For most of her life, Pegi Young’s role was that of Neil Young’s wife, partner and musical sidekick, a satisfying set-up to be sure, but one that found her relying on his fame and stature with little regard for her own interests. After 36 years, all those connections were shattered by a painful divorce, made all the worse by Neil’s various dalliances.
Clearly then, Raw became her way of working through the wreckage, a song cycle that details the seven stages of grief while sparing little emotion in an expression of her sadness and defeat. With her band, the aptly named Survivors, in tow, she sings songs that detail her outrage over Young’s deceit. She utilizes several well-chosen covers — the classic soul standard “Trying To Live My Life Without You,” the ruefully relevant “Just When I Needed You Most,” a languid and lethargic “These Boots Are Made For Walking” and a deft remake of Don Henley’s “The Heart of The Matter” — to express her thoughts about a life that’s come undone. With songwriting assistance from guitarist Kelvin Holly and Spooner Oldham, Young creates a stunning storyline, one that taps into feelings that are both bitter and unbridled.
Those latter sentiments are fully on display with the album’s opening track “Why,” a song that finds her asking her estranged mate “Why’d you have to ruin my life?” while encapsulating the shattered circumstance in no uncertain terms. The song titles themselves — those of the aforementioned remakes as well as originals like “Gave My Best To You,” “A Thousand Tears”Lonely” and “Up To Here” — leave no doubt as to the divide. Still, there is room for solace and the grace to forgive, and so while Raw comes from a painful perspective, it’s the segue towards survival that lingers and lasts.
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