Time Fades Away has its virtues when taken on its own terms and not as the latest major work of a major artist. Here, Young seems to have consciously avoided the sober sense of importance that accompanied After the Gold Rush and Harvest…. For whatever reason, he's made a startlingly unorthodox album….

More than any of his earlier works, this record shows Young's reticence about being a public figure.

Young's privateness has always been at the heart of his writing and performing, right alongside his staunch moral sense. These two elements have been both his prime virtues and his main flaws. Both elements are evident in this new material, with uneven but sometimes positive results.

There is an overbearing sense of self-righteousness in the title song, with its images of nervous junkies strung out on the street. But it's saved by a sharply ironic chorus….

Young's is a...