Neil Young will release an archival acoustic live album, “Songs For Judy”, on November 30.
The project features a collection of performances from various stops on Young’s November 1976 tour, presenting a mix of classic tracks alongside new material and the debut release of the rarity “No One Seems To Know” (see track list below).
"The shows were reckless and beautiful," says curator Cameron Crowe, who was on the road with the Canadian rocker at the time. "The evenings began with an hour-long acoustic solo set from Neil. The acoustic portion of the evening morphed nightly, often fueled by a smoke or two just behind the curtain. After a break, Neil and Crazy Horse would return for a barn-burner of an electric set designed to level the place. They succeeded nightly."
Tour photographer Joel Bernstein recorded the shows on cassette tape with the original intention of creating his own archives of the trek.
"I immediately realized that making these tapes was in fact a great idea," Bernstein explains. "I was soon raiding malls for whatever blank C-90 cassettes I could find along the way. The U.S. leg of this tour was brief, but the performances were at their best intense and thrilling. As the tour continued, the cache of cassette-tape grew, all of them filled with gems."
Crowe and Bernstein were tasked with sorting through the material to create a final track list for the “Songs For Judy” package.
"For days we listened and compiled," recalls Crowe. "It was deliriously painstaking work. Wake up, eat breakfast, dive back into the recordings. Decide which of the 12 versions of 'Old Laughing Lady' was most essential. Repeat."
“Songs For Judy” will be initially be available via CD and digital, with a vinyl edition to follow on December 14.
The set is being previewed with the track “Campaigner”, recorded in Boston, MA on November 22, 1976.
Neil Young
“Songs For Judy”
Release date: November 30
01. Songs For Judy Intro (Atlanta, GA, Nov 24 [late show])
02. Too Far Gone (Boulder, CO, Nov 06)
03. No One Seems To Know (Boulder, CO, Nov 07)
04. Heart Of Gold (Fort Worth, TX, Nov 10)
05. White Line (Fort Worth, TX, Nov 10)
06. Love Is A Rose (Houston, TX, Nov 11)
07. After The Gold Rush (Houston, TX, Nov 11)
08. Human Highway (Madison, WI, Nov 14)
09. Tell Me Why (Chicago, IL, Nov 15 [late show])
10. Mr. Soul (New York, NY, Nov 20 [early show])
11. Mellow My Mind (New York, NY, Nov 20 [early show])
12. Give Me Strength (New York, NY, Nov 20 [late show])
13. Man Needs A Maid (New York, NY, Nov 20 [late show])
14. Roll Another Number (Boston, MA, Nov 22 [late show])
15. Journey Through The Past (Boston, MA, Nov 22 [late show])
16. Harvest (Boston, MA, Nov 22 [late show])
17. Campaigner (Boston, MA, Nov 22 [late show])
18. Old Laughing Lady (Atlanta, GA, Nov 24 [early show])
19. The Losing End (Atlanta, GA, Nov 24 [late show])
20. Here We Are In The Years (Atlanta, GA, Nov 24 [late show])
21. The Needle And The Damage Done (Atlanta, GA, Nov 24 [early show])
22. Pocahontas (Atlanta, GA, Nov 24 [late show])
23. Sugar Mountain (Atlanta, GA, Nov 24 [late show])
Note: all dates are from 1976
See also:
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Search Neil Young at hennemusic
