two tracks off of Trans: The 8 minute epic, "Sample and Hold", and our personal favourite, "Computer Age", complete with synthesizer, something called a "vocoder", and a mid-song breakdown a la Pachelbel.
Neil Young - Computer Age
Neil Young - Sample and Hold
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