Neil Young – Phoenix rising from the ashes

Neil Young has always been welcome on my sound system. I even stuck with him through his ‘80s drought. But in recent years his shrill preaching has turned me off - I don’t take Young seriously as a thinker and I’m not open to the political ramblings of multi-millionaire pop stars, anyway. So I wouldn’t give you threepence for Greendale or that CD written around an anti-US foreign policy rant

But Neil Young affairs are looking up again, with a desirable new CD this week, and a must-buy new DVD next week.

Live At The Fillmore East, the first release of the Neil Young Archives Performance Series, is a CD of Young/Crazy Horse concerts on March 6/7 1970 at New York's Fillmore East. The nights featured Young with the original lineup of Crazy Horse: Danny Whitten (guitar, vocals), Ralph Molina (drums, vocals), Billy Talbot (bass) and Jack Nitzsche (electric piano).

There’s a single CD album, and a CD/DVD, which has a Hi-Res Stereo version of the album, along with rare photos from the concert, handwritten song lyrics, archival press articles and memorabilia.

And then, on Nov 20, next Monday, there’s the release of Heart Of Gold, the DVD shot in Nashville last year.

Rave on, Mr Shakey…




Gerry Smith