Neil Young, Live At Massey Hall - a must-buy

Neil Young’s new release, Live At Massey Hall, the famed 1971 acoustic gig in Toronto, doesn’t ring my bell quite as much as the earlier Live At The Fillmore East, backed by a powerful, mighty Crazy Horse.

Young’s Massey Hall performances – vocals, acoustic picking and piano - of his prime early ‘70s balladry are exceptional. They remind you forcefully why Young was such massive box office in those far-off days. And the close-miked sound quality is staggeringly good.

The DVD in the Special Edition’s a beaut, too. And the packaging design, like all the recent Shakey product, is delightful.

Live At Massey Hall: a must-buy.

The sheer quality of the music means that three minor whines pale into insignificance. But let’s have them, anyway:

· Young’s sub-hippy shy boy between-song mumblings. Yeeuuugh!
· The pathetically salivating Canuck crowd, far too high in the mix, roaring over-enthusiastically at the merest mention of “Canada”, “Ontario” and the rest. Provincials!
· Dysfunctional packaging. Both CD and DVD easily fall out of the gatefold sleeve – I had to add a couple of paper disc sleeves to prevent the precious artefacts getting wrecked.



Gerry Smith

New Dylan, Young, Morrison, Mitchell, Cohen product – 1970s re-run for Boomer rock fans

A fevered new release programme is making early 2007 seem like a re-run of the 1970s, with all the big beasts in the rock jungle stirring again:

* Dylan – Don’t Look Back de luxe DVD

* Neil Young – Live At Massey Hall; Archive series due to start

* Van Morrison – At The Movies compilation CD

* Joni Mitchell – new album, Shine, already being touted; remastered de luxe versions of the cream of her mid-‘70s albums set for release

* Leonard Cohen – de luxe versions of early albums imminent.

Music for Grown-Ups doesn’t go in for nostalgia, but even nostalgia has its moments.


Gerry Smith

Neil Young new product prices – encore

I was whining here recently about the price of new Neil Young product from some retailers, pointing out that the Heart Of Gold DVD was variously priced: £22 at Fopp, £25 at HMV, and £12 in FNAC, Valencia.

My cheapskate instinct in foregoing all three offers was justified this week when I ordered it from amazon.co.uk for under £6, delivered.

Great news for the grown-up music buyer, but it bodes ill for bricks and mortar retailers - unless they smarten up, and pronto.



Gerry Smith

New Neil Young product - and why HMV is getting less of my music spend

When, aeons ago, I first discovered HMV’s massive London Oxford St (aka Circus) store, it was like a premonition of what Heaven might be like. For years thereafter, I could easily waste half a day immersing myself in the sheer breadth and depth of the product on offer, before shuffling off home, wallet considerably lighter.

HMV remained my music supplier of choice until a couple of years ago. But – familiar story – my music buying has gradually widened, to take in supermarkets, Amazon, iTunes and, most notably, Fopp.

Seeking to catch up with new Neil Young product recently, I was reminded why my infatuation with HMV has cooled. Just compare some prices:

* Living With War – Raw: £15 at Fopp, £12 FNAC, Valencia, £21 at HMV, £7.11p on iTunes,

* Heart Of Gold DVD: £22 at Fopp, £25 at HMV, £12 in FNAC, Valencia

* Live At Fillmore: £11 at Fopp, £13 at HMV, £3.16 on iTunes

* Live At Massey Hall: CD-WOW is taking pre-orders at £7.99, delivered; I don’t use HMV online, after an unsatisfactory experience, but the in-store price is unlikely to compete.

From an annual spend of £500-£1,000 at HMV, I’ll be surprised if I spend 20% of that this year. If there are many other consumers like me out there, the company’s in trouble – a pity, because I still have a soft spot for it. I can still be wooed back - but HMV’ll have to try harder, and not only on pricing.




Gerry Smith