No one in popular music marches to the beat of his own drum quite like Neil. The iconic rocker often changes direction, alienating people in the process. But his refusal to bow to expectations—and his ability to surprise—has also endeared him to fans. Young’s latest album with his band, a collection of old folk tunes, does just that. “They’re songs we all know from kindergarten,” says Young. “But Crazy Horse has rearranged them and now they belong to us.”

            With their ragged, rocking renditions, Young and his band reclaim classics like “Clementine,” “Oh Susannah” and “Jesus’ Chariot” (aka “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain”) from dusty history books. Backed by a female choir, they also put a jaunty spin on Woody Guthrie’s folk nugget “This Land is Your Land” and even transform “God Save the Queen” into a stomping pre-revolutionary anthem. It’s all fair game in Young’s hands.

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