This Note's for You

One might assume the first album Neil Young put out upon his return to Reprise Records in 1988 after a misbegotten stint with Geffen would signal a comeback for the temporarily misplaced singer-songwriter. Actually, This Note's for You's successor, 1989's Freedom, is Young's late-'80s hallmark release. This one's the last in a series of titles from Young in the most capricious phase of a fickle career. Here he's on an Albert Collins kick, tackling blues-based tunes backed by his short-lived, horn-powered Blue Notes. While the anti-endorsement title track kicked up some dust at the time, the 10-song collection is weighed down by undistinguished, one-note workouts like"Ten Men Working,""Married Man," and"Sunny Inside" (the titles pretty much sum up the songs). Thankfully, Young returned to his own shade of blue after this curious bar-band one-off.