Our second delve into the Neil Young archives is long overdue. We had planned to share this just a couple of months after the first part, but other things got in the way. This second exploration had originally been sketched out to cover the first half of the 70s – Neil’s first truly great period – but the arrival of a couple of extra bootlegs and other stuff meant that it there was just too much stuff to fit into a five or six year stretch.
Instead, this second part takes us from the ‘Goldrush’ sessions to Neil’s one off collaboration with Graham Nash in 1972. Mining the gold from this fantastic period was difficult, but hopefully you’ll not only agree with some of our choices, but it’ll also take you deeper into a world of musical treasure to discover a couple of things you might not have heard.
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Wonderin’ (alternate version)
It would be remiss to suggest that Neil’s 1970 album ‘After The Goldrush’ features neglected tracks or lesser known gems since it’s one of those records that’s likely to grace the most casual fan’s collection. However, the sessions turned up a couple of interesting bits, and this alternate version of ‘Wonderin’ is great. The track had already been played at live shows with Crazy Horse earlier in 1970, but the first studio take comes with a bit more interest. Stripped down to a semi-acoustic arrangement, it certainly would’ve fit the ‘Gold Rush’ aesthetic, but is perhaps a little to similar to ‘Till The Morning Comes’, stylistically. The alternate version is a little more forthright; the rhythm accentuates the countryfied mood of the piece, but it’s the lead guitar fills that bring the most essential difference. Young uses these to pierce between the verses with a huge twang, making this an essential piece of Americana from his early years. [Find it on the 50th Anniversary box set of ‘After The Goldrush’]
Helpless (harmonica version)
‘Deja Vu’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is one of those albums that no decent record collection should be without. Neil only features on four tracks, but the whole record is a genuine joy. ‘Helpless’ is easily the best known of NY’s contributions to the record, so it’s really interesting to hear this alternate cut. The rhythm feels a little slower, partly due to the presence of a heavily reverbed drum that has none of the finesse of the released version, but also partly due to a slightly laboured backing vocal. Despite these features being clearly inferior, the “Harmonica Version” of ‘Helpless’ has enough charm of its own, thanks to Neil offering an even more fragile lead vocal, and – as the title more than implies – the presence of his own harmonica work filling the bridge sections. The differences may be relatively subtle, but after years of living with an already great tune, any differences should be treasured by any self-respecting NY fan. [Find it on the 50th Anniversary box set of CSN&Y’s ‘Deja Vu’]
Sugar Mountain (Carnegie Hall, 1970)
Originally hidden away on a b-side, Neil’s ode to impending maturity found its way into many of his live sets throughout the 70s, becoming known to many due to its inclusion on 1979’s ‘Live Rust’. That version is stripped down and tight, but this earlier rendition – captured before the release of the massively successful ‘Harvest’ is more of a casual affair. Beginning with a false start and NY inviting the audience to sing along, there’s immediately a feeling of something capturing a moment. Then, halfway through the first verse, the performance is abandoned due to the audience not “keeping up”. Another attempt finds Neil slowing down to accommodate everyone, to much hilarity. Eventually, the performance takes on a softer edge, and the familiar melody allows for a really gentle vocal that really suits the lyric. For those who’ve played the ‘Live Rust’ performance to death, this will feel like opening a door into a whole new world. [Find it on the ‘Carnegie Hall’ official bootleg]
On The Way Home (Carnegie Hall, 1970)
By taking the once full and melodic Buffalo Springfield and stripping it down to solo vocal and acoustic guitar, ‘On The Way Home’ immediately sounds like a Neil Young classic. Broad chords birth a jangling tune, serving up something that feels immediately uplifting, even more so than the original studio cut ever suggested. In contrast to the tight musical melody, Neil’s voice wobbles all over the place, but that in itself brings an extra charm here, capturing a live feel that makes the Carnegie Hall set take on the status of best bootleg ever. [Find it on the ‘Carnegie Hall’ official bootleg]
Don’t Let It Bring You Down (Chicago Auditorium Theater 1970)
The early 70s isn’t exactly short on recordings of this track, but this version has a great feel to it. The acoustic work has a heavier tone in places, and the echo that’s present on some of the vocal adds to the live quality. The track itself will be familiar to everyone, but the natural tone presented on this take makes it seem a little more vital than the studio counterpart. [Find it on CSN&Y’s ‘Four Way Street’]
Medley: The Loner/Cinnamon Girl (Fillmore East, 1970)
In a polar opposite to the Crazy Horse gigs at the Fillmore that year, this recording captures a solo NY in full flight. ‘The Loner’ pitches a wobbling voice against chopping guitar chords, the usually strident ‘Cinnamon Girl’ shows off a couple of cracked vocals but is helped no end by some really solid guitar work, and ‘Down By The River’ appears in an absolutely sinister rendition. ‘River’ is so strong that by the time NY hits the chorus, you’ll have almost forgotten where this nine minute acoustic medley began. [Find it on CSN&Y’s ‘Four Way Street’]
Expecting To Fly (Cellar Door, Washington D.C., 1970)
In November December 1970, NY played a half dozen intimate shows at the Cellar Door venue in Georgetown, Washington D.C. Recordings unearthed in 2013 featured a few highlights from the run of gigs, and showcased a few early forays into piano based work. The basic performances wouldn’t necessarily differ from other Young solo shows from the period, but a piano and vocal version of Buffalo Springfield’s ‘Expecting To Fly’ provides something striking. The piano work is sparse, occasionally even unsure, and shorn of the laving backing of the studio cut from a couple of years earlier, the melody allows Young an opportunity to inject a little more of a pained feel. It’s occasionally a little too raw, uncomfortable even, but in terms of hearing Young at his purest, it’s hard to beat. And to give an idea of how small the venue was, keep a keen ear for the audience member coughing! [Find it On ‘Live At The Cellar Door’]
Old Man (Massey Hall, 1971)
Although it wouldn’t be released in a studio version until February 1972, ‘Old Man’ had been a part of NY’s live sets as far back as November 1970. The recording found on the ‘Carnegie Hall’ bootleg in December ’70 is great, but this version from Massey Hall on the ‘Journey Through The Past’ tour (January ’71) is a little more interesting. The chords present themselves brightly, but there are moments during the finger picked melody that are so much more fragile, and Neil’s voice also adopts a softer tone. Not that the tune ever sounds unsure of itself; when the chorus rolls around, the guitar chords ring out with a genuine intent, and the lead vocal really wails in a manner that suits the questioning lyric. This recording also benefits from a spoken intro where Neil places the song in context, telling everyone it was inspired by buying and moving to a ranch, which appeared to come with an old man for free. [Find it on ‘Live At Massey Hall 1971’]
A Man Needs A Maid/Heart of Gold (Massey Hall, 1971)
When NY issued ‘Live At Massey Hall’ in 2007, the archive recording immediately took on the mantle of being one of his best ever live performances. It’s since been outshone by the arguably more fun Carnegie Hall set, but it’s still a very special release. It would’ve been one of the first times fans would’ve experienced Neil’s own take on ‘On The Way Home’ on record, but just as importantly, it features this medley from the yet to be released ‘Harvest’. Originally designed as a whole piece, the massive hit ‘Heart of Gold’ once sat in the centre of the aching self-pity of ‘A Man Needs A Maid’. With hindsight, it seems uneasy, but there’s something great here – obviously recognised as being greater on its own. It’s also a pleasure to hear a stripped down ‘Maid’. Shorn of the orchestration that dominated the later studio recording, it becomes more about the vocal, and in doing so, brings out even more of Neil’s plight. [Find it on ‘Live At Massey Hall 1971’]
Ohio (Shakespeare Theater, Connecticut 1971)
Although the sound quality is more obviously “bootleg” sourced than the Carnegie show, the archive set from the Shakespeare Theater in Connecticut offers just as many treats. Neil isn’t in quite as jovial a mood – at least not until the closing ‘Sugar Mountain’, but his performance is great. Of particular note is the solo acoustic version of ‘Ohio’, which allows its questioning and anger to cut through far more clearly. The audio makes the finer points of the guitar work a little muddy in places, but that never kills the mood. [Find it on ‘Young Shakespeare’]
Down By The River (Royce Hall, 1971)
Despite being released as an “official bootleg” in 2022, the recording quality of the Royce Hall show from January 30th 1971 is excellent. There’s a genuine clarity to both Neil’s voice and his acoustic work throughout, and on this version of ‘Down By The River’ especially, NY’s aching tones really cut through. The sometimes sparse chords allow for the dark narrative to take centre stage here, and the very live nature of Young’s vocal accentuates the pain felt by the protagonist. In and out in three minutes, this has a more direct quality than its studio counterpart from 1970, but is no less brilliant. As a sidenote: Although it took some 50 years for the Royce Hall gig to appear officially, it’s long been a part of Neil Young folklore as the source of the ‘Needle And The Damage Done’ recording from the ‘Harvest’ album. [Find it on ‘Royce Hall 1971’]
Love In Mind (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971)
The February 1971 show from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles doesn’t vary greatly in terms of setlist from the Massey Hall and Royce Hall shows. Neil’s still on his ‘Journey Through The Past’ tour and road testing bits that would make up the heart of ‘Harvest’ a year later. Nor does it differ much in terms of sound quality; the solo performance allows for a clarity in the recording that sounds genuinely live, but really works. There are good versions of “the standards” – ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’, ‘Cowgirl’ and ‘Tell Me Why’; ‘Old Man’ continues to take the form of something that’ll be a crowd pleaser too. Of note here is how, just a month or so on from the Massey Hall show, Neil has extricated ‘Heart of Gold’ from the epic ‘Man Need A Maid’, recognising it has a bigger potential on its own. Best of all though, the solo piano piece ‘Love In Mind’ continues to have a place in the set, despite being a number that wouldn’t survive for much longer. The sketchy chords presented here underscore NY’s vocal brilliantly, and despite not being the most traditionally gifted singer, he’s able to glide above the melody with a range that shifts between curious and genuinely afraid. This could’ve been a classic on a future “finished” recording, but maybe its fragility just didn’t translate to a studio cut. [Find it on the official bootleg ‘I’m Happy That Y’all Came Down’]
Out On The Weekend (Live At The BBC, 1971)
February 1971 also saw Neil visiting the UK to record a live set for the BBC ‘In Concert’ series. Recorded pretty much a full year before ‘Harvest’, his show leaned heavily upon unreleased material, but showed how strongly the new songs were already holding up against old ‘Goldrush’ favourites. The set opener ‘Out On The Weekend’ would later open the ‘Harvest’ record too, but here, it’s a little more unsure of itself. A line or two is clearly unfinished, and without the anchoring bassline, the melody doesn’t have quite as much muscle. That said, it’s clear there’s a great song that’s almost ready, and the thinner melody allows Neil’s vocal and harmonica a little more space to breathe, for better or worse. [Find it on the 50th Anniversary box set of ‘Harvest’]
Bad Fog of Loneliness (studio outtake)
Much like ‘After The Goldrush’, Neil’s 1972 LP ‘Harvest’ isn’t the kind of record that is home to any buried treasure, purely because it’s one of three or four NY albums that even the most casual listener is likely to be familiar with. The sessions, however, did spawn a couple of interesting deeper cuts. ‘Bad Fog of Loneliness’ is a case in point. The song had previously been road tested at some of the ‘Journey Through The Past’ gigs – and even played as early as December 1970 at one of the Cellar Door gigs – and seemed to work well. The studio cut builds upon the earlier melody with strong vocal from Neil and a great riff. In keeping with the strongest of the ‘Harvest’ cuts, this rendition conveys a brilliant country folk vibe, augmented by some very subtle steel guitar and some superb harmonies. Keen listeners will almost certainly spot part of the riff that eventually became the heart of the classic ‘Needle & The Damage Done’, and in many ways, ‘Bad Fog would’ve actually been a better fit for ‘Harvest’ than the live take of ‘Needle’ from Royce Hall that was ultimately chosen. [Find it on the 50th Anniversary box set of ‘Harvest’]
Journey Through The Past (studio outtake)
Like ‘Bad Fog’, this track had been really worked out on the road, and the final studio take ended up being much grander than the earlier live renditions. With the Stray Gators in tow, the ‘Harvest’ sessions version of ‘Journey’ becomes a rather grand slice of Americana. The biggest change comes from the main melody being transposed from the piano to the acoustic guitar, but it more than benefits from the strummed, country-esque approach. The extra instrumentation also allows for some great piano fills and dobro work en route, whilst NY’s vocal already sounds ready to accept this as a period classic. It’s so strong that it almost certainly should have found a ‘Harvest’ home – perhaps in place of ‘There’s A World’. The fact that it didn’t more than suggests Neil’s fickle approach to releasing material (or not) kicked in at an early stage of his career. [Find it on the 50th Anniversary box set of ‘Harvest’]
Soldier (new recording, 1971)
Recorded as live, this minimalist piece features the sounds of Neil, a piano and the crackle of a roaring fire. The strident piano melody captures a haunting echo throughout, which underscores an empathetic lyric very effectively. Neil’s voice appears to drop in and out with a sparseness, often allowing the piano to take up the weight, and it’s interesting to hear how much stronger his playing is compared to that from the Cellar Door shows just under a year previously. This never sounds like the kind of track you’d find propping up an album, and certainly wouldn’t have been considered suitable for a single at the time. It’s a genuine deep cut that tugs at the heartstrings, showing NY to be in complete control of everything and sharing a talent that goes beyond the folk rock that formed the backbone of his work at the time of recording. [Find the unedited version on the ‘Archives Volume I’ box set]
War Song (single release, 1972)
Released as a single to tie in with the 1972 presidential campaign, this number captures more of a Crazy Horse vibe from the usually countrified Stray Gators. A really punchy bass underscores Young’s abrasive guitar and a rocky groove is quickly set in place. Young uses this as a brilliant springboard for a live sounding vocal throughout, whilst a great harmony from the legendary Graham Nash adds a bigger melody to the chorus. It’s interesting how much the absence of Stills makes this sound much less like a CSN&Y vehicle, and how, despite getting equal billing, Graham seems more than happy to let Neil take the reins. Much like ‘Soldier’, this works brilliantly as a stand alone piece, and its hard to imagine it ever appearing on an album – and especially not around the time of the particularly slick ‘Harvest’. [Find it on the ‘Archives Volume I’ box set]
Read part I here.
June/July 2024