neil young australian tour 2022

Gloria Brancatisano / November 10, 2021

Aussie rock’s best celebrate 50 years of Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ live – add second Brisbane and Wollongong shows

A stack of Aussie rock legends are teaming up to celebrate Neil Young’s masterpiece, 'Harvest' live.

Following  two sold-out tours  of The Beatles’  Abbey Road  live in 2019/20, ARC (Australian Rock Collective) is returning in 2022 to celebrate 50 years of Neil Young’s masterpiece, Harvest , live in concert. 

UPDATE: Due to popular demand two new dates have been added to the February 2022 tour  Harvest Live 50th anniversary tour. Australian Rock Collective (ARC) have announced a second night at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, and will close the tour with a second show at Anita’s Theatre in Wollongong. Tickets for both new shows will go on sale at 11am local time this Thursday 11 November. Tickets for all other shows are on sale now. 

Released in February 1972, Harvest went on to become Neil Young’s most successful record. His fourth album – following the brilliant After the Gold Rush – was also the highest selling album of that year, and Young’s first #1 record.

As well as featuring hit single ‘Heart of Gold’, the album also includes a slew of Young’s most loved classics including ‘Old Man’, ‘Alabama’, ‘A Man Needs a Maid’, ‘Words’ and the beautiful ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ written for his friend and bandmate Danny Whitten.

Harvest is the album that came to define Americana – literally where rock and roll goes to Nashville. Classic Rock

Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ Live Tour Dates

• February 4, 2022, – Palais Theatre, Melbourne**
• February 5, 2022, – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
• February 10, 2022, – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane –NEW SHOW–
• February 12, 2022, – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane**
• February 13, 2022, – Nightquarter, Sunshine Coast
• February 18, 2022, – Anita’s Theatre, Wollongong
• February 20, 2022, – Anita’s Theatre, Wollongong –NEW SHOW–

Tickets for new shows on sale Thursday 11 November @ 11am (local) – all other shows on sale now

Find tickets

To recognise and celebrate this landmark album reaching its five-decade milestone, some of Australia’s most-loved and celebrated musicians will come together to bring Neil Young’s Harvest to life on stage.

Collectively known as ARC, the group features Kram (Spiderbait), Mark Wilson (Jet), Davey Lane (You Am I) and Darren Middleton (Powderfinger). Together they are one of the most collectively successful supergroups in Australian rock history, with 33 ARIA Awards and 16 Top Ten ARIA albums between them.

This February, they’ll perform  Harvest  in full, from start to finish, before returning to the stage in the second half of the night to present a selection of Neil Young classics, highlighting the career of one of rock music’s true masters.

ARC presents Neil Young’s Harvest live onsale info:

• My Ticketmaster Presale: Wednesday 20 October @ 12pm AEDT – Thursday 21 October @ 12pm
• Live Nation Presale: Wednesday 20 October @ 12pm AEDT – Thursday 21 October @ 12pm
• General Public Onsale: Thursday 21 October @ 12pm

Want to make it VIP?:

**For Melbourne & Brisbane shows only: Meet & Greet VIP Experience tickets are available at these shows only. Package includes: a reserved seat in the first 15 rows of Stalls; band Meet & Greet and photo opportunity by a professional photographer; autographed tour poster; commemorative VIP lanyard and more. 

ARC will celebrate 50 years of Neil Young’s Harvest around Australia in February 2022. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au

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The Australian Rock Collective present Neil Young’s Harvest

by Newcastle Live 6 December 2021, 2:11 pm

Civic Theatre Newcastle

Thursday, 21 April 2022

7:30 pm - 10:30 am

From the organiser...

NEW DATE: Thu 21 April 2022 – Previously Tue 15 February 2022.

The Australian Rock Collective (ARC) present Neil Young’s masterpiece, “Harvest,” live in concert in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

TICKETS : livenation.com.au

This follows ARC’s two sold-out and critically acclaimed tours of The Beatles “Abbey Road” in 2019 when the band presented The Beatles masterpiece with forensic detail to rapturous applause every night.

In February 1972, Neil Young released what would become his most successful record. Harvest was his fourth studio album and followed on from the brilliant “After the Gold Rush” becoming the biggest selling album of 1972, giving Neil Young his first #1 album and single with ‘Heart of Gold’.

As well as ‘Heart of Gold’, the album includes a slew of Young’s classics including ‘Old Man’, ‘Alabama’, ‘A Man Needs a Maid’, ‘Words’ and the beautiful ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ written for his friend and bandmate Danny Whitten who would later tragically die of an overdose.

ARC will be presenting “Harvest” in its entirety before the returning to the stage in the second half of the night to present a selection of Neil Young classics from the career of one of rock music’s true masters.

About ARC (Australian Rock Collective)

Darren Middleton (POWDERFINGER), Mark Wilson (JET), Davey Lane (YOU AM I) and Kram (SPIDERBAIT) have joined forces to become ARC, one of the most collectively celebrated and successful supergroups in Australia’s rock history with 33 ARIA Awards and 16 Top Ten ARIA albums combined.

Kram – Drummer and vocalist for Spiderbait, one of Australia’s most successful and respected alternative rock bands, and Australian rock supergroup, The Wrights.

Mark Wilson – Bassist, pianist and backing vocalist for the internationally acclaimed rock band, Jet.

Darren Middleton – Guitarist and songwriter for one of the most successful Australian rock bands of the past two decades, Powderfinger, and now successful solo artist.

Davey Lane – Guitarist for definitive Australian rock band You Am I, The Pictures and rock supergroup The Wrights.

NOTE: Please note that events listed on this site are subject to change by the artist, promoter or venue. Every effort is made to ensure that the event information listed on this site is accurate. However, should you be concerned please contact the specified venue for verification. We encourage you to contact the venue before making plans.

© 2022 Newcastle Live

Neil Young: Australian Tour

By Toby Smith

Legendary guitarist. Anti-war protestor. Hall of Famer. Environmental crusader. Instantly recognisable vocalist. Father. Social activist. Filmmaker. Godfather of Grunge. Oscar-nominated songwriter. Heart of Gold. The Last Waltz. Crazy Horse. Let’s Impeach the President. Rockin’ in the Free World. Crosby, Stills, Nash and…

We could go on, but why not hand it over to the man himself? Five years since he last ventured Down Under, rock icon NEIL YOUNG returns this January for three very special shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

At 62, YOUNG is enjoying a prolific and charmed phase of his 40-year-plus career, with the albums Greendale (2003), Prairie Wind (2005) and Living with War (2006) among his most powerful and well-received. Last year came Chrome Dreams II: “Some listeners have said that this album is positive and spiritual,” YOUNG says. “I like to think it focuses on the human condition.” In between has flowed a series of archival releases, including the concert album Live at Massey Hall 1971.

YOUNG’s current touring band features pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, bassist Rick Rosas, drummer Chad Cromwell, guitarist Anthony Crawford and singer/guitarist (and wife) Pegi Young.

On recent European dates, his setlist has been eclectic, featuring newer material, rarities, and hits. As The Guardian put it after a London show in March: “As befits rock’s most unpredictable elder statesman, you never know quite what a NEIL YOUNG concert will entail… Tonight is something of a smorgasbord. Whatever the style, his sets have been “heavy on the classics”, from Powderfinger to Cowgirl in the Sand.

“Hey Hey, My My is pitched at a remarkable level of ferocity. More remarkable still, YOUNG maintains this ferocity for the remainder of the set… Even the most impartial observer could see why Young continues to inspire such devotion.” (The Guardian, March 2008)

YOUNG is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and two-time inductee into of America’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (firstly as a solo artist, then as a member of Buffalo Springfield). He is revered by peers and protégés alike, and has worked with artists from Emmylou Harris to Pearl Jam. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea wrote in Rolling Stone in 2004 that “Neil is the guy I look at when I think about getting older in a rock band and still having dignity and relevance and honesty. He’s never, ever sold out, and he’s never pretended to be anything other than what he is.”

NEIL YOUNG is, simply, the real deal. One of the rare modern musicians for whom the term “legend” is more under than over-statement. His shows this summer in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne offer a rare chance to witness the legend perform in his purest form.

And a message for fans elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand: stay tuned for a special announcement.

21st January – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Tickets from Ticketek http://www.ticketek.com.au Outlets and Phonecharge 132 849

24 January, Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney

Tickets from Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.com.au Outlets and Phonecharge 136 100

28 January, Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

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The West Australian

• Breaking News
• Western Australia

Neil Young and Crazy Horse open Australian tour at Perth Arena

LIKE a lesson in how it should be done, the inimitable Neil Young kicked off his first Australian headlining tour in a decade with a predictably loud and free-wheeling show at Perth Arena last night.

Backed by Crazy Horse, his on again off again band of more than four decades, the 67-year-old rocker delivered a blistering set peppered with classics and songs from his excellent 2012 album Psychedelic Pill .

Proving that when it comes to rock n roll attitude trumps age, Young and Crazy Horse displayed the kind of energy and enthusiasm for their craft that should make some of their younger contemporaries hang up their guitars and think again.

Last seen in Australia as part of the 2009 Big Day Out tour, Young's return was welcomed by many fans who were loathe to endure the festival environment to see their idol in action.

The show began as roadies dressed as construction workers and mad scientists milled about the stage, trying to work out how to lift the case from the giant stage prop Fender speakers. It was a bit of light-hearted fun to get the crowd going for Old Shakey.

The man himself and Crazy Horse, guitarist Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina, who were making their Australian debut, appeared on stage to the strains of Advance Australia Fair. At the end of which Young, a renowned social activist, yanked open his shirt to reveal an Australian Aboriginal Flag logo.

The band then launched into a full throttle two-hour long show that was everything fans could have asked for and so much more.

Standing in a circular formation for the majority of their jams, Young, Sampedro and Molina were dynamite. Their playing was intuitive, tight and passionate. These guys could jam all night and still be mesmerising.

But anyone expecting the veteran rocker to deliver a greatest hits set was going to be disappointed, the prolific songwriter isn't ready to hang up his quill and head out on a retirement-boosting best of tour just yet.

Indeed the so-called Godfather of Grunge's Alchemy tour has been famed for featuring just 13 tracks in an almost two hour long set. The majority coming from Psychedelic Pill , his 35th studio album.

True to form the set began with Love and Only Love from the 1990 album Ragged Glory . Next came Powderfinger from the 1979 live album Rust Never Sleeps , then Born In Ontario and Walk Like A Giant from Psychedelic Pill . Together they clocked in at 45 minutes.

"Nice to see ya, thanks for coming. You're a good looking group," Young told the almost capacity crowd.

Heart of Gold provided the packed Arena with the perfect opportunity to sing along with Young during a three song acoustic set.

It was followed by Singer Without a Song and the 16-minute long Ramada Inn ."This is the first time we've brought our analogue Crazy Horse time machine to Australia," Young said to cheers from the crowd.

Cinnamon Girl was another crowd favourite and F*!#in' Up , which turned into a funk jam with Young doing his best Prince-like falsetto. But it was Sampedro who stole the show with accusatory gestures and comic timing. Brilliant stuff.

All too soon we were rocking out to My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) with its catch line of "It's better to burn out than to fade away".

"Thank you, you're wonderful," Young said to the enthusiastic applause. "We like you too."

The show closed with Roll Another Number (For The Road) .

And so ended one of the best rock n roll shows most of us have ever had the privilege of seeing.

Young will play seven more shows around Australia before heading to New Zealand for two dates, don't miss him.

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Neil Young tour dates 2024

Neil Young is currently touring across 1 country and has 2 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Broadview Stage at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, after that they'll be at Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood.

Currently touring across

Upcoming concerts (2) See nearest concert

Hollywood Bowl

Past concerts

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre

Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater

Harris Park

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Recent tour reviews

A wonderful event. Contributing to a charity that gives kids that aren't quite up to the average camp experience a chance to have a great time that empowers them.

Father John Misty opened the show with his quirky brand of showmanship in, according to him, a rare instance of playing solo and while the sun is up. He warmed us up with an intimate performance of several of his well known tunes.

Norah Jones was next. She led her trio through their paces , playing some of her newer stuff and hitting the spot with the very intimate crowd with her classics as well. She ended her set with a cover of Neil Youngs "Don't be Denied".

Neil was next. He strolled on unannounced picked up an acoustic guitar and began strumming a very loose and beautiful version of "Sugar Mountain". He followed that with a Buffalo Springfield era "I am a Child", very appropriate for this event. Next was seamless transition to "Comes a Time". He continued with a dozen more songs, Set list here- https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/neil-young/2019/painted-turtle-camp-lake-hughes-ca-1b9c8110.htm - all solo and acoustic either on guitar or piano, with the exception of the last song "Harvest Moon" on which he was joined by Norah and her band.

His stage setup included what was likely a tack piano and his ornate pump organ. The crowd was wanting more of Neil and since those keyboards hadn't been heard from we all were expecting an encore that might include them. It was not to be. After several minutes of clapping and hooting Neil and Nora returned for an encore of "The Losing End".

A very special day was had by all. Thanks to everyone involved.

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Neil was Neil. Laid back and phenomenally talented. He played several different guitars, each with a name, harmonica, two pianos (which he brought with him for this tour), a harpsichord, and a ukulele. It's amazing how talented this one man is.

My only exception with this concert was that there was too much obscure music played. He has such a wealth of fantastic songs that span over 4 decades and several groups, so many of which I was hoping to hear. In previous setlists from this tour, he included 3 or 4 Buffalo Springfield tunes, but did not play them on July 11. Very disappointing. So many of his greatest songs were missing.

Other than that, I would go see him again!

Saturday 11th June. The O2. Neil Young and the Promise of the Real. So while the rest of the country were experiencing the usual mixture of short lived joy and then subsequent depression of watching England in a major football tournament, the sensible money was going to the O2 to see the legend that’s Neil Young. Given the spate of musical icon deaths in recent months the decision was made to see the 70 year old Mr Young in case more tragedy descends on the music business.

Young has been energised recently by a fresh new band supporting him on this recent tour. We have seen him on a few occasions and this time there’s no big set, oversized amps or too many gimmicks. He enters dressed a peasant sowing seeds on the stage (more of that later), sits down at the piano and proceeds to produce a sublime acoustic set of twenty five minutes or so running through classic such as ‘After the Gold Rush’, ‘Heart of Gold’, ‘Needle and the Damage Done’ and from ‘Hank to Hendrix’ before he’s joined by the band.

The evening’s set was heavily drawn from two albums, ‘Harvest’ and ‘Ragged Glory’ and we were treated to some rarely played tracks such as ‘Alabama’ and 'If ‘I could have her tonight’ from his first album which he’s only played once before and that was the night before.

The theme of the night if there was one was look after the world, fuck corporate America, be good to each other and protect our valuable natural resources. After the opening acoustic set we then launch into two hours of riff tastic jamming with extended renditions of ‘Love and only Love’ and ‘Words’ clocking in at twenty minutes apiece.

What is impressive about Young is his sheer energy. The new band have revitalised him and it’s them who have to keep up with the seventy year old rocker and not the other way around. His voice is also still as strong as ever and we all join in to set closer Fuckin Up and it’s all over. Like a fine wine Neil Young is getting better and long may he keep rockin us.

Keep on hard rockin baby.

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Neil Young Shares News About a Recent Health Issue; Announces New Live Album with Crazy Horse

Matt Friedlander

Updated: 

Neil Young revealed some bad news and some good news in a message posted Tuesday, January 23, on his Neil Young Archives website .

Videos by American Songwriter

The bad news, according to the 78-year-old folk-rock legend, was that he’s been “playing with arthritis in my hand for years and years.” On the positive side, Young reported, “[I] finally discovered a way around the pain with no drugs that let me play as I felt.”

[RELATED: Foo Fighters, Neil Young, Chris Stapleton & More Part of Star-Packed Lineup of 2024 New Orleans Jazz Fest]

Young explained in his post that he discovered this new way of playing at his most recent concert with his backing band Crazy Horse, which took place in November 2023 at a private event held at the Toronto club The Rivoli.

“The last time we played live was so amazing! I had a great time. We all did,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer noted. “The last show was a lifetime experience. The guys all said as we left the stage[,] “That was a really good one!” All the guys, even [Crazy Horse drummer Ralph [Molina]!!! It was a very special night!”

Young then revealed that the show was recorded and plans are now in the works to release it as a live album.

“It should come out about when we hit the road again – April,” he explained. “It’s double vinyl and I love the sound in all its Ragged Glory!”

[Get Tickets to See Neil Young Perform Live Here]

More About the Toronto Show

According to a report on RollingStone.com , Young and Crazy Horse played almost their entire 1990 album, Ragged Glory , at the concert. The show also included versions of his classic songs “Cinnamon Girl” and “Rockin’ in the Free World.” The event reportedly was a birthday party for Dan Reiss, the billionaire CEO of the Canadian apparel company Canada Goose.

“Nothing new,” Young wrote about the set. “Just my old songs and the Horse, but I felt so great, my singing was free and easy. I can’t remember a night like that in decades, if ever.”

Meanwhile, in a separate post on his official website , Young premiered a recording of “ Cinnamon Girl ” from the Toronto show.

“This version of ‘Cinnamon Girl’ is an example of the energy captured as the horse road through the RIVOLI club in Toronto Nov 4, 2023,” he wrote about the performance. The post also appears to reveal that the album will be titled FU##in’ UP after a song from Ragged Glory .

Young’s 2024 Tour Plans

Young recently revealed that he would soon be announcing details of a 2024 tour . Young currently has two confirmed performances this year. The first is scheduled for May 4 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the second will be at the Bourbon & Beyond fest, taking place May 19-22 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Young’s Recent Album Releases

Young’s most recent solo studio album, Before and After , was released in December 2023. His latest album of new material with Crazy Horse was World Record , which came out in November 2022.

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Neil Young's "Harvest" Live

Fortitude Music Hall , 312–318 Brunswick Street, Brisbane CBD, Brisbane

Ticket Information

• Reserved Seating : $74.90 each
• Reserved Seating : $89.90 each
• Additional fees may apply
• Thu 7 Apr 2022, 7:30pm–10:30pm
• Fri 8 Apr 2022, 7:30pm–10:30pm

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Live Nation

Australian Rock Collective (ARC) – comprised of KRAM (SPIDERBAIT), DARREN MIDDLETON (POWDERFINGER), MARK WILSON (JET), & DAVEY LANE (YOU AM I) - present Neil Young’s masterpiece, “Harvest,” live in concert in celebration of its 50th anniversary. This follows ARC’s sold-out and critically acclaimed tours of “Abbey Road” Live when the band presented The Beatles masterpiece with forensic detail to rapturous applause every night.

In February 1972 Neil Young released his fourth and most successful album - “Harvest”. The biggest selling album of the year, the #1 is home to a slew of Young’s classics including #1 single ‘Heart of Gold’, ‘Old Man’, ‘Alabama’, ‘A Man Needs a Maid’, ‘Words’ and the beautiful ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’.

ARC will be presenting “Harvest” in its entirety before returning to the stage to perform a selection of Neil Young classics from the career of one of rock music’s true masters.

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Inside Neil Young's 'Before And After': Where All 13 Songs Came From

The folk-rock titan's newest LP is a journey through the past — whether recent or decades in the rearview. But 'Before And After' is far more interesting than just an album of re-recordings.

More than his fragile tenor, knife-twisting pump organ, swarming Old Black guitar, or any other aural hallmark, Neil Young is defined by his dogged, locomotive-like (and somewhat wackadoo) resolve to surge forward. Come hell or high water, Young will continue the mission.

Which doesn't mean innovate , necessarily — even though innumerable contemporary indie and Americana artists owe their livelihoods to him. It's just that the fire he ignited in 1966, when he wrote his first song as a Buffalo Springfielder, remains furiously burning in 2023.

"I don't care. I figured that's why they like it, because I don't care. It's what I have to do. I want to do this," the two-time GRAMMY winner and 28-time nominee told a tickled Zane Lowe last year, while promoting his latest album with Crazy Horse, World Record . "That's why there's 51, 52 albums: because I want to do this, and I can still feel it. I'd be crazy to stop."

All of a year after World Record , Young is back with a new album, Before and After . (Would that be his 53rd? His recent cavalcade of archival releases renders the number hopelessly blurry.)

Before and After , out Dec. 8 is a collection of solo re-recordings of old songs; it shows that even with his foot on the accelerator, he tends to drift into a figure 8. Some tunes, like "Mr. Soul," are classics. Others, like the Trans outtake "If You Got Love," are exclusively recognizable to the real heads.

But despite his litany of stylistic detours, Young's essentially the same musician as when we met him; as such, this sequence is seamless. Which leads to another wrinkle; Young designed Before and After to be an unbroken suite of music.

"Songs from my life, recently recorded, create a music montage with no beginnings or endings," he wrote in a press release. "The feeling is captured, not in pieces, but as a whole piece — designed to be listened to that way. This music presentation defies shuffling, digital organization, separation. Only for listening. That says it all."

And another wrinkle: Although it's not billed as such, there are signs that the album was recorded live, with a few overdubs added in post — which he's done before, on albums like Rust Never Sleeps and Earth . Not only does the tracklist hew closely to the setlists from his West Coast solo tour last summer, but crowd noise is faintly audible in several spots, and the credits declare the recording location to simply be "USA."

As usual with this most mercurial of artists, Before and After seems simple, but there are layers of Youngian mystery. But where these songs initially hail from is no mystery at all. Here's a quick breakdown of exactly what we're hearing on Before and After .

"I'm the Ocean" ( Mirror Ball , 1995)

A warts-and-all collaboration with Pearl Jam recorded in record time, Mirror Ball 's actual songs have always had a hard time peeking through what Young described as " a big smoldering mass of sound ." (Well, except the undeniable, immediate "Downtown" — perhaps the exception that proves the rule.)

But although its songs were written entirely in the span of the four-day recording session, the passage of time and a fair amount of dedicated listening — will bear out their merits. The Before and After version of "I'm the Ocean" is proof positive: What sounded a bit like an interminable garage-rock workout reveals itself to be a "Thrasher"-esque folk epic.

"I'm not present/ I'm a drug that makes you dream/ I'm an aerostar/ I'm a Cutlass Supreme," Young evocatively sings. "In the wrong lane/Trying to turn against the flow/ I'm the ocean/ I'm the giant undertow."

"Homefires" ( Neil Young Archives Volume II: 1972-1976 , 2020)

No doubt, it was a treat to hear Homegrown , one of Young's whitest whales. Recorded in 1974 and '75, it was shelved until Young finally released it in 2020 — the tip of the spear for a lot of unreleased material in its wake.

But for those steeped in Young lore, it seemed like there was a lot missing: where's "Give Me Strength"? Where's "Frozen Man"? Where's "Homefires"? Clearly, he didn't forget about the latter; there's a perfectly lovely version here.

But take it under advisement to seek out the original recording, which is deliciously vibey and aching as so much early Young music was.

"Burned" ( Buffalo Springfield , 1966)

All these decades on, the bond between Young and his Buffalo Springfield/CSNY partner Stephen Stills is ironclad: if nothing's changed since early 2023, the musical brothers still get together to jam every Wednesday.

Young's devastated, precocious "Burned," from the eponymous first Springfield album, has lost none of its sting; it's downright thrilling to hear Young lay into it. Buffalo Springfield may have come out 57 years ago, but burned out on these tunes he is not.

"On the Way Home" ( Last Time Around , 1968)

The studio recording of the yearning "On the Way Home" always felt a little incongruous with its sunshine-pop production; the solo, acoustic version on 2007's Live at Massey Hall 1971 always seemed like the take.

While that possibly remains true, this version acts as a worthy bookend, the after to the before : "Though we rush ahead to save our time/ We are only what we feel," Young sings, summing up his entire career.

** "If You Got Love" (dropped from Trans , 1983) **

Decades of snickers later, the electronic Trans has been redeemed in the critical aggregate.

It was never a thumbed-nose, label-baiting genre excursion like some of his other '80s albums. Rather, it was an honest response to parenthood of a nonverbal son. (And, it must be said, his burgeoning love of — bordering on a fixation on — Devo.)

While outtake "If You Got Love" lacks the aggressive vocoder of its Trans brethren, it remains shockingly commercial and soft-rock for this artist: Young himself called it " wimpy ."

While your mileage may vary on the OG version, Young's Before and After take corrects that perception; performed alone on his trademark, rickety pump organ, reveals it to be blindingly pure and simple, a harbinger of Young's hymnlike, borderline childlike material in the new millennium.

"A Dream That Can Last" ( Sleeps with Angels , 1994)

The largely muted Sleeps with Angels might be the most underrated album in Young's catalog. In terms of evocative songcraft, brooding atmosphere, and smoldering performances from Crazy Horse, it belongs near the top of the heap.

Two of its highlights are its bookends, both on sonorous tack piano: "My Heart" and "A Dream That Can Last." And this version sounds as emotionally naked as its predecessor, as Young revisits his vision of heaven: "The cupboards are bare, but the streets are paved with gold."

"Birds" ( After the Gold Rush , 1970)

This slightly deeper cut from After the Gold Rush has followed Young around forever; perhaps the simplicity and companionability of this piano ballad has rendered it timeless.

And as always, it's moving to hear a 78-year-old Young still drawing power from something he sang as a twenty-something in coffeehouses.

Indeed, lines like "When you see me fly away without you" feel poignant in light of the numberless friends and loved ones — many indispensable to his creative arc — that Young has said goodbye to. When comparing original Horseman Danny Whitten to steel guitarist Ben Keith to his ex-wife, Pegi Young, "Birds" still feels elegiac to the maximum.

"My Heart" ( Sleeps with Angels , 1994)

The aforementioned "My Heart" kicks off Sleeps with Angels with capacious canyons of silence and windswept lyrics: "When dreams come crashing down like trees/ I don't know what love can do/ When life is hanging in the breeze/ I don't know what love can do."

In reverse order, these two Sleeps with Angels tunes still carry potency and import — although nothing beats the dramatic arc of the original album, which all Young fans must seek out if they haven't.

"When I Hold You in My Arms" ( Are You Passionate? , 2002)

Eyeballing the title, this writer figured "When I Hold You In My Arms" was a deep cut from Storytone , his 2014 paean to new love — and now wife and frequent collaborator — Darryl Hannah.

Rather, it's from 2002's Are You Passionate ?, Young's curious team-up with Booker T. and the MGs . (Before tracking that one, a handful of its songs — some under different names — ended up on the long-shelved Toast , which Young finally released in 2022.)

But it could just as easily exist on that album-length tribute to new love: "When I hold you in my arms/ It's a breath of fresh air/ When I hold you in my arms/ I forget what's out there." And that's partly what renders this deeper-than-deep cut still resonant on Before and After .

"Mother Earth" ( Ragged Glory , 1990)

Back in 1990, the chief ecological concern arguably wasn't global warming, but the hole in the ozone. Still, "Mother Earth" feels prescient — not only due to current climate woes, but as per Young's catalog itself, which has come to be saturated with climate-centric songs.

But Young's topical songs have always been most powerful when they sound deeply personal, too — and this fragile, organ-led version of "Mother Earth" sounds like a devotional by the Lorax.

"Mr. Soul" ( Buffalo Springfield Again , 1967)

Like fellow Buffalo Springfield stone classic "Burned," "Mr. Soul" still feels bluesy and badass, best delivered with a heavy dose of spite. (Young's solo version on 1991's Unplugged , for which he was in the mother of bad moods, is stormy and unforgettable.

The kinder, gentler version on Before and After , though, is no less indispensable, for how ancient it sounds behind the organ — as if Young dredged it from the earth as a young man and it shines eternal.

"Comes a Time" ( Comes a Time , 1978)

The ambling "Comes a Time" and its attendant, eponymous album have always been fan favorites: that rootsy 1978 album is where Young crossed a rubicon of earned maturity.

And despite Young's declaration that "I don't want to come back and do the same songs again" on said West Coast tour — if, in fact, this was drawn from that — "Comes a Time" feels like a requisite greatest hit. Which doesn't mean it's not good to hear it — quite the opposite.

"Don't Forget Love" ( Barn , 2021)

Young bringing out an aged and grizzled Crazy Horse for three albums in a row — 2019's Colorado , 2021's Barn and 2022's World Record — might come across as a declaration to rawk . 

But paradoxically — as Young has always been — these albums have featured some of the most restrained performances by the Horse since Sleeps with Angels . 

Colorado concluded on a whisper-light note with "I Do," and Barn does the same, with the dreamlike "Don't Forget Love," performed here on upright piano.

These 13 songs may span seven decades, but Young is immutably Young — and if he gets to add more decades of work to his voluminous songbook, he will remain so. That's the thing about this prestige artist: most of us celebrate the Before , but the After is arguably even more interesting.

Inside The Alternate Universe Of Neil Young's Chrome Dreams

Inside Neil Young & Crazy Horse's 'F##IN' UP': Where All 9 Songs Came From

Two-time GRAMMY winner and 28-time nominee Neil Young is back with 'F##IN' UP,' another album of re-recorded oldies, this time with Crazy Horse. But if that sounds like old hat, this is Young — and the script is flipped yet again.

Neil Young has never stopped writing songs, but for almost a decade, he's been stringing together old songs like paper lanterns, and observing how their hues harmonize.

2016's Earth , where live performances of ecologically themed songs were interspersed with animal and nature sounds, was certainly one of his most bizarre. 2018's Paradox , a soundtrack to said experimental film with wife/collaborator Darryl Hannah, took a similarly off-kilter tack.

He's played it straight for others. Homegrown and Chrome Dreams were recorded in the ‘70s, then shelved, and stripped for parts. Both were finally released in their original forms over the past few years; while most of the songs were familiar, it was fascinating envisioning an alternate Neil timeline where they were properly released.

Last year's Before and After — likely recorded live on a recent West Coast solo tour — was less a collection of oldies than a spyglass into his consciousness: this is how Young thinks of these decades-old songs at 78.

Now, we have F##IN' UP , recorded at a secret show in Toronto with the current version of Crazy Horse . (That's decades-long auxiliary Horseman Nils Lofgren , or recent one Micah Nelson on second guitar, with bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina from the original lineup.)

Every song's been christened an informal new title, drawn from the lyrics; the effect is of turning over a mossy rock to reveal its smooth, untouched inverse.

It's named after a fan favorite from 1990's Ragged Glory ; in fact, all of its songs stem from that back-to-the-garage reset album. Of course, that's how they relate; they're drawn from a single source. But Young being Young, it's not that simple: some of these nine songs have had a long, strange journey to F##IN' UP .

Before you see Neil and the Horse on tour across the U.S., here's the breakdown.

"City Life" ("Country Home")

The Horse bolts out of the gate with "Country Home," from Ragged Glory ; in 2002's Shakey , Young biographer Jimmy McDonough characterized it as "a tribute to the [Broken Arrow] ranch that is surely one of Young's most euphoric songs."

As McDonough points out, it dates back to the '70s, around the Zuma period. With spring sprung, another go-round of this wooly, bucolic rocker feels right on time.

"Feels Like a Railroad (River Of Pride)" ("White Line")

Like "Country Home," "White Line" also dates back to the mid-'70s — but we've gotten to hear the original version, as released on 2020's (via-1974-and-'75) Homegrown .

The original was an aching acoustic duet with the Band's Robbie Robertson ; when the Horse kicks it in the ass, it's just as powerful. (As for Homegrown , it was shelved in favor of the funereal classic Tonight's the Night .)

"Heart Of Steel" ("F##in' Up")

As with almost every Horse jam out there, the title track to F##IN' UP defies analysis. Think of a reverse car wash: the uglier and grungier the Horse renders this song, the more beautiful it is.

"Broken Circle" ("Over and Over")

Title-wise, it’s excusable if you mix this one up with "Round and Round," a round-robin deep cut from the first Neil and the Horse album, 1969's Everybody Knows This is Nowhere . Rather, this is yet another sturdy, loping rocker from Ragged Glory .

"Valley of Hearts" ("Love to Burn")

As McDonough points out in Shakey , "Love to Burn" has an acrid, accusatory edge that might slot it next to "Stupid Girl" in the pantheon of Neil's Mad At An Ex jams: "Where you takin' my kid / Why'd you ruin my life?"

But the chorus salves the burn: "You better take your chance on love / You got to let your guard down."

"She Moves Me" ("Farmer John")

The only non-Young original on F##IN' UP speaks to his lifelong inspiration from Black R&B music — a flavor OG guitarist Danny Whitten brought to the Horse, and has persisted in their sound decades after his tragic death.

Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Dewey Terry wrote "Farmer John" for their duo Don and Dewey; it dates back to Young's pre-Buffalo Springfield surf-band the Squires.

"Not much of a tune, but we made it happen," Bill Edmundson, who drummed with the band for a time, said in Shakey . "We kept that song goin' for 10 minutes. People just never wanted it to end." Sound familiar?

"Walkin' in My Place (Road of Tears)" ("Mansion on the Hill")

"Mansion on the Hill" was one of two singles from Ragged Glory ; "Over and Over" was the other.

While it's mostly just another Ragged Glory rocker with tossed-off, goofy lyrics, Young clearly felt something potent stirring within its DNA; back in the early '90s, he stripped it down for acoustic guitar on the Harvest Moon tour.

"To Follow One's Own Dream" ("Days That Used To Be")

Briefly called "Letter to Bob," "Days That Used to Be" is Dylanesque in every way — from its circular, folkloric melody to its shimmering, multidimensional lyrics.

"But possessions and concession are not often what they seem/ They drag you down and load you down in disguise of security" could be yanked straight from Blonde on Blonde .

For more of Young's thoughts on Bob Dylan , consult "Twisted Road," from his 2012 masterpiece with the Horse, Psychedelic Pill . "Poetry rolling off his tongue/ Like Hank Williams chewing bubble gum," he sings, sounding like a still-awestruck fan rather than a peer.

"A Chance On Love" ("Love and Only Love")

Possibly the most resonant song on Ragged Glory — and, by extension, F##IN' UP — "Love and Only Love" is like the final boss of the album, where Young battles hate and division with Old Black as his battleaxe.

(Also see: Psychedelic Pill 's "Walk Like a Giant," where Young violently squares up with the '60s dream.)

The 15-minute workout (which feels like Ramones brevity in Horse Time) It's a fitting end to F##IN' UP . There will be more Young soon. A lot more, his team promises. But although his output is a firehose, take it under advisement to savor every last drop.

Inside Neil Young's Before and After : Where All 13 Songs Came From

21 Albums Turning 50 In 2024: 'Diamond Dogs,' 'Jolene,' 'Natty Dread' & More

Dozens of albums were released in 1974 and, 50 years later, continue to stand the test of time. GRAMMY.com reflects on 21 records that demand another look and are guaranteed to hook first-time listeners.

Despite claims by surveyed CNN readers, 1974 was not a year marked by bad music. The Ramones played their first gig. ABBA won Eurovision with the earworm "Waterloo," which became an international hit and launched the Swedes to stardom. Those 365 days were marked by chart-topping debuts, British bangers and prog-rock dystopian masterpieces. Disenchantment, southern pride, pencil thin mustaches and tongue-in-cheek warnings to "not eat yellow snow" filled the soundwaves.  

1974 was defined by uncertainty and chaos following a prolonged period of crisis. The ongoing OPEC oil embargo and the resulting energy shortage caused skyrocketing inflation, exacerbating the national turmoil that preceded President Nixon’s resignation following the Watergate scandal. Other major events also shaped the zeitgeist: Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie , Muhammad Ali and George Foreman slugged it out for the heavyweight title at "The Rumble in the Jungle," and People Magazine published its first issue. 

Musicians reflected a general malaise. Themes of imprisonment, disillusionment and depression — delivered with sardonic wit and sarcasm — found their way on many of the records released that year. The mood reflects a few of the many reasons these artistic works still resonate.  

From reggae to rock, cosmic country to folk fused with jazz, to the introduction of a new Afro-Trinidadian music style, take a trip back 18,262 days to recall 20 albums celebrating their 50th anniversaries in 2024. 

Joni Mitchell - Court & Spark

Joni Mitchell ’s Court & Spark is often hailed as the pinnacle of her artistic career and highlights the singer/songwriter’s growing interest in jazz, backed by a who’s who of West Coast session musicians including members of the Crusaders and L.A. Express. 

As her most commercially successful record, the nine-time GRAMMY winner presents a mix of playful and somber songs. In an introspective tone, Mitchell searches for freedom from the shackles of big-city life and grapples with the complexities of love lost and found. The record went platinum — it hit No.1 on the Billboard charts in her native Canada and No. 2 in the U.S., received three GRAMMY nominations and featured a pair of hits: "Help Me" (her only career Top 10) and "Free Man in Paris," an autobiographical song about music mogul David Geffen.

Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown

In 2023 we lost legendary songwriter Gordon Lightfoot . He left behind a treasure trove of country-folk classics, several featured on his album Sundown. These songs resonated deeply with teenagers who came of age in the early to mid-1970s — many sang along in their bedrooms and learned to strum these storied songs on acoustic guitars. 

Recorded in Toronto, at Eastern Sound Studios, the album includes the only No.1 Billboard topper of the singer/songwriter’s career. The title cut, "Sundown," speaks of "a hard-loving woman, got me feeling mean" and hit No. 1 on both the pop and the adult contemporary charts. 

In Canada, the album hit No.1 on the RPM Top 100 in and stayed there for five consecutive weeks. A second single, "Carefree Highway," peaked at the tenth spot on the Billboard Hot 100, but hit No.1 on the Easy Listening charts.

Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard

Eric Clapton ’s 461 Ocean Boulevard sold more than two million copies worldwide. His second solo studio record followed a three-year absence while Clapton battled heroin addiction. The record’s title is the address where "Slowhand" stayed in the Sunshine State while recording this record at Miami’s Criteria Studios. 

A mix of blues, funk and soulful rock, only two of the 10 songs were penned by the Englishman. Clapton’s cover of Bob Marley’s "I Shot the Sheriff," was a massive hit for the 17-time GRAMMY winner and the only No.1 of his career, eclipsing the Top 10 in nine countries. In 2003, the guitar virtuoso’s version of the reggae song was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame . 

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping

No sophomore slump here. This "second helping" from these good ole boys is a serious serving of classic southern rock ‘n’ roll with cupfuls of soul. Following the commercial success of their debut the previous year, Lynyrd Skynyrd ’s second studio album featured the band’s biggest hit: "Sweet Home Alabama." 

The anthem is a celebration of Southern pride; it was written in response to two Neil Young songs ("Alabama" and "Southern Man") that critiqued the land below the Mason-Dixon line. The song was the band’s only Top 10, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Top 100. Recorded primarily at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, other songs worth a second listen here include: the swampy cover of J.J. Cale's "Call Me The Breeze," the boogie-woogie foot-stomper "Don’t Ask Me No Questions" and the country-rocker "The Ballad of Curtis Loew." 

Bad Company - Bad Company

A little bit of blues, a token ballad, and plenty of hard-edged rock, Bad Company released a dazzling self-titled debut album. The English band formed from the crumbs left behind by a few other British groups: ex-Free band members including singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, former King Crimson member bassist Boz Burrel, and guitarist Mick Ralphs from Mott the Hoople. 

Certified five-times platinum, Bad Company hit No.1 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 in the UK, where it spent 25 weeks. Recorded at Ronnie Lane’s Mobile Studio, the album was the first record released on Led Zeppelin ’s Swan Song label. Five of the eight tracks were in regular FM rotation throughout 1974; "Bad Company," "Can’t Get Enough" and "Ready for Love" remain staples of classic rock radio a half century later. 

Supertramp - Crime of the Century

"Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer …" sings Supertramp ’s lead singer Roger Hodgson on the first single from their third studio album. The infectious B-side track "Bloody Well Right," became even more popular than fan favorite, "Dreamer." 

The British rockers' dreams of stardom beyond England materialized with Crime of the Century. The album fused prog-rock with pop and hit all the right notes leading to the band’s breakthrough in several countries — a Top 5 spot in the U.S. and a No.1 spot in Canada where it stayed for more than two years and sold more than two million copies. A live version of "Dreamer," released six years later, was a Top 20 hit in the U.S. 

Big Star - Radio City

As one of the year’s first releases, the reception for this sophomore effort from American band Big Star was praised by critics despite initial lukewarm sales (which were due largely to distribution problems). Today, the riveting record by these Memphis musicians is considered a touchstone of power pop ; its melodic stylings influenced many indie rock bands in the 1980s and 1990s, including R.E.M. and the Replacements. One of Big Star’s biggest songs, "September Gurls," appears here and was later covered by The Bangles. 

In a review, American rock critic Robert Christgau, called the record "brilliant and addictive." He wrote: "The harmonies sound like the lead sheets are upside down and backwards, the guitar solos sound like screwball readymade pastiches, and the lyrics sound like love is strange, though maybe that's just the context." 

The Eagles - On the Border

The third studio record from California harmonizers, the Eagles , shows the band at a crossroads — evolving ever so slightly from acoustically-inclined country-folk to a more distinct rock ‘n’ roll sound. On the Border marks the studio debut for band member Don Felder. His contributions and influence are seen through his blistering guitar solos, especially in the chart-toppers "Already Gone" and "James Dean." 

On the Border sold two million copies, driven by the chart topping ballad "Best of My Love" — the Eagles first No.1 hit song. The irony: the song was one of only two singles Glyn Johns produced at Olympic Studios in London. Searching for that harder-edged sound, the band hired Bill Szymczyk to produce the rest of the record at the Record Plant in L.A. 

Jimmy Buffett - Livin’ and Dyin in ¾ Time & A1A

Back in 1974, 28-year-old Jimmy Buffett was just hitting his stride. Embracing the good life, Buffett released not just one, but two records that year. Don Grant produced both albums that were the final pair in what is dubbed Buffett’s "Key West phase" for the Florida island city where the artist hung his hat during these years.

The first album, Livin’ and Dyin’ in ¾ Time, was released in February and recorded at Woodland Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. It featured the ballad "Come Monday," which hit No. 30 on the Hot 100 and "Pencil Thin Mustache," a concert staple and Parrothead favorite. A1A arrived in December and hit No. 25 on the Billboard 200 charts. The most beloved songs here are "A Pirate Looks at Forty" and "Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season." 

Buffett embarked on a tour and landed some plume gigs, including opening slots for two other artists on this list: Frank Zappa and Lynyrd Skynyrd. 

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Following a successful tour of Europe and North America for their 1973 album, Selling England by the Pound , Genesis booked a three-month stay at the historic Headley Grange in Hampshire, a former workhouse. In this bucolic setting, the band led by frontman Peter Gabriel , embarked on a spiritual journey of self discovery that evolved organically through improvisational jams and lyric-writing sessions. 

This period culminated in a rock opera and English prog-rockers’s magnum opus , a double concept album that follows the surreal story of a Puerto Rican con man named Rael. Songs are rich with American imagery, purposely placed to appeal to this growing and influential fan base across the pond. 

This album marked the final Genesis record with Gabriel at the helm. The divisiveness between the lyricist, Phil Collins , Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks came to a head during tense recording sessions and led to Gabriel’s departure from the band to pursue a solo career, following a 102-date tour to promote the record. The album reached tenth spot on the UK album charts and hit 41 in the U.S. 

David Bowie - Diamond Dogs

Is Ziggy Stardust truly gone? With David Bowie , the direction of his creative muse was always a mystery, as illustrated by his diverse musical legacy. What is clear is that Bowie’s biographers agree that this self-produced album is one of his finest works. 

At the point of producing Diamond Dogs , the musical chameleon and art-rock outsider had disbanded the band Spiders from Mars and was at a crossroads. His plans for a musical based on the Ziggy character and TV adaptation of George Orwell’s "1984" both fell through. In a place of uncertainty and disenchantment, Bowie creates a new persona: Halloween Jack. The record is lyrically bleak and evokes hopelessness. It marks the final chapter in his glam-rock period — "Rebel Rebel" is the swaggering single that hints at the coming punk-rock movement. 

Bob Marley - Natty Dread

Bob Marley ’s album "Natty Dread," released first in Jamaica in October 1974 later globally in 1975, marked his first record without his Rastafari brethren in song Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer . It also introduced the back-up vocal stylings of the I Threes (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths .) 

The poet and the prophet Marley waxes on spiritual themes with songs like "So Jah Seh/Natty Dread'' and political commentary with tracks,"Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" and "Rebel Music (3 O’clock Road Block)." The album also Includes one of the reggae legend’s best-loved songs, the ballad "No Woman No Cry," which paints a picture of "government yards in Trenchtown" where Marley’s feet are his "only carriage." 

Queen - Sheer Heart Attack

The third studio album released by the British rockers, Queen , is a killer. The first single, "Killer Queen," reached No. 2 on the British charts — and was the band’s first U.S. charting single. The record also peaked at No.12 in the U.S. Billboard albums charts. 

This record shows the four-time GRAMMY nominees evolving and shifting from progressive to glam rock. The album features one of the most legendary guitar solos and riffs in modern rock by Brian May on "Brighton Rock." Clocking in at three minutes, the noodling showcases the musician’s talent via his use of multi-tracking and delays to great effect. 

Randy Newman - Good Old Boys

Most recognize seven-time GRAMMY winner Randy Newman for his work on Hollywood blockbuster scores. But, in the decade before composing and scoring movie soundtracks, the songwriter wrote and recorded several albums. Good Old Boys was Newman’s fourth studio effort and his first commercial breakthrough, peaking at No. 36 on the Billboard charts. 

The concept record, rich in sarcasm and wit, requires a focused listen to grasp the nuances of Newman’s savvy political and social commentary. The album relies on a fictitious narrator, Johnny Cutler, to aid the songwriter in exploring themes like "Rednecks" and ingrained generational racism in the South. "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)" is as relevant today as when Newman penned it as a direct letter to Richard Nixon. Malcolm Gladwell described this record as "unsettling" and a "perplexing work of music." 

Frank Zappa - Apostrophe

Rolling Stone once hailed Frank Zappa ’s Apostrophe as "truly a mother of an album." The album cover itself, featuring Zappa’s portrait, seems to challenge listeners to delve into his eccentric musical universe. Apostrophe was the sixth solo album and the 19th record of the musician’s prolific career. The album showcases Zappa’s tight and talented band, his trademark absurdist humor and what Hunter S. Thompson described as "bad craziness."  

Apostrophe was the biggest commercial success of Zappa’s career. The record peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Top 200. The A-side leads off with a four-part suite of songs that begins with "Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow" and ends with "Father Oblivion," a tale of an Eskimo named Nanook. The track "Uncle Remus," tackles systemic racism in the U.S. with dripping irony. In less than three minutes, Zappa captures what many politicians can’t even begin to explain. Musically, Apostrophe is rich in riffs from the two-time GRAMMY winner that showcases his exceptional guitar skills in the title track that features nearly six minutes of noodling.

Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel

Grievous Angel can be summed up in one word: haunting . Recorded in 1973 during substance-fueled summer sessions in Hollywood, the album was released posthumously after Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose at 26. Grievous Angel featured only two new songs that Parsons’ penned hastily in the studio "In My Hour of Darkness" and "Return of the Grievous Angel." 

This final work by the cosmic cowboy comprises nine songs that have since come to define Parson’s short-lived legacy to the Americana canon. The angelic voice of Emmylou Harris looms large — the 13-time GRAMMY winner sings harmony and backup vocals throughout. Other guests include: guitarists James Burton and Bernie Leadon, along with Linda Ronstadt ’s vocals on "In My Hour of Darkness." 

Neil Young - On The Beach

On the Beach , along with Tonight’s the Night (recorded in 1973, but not released until 1975) rank as Neil Young ’s darkest records. Gone are the sunny sounds of Harvest, replaced with the singer/songwriter’s bleak and mellow meditations on being alone and alienated. 

"Ambulance Blues" is the centerpiece. The nine-minute track takes listeners on a journey back to Young’s "old folkie days" when the "Riverboat was rockin’ in the rain '' referencing lament and pining for time and things lost. The heaviness and gloom are palpable throughout the album, with the beach serving as an extended metaphor for Young’s malaise. 

Dolly Parton - Jolene

Imagine writing not just one, but two iconic classics in the same day. That’s exactly what Dolly Parton did with two tracks featured on this album. The first is the titular song, "Jolene," recorded  at RCA Studio B in Nashville. The song has been covered by more than a dozen artists. 

Released as the first single the previous fall, "Jolene," rocketed to No.1 on the U.S. country charts and garnered the 10-time GRAMMY winner her first Top 10 in the U.K. The song was nominated for a GRAMMY in 1975 and again in 1976 for Best Country Vocal Performance. However, it didn’t take home the golden gramophone until 2017, when a cover by the Pentatonix featuring Parton won a GRAMMY for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. 

Also included on this album is "I Will Always Love You," a song that Whitney Houston famously covered in 1992 for the soundtrack of the romantic thriller, The Bodyguard , earning Parton significant royalties. 

Barry White - Can’t Get Enough

The distinctive bass-baritone of two-time GRAMMY winner Barry White , is unmistakable. The singer/songwriter's sensual, deep vocal delivery is as loved today as it was then. On this record, White is backed by the 40-member strong Love Unlimited Orchestra, one of the best-selling artists of all-time. 

White wrote "Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," about his wife during a sleepless night. This song is still played everywhere — from bedrooms to bar rooms, even 50 years on. In the U.S., the record hit the top of the R&B pop charts and No.1 on the Billboard 200. Although the album features only seven songs, two of them, including "You’re the First, the Last, My Everything" reached the top spot on the R&B charts. 

Lord Shorty - Endless Vibrations

Lord Shorty , born Garfield Blackman, is considered the godfather and inventor of soca music . This Trindadian musician revolutionized his nation’s Calypso rhythms, creating a vibrant up-tempo style that became synonymous with their world-renowned Carnival. 

Fusing Indian percussion instrumentation with well-established African calypso rhythms, Lord Shorty created what he originally dubbed "sokah," meaning, "calypso soul." The term soca, as it’s known today, emerged because of a journalist’s altered writing of the word, which stuck. The success of this crossover hit made waves across North America and made the island vibrations more accessible outside the island nation. 

Artists Who Are Going On Tour In 2024: The Rolling Stones, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo & More

Photos: Baeth; Jeff Hahne/Getty Images; Elena Di Vincenzo Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images; Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage; courtesy of KQ Entertainment; Dan Monick; Manny Carabel/WireImage; Prince Williams/WireImage

15 Must-Hear Albums This December: ATEEZ, Nicki Minaj, Neil Young & More

Just in time to soundtrack your festivities and welcome in an inspiring new year, press play on these 15 releases from Peter Gabriel, Tate McRae, Alicia Keys and others.

December is a time for rejoicing and reflecting. How did this year go? And what will come next? As we look back on the meteoric 2023 and start planning for 2024, there’s a sundry of new music to usher in this journey.

This month, artists like Alicia Keys and the Killers will celebrate 20-year anniversaries with The Diary Of Alicia Keys 20 and Rebel Diamonds , respectively. Others will bring forth much-awaited sequels, like Nicki Minaj ’s Pink Friday 2 and Chief Keef’s Almighty So 2 . Adding to that, live performances by Pink and Khruangbin will get immortalized, while rising star Tate McRae will release her sophomore effort, Think Later , and Dove Cameron will debut Alchemical: Vol. 1 .

Below is a guide to all the must-hear releases of December 2023, just in time to soundtrack your festivities and welcome in an inspiring new year. Read on for big releases from ATEEZ, Peter Gabriel , Neil Young , and more.

Dove Cameron - Alchemical: Vol. 1

Release date: Dec. 1

Following Dove Cameron's viral, platinum-certified 2022 hit "Boyfriend," expectations were high for the artist's first studio album. The singer and actress will release Alchemical: Vol. 1 at the top of the month.

"I wrote Volume 1 during a period of deep healing and space to process that I had never given myself. I hope you feel yourself in these songs as much as I do. Part 1: tear down. Part 2: rebuild," the singer shared on Instagram , teasing Vol. 2 of the collection (release date yet to be announced).

A follow-up to Cameron’s 2019 debut EP Bloodshot / Waste , Vol. 1 features eight tracks. Aside from "Boyfriend," she has revealed singles "Breakfast," "Lethal Woman," and "Sand," building up a sultry sound and an alluring mystique that prompt her as one to watch.

Dillon Francis - This Mixtape Is Fire TOO

Eight years after This Mixtape Is Fire , Dillon Francis' latest "turned out better than I could have ever imagined," the DJ and producer shared on Instagram about his forthcoming album, This Mixtape Is Fire TOO .

"The whole goal of this album was to make amazing songs with artists I love and respect," he added. The 14-track record features several 2022 singles, such as "Free" with Alesso and Clementine Douglas, "LA On Acid" with Good Times Ahead, "Pretty People" with INJI, "Don't Let Me Let Go" with Illenium and Evan Giia and "buttons!" with Knock2.

Aside from collaborating with some of dance music’s biggest names, Francis seems intent on having fun. His latest single, "I’m My Only Friend" with Arden Jones, demonstrates that by pairing up his characteristic high-octane beats with an amusing music video featuring actor Billy Zane in an impromptu road trip adventure.

ATEEZ - THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL

K-pop’s favorite pirates ATEEZ are getting ready to release their second Korean full album: THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL. The record will conclude the trilogy that began with EPs The World EP.1: Movement and The World EP.2: Outlaw .

With a slew of teaser pictures and a mysterious black-and-white trailer , the eight-member boy band continues to further their lore and leave fans eager to decipher their next chapters. In addition, a tracklist and an instrumental preview of the album’s upcoming 12 songs, including title track "Crazy Form," were revealed, promising exciting twists to their thunderous beats.

EP.FIN: WILL also brings a surprise in its unit and solo songs, all with lyrics co-written by the members: Jongho brings his powerful vocals to "Everything," "Youth" is a duet by Mingi and Yunho, "It’s You" is performed by Yeosang, San, and Wooyoung, and "MATZ" is the long-awaited collaboration between the band’s two eldest members, Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

Khruangbin - Live at Sydney Opera House

After a yearlong series of live albums in partnership with other artists ( Toro y Moi , Men I Trust, Nubia Garcya and others), Khruangbin will close out 2023 with the upcoming Live at Sydney Opera House — this time on their own.

The double LP was recorded in November 2022, and compiles their three-night residency at one of Australia’s most prestigious venues. With the announcement, the Texas trio also shared a new version of their 2015 hit, "People Everywhere (Shifting Sands Remix)."

The setlist also includes classics like "So We Won’t Forget," "A Calf Born in Winter" and "Friday Morning," attesting to the band’s expertise in highlighting the best of their career while giving tracks a fresh, unexpected spin.

Alicia Keys - The Diary Of Alicia Keys 20

The end-of-year celebrations will start early for Alicia Keys and her fans. On Dec. 1, the 15-time GRAMMY winner will release a special version of her multiplatinum sophomore album, The Diary of Alicia Keys , in order to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The 2023 LP will feature 24 tracks, including nine bonus songs including the previously unreleased "Golden Child." Keys also uprezzed four music videos from that era on YouTube: "Karma," "You Don’t Know My Name," "If I Ain’t Got You" and the live version of "Diary" with Tony! Toni! Toné! and Jermaine Paul .

To make the milestone even more special, Keys will perform the full album in an intimate, one-night-only concert at New York’s Webster Hall on the day of release. A portion of the earnings will be donated to the nonprofit organization she co-founded in 2003, Keep a Child Alive.

Peter Gabriel - i/o

During every full moon this year, Peter Gabriel unveiled a new track off his upcoming studio album, i/o . It was a clever way to compensate fans for a lengthy wait. i/o is Gabriel’s first LP of new and original content since 2002’s Up , and has been in the works for almost three decades.

"I’m very happy to see all these new songs back together on the good ship i/o and ready for their journey out into the world," the British singer said in a press release. With 12 tracks "of grace, gravity and great beauty," the album tackles themes like the passage of time, grief and injustice, but never gives up on hope. Each track comes in three versions: the Bright-Side Mix by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, the Dark-Side Mix by Tchad Blake, and the In-Side Mix by Hans-Martin Buff.

Gabriel also spent a good part of 2023 on the i/o Tour across Europe and North America. Attendees were lucky to witness the album played in full and some of the singer’s biggest hits, as well as the unreleased track "What Lies Ahead."

Atmosphere - Talk Talk EP

From "Talk Talk (feat. Bat Flower)," a track off Atmosphere’s May album So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously , comes Talk Talk EP . According to a press release, the Minneapolis duo was so captivated by that song’s "vaguely alien and deeply human" sounds that they had to develop it into a ten-track deep dive.

In the album, rapper Slug and DJ/producer Ant "dart across threads of space-time" and become "titans of the electro-rap that was foundational to their youths," citing names like Kraftwerk and Egyptian Lover as inspirations. The press release also mentions that Talk Talk EP is a testament to rap’s connection to electronic music of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

That statement rings true, for instance, in the two singles they have released so far, aside from "Talk Talk": the sparkly "Rotary Telephone," and the haunting album closer, "Traveling Forever."

Pink - Trustfall Tour Deluxe Edition

Following the smashing success of her ninth studio album, February’s Trustfall , and of her back-to-back Summer Carnival stadium tour and Trustfall arena tour this year, pop giant Pink will wrap it all up with the release of Trustfall Tour Deluxe Edition on Dec. 1.

The special record features six live recordings (from Summer Carnival), including "Cover Me in Sunshine" with her daughter Willow Sage Hart, as well as covers of Sade ’s "No Ordinary Love" and Sinead O’Connor ’s "Nothing Compares 2 U," with Brandi Carlile . It also includes July’s protest song "Irrelevant" and two new singles: "Dreaming" with Marshmello and Sting and "All Out of Fight."

As the unstoppable artist that she is, Pink has already announced a slew of 2024 Summer Carnival tour dates for Oceania in February and March, and the U.K. and Europe throughout June and July.

Tate McRae - Think Later

Release date: Dec. 8

"Here’s to 20 years old and figuring who the f[—] i am," celebrated rising sensation Tate McRae wrote on Instagram . Writing her sophomore album, Think Later , was "one of the most stressful, exciting, nerve racking, and fun things I’ve ever gone through. For the first time in my life I lived this year a little less with my head and a little more with my intuition — and I [really] hope [you] guys can feel that through the music," she added.

Produced by Ryan Tedder , the album dives into "the all-too-relatable feelings of falling in love and embracing the raw emotions that you experience as a result of leading with your intuition and heart," according to a press release. It is preceded by singles "Greedy" — of recent TikTok fame — and "Exes."

The Canadian singer has also announced an eponymous tour in support of the new album. McRae will visit Europe and North America from April to August 2024, bringing it to a close in Oceania throughout November.

Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday 2

After several postponements, rap superstar Nicki Minaj is celebrating her birthday by bringing Pink Friday 2 to the world. The much-expected release marks Minaj’s first studio album since 2018’s Queen .

The album is a sequel to her acclaimed debut, 2010’s Pink Friday , and is supported by two singles, "Super Freaky Girl" and "Last Time I Saw You." During an Instagram Live on Oct. 24, as reported by People , Minaj shared that "this entire album will be the biggest gift I have ever given humanity thus far. I can stand by that. I will bet any amount of money that Pink Friday 2 , the album, is going to make people fall in love immediately."

The Trinidadian American icon recently announced a 2024 tour in North America and Europe. Exact dates are yet to be announced, but the commotion was such that Minaj’s fandom, Barbz, crashed her website upon hearing the news.

The Killers - Rebel Diamonds

It’s been almost 20 years since the Killers burst into the rock scene with their 2004 debut Hot Fuss . To honor that achievement, the Las Vegas band will release Rebel Diamonds , a compilation of 20 hits encompassing all their seven LPs, plus new track "Spirit."

In the tracklist, fans will be able to take a trip down memory lane with singles like "Mr. Brightside," "When You Were Young," and "Human," among other classics. "See, it’s been said that what’s remembered, lives," frontman Brandon Flowers said in a trailer for the album . "And we’ve racked up stadiums full of memories the past 20 years, enough to fill lifetimes." 

Flowers continued: "It sounds a bit like Bowie. Or is it Brando? Or maybe it's somewhere in between? It always is with us. And to our legion of victims, thank you, thank you, thank you. And do not fear. There is more mining to be done." The Killers released another best of in 2013, Direct Hits .

Neil Young - Before and After

"Songs from my life, recently recorded, create a music montage with no beginnings or endings." That’s how folk legend Neil Young described his upcoming 45th studio album, Before and After , in a press statement.

The record spans a collection of 13 solo acoustic re-recordings among Young’s favorites in his catalog. The statement adds that "each of the songs blend and create one continuous flow, clocking in at a 48-minute pure and intimate listening experience," with Young summarizing it as an experience where "the feeling is captured, not in pieces, but as a whole piece — designed to be listened to that way."

Young also co-produced and co-mixed the record, which includes the previously-unreleased track "If You Got Love," among classics such as 1966’s "Burned," 1970’s "Birds" and 1994’s "A Dream That Can Last." Before and After is the latest in a series of archival releases by Young, arriving just a few months after "lost" album Chrome Dreams . 

Car Seat Headrest - Faces From the Masquerade

In March 2022, indie band Car Seat Headrest was playing a three-night residency at New York’s Brooklyn Steel. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they asked the audience to mask up, but also to "accoutre yourself in whatever further costumery you please" for an evening of "music, dancing, and identity loss," according to a press release.

The result of that experience is Faces From the Masquerade , CSH’s upcoming double album that will bring the magic of those nights to the world. "The 2022 Masquerade was a crazy tour that ignited with a particular ferocity once we touched ground on the east coast," said vocalist Will Toledo in a statement. "Our time in New York captures that momentary magic where we’re playing at our peak and the crowd is responding as one giant body."

Faces From the Masquerade features 14 of the band’s best tracks as rearranged, revamped live versions — for example, "Deadlines" went through adjustments "to turn it into the climactic dance monster it always wanted to be," added Toledo. The record has been described as "simultaneously a joyride through the greatest hits and a conversation with the devoted and ever-growing following that has formed around the band, their songs and live communions."

Michael Nau - Accompany

Multihyphenate Michael Nau has been building an extensive indie discography since the mid-’00s, both as the frontman of bands Cotton Jones and Page France and as a soloist. Next month, he will add on to that by releasing his fifth studio album, Accompany .

The album came to be when producer Adrien Olsen (the Killers, Lucy Dacus ) invited Nau to record at his Richmond, Virginia studio. "I didn’t have much of a plan before Adrien reached out, so I wrote some songs specifically for the session," Nau explained in a release. "It had been a while since I’d made music in a room with other people. We just sort of started playing and didn’t really talk about what was happening."

The record's 11 tracks "come together to paint a beautiful picture" with imaginative lyrics that manage to be "introspective, but vague and open-ended. Nau recently announced tour dates across the U.S. from February to April 2024.

Chief Keef - Almighty So 2

Release date: Dec. 15

Rumors about Almighty So 2 , the sequel to Chief Keef’s revered 2013 mixtape of the same name, have been going on since 2018. The Chicago drill pioneer went as far as teasing the cover art on Instagram in 2019 — only to spend years without further updates. In any case, it seems like the wait is finally over: Almighty So 2 is scheduled to drop on Dec. 15.

In the beginning of November, Keef shared two new cover arts for the album on Instagram, under the caption "2 real soon." While there’s no further info, the album will feature 17 tracks, including 2022 singles "Tony Montana Flow" and "Racks Stuffed Inna Couch," according to Apple Music .

Almighty So 2 is Chief Keef’s fifth studio album, arriving after 2021’s 4NEM . Recently, the rapper was featured on the track "All The Parties" off Drake ’s latest album, For All The Dogs . This collaboration increased speculations about a possible Drake feature on Keef’s album as well — the latter commented "Don’t forget them vocals, crody" on Drake’s Instagram back in August.

20 Iconic Hip-Hop Style Moments: From Run-D.M.C. To Runways

Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images

Inside The Alternate Universe Of Neil Young's 'Chrome Dreams'

Neil Young's 'Chrome Dreams' was shelved in 1977; nine of its 12 tunes made it to ensuing albums. How would its release have altered Young's creative arc?

In the mid-2000s, Neil Young dropped an artifact at fans' doorsteps that was strange even by his standards. It was a new album, Chrome Dreams II — a sequel to that titular album from 1977. The wrinkle? That album didn't exist.

Well, not officially. While perplexed consumers wondered if they'd been unwitting recipients of the Mandela Effect , Chrome Dreams was a known quantity to the heads.

As Jimmy McDonough explained in his 2002 biography of Young, Shakey , Chrome Dreams was an acetate — a proposal of what his next album could be. It even had a cover: a sketch by producer David Briggs of the front end of a '55 Chrysler, blending into a woman's face.

But Chrome Dreams wasn't to be; what the public got was 1977's rowdy, eclectic American Stars 'n Bars . Despite containing the classic "Like a Hurricane" among other luminous deep cuts like "Star of Bethlehem," American Stars 'n Bars feels more like a mixtape than a proper album. McDonough himself called it a "haphazard snapshot."

As part of a deluge of archival releases, Chrome Dreams is finally available in its original form as of Aug. 11. Despite being shelved, most of Chrome Dreams ' 12 tunes made it to the public, in one form or another; many of them became bona fide Young classics.

Five tracks destined for   Chrome Dreams   made it on   American Stars 'n Bars , including "Star of Bethlehem" and "Homegrown." "Pocahontas," "Sedan Delivery" and "Powderfinger" appeared on   Rust Never Sleeps   two years later. A handful of others   would surface on various albums, culminating with "Stringman" on 1993's   Unplugged .

Now that   Chrome Dreams II   has a   I , a tantalizing question arises: if this album came out as planned, how would Young's discography be fundamentally altered? In some instances, it wouldn't be too far gone. In others, everything would change.

From   Homegrown   to   Hitchhiker   to   Toast   — from 1975, 1976 and 2000-2001, respectively — Young's long-shelved, recently revealed albums have proven to be inextricably linked to the ones we all know.

As such, they provide fascinating windows into his creative process — as well as what-ifs to puzzle over. Here's a guide to every song on   Chrome Dreams , and how Young's discography would change if they were initially released in this form.

"Pocahontas"

We've heard this non-overdubbed "Pocahontas" before.

In 2017, Young released the stunning   Hitchhiker , a document of a single session in 1976, when Young terminated a tour with   Stephen Stills , celebrating the 10th anniversary of their band Buffalo Springfield.

Under a full moon, he holed up in Briggs' Malibu studio with various intoxicants, and ran through some recent songs, alone and unadorned. Despite the bracing intimacy of this setting, Reprise executives shrugged it off as a collection of demos.

If "Pocahontas" had been released on   Chrome Dreams , could it still have appeared on   Rust Never Sleeps , perhaps in a different format? Unlikely, as that was an album of new material; a tune from just two years prior would have been a sore thumb.

A   Rust Never Sleeps   without "Pocahontas" would be one with a crucial chunk missing; it's one of the most evocative songs he ever penned, bar none. And it's difficult to think of a potential replacement on its level.

"Will to Love"

The inclusion of "Will to Love" on   American Stars 'n Bars   accentuates that album's aggressively piecemeal vibe.

There's no analog for "Will to Love" anywhere in his catalog. A seven-minute ballad recorded in front of Young's crackling fireplace, the lo-fi oddity recounts the journey of a trout upstream as a cosmic metaphor. (Critics remain divided; some believe it's one of his most majestic songs, others dismiss it as an indulgent mess.)

On   Chrome Dreams , "Will to Love" fits a bit more snugly amid the acoustic material; on   American Stars 'n Bars , it's an ugly duckling.

Without five   Chrome Dreams   tunes on it — three of them the most substantial on the album —   American Stars 'n Bars could have succeeded, and perhaps been more consistent, as an album of barroom-ready ragers.

"Star of Bethlehem"

"Star of Bethlehem" was slated for a previously shelved album:   Homegrown   — recorded in 1974 and 1975, unreleased until 2020.

Because that album didn't see the light of day, the inclusion of "Star of Bethlehem" on   Chrome Dreams   — and on his 1977 compilation album   Decade   — would arguably leave its history unaltered.

"Like a Hurricane"

Whether this Young classic was released on   Chrome Dreams   or another '70s album would be beside the point.

The legacy of this majestic rocker isn't its inclusion on   American Stars 'n Bars , but its windswept majesty — especially live. (Its versatility, too; the solo rendition on   Unplugged , performed on pump organ, is unforgettable.)

"Too Far Gone"

On   Freedom , Young's late-'80s comeback album addressing Reagan-era urban decay, "Too Far Gone" is a throwback; he'd originally recorded it in 1975, with   Crazy Horse   guitarist   Frank "Poncho" Sampedro   on mandolin.

The song, about the fallout from a chemical-fueled tryst, fit   Freedom   like a glove; it works perfectly along seedy yarns like "Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero Part I)."   Freedom   could have been basically intact without it, but its messaging would lose a personal edge.

"Hold Back the Tears"

Fitting with the rest of side A, the version of "Hold Back the Tears" on American Stars 'n Bars has a lovesick, rootsy quality, deepened by Linda Ronstadt and Nicolette Larson on backing vocals.

On Chrome Dreams , it's starker and more eye-to-eye — just Young alone, harmonizing with himself, a little keyboard and percussion filling out the soundfield.

Both versions are terrific, but if this demo-like take was the released version — without Ronstadt and Larson behind him to really sell it — something would be missing.

"Homegrown"

In any form, "Homegrown" is a mirthful, stoned trifle; paradoxically, it would have served as the title track to one of Young's most revealing and personal albums.

​The   Chrome Dreams   version — the one with Crazy Horse — is the one available for decades on   American Stars 'n Bars ; whichever album it appeared on would be irrelevant to its legacy. 

That said, the version initially slated to appear on   Homegrown   is a wonder — on that later take, Young's backed by Tim Drummond of the Stray Gators, go-to lap slide guitarist   Ben Keith , and Karl Himmel, who frequently backed Young throughout the decade.

Where the Horse version of "Homegrown" is a goofy romp, the later version is slippery and strange, befitting an ode to marijuana; if   that   one had come out, it may have stuck in the craw more.

"Captain Kennedy"

The version of "Captain Kennedy" on   Hawks and Doves   is the same one on   Hitchhiker and Chrome Dreams   — they all come from that single, stony session with Briggs.

Excised from the lumpy and politically contradictory   Hawks and Doves , it would be a pleasing enigma — Young's crack at a faux-traditional folk ballad, inspired by the   real-life mariner   Lou Kenedy.

On that 1980 album, though, it takes on shades of patriotism and nationalism, especially near tunes like the proletariat anthem "Comin' Apart at Every Nail."

In that jingoistic context, the uninitiated listener might even think it's not a seaman's ballad at all, but an extended metaphor for a certain doomed president.

"Stringman"

One of the primary revelations of Chrome Dreams is a studio version of "Stringman," one of Young's most emotionally incisive songs.

He wrote it for producer and Stray Gators pianist Jack Nitzsche, who was undergoing an agonizing divorce. Young takes a birds-eye view of the trauma, examining the trauma through metaphorical lenses: a sergeant laying down his weapons, sun-kissed lovers rendered as smut.

On Unplugged , with years under his belt, Young delivers with maximum pathos and gravitas.

But if this earlier version had been in fans' ears, it could only have enriched "Stringman"; it'd be a clinic in how a song can develop an emotional patina with age.

"Sedan Delivery"

Fitting for an album that begins with an evocation of   Johnny Rotten ,   Rust Never Sleeps   is charged with a flippant, punky energy for its latter half.

Accordingly, the version of "Sedan Delivery" out since 1979 is   far   more uptempo than the one on   Chrome Dreams . As such, it tends to blur into the sonic violence of its lovably lunkheaded neighbor, "Welfare Mothers."

This more natural tempo and execution suits "Sedan Delivery," and allows space to absorb its harebrained lyrical images; if the world knew it like this, perhaps it'd be more than a race to the end of   Rust Never Sleep s.

"Powderfinger"

Is "Powderfinger" more powerful as an acoustic or electric song?

Most fans regard the latter with something like religious awe; it's the ultimate marriage of Young's penetrating songwriting with the string-popping frenzy he demonstrates with the Horse.

But there's a case that the solo version on   Chrome Dreams   and   Hitchhiker   has just as much impact, just from a different angle.

The Young classic's about a young man attempting to protect his family from an approaching gunboat; when the arrangement can breathe, the story takes on weight and dynamism.

Indeed, when the shot rings out, and the protagonist's "face splashe[s] in the sky," Young's hushed delivery renders the image that much more darkly unforgettable.

Maybe the answer to the above question is a toss-up. But the acoustic version "Powderfinger" provides a crucial side-window into this magnificent song.

"Look Out for My Love"

The hypnotic fan favorite "Look Out for My Love" has a way of getting under your skin; it's an unquestionable highlight of 1978's Comes a Time , and does a mesmerizing job as the closer to Chrome Dreams .

"Look Out for My Love" is exquisite by its own merits; the only difference would have been that Comes a Time would lose a pendulum-like classic.

If the world knew and loved Chrome Dreams , the point of Chrome Dreams II would have clicked immediately — its acoustic-electric yin-yang is spiritually in dialogue with these songs.

But that's Young — if he didn't work in mysterious ways, we'd all want our money back.

In a way, his younger self is his primary collaborator these days; he's on a mission to preserve fleeting visions and headspaces of yore. And in return, his fans have a will to love.

Songbook: Inside Neil Young's Latest Decade And Change, From Americana & Psychedelic Pill To Barn & World Record

• 1 Inside Neil Young's 'Before And After': Where All 13 Songs Came From
• 2 Inside Neil Young & Crazy Horse's 'F##IN' UP': Where All 9 Songs Came From
• 3 21 Albums Turning 50 In 2024: 'Diamond Dogs,' 'Jolene,' 'Natty Dread' & More
• 4 15 Must-Hear Albums This December: ATEEZ, Nicki Minaj, Neil Young & More
• 5 Inside The Alternate Universe Of Neil Young's 'Chrome Dreams'

[Gig Review] Australian Rock Collective – Let It Be 50th Anniversary Tour

Australian Rock Collective (ARC) review by Beth Heath All photos by Tina Smith

The Beatles’ album, Let It Be , began as a TV documentary in January 1969. The project resulted in the single Get Back , released in April 1969. However, the associated album was shelved for over a year, eventually being released in May 1970, after the group’s break-up.

The fascination with the Beatles’ final album was recently reignited following the release of the Peter Jackson documentary, Get Back .

Australian Rock Collective finally shine on

After being postponed for three separate reschedules over two years as a result of the pandemic lockdowns, the Australian Rock Collective (ARC) was finally able to tour its tribute to Neil Young’s Harvest and The Beatles Let It Be during April and May.

ARC are no strangers to playing for mass audiences with members comprised of Australian music royalty, being Darren Middleton (Powderfinger), Mark Wilson (Jet), Kram (Spiderbait) and Davey Lane (You Am I). On this tour, they are joined by James Fleming and Brett Wolfenden.

Regarding touring in the time of COVID, Darren Middleton reflected:

“Taking on this tour and the previous one ( Harvest ) was always both daunting and exciting for us. These are albums that we know well and love and therefore, extra care needed to be taken in bringing them to life.

“In this climate… there are two reasons for us to be bloody thrilled to have achieved what we set out to do… Firstly, we nailed it!!! Secondly, we managed to complete all shows with everyone staying well!”

The Setlist – Part 1

Another full house is onboard to witness the last show of the Australian Rock Collective tour (my seventh but who’s counting) at the Albury Entertainment Centre on 31 May. From the opening it’s clear the band are in a buoyant mood, as are the crowd.

They start proceedings with Two of Us , with the four band members harmonising superbly. The ARC Let It Be 50th Anniversary tour has landed and we are eager to hear more. They show us each of the songs on the album, authentically recreating its studio banter.

On Across The Universe Davey Lane emulates John Lennon’s spellbinding masterpiece while Darren Middleton creates a transcendental experience with guitar effects. Kram displays an interesting mix of power and fragility for the hymn-like Let It Be which sees Middleton and Fleming on keyboards. Kram starts his vocals from the front of stage before returning to his usual vantage point at the drums.

The crowd sings every word before watching as Lane, Wilson and Wolfenden present Maggie May , described in authentic Liverpudlian accent as the “silly minute” of the record.

The Setlist – Part 2

I’ve Got a Feeling brings the Australian Rock Collective band members back together on stage and features some fine air drumming by Kram along to his own front of stage vocals. The song also gives opportunity for the two lead guitarists Middleton and Lane to come together from the opposite sides of the stage.

Although every song is a highlight, The Long and Winding Road is especially so. Middleton steps almost out of the spotlight to tell us how the song evokes a childhood memory of driving to school in his father’s car as it played on AM radio. He then launches into the song unaccompanied.

He follows with the sweet and lovely For You Blue which features fabulous blues slide guitar from Lane. ARC add Don’t Let Me Down to their set, a nod to the importance of The Beatles’ rooftop appearance which ultimately became the last ever live performance together.

After a rousing version of Get Back , again accompanied by the enthusiastic audience, the Australian Rock Collective leave the stage to a standing ovation, marking the end of the first set.

Intermission + The Setlist – Part 3

Intermission gives time for catching up with fellow patrons. It’s a real indication of ARC’s winning formula that there are multitudes of new as well as returning and repeat customers.

The second set is made up of songs from each of the Beatles solo careers. Master of ceremonies, Kram, calls each of his band members forward in turn as, song by song, Middleton ( Junk , All Things Must Pass , Imagine ), Lane in a resplendent white suit ( Mind Games , Nobody Told Me There’d Be Days Like These , Handle With Care ) and Kram ( Maybe I’m Amazed , Mother , Working Class Hero ) perform lead vocal.

Special highlights include McCartney’s Band On The Run , and a song that we hear influenced the formation of Wilson’s band name Jet. George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and Handle With Care are touchingly performed, and Ringo Starr’s Photograph is heartwarming.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, John Lennon’s classic Imagine (1971) provides an electrifying moment. The stage lights dim. While the unmistakable first notes begin, Middleton takes three steps back from the centre microphone. You see him take a breath and gaze out over the audience. ‘Imagine there’s no heaven’… Gosh – something so beautiful could bring me to tears. It seems a tragedy to not ever experience this exact moment again.

After the song, Kram reflects:

“That’s about the hardest song you can possibly do, and Darren has nailed it every night. He gives his heart and soul to one of the greatest songs ever written”.

More! MORE!!

The Australian Rock Collective takes a bow for curtain call to a second standing ovation and depart. The audience are having none of this, demanding a return for a final encore.

After the hauntingly beautiful McCartney song Venus and Mars the stage lights fall and Middleton, strumming an acoustic guitar, makes a dramatic entrance to the familiar sounds of Mull of Kintyre . He recreates the bagpipe solo using harmonica. The effect draws me to the land my family emigrated from post-WW1. It makes me think of auld acquaintances that will ‘ne’er be forgot’.

The audience members raise their mobile phones on high to create an ocean of crystal lights. They frame the stage and the performers during the mass sing along. A final highlight sees Lane with wireless microphone in hand take Instant Karma out into the audience. Afterward, the third and final standing ovation of the night washes over the venue.

Where To Now?

The house lights are switched on. Stage hands commence dismantling the set. With the words ‘…nights where we sang like a heavenly choir…’ and ‘we all shine on…’ still reverberating around the theatre, road cases are wheeled in, drum kits dismantled, guitars safely stowed and cables wound.

This is the music industry in action getting back on its feet following the impacts of the pandemic. Thanks Oysters, Chello, David, Nick, Steve, Paul. Steel guitar player (Harvest Live tour) and guitar tech Rick Steward is away for the final show on the Let It Be tour having gone to America with Midnight Oil. I tip my hat to you all.

Middleton hints that there are further 50 th year anniversary tribute plans afoot for ARC. Wherever they play, ARC is guaranteed to please. Until next time… and there will be a next time.

Final opportunity to see the Let It Be tour in Sydney (September 2022).

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Inside Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s New LP ‘World Record’: ‘The Rock Gods Were With Us’

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

A little over six months ago, Neil Young reached out to the three members of Crazy Horse and told them he was ready to cut a new LP. They recorded their last two albums (2019’s Colorado and 2021’s Barn ) at remote studios in Colorado where they occasionally had to use oxygen tanks to deal with the high altitude, but this time around he wanted to head to Malibu, California, so they could work with Rick Rubin at his beachfront studio, Shangri-La.

Young’s history with Crazy Horse goes all the way back to 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere , but they were just one of several bands he juggled over the past five decades. He kept them on the sidelines for much of the 2000s and 2010s, only calling them in for 2003’s Greendale and the twin 2012 releases Americana and Psychedelic Pill. But ever since guitarist Frank “Poncho” Sampedro retired in 2018 and was replaced by Nils Lofgren , they’ve been his sole studio band. World Record marks the first time in Young’s career that he’s used Crazy Horse for three consecutive studio albums.

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The songs for World Record started coming together not long after Barn came out in December 2021. “Neil reached out to us and was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got two or three songs,'” says Lofgren. “‘When I get a batch, we’ll record again. Maybe in the summer.'”

But the tunes came faster than Young expected, and he asked them in late April of this year if getting together on May 1 — just one day after a full moon — was possible. “I went, ‘May 1?’ recalls Lofgren. “‘That’s not summer. That’s a week and a half away!'”

Fortunately, Bruce Springsteen’s decision to bump his tour with the E Street Band from 2022 to 2023 meant that Lofgren had a wide-open calendar. He originally planned on driving to Malibu with his wife Amy, since he hates flying in the age of Covid, and his accordion is very difficult to ship. But just a few days before they planned on leaving, the Lofgrens watched the Showtime docuseries Shangri-La about Rubin’s longtime studio.

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Prior to the sessions, Young sent Lofgren and Talbot rudimentary demos he’d recorded at home on the piano. He often had little more than a chorus and a single verse. “That’s all Billy and I needed,” says Lofgren. “It allowed us to make some chord charts, have an idea where the tunes were headed, and not show up completely in the dark.”

Molina was sent nothing in advance since Young wanted the drummer to just feel the songs out in the moment without any forethought. All the tracks were tracked live to tape, even Young’s vocals. “We didn’t play any of the songs over and over,” says Talbot. “We’d usually just do them once or twice.”

Young is credited as a co-producer alongside Rubin, but nobody doubted who was calling the shots. “The idea of using a producer means turning over control,” says Lofgren. “That’s not something in Neil’s nature. He used Rick as a guide. It was never like, ‘You’ve got to do it this way.’ That’s just not going to work with Neil, and Rick knows that. But he would sometimes say things like, ‘Why don’t you try that one on acoustic guitar?’ or ‘Try going down a different road on this one.’ At times, it allowed Neil to show up and just be a singer and guitar player.”

“Rick is a real music fan,” adds Talbot. “He likes authentic things, things that happen naturally. He was really good for us.”

The album begins with Lofgren telling Young, “We caught something there,” and Young agreeing: “We caught a feeling.” They then kick into “Love Earth.” As the title suggests, it’s a love song to the planet that dreams of a pollution-free world. “The sky was blue and all the air so clean,” Young sings. “The water crystal clear/We lived by the sun and had it all/We were living the dream.”

The energy picks up on the feedback-drenched “Break the Chain” and cools down on the nostalgic “The Long Day Before,” before kicking back into high gear on the 15-minute album closer “Chevrolet” — a guitar-driven tune that would have fit seamlessly onto the guitar-heavy records from Crazy Horse’s past. It’s about memories triggered inside Young upon seeing an old Chevrolet. “New mama said we have a baby on the way,” Young sings, seemingly referencing his relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress in the Seventies and their son Zeke. “Soon enough we lost all contact/We were young and foolish/That’s all behind us now.”

“That song was a journey,” says Lofgren. “We just kept playing and playing. We’d hit things where Neil would go off, and then I’d do a counterpoint. It sounded like we’d been driving through a rough town, and then we got to a highway where we’d be cruising. It was a whole new level for the band, and it just felt great.”

It’s the kind of song that would sound incredible on a concert stage, but Young hasn’t played a single show since Farm Aid in September 2019. It’s the longest break of his career by a wide margin. He’s hinted that he’s open to the idea of concerts in 2023, but the E Street Band will keep Lofgren busy for the whole year, and possibly into 2024.

He continues: “Bruce started booking shows and selling tickets for a tour next year. And then this Neil album happened and all this other stuff. I can’t get them to let me make the schedule. They’re two great tours. I get to do one of them. Champaign problems.”

Young has floated the idea in the past that Micah Nelson might sub in for Lofgren on a Crazy Horse tour. “That’s been mentioned,” says Lofgren. “I’ve seen Promise of the Real play with Neil, and they’re fabulous. But look, I just made this great record. I think it’s the best of the last three with Neil and Crazy Horse. It bums me out talking about being replaced for a tour.”

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In the meantime, Lofgren is trying to come to terms with the idea of missing out on a possible Crazy Horse tour. “It’s such a drag, man,” he says. “It’s frustrating. But you know what? One day at a time. I’m doing what Neil and I often talk about, living in the possibility of now. I also just need to be philosophical about it. What am I going to do? I’m in two great bands.”

In this band, Lofgren is the baby at age 71. Young is 77, and both Molina and Talbot are 79. “We’re no spring chickens,” says Talbot. “We’ve sprung. We’ve got to put down the real thing. There’s nothing left to do but that.”

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Neil Young Returning From Illness For Farm Aid Performance

He’ll be joined by willie nelson, john mellencamp, and dave matthews along with mavis staples, and more..

Neil Young performing in 2019.

Gus Stewart/Redferns/Getty

A month after   cancelling all concert dates  due to an unspecific illness,  Neil Young  will be returning to the concert stage as part of  Farm Aid  at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Sept. 21. He’ll be joined by his fellow Farm Aid board members  Willie Nelson , John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews along with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson with The Travelin’ McCourys, Charley Crockett, Joy Oladokun, Southern Avenue, Cassandra Lewis, and Jesse Welles.

“We’re energized to be back in New York,” Farm Aid Founder and President Willie Nelson said in a statement. “The farmers here have always found ways to innovate and contribute to their communities, even as they deal with uncertainties, extreme weather and policies that favor corporations over people. Farmers need us to stand with them as they work to grow our future.”

The 2013 incarnation of Farm Aid also took place at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. On that night, Pete Seeger performed in public for one of the last times, just five months before he died. “At age 94, I don’t have much voice left,” he told the crowd, before playing “If I Had a Hammer” on the banjo. “But here’s a song I think you know. If you sing it, we’ll make a good sound.”

Young has played every Farm Aid since the original back in 1985 with the exception of the 2021 and 2022 incarnations, which he sat out due to Covid-19 concerns. “My soul tells me it would be wrong to risk having anyone die because they wanted to hear music and be with friends,”  he wrote to fans in 2021.  “Do what you must, but think it through. We will be back. There is much work to do together.”

He returned to the touring in June 2023, and he appeared at Farm Aid on Sept. 23 in Noblesville, Indiana for an abbreviated solo acoustic set. Young launched a North American tour with Crazy Horse, but it was called off after just 15 shows. “We will try to play some of the dates we miss as time passes when we are ready to rock again!” they wrote to disappointed fans. “We know many of you made travel plans and we apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding and patience. Health is #1. We want to stay and do more shows and more albums for you… and for us.”

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Neil Young performed in concert for around 6,000 fans who packed the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday night, July 10, 2023, the seventh stop on the singer-songwriter’s  15-date all-outdoor all-acoustic solo “Coastal Tour” up and down the West Coast.

This reporter, who’s been following the artist’s musical career since 1967 , also attended the tour’s second sold-out show, on Saturday night, July 1, at The Ford, a more intimate 1,200-seat amphitheater in Hollywood’s Cahuenga Pass a few miles from the Greek.

Young’s first musical road trip since 2019 sold out almost immediately. For fans of a certain age, his tour is the event of the season.

Setting the Stages: Neil’s Outdoor Home Studio

On both nights, a lot of love from the audience warmed the nighttime cool, and the 77-year-old returned it from the stage. Young’s presence easily filled both outdoor amphitheaters. His unmistakable voice was leathery but still plaintive when it counted as he seamlessly weaved together songs spanning 1966 to 2022.

He did have a little help from his trusty Martin acoustic, Old Black the Gibson Les Paul, his Gretsch White Falcon, thrashed upright, rescued grand, funky pump organ, and maybe even the psychedelic baby grand we never saw him play, either at The Ford or the Greek.

No stacks of Marshalls, just four or five tweedy old Fender amps, a Harley-Davidson-branded foot switch panel behind Young’s mike/mic at center stage, a stump as a side table for his harmonicas, and a bar stool to sit on if desired. Behind the amps, a wood-burning stove stuffed with potted plants added to the living room/barn/back porch ambiance. The scene blended beautifully with The Ford’s natural hillside backdrop.

There’s no bad seat at The Ford, where my wife Nadine and I were last-minute guests of our TV events producer friend Jim Piccirillo and his lovely wife Brenda. Young had opened the tour there the previous night and early reviews were raves; anticipation grew on Night No. 2 as the audience filled the amphitheater. The natural and man-made visuals before us were stunning, and once the show got started with Chris Pierce (see more about him later in this recap), we thought the sound quality was very good from our center-aisle seats in Row P.

As otherwise unconnected, budget-conscious civilians these days, Nadine and I had bought our own seats for the Greek weeks earlier. The cheapest in the house – all the way in the back. If we’d been any farther back, we’d have been Tree People. We couldn’t see anything on the stage worth a s**t, but the sound was surprisingly good way up there just left of center. The big video screens on either side of the stage remained dark during his set.

But since Young’s show doesn’t involve pyrotechnics, dancing girls, or stage diving, and we know what he looks like already, good sound was our primary concern. We figured fans up close who paid hundreds for their tickets would post some good video we could watch later, which proved partially true, as you’ll see below (don’t get me started on amateurs shooting in portrait mode).

At both venues, only a handful of people around us were younger than 65. Lots of gray hair and wrinkles. Time has been merciless. But nobody was smoking weed. At the Greek, which would have been blanketed in a cannabis haze in the old days, we did notice numerous people vaping instead.

Neil Young Sets at The Ford & Greek Theatre

Young’s Greek set stuck very close to the 17-song set we’d seen July 1 at The Ford, mostly deep tracks with just a few hits. On July 10, he performed 18 songs, dropping one and adding two: He followed “Mr. Soul” by adding “Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)” then followed “Ohio” by dropping “Days That Used to Be” and adding “Comes a Time,” a delightful surprise.

Young was in good spirits at both shows, interacting smart-aleck-y with the cheekier fans up front at the Greek when they shouted out random song titles.

Affable and self-deprecating, he shared stories and asides as he fumbled his way through numerous harmonica changes, or wandered from one instrumental setup to another for the next song like he was puttering around in his home studio.

At The Ford, he said he’d been hesitant to go back out on the road after the pandemic (he last toured in 2019) and asked his pal and Farm Aid co-conspirator Willie Nelson for advice. Willie said he was hesitant to get back out on the road again too. Eventually, he decided to just play outdoor gigs. “So I’m staying outdoors,” Young said.

At the Greek, Young intro’d “Burned” from Buffalo Springfield’s first album saying it was from his first-ever recording session in Hollywood, at a studio “just down the street, not far from here, in 1966,” and “On the Way Home” as something he wrote for Springfield’s third album, “Last Time Around” (in 1968, as he was on the way out the door), and that he always enjoys playing it for people. (Clips below from The Ford sound good; sorry not landscape.)

On his “Coastal Tour,” Young is playing “If You Got Love” onstage for the first time since 1986; also making its live debut is “A Dream That Can Last,” from 1994’s “Sleeps with Angels” album with Crazy Horse, the source of “My Heart” and “Prime of Life” as well.

Young strapped on Old Black for “Throw Your Hatred Down,” another “Mirror Ball” track stripped down to its bare essentials and underscoring the evening’s message.

Young felt completely at ease but was also careful not to disrespect his audience. There was lots of unscripted humor, often because he screwed something up:

Among the many similarly humorous moments at the Greek, Young recalled Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played their first gig there ( August 31, 1969 ). He paused a beat.

“They’re not here,” he deadpanned, and everyone cracked up.

He also said nice things about his buddy Stephen Stills, recalling how Stephen had bought new Martins for all the Buffalo Springfield guys. Young said he wrote a lotta songs on his. He was playing the same guitar at both shows, along with his beloved black and white electrics.

At one point Young bitched good-naturedly to his undoubtedly stressed-out guitar tech because a guitar wasn’t tuned correctly. Then to his patient, tolerant audience: “I gotta get this right for you guys, you deserve it! You’re a real professional audience.” More laughs.

“When I Hold You in My Arms” appeared in a NY set for the first time since Farm Aid in 2001 with Crazy Horse, but more intimately in a solo setting. “Mr. Soul,” a blazing-guitars classic from Buffalo Springfield’s epic second album, “Again” (1967),  sounded otherworldly as performed on the pump organ with harmonica, like something broadcast from a mossy swamp on Mars.

“Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)” comes from the “Ragged Glory” album with Crazy Horse (1990) and revisits his message of love and respect for the planet.

“Ohio” is the angry anthem Young wrote and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded in the immediate aftermath of National Guardsmen killing four unarmed students at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. The dead were among a large group of people on the campus protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia during the darkest years of the Vietnam War.

The nostalgic “Days That Used to Be” from “Ragged Glory” with Crazy Horse (1990) followed “Ohio” at The Ford; at the Greek, it was “Comes a Time,” the title song of Young’s acclaimed 1978 album.

“Don’t Forget Love” was the live debut of a track he recorded with Crazy Horse for “Barn” (2021). He closed both concerts with “Heart of Gold” from “Harvest” (1972). Half a century after he wrote this, yeah, we’re growing really old. Some of us have found a heart of gold, some haven’t. But we’ve all been miners and keep on searching.

He closed both concerts with “Heart of Gold” from “Harvest” (1972); after 51 years, we’re growing old, for sure; some of us have found a heart of gold, and some are still searching.

After standing ovations and calls for more, Young returned for a two-song encore, starting with “Love Earth” from “World Record” with Crazy Horse (2022), urging us to do so, even turning it into a sing-along of the title (the Ford audience seemed more enthusiastic).

His final song, on a 12-string acoustic, was a cover of “Four Strong Winds,” which he’d recorded for “Comes a Time,” as a nod to its recently departed writer, fellow Canadian Ian Tyson. Young intro’d the song at the Greek by saying he’d first heard it as an Ian & Sylvia single on a jukebox. He played the record over and over again until he learned the song.

“Cost me a lotta quarters,” he quipped.

Long May Neil Run

Both nights felt like a journey with Neil Young through his past, present, and future. We know he was really referring to a car in “Long May You Run,” but allow me to extrapolate and extend that sentiment to Young. We’ve been fortunate to ride shotgun with him on this wild road trip on the human highway for going on six decades now. May his motel of lost companions always await with heated pool and bar.

Neil Young ‘Coastal Tour’ dates (as of 7/14/23)

* Friday, June 30 – Los Angeles – The Ford * Saturday, July 1 – Los Angeles – The Ford * Monday, July 3 – Los Angeles – The Ford * Wednesday, July 5 – Los Angeles – The Ford * Friday, July 7 – Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara Bowl * Saturday, July 8 – Paso Robles – Vina Robles Amphitheatre * Mon, July 10 – Los Angeles – The Greek Theatre * Tuesday, July 11 – San Diego – The Shell * Thursday, July 13 – Los Angeles – The Greek Theatre * Saturday, July 15 – Berkeley – The Greek * Monday, July 17 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater * Tuesday, July 18 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater * Thursday, July 20 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre * Sunday, July 23 – Napa – Oxbow RiverStage * Monday, July 24 – Lake Tahoe, NV – Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s

Neil Young Opener Chris Pierce Earns Rousing Response

Chris Pierce, a seasoned acoustic guitar-playing singer-songwriter from Pasadena with a remarkable vocal range and powerful, thought-provoking songs about the effects of racism and oppression, was an excellent choice to open Young’s summer 2023 Coastal Tour.

Pierce engaged his audiences early at both the Ford and the Greek. He commanded more attention than usually afforded an opening act, particularly impressive at the 5,900-seat Greek, where the audience hushed to listen soon after the first song.

Along the way, Pierce shared his appreciation of the opportunity at hand and a little personal and family background, including his loss of hearing in one ear and partial deafness in the other due to a childhood illness. If he hadn’t told us, we’d never have known.

Pierce, a large man with a booming, sometimes soaring voice, sang with a power reminiscent of Big Joe Turner as he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar, performing a  handful of original songs in a contemporary folk-blues-Americana style.

Highlights included “Chain Gang Fourth of July,” about unjust imprisonment in the land of the free; and “The Bridge to John,” a tribute to the late civil rights icon John Lewis, both songs from Pierce’s “American Silence” album (2021).

The most powerful moments for this reviewer came in Price’s spoken intro, and the dramatic music and lyrics of “Tulsa Town.” A ballad in 3/4 time from Pierce’s forthcoming “Let All Who Will” album ( due in September ) flashes back to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921, when white racists massacred hundreds of Black residents in Tulsa’s then-thriving Greenwood district, burning more than 1,250 homes and wiping out Black businesses. Pierce’s performance of the song at the Greek, just one day after a judge in Oklahoma had killed a lawsuit filed on behalf of Tulsa massacre survivors for reparations, was especially bittersweet.

At the end of his sets at both venues, Pierce and his mighty pipes deservedly received standing ovations from many in the audience.

Catch up with Pierce’s remarkable story and watch official videos of those songs and more on his website .

Random Personal Notes You Can Skip

This piece started as a six- or seven-sentence Facebook post that grew until I had to move it here.

On the way into the Greek, about 6:30 p.m., we had to park in a clearing way up a hillside covered with shady California oaks, and spotted a coyote in the next parking lot, about 20 yards away. A parking attendant much closer had to chase off the confused canine just as other cars rolled into the clearing, encroaching on its natural habitat in the Hollywood Hills.

After the concert, I ate an absolutely disgusting, unhealthy, and delicious street hot dog covered with grilled onions, purchased from one of the dozens of street vendors we walked by on the way back to the car. We also bought a bootleg jersey from another of the dozens of roaming street vendors (we’d bought an official cap and t-shirt at the Ford and a set of the three Coastal posters at the Greek before that, not to mention tickets, so don’t judge us).

FWIW, like most of the folks at the Greek, it seemed, I’m an OG Neil Young fan. My story is hardly unique, I know.

The short version: As a 15-year-old in early 1967, I bought (what I later learned was the second pressing of) Buffalo Springfield’s debut album, after “For What It’s Worth” was a hit in Miami (Top 5) and across the country.

Stephen Stills’ powerful statement resonated with me as a rebellious adolescent who was also politically aware and soon to be draft bait. Beyond “FWIW,” though, I discovered Young’s “Clancy,” “Burned,” “Do I Have to Come Right Out and Say It,” and “Out of My Mind.” On the second BS album, “Again,” “Mr. Soul” and his adventurous work with Jack Nitzsche and members of the Wrecking Crew on “Expecting to Fly” and “Broken Arrow” sealed it for me.

In the summer of ’68, when my family moved to L.A., I was crushed to learn Buffalo Springfield had played its last gig just weeks before we arrived.

“Last Time Around” was one of three albums I bought in one day that summer (The Doors’ “Waiting for the Sun” and Moody Blues’ “In Search of the Lost Chord” were the others).

Neil’s solo stuff had me from the first notes of “Emperor of Wyoming” later that year and with Crazy Horse from “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” in ’69.

He was living in Topanga then; I was six years younger and orbiting in a completely different universe as a high school senior a few miles and cultural light years away in Canoga Park, down in the San Fernando Valley, playing his records. I spent a lot of time in the canyon, hitchhiking to the beach, maybe stopping at the shopping center or the Old Post Office midway for a bite, or hiking all day down in the creek.

But Neil Young and I never crossed paths back then, or in my 45 years in the biz in L.A., as it’s turned out, though we had a few mutual friends .

Over the decades, I’ve seen Young with CSNY, with the Stills-Young Band (1975 review adjacent), and with Crazy Horse, but the Ford and Greek shows are the only times I’ve seen him solo.

While the Greek scene was not quite as intimate for us as the Ford, where tears of joyful nostalgia rolled down my cheeks during “OTWH” and “Heart of Gold,” Young got pretty close considering the Greek is a several times larger cap venue. We were happy to just be in the house, and experience again some of the magic we felt at The Ford.

Stephen K. Peeples  is a Grammy-nominated multi-media writer-producer and award- winning radio/record-industry veteran  raised in Miami and Los Angeles  by career newspaper journalists and music lovers . Based in Santa Clarita, just north of L.A., Peeples wrapped a 45-year media career in 2021 to work on book projects and the occasional post. See the “Stephen K. Peeples” page on his website . You’ll find more original stories and exclusive interviews posted there and on his YouTube channel.

Article: Neil Young Goes ‘Coastal’ at The Ford, Greek Theatre in L.A. Category: News and Reviews Author:  Stephen K. Peeples Article Source:  stephenkpeeples.com

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• House Blend

On Thursday night, magic happened in Tennesseee.

Singer-songwriter Neil Young and rock band Crazy Horse came together to perform their hits over a two-hour show at FirstBank Amphitheater on their first tour together in a decade.

The 2024 "Love Earth Tour" features the now 78-year-old singer alongside the Los Angeles rock band yet again.

Canadian singer-songwriter Young, best known for songs "Heart of Gold," "Harvest Moon" and "Old Man," released the album "Fu##in' Up" with Crazy Horse on April 25, featuring nine rock 'n' roll tracks. The two have released 15 studio albums together.

Young and Crazy Horse kicked off their brief 16-stop tour on April 24 in San Diego and will continue with upcoming stops in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and more.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Thursday's concert in Franklin was originally slated for Wednesday evening, but was postponed by a day due to  inclement weather .

But Thursday night brought the calm after the storm; the evening was serene.

Neil Young returns to Spotify after 2-year hiatus following Joe Rogan controversy

After opener Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping , a musical performance art experience that draws from religion, Young hit the stage.

The set-up featured a backdrop with a galloping horse and giant speaker cabinets and road cases, the same ones Young took on the road with him for his "Rust Never Sleeps" tour in 1978.

Young appeared in a striped cap, a denim work shirt that featured paint splatters and a Spartan Truck Equipment patch, black pants, black shoes and of course, his guitar, Old Black .

He mentioned the venue's beauty multiple times — a stage nestled in the woods of Graystone Quarry in Thompson’s Station.

"How you doin out there? Nice to see you," Young said to the Franklin crowd.

"What a beautiful place. You guys are very lucky to have this place."

Alongside Young was the band, comprised of 80-year-old Billy Talbot on bass and 80-year-old Ralph Molina on drums. They also have a new member, Micah Nelson on guitar.

Nelson, Willie Nelson 's 33-year-old son, took over for the band's previous guitarist Nils Lofgren earlier this year.

Throughout the show, Neil Young and the band played a 17-song set, full with jam sessions and occasional harmonies. Young was energized and playful, captivating the crowd with his trademark nasally, emotional voice.

The set list was mostly comprised of older hits, like 1969's "Cinnamon Girl" and 1972's "Heart of Gold."

The band didn't play any songs from their recent album; the most recent song was 1996's "Scattered (Let's Think About Livin')." Nelson's big moment came during the tune; he traded his guitar to play a swinging keyboard that descended from the ceiling.

Young's guitar playing—both electric and acoustic—was adept and agile. Though Young shared in January he has been playing guitar with arthritis in his hand for years, audience members wouldn't have guessed.

He played the blues on song "Vampire Blues," hitting guitar licks with a precision like Stevie Ray Vaughan's. He also performed drawn-out, warping guitar solos on songs like "Like a Hurricane" and "Powderfinger."

Between songs, Young would hand his guitar off to his techs (who all wore white lab coats), but was audibly uncomfortable until he had a guitar in his arms yet again.

The night's concert walked the line between a Young that leaned into classic, grunge rock 'n' roll with Crazy Horse and a Young that gently cooed with Crosby, Stills & Nash in '69, strumming an acoustic.

Young pulled off the balancing act.

Here are some of the top moments from the night.

Neil Young opens with 'Cortez the Killer,' sings newly released verse

On a purple-lit stage, Neil Young and Crazy Horse kicked off the show with the 1975 song "Cortez the Killer."

The first lyrics from Young brought cheers from the audience as he sang, "He came dancing across the water / With his galleons and guns."

Young surprised fans at the first concert of the tour by singing unreleased lyrics to the song, ones he said did not record due to a power outage on the recording console in 1975.

Young found the lyric manuscript, he said in an interview mid-April this year.

The verse was lost for nearly 50 years. Young sang the verse again in Franklin.

“I floated on the water / I ate that ocean wave / Two weeks after the slaughter/ I was living in a cave / They came too late to get me / But there’s no one here to set me free / From this rocky grave / To that snowed-out ocean wave.”

Neil Young calls on local non-profits to support his eco-friendly mission

Neil Young has been vocal about his environmental efforts throughout his career .

In 1985, Young helped establish the annual Farm Aid concerts . In 2022, he released album "World Record," an album that focuses on climate change. Later that year, Young said he refused to play venues that are supported by factory farms .

The environmentalism was felt at his Franklin show.

Upon entering the concert, fans saw a series of tents and tables from local environmental organizations all hand picked by Young, including Tennessee Local Food . The organizations attended the concert and chatted with fans about their missions.

Young calls it the "LOVE EARTH Village."

At different stops on the tour, hundreds of non-profits working for sustainability and social equity will join to chat about issues like organic farming, wildlife protection, Native American rights and climate change solutions.

According to a venue employee, Young also changed the menu for the venue's offerings on Thursday, opting for more eco-friendly options (Coke products were nowhere to be seen).

On a handout at the venue, Young wrote, "Support your friends, support your land, and support the people that want to care for the land.

"The revolution starts with us. The revolution starts with you."

Neil Young goes acoustic mid-show, takes stage alone

At one point, Young took an empty stage, traded Old Black for an acoustic, and donned the harmonica around his neck.

He sang songs, "Comes a Time," "Heart of Gold" and "Human Highway" onstage alone, leaning into his folk singer-songwriter roots.

Despite the occasional hoot or holler in the audience, a hush crept over the amphitheater as Young sang, played plucky guitar and showcased his harmonica skills between verses.

It was a gentler, softer and more intimate side to the evening.

"Heart of Gold" stood out among the acoustic section.

Young sang his biggest hit: "Keep me searching / For a heart of gold / I've been a miner / For a heart of gold."

An encore and...another encore

Before the encore, Young ended his set with song "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," leaving the audience with the classic and singing, "Hey hey, my my / Rock and roll can never die."

And it didn't die just then, Young and the band returned to the stage to play "Roll Another Number (For the Road)" as their encore.

After the song finished, the audience didn't stop cheering. Young and company came back to deliver a second encore, this time three songs long.

For encore two, they performed "Danger Bird," "Don't Cry No Tears" and "Sedan Delivery," ending the night on a grungy rock 'n' roll note that included pink lights and plenty of reverb.

Afterwards, the band and Young gathered arm-in-arm in a single spotlight and gave their final bow.

Neil Young's Set List

• Cortez the Killer
• Cinnamon Girl
• Scattered (Let's Think About Livin')
• Like a Hurricane
• Vampire Blues
• The Losing End (When You're On)
• Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
• Powderfinger
• Love and Only Love
• Comes a Time
• Heart of Gold
• Human Highway
• Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
• Encore: Roll Another Number (For the Road)
• Encore II: Danger Bird, Don't Cry No Tears, Sedan Delivery

For more information on Neil Young's tour, head to  neilyoungarchives.com .