Le Noise cover art

  Studio Album · No. 31

Le Noise Songwriting Credits by Neil Young

2010 Reprise Records 8 tracks 38 min

Produced by Daniel Lanois  ·  Engineered by Mark Howard

Reprise Records Folk rockExperimental rockNoise rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 8 of 8 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 8 / 8 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Young carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
8 trackswritten by Neil Young 0 tracksoutside writers
Neil Young's roles on this album

Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

8
Tracks
1
Lyricists
1
Producers
Debuted at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 and reached number 2 in Canada, where it sold over 10,000 copies in its first week.
Worldwide Copies Sold
2010
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

"Angry World" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011, Neil Young's first competitive Grammy win for music.
Data Insight

Neil Young wrote every song on Le Noise, recording it alone with his electric guitar and voice while producer Daniel Lanois shaped the raw takes into a dense, echoing sonic environment in his Los Angeles home studio. The result is a solo record without a backing band, where Lanois treats Young's guitar and vocals with loops, delay, and layered atmospherics rather than overdubbing other players. The album title is a pun on the producer's surname, framing the project as Young's songs filtered through Lanois' "noise." Two tracks, "Love and War" and "Peaceful Valley Boulevard," are performed on acoustic guitar, while the rest lean on the heavily processed electric sound.

"Le Noise" is a 2010 album by Neil Young mixing folk rock, garage rock, and experimental noise, recorded largely solo on electric guitar treated with echo, distortion, and feedback. Daniel Lanois produced the record, his first project with Young, applying dub techniques to Young's Gretsch White Falcon and Les Paul "Old Black" through vintage Fender amplifiers, with two acoustic tracks in "Love and War" and "Peaceful Valley Boulevard." Other songs include "Walk with Me," "Sign of Love," "Angry World," and "Hitchhiker." Released September 28, 2010 as Young's 32nd studio album, it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 in Canada, and "Angry World" won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. The sessions coincided with the deaths of longtime collaborators L.A. Johnson and Ben Keith, which shaped the album's emotional tone.

Track Listing & Credits 8 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Walk with Me
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
2
Sign of Love
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
3
Someone's Gonna Rescue You
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
4
Love and War
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
5
Angry World
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
6
Hitchhiker
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
7
Peaceful Valley Boulevard
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
8
Rumblin'
Neil Young Neil Young Daniel Lanois Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 2 contributors

NY
Neil Young
Writer · Vocals
On this album8 written
DL
Daniel Lanois
Producer
On this album8 produced

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Frequently Asked Questions Le Noise

When was Neil Young's Le Noise released and on what label?
Le Noise was released on September 28, 2010, by Reprise Records. It was Young's thirty-second studio album and reached number 14 on the US Billboard 200 and number 2 in Canada.
Who produced Neil Young's Le Noise and why is it titled that way?
The album was produced by Daniel Lanois, who recorded it at his home in Los Angeles. The title Le Noise is a play on Lanois' surname, reflecting that the record is Young's solo performances reshaped by Lanois' atmospheric production and effects.
Who wrote the songs on Le Noise?
Neil Young wrote all eight songs on Le Noise himself. There are no covers or co-writers on the album, which presents Young performing alone without a backing band.
Is Le Noise a solo album by Neil Young?
Yes. Young plays everything himself, performing each track solo on electric or acoustic guitar with his vocals. There is no band on the record; the fullness of the sound comes from Daniel Lanois' production, including loops and layered effects.
Did Angry World from Le Noise win a Grammy?
Yes. "Angry World" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011. It was Neil Young's first competitive Grammy win for music after decades of recording and multiple earlier nominations.
What is the song Hitchhiker on Le Noise about?
"Hitchhiker" is an autobiographical song in which Young recounts his history with drugs and the places he lived across his life and career. Young had performed the song live for years before finally recording it for Le Noise.
Which songs on Le Noise are acoustic rather than electric?
Two of the eight tracks, "Love and War" and "Peaceful Valley Boulevard," are performed on acoustic guitar. The remaining six songs feature Young's electric guitar heavily processed through Daniel Lanois' production.
How many songs are on Le Noise and how long is the album?
Le Noise contains eight songs and runs about 38 minutes. The opening track is "Walk with Me" and the album closes with "Rumblin'."
Did Le Noise produce any hit singles for Neil Young?
No song from Le Noise charted as a hit single. Tracks such as "Sign of Love" and "Walk with Me" were issued for promotion and radio, but the album was presented as a single artistic statement rather than a release driven by chart singles.

Sources

Wikipedia: Le Noise Angry World - Wikipedia MusicBrainz - Le Noise release group Cover Art Archive - Le Noise front cover Cover Art Archive: Le Noise by Neil Young