Neil Young: Live At Massey Hall 1971 CD Track Listing

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Neil Young Live At Massey Hall 1971 (1971)
Live At Massey Hall 1971\n\nOriginally Released March 13, 2007 \n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: The second volume of Neil Young's long-promised, suddenly thriving Archives series is Live at Massey Hall, preserving a 1971 acoustic show at the Toronto venue. Where the first volume captured a portion of Neil's past that wasn't particularly well documented on record -- namely, the rampaging original Crazy Horse lineup in its 1970 prime -- this second installment may seem to cover familiar ground, at least to the outside observer who may assume that any solo acoustic Young must sound the same. That, of course, is not the case with an artist as mercurial and willful as Young, who was inarguably on a roll in 1971, coming off successes with Crazy Horse, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and his second solo record, 1970's After the Gold Rush. The concert chronicled on Live at Massey Hall finds Neil dipping into these recent successes for material, as he also airs material that would shortly find a home on 1972's Harvest in addition to playing songs that wouldn't surface until later in the decade -- "Journey Through the Past" and "Love in Mind" wound up on 1973's Time Fades Away, "See the Sky About to Rain" showed up on 1974's On the Beach -- and then there's two songs that never showed up on an official Neil Young album: the stomping hoedown "Dance Dance Dance," which he gave to Crazy Horse, and "Bad Fog of Loneliness," which gets its first release here. This is a remarkably rich set of songs, touching on nearly every aspect of Young's personality, whether it's his sweetness, his sensitivity, his loneliness, or even his often-neglected sense of fun. True, the latter only appears on "Dance Dance Dance," but that comes as a welcome contrast to the stark sadness of "See the Sky About to Rain." But even if "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" retain their intense sense of menace when stripped of the winding guitar workouts of Crazy Horse, this concert isn't dominated by melancholy: it's a warm, giving affair, built upon lovely readings of "Helpless," "Tell Me Why," "Old Man," and an early incarnation of "A Man Needs a Maid" (here played as a medley with "Heart of Gold") that removes the bombast of the Harvest arrangement, revealing the fragile, sweet song that lies underneath. While this concert isn't as freewheeling and rich as Young's studio albums of the early '70s -- each record had a distinctive character different from its predecessor, thanks in part to producer David Briggs, arranger/pianist Jack Nitzsche, and Young's supporting musicians, including Crazy Horse or the Stray Gators -- it nevertheless captures the essence of Neil Young the singer and songwriter at his artistic peak. That's the reason why this concert has been a legendary bootleg for nearly four decades and why its release 36 years after its recording is so special: it may not add an additional narrative to Neil Young's history, but it adds detail, color, and texture to a familiar chapter of his career, rendering it fresh once more. No wonder Briggs wanted to release this concert as an album between After the Gold Rush and Harvest: it not only holds its own against those classics, it enhances them. [Live at Massey Hall was also released as a two-disc set that contained a CD of the show and a DVD containing the same concert in high fidelity audio.] -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\n"I'm gonna sing mostly new songs tonight," Neil Young tells the rapt Massey Hall audience, "...I've written so many new ones that I can't think of anything else to do with them other than sing 'em." He steps to the mic unadorned, distant from CSNY's rippled harmonies or Crazy Horse's yowl, hypnotically nailing 17 tracks on this unreleased 1971 solo set. You hear him tower at vocal heights on the chorus for "Old Man" (then a debuted, brand-new song) and name-check Canada on "Journey to the Past" and North Ontario on "Helpless," much to the Toronto crowd's delight. The sound is impeccable, and the closeness to Young in this spare setting exhilarates--especially his vocal quavering in the high registers, his intricate guitar work, and an overall vibe that exceeds description. And the DVD: Here you catch Young in tightly framed, starkly-lit shots, flourishing in the early years of an unparalleled rock career. Not only that, you get commentary from 1997, a rare window on how Young thinks, how he speaks, his humor. --Andrew Bartlett \n\nAmazon.com Product Description\nOne of the greatest singer-songwriters of the rock era. Solo. Acoustic. January 19, 1971. Live At Massey Hall, the legendary concert from Neil Young, is finally officially released, and in highresolution stereo, in this CD+DVD package (also as a solo CD). The acclaimed Toronto performance features classics "Old Man" and, in a suite, "A Man Needs A Maid" and "Heart Of Gold" (before they were recorded for Harvest) along with some of his most popular songs ("Cowgirl In The Sand," "Ohio") as well as the most obscure ("Bad Fog Of Loneliness"). Live At Massey Hall is a newly mined rock gem. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nJourney Through the Past!, March 22, 2007\nReviewer: M. Jantz or Celeste (Milwaukee)\nPlenty of people have already asserted the greatness of this record. Here's a unique point in Neil's career to look back on. Some of the tunes were still works in progress, as is evidence by tracks like the "A Man Needs a Maid/Heart of Gold Suite", where he sings 'A man feels afriad' in the first verse. It's also interesting to hear the song "See the Sky About to Rain" so many years before it's appearance on "On the Beach". Neil's voice is young and fresh; he sounds as good here as he does on any studio recording. \n\nAs for sound quality, this is (in my opinion) the best sound quality I've heard on a live Neil record. The audience is polite and the microphones are very well-placed. The guitar and piano sounds great (as do the vocals). \n\nI couldn't have asked for a better variety of songs either...unless he were to do a complete performance of "After the Goldrush" or "Harvest." This album has a nice mix of strong tracks from those two as well as some stuff from his earlier records, not to mention a song or two from his time spent with Crosby, Stills and Nash. The performance of "Helpless" is pretty amazing. \n\nThis is definitely my favorite Neil Young live record to date...I can't wait for what's next!\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nHoly Grail, March 19, 2007\nReviewer: S. M. Higgins (Atlanta, GA United States)\nThis archive release is absolutely remarkable. The sound quality alone is extremely impressive for a 1971 show but considering the quality of the setlist and how well the songs were performed, Massey Hall 1971 is one of the most amazing things ever released by Neil. \n\nNOW, add the fact that you also get a wonderfully produced DVD with live footage of the show plus home movies from the time period and you really do have a tremendous gem. \n\nIn regards to the set list, I'm thrilled to have a 'Bad Fog of Loneliness' which is gorgeous at this show (and very rare elsewhere) but for me the big surprise is the 'There's a World'. I never really cared for the way the song was presented on Harvest but here in it's stark naked beauty with just Neil's flawless, unwaivering voice and lovely piano, it's bound to choke you up with tears every time. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSimply wonderful., March 19, 2007\nReviewer: Andrew Pruette "Rancors Love to Read" (Winston-Salem, NC USA)\nNeil Young has been tantalizing his fans with the release of the Archives project for going on two decades now, starting with the concept of "Decade II" in the 80's. Here we are in 2007 and the time for this glorious unearthing of the treasures in Neil's catalog has finally arrived. Neil will be releasing various live shows under the Performance Series banner, as well as multiple CD/DVD box sets spanning his entire career, both studio and live. \n\nMassey Hall is the second release in the Performance Series (despite its cryptic label of Disc 03). Neil reduces things to their absolute minimum at this gig. Neil's voice, his guitar, and his piano are the sole instruments for the seventeen tracks - his harmonica is nowhere to be found. There are no real guitar solos or significant instrumental breaks. \n\nThe effect this has is to bring to the forefront Neil's uniquely powerful voice and his emotion-laden lyrics. He sounds wonderful on this release, and the stripped-down presentation truly makes his songs shine. Like the CSNY live album "4-Way Street," we start off with a lilting version of the Buffalo Springfield song "On the Way Home." Neil intersperses a few other classics in the setlist, such as "Down by the River," "Don't Let It Bring You Down," and a powerfully emotional "Cowgirl in the Sand." \n\nHowever, this was not a nostalgia show. Ten of the songs were brand-new at the time and had not yet been recorded. To their credit, Neil's audience rolls right along with the unfamiliar new material, granting it a respectful silence and enthusiastic applause at the end of each new number (with the exception of the Canada name-check in "Journey through the Past," which of course gets a response, seeing as how Massey Hall is a Canadian venue). At this point, the famed "Heart of Gold" was almost a throwaway middle section in "A Man Needs A Maid." It's cool to hear Neil start his most famous/notorious song so casually, and the absolute lack of audience response is fun. \n\nThe DVD that comes with this version of Massey Hall is terrific. The video footage is dated, but it is undeniably powerful seeing the youthful Neil overcoming the back brace he was forced to wear on this tour and delivering such an incredible set. The disc also contains a wealth of historical information and supplemental video content. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\none acoustic guitar and a thin voice--astounding, March 17, 2007\nReviewer: Bertrand Stclair "clearsaint" (new york, new york United States)\ni've seen neil live, acoustic, solo, in new york around the time "silver and gold" came out, and he was absolutely amazing, after all the years between that performance and the one on this CD/DVD. frankly - and you don't have to share this opinion - i get a little bored with "folky" soloists who strum quietly for over an hour, even if i am a fan of the artist's studio effort. but neil is unique: he doesn't merely "strum:" his peculiar syncopated guitar playing has such a powerful "traction" to it that he gives you a sense of forward motion and the need for foot-tapping even with the softest songs. a good example are the perennial cowgirl in the sand and down by the river, which have a totally different quality acoustically than they do electrically - but are just as gripping emotionally . i already own most of these performances on a very good bootleg, but the sound here is pristine: you get something like studio quality with the warmth of neil playing in his living room. for any other artist, if i owned as many versions of his songs as i do of neil's, i'd say this is absolutely not necessary - but i am more than happy to own this, and i think you will be too. the unreleased "bad fog of loneliness" is not a highlight, the rest is impeccable. \nthis is not a very detailed review because i see that others are already pouring in and doing a good job - no need for redundancy; my five stars speak for themselves, and there must be very few humans on this planet who don't already know these songs. \na quick mention in response to one reviewer's comment: "time fades away" DOES exist on cd - i own it, and i see that amazon had it at some point, although it is not available now. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA Journey through the Past, March 16, 2007\nReviewer: James S. Bistodeau "Bluematter" (Westcliffe, Colorado USA)\nI knew that this would be good after the excellent reproduction of the Crazy horse show at the Fillmore. I wasn't disappointed at all-the sound quality is excellent and the selection was a Journey through the Past of Neil in his most intimate setting back in Canada. Songs found only previously on "Time Fades Away" are presented here with real emotion and clarity along with stellar renditions of "A man needs a Maid/Heart of Gold" and "Old Man" (especially liked the Video images on the DVD of the ranch) "Helpless" is presented to the folks of Ontario with real heartfelt emotion. "Dance,Dance,Dance" from the original Crazy Horse LP is presented at the end of the show with the Audience lending a hand. "Bad Fog of Loneliness" is a selection that I had never heard before so was a rare treat. Neil closes and opens his show with two chestnuts from his days with the Buffalo Springfield which is fitting since this entire show reminds us, as Dan Fogelberg would later pen, of the Age of the innocent.The inner sleave tells of a huge project that Neil is releasing later this year coveringthe 1963-1972 period-I can't wait. Bravo on releasing these Gems to your fans Neil. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAnother piece of the Neil puzzle., March 15, 2007\nReviewer: Michael Kusch "The Collector" (Waukesha, Wi USA)\nI've been totally immersed in Neil for a few months now. Mainly "On The Beach" and "Tonight's The Night". So when I read this was coming out I was more than excited, I actually tried to take the day off of work to run out, buy it, and listen to it. What's amazing is that Neil already has such history, we all have our favorite albums, we all have our opinions on "Harvest", and now "Massey Hall" changes everything. It should immediately jump into the pantheon of his best albums, no matter which ones are your favorites. Also, no matter what you think of "Harvest", love it or hate it this gives a new perspective on the album. If you've read "Shakey" like I am now you already know a lot of the details of his recording process during this time. But the songs here and the things Neil says between songs give us greater insight into "Harvest" and what he was thinking at the time. You realize that the songs would have been just as good as they're presented here. You realize that the songs only sound the way they do on "Harvest" basically just by happenstance. He happened to be going to Nashville to do the 'Johnny Cash Show" so he hooked up with some musicians there, and we was going to England to do a BBC show and added the London Symphony Orchestra. The sound quality is of course incredible. You can hear the echo in the Hall, Neil's voice reverberating beautifully throughout the place, you can feel Neil hitting those steel strings of his acoustic guitar with all his might on the rising chorus of "Old Man". The DVD is wonderful too. If you're a huge Neil fan like me any footage audio or visual from this era is incredible. Some have complained the concert footage is grainy and that the camera work is shaky, to me it's basically a documentary of the concert. It's interesting too to see the actual old man from "Old Man" as well. Any fan of good music should buy this immediately. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nHometown Hero, March 14, 2007\nReviewer: Joseph Fierro Jr. "cultual observer" (Northern NJ USA)\nNeil Young's Live at Massey Hall is an instant classic, and the best live album of his long career-easily surpassing 1979's Live Rust. With the entire place at his command-early on he informs what is essentially a hometown crowd that he will be playing mostly new music(to applause!)-Young runs through some the most affecting songs he'd written to that point; indeed , several from Harvest wouldn't be released for over a year, including an embryonic piano version of Heart of Gold as part of a medley with A Man Needs a Maid. Looking at it from our vantage point 36(!) years on, Live at Massey Hall seems like a "greatest hits live" collection, putting us in the position of observing the 1971 crowd hearing music for the very first time that we already know is classic Neil Young. What I'm trying to say is that not only does the audience appreciate the new songs, they enthusiastically applaud songs-such as Cowgirl in the Sand, Helpless, and the songs from the (then current) After the Goldrush that were relatively new at that time as though they were already part of the classic rock canon. Which, I suppose they were. Live at Massey Hall, 1971 can be enjoyed on so many levels. Long time die hard fans, Harvest-era casual fans, and younger fans seeking a quick introduction to the genius of Neil Young can all benefit from this excellent collection.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nExcellent Show, and a Nice Companion Set to the Fillmore Disc!, March 13, 2007\nReviewer: Matthew D. Frawley (Boston, MA)\nWhen the Neil and Crazy Horse at the Fillmore disc came out, many lamented that it omitted Neil's opening acoustic set. Albeit not from the same shows, here we have almost 70 minutes of unplugged Neil at the height of his creativity. The sparse arrangements of the 'Harvest' and Buffalo Springfield material are particularly revelatory and the inclusion of oft-bootlegged tunes like 'Bad Fog' and 'Dance, Dance, Dance' are a treat to hear. \n\nThe audio, like the Fillmore disc, is supreme. An all-around great release! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nWhat a Dream!, March 13, 2007\nReviewer: Gianmarco Manzione (St. Petersburg, FL USA)\nWell, as Matthew said below, I guess we now understand why Neil chose to omit the acoustic set from the first installment in his "archives" series; this entirely solo acoustic performance rivals the best live work Neil has ever released. Somehow, it outdoes the intensity of Neil's incomparable "Unplugged" set from 1993, and conjures memories of the night I saw Neil on his solo acoustic tour in 2000 to support the "Silver & Gold" album, which remains the most memorable concert I have ever attended. \n\nCasual Neil Young fans tend to prefer specific dimensions of the wide range of sounds Young has explored throughout his career, but "Live at Massey Hall" is that kind of unifying performance that appeals across the entire spectrum of Young's audience. Crisp, marvelously intimate and characteristically intense, this set captures Neil just before he leapt into superstardom with the phenomenally successful Harvest, and it is just so fascinating to hear Neil perform songs like "Heart of Gold" when they were brand new and no one in the crowd had heard them before. \n\nSeveral of these tracks would not be released until the following year, and there is a kind of curious and reverent timidity in Neil's performance of songs on this set that later became his staples--"Old Man" and "Needle and the Damage Done" in particular. He had just written them and still seems to explore them with almost the same degree of uncertainty that the audience surely experienced as he introduced them to this then-new material. \n\nNeil's fingers hadn't quite developed the kind of effortless familairity with these melodies that they now possess nearly forty years later, and it's this kind of spontanaeity that distinguishes "Live at Massey Hall" as the most fascinating live album Neil has released in many years--and that includes the Fillmore East set. \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: David Briggs \n\nAlbum Notes\nRecording information: Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (01/19/1971).\n\nBob Dylan once famously remarked about hearing Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" on the radio that he knew his days as the man of the hour were numbered. Fact is, Young is the only guy who can even reasonably compete with Dylan for the title of rock's greatest songwriter, and while "Dylan in the '60s" has long been a cliched assessment of an undeniable rock hot streak, so too has become "Neil Young in the '70s." While Dylan has long culled material from his archive, Young has been reluctant to do the same. He's now joining the fray full force with LIVE AT MASSEY HALL 1971--the second live release in an ongoing series from Young's legendarily deep vaults.\nThe performance comes between the release of AFTER THE GOLDRUSH and HARVEST and hot on the heels of DEJA VU, basically the last time Young's eminently enthralling man-child persona of "I Am A Child" and "Helpless" held sway over the obstinate, electric crank of TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT and RUST NEVER SLEEPS. The set is pure magic. Young still seems humble and shy, a guy who stumbled across an incredible gift for melody but possessed the worldliness to let his awkward talent breathe and warble as it was meant to.\n\nFamiliar songs have drastically different readings: the subdued "A Man Needs A Maid" comes off here as more of a cry for help than the potentially chauvinistic enigma on HARVEST and seeps perfectly into "Heart of Gold;" while the normally heavy "Cowgirl in the Sand" and "Ohio" are remade as acoustic dirges. The true treasures, however, are the never-released gems "Bad Fog of Loneliness" and "Dance Dance Dance," a song--with its lyrics of love and rainbows--that foregrounds Young's latent whimsy and sets up "I Am A Child" as the perfect closer for this disc. A must for fans of Young, '70s singer-songwriters, and rock in general, LIVE AT MASSEY HALL 1971 perfectly captures the moment just before Dylan's prophecy came true and Young took over pop music.\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nIn 1966, canadian-born neil young decided his rock & roll future was in America. He split Toronto's folk scene and, with his friend bassist Bruce Palmer, drove to L.A., where the two were soon founding members of Buffalo Springfield. On January 19th, 1971, Young returned to Toronto a star, showing off his rapidly matured songwriting in two solo concerts at Massey Hall. This album is the full second show, in such pin-drop fidelity that the noise of him adjusting his mike sounds like Crazy Horse-gig distortion. The set list reflects the pace of Young's ambition: Nine of the seventeen songs were as yet unreleased, including the theatrical Harvest ballads "There's a World" and "A Man Needs a Maid" (the latter with a turn into "Heart of Gold"). Young's obsession, at twenty-five, with the hard-won lessons of age and experience comes up repeatedly, in songs like "Old Man" and "Bad Fog of Loneliness." But there is a striking vigor to Young's high, eccentric singing -- and a surprising nostalgia in the fond references to his homeland in "Helpless" and "Journey Through the Past." Young never moved back to Canada. Yet he never left it behind. -- DAVID FRICKE -- (Posted: Mar 7, 2007) YEAR: 1971
This folk cd contains 17 tracks and runs 67min 40sec.
Freedb: e70fda11

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