The list of the year's top longs is down to the final two.
2. Neil Young - “No Hidden Path” (from “Chrome Dreams II,” Reprise) 11 minutes, 31 seconds
Granted, it was Young’s performance of this tune at his Nokia Theater show that was the real eye-opener, but there’s still considerable power packed into the studio version of his finest guitar workout since “Like a Hurricane.” But unlike “Hurricane,” “Cowgirl in the Sand” or “Cortez the Killer,” the vermicular solo on this one winds its way through an assortment of openings, displaying the brashness of youth and a musical cogency that only comes from experience.