From The '71 Vaults

 

Very welcome of course: a crisp new live registration from the Allman heydays. Sax player Juicy Carter sits in on most songs, and brother Duane's cooking as usual. Historical, but be warned: if you can't stand a bit of tape hiss, better save your money.

The Allman Brothers Band - One Way Out (live Austin '71)

Meanwhile back in Shakey country, the archives are opening like there's no tomorrow. The aptly named Young Shakespeare is the most recent treasure: an intimate solo gig at the Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Connecticut. Lovely stuff in pristine sound quality.

Neil Young - A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold (Medley) (live Stratford '71)

Fly Away

 

Finally officially available: Neil & the Horse's 1990 tour warm-up gig at the intimate Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz. Which meant not only the first live outing of a bunch of songs from the just released Ragged Glory album, but also the first ever performance of Zuma's intense Danger Bird. Strap in, here we go.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Danger Bird (live '90)

Just Cool It

 

The famous FTSOTS end of year list will be upon us shortly, but let's take a look at the reissues and archival albums first. In that respect, it was a very good year. With maximum artwork by our artist in residence Tinca, here are the ten strumming and thrumming trips of 2020. Superdeluxe with first place ribbons all of them, so roll your burdens away & turn it up some.

• Gillian Welch - Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs Vols 1-3
• Neil Young - Homegrown
• Brother Theotis Taylor - s/t
• v/a - The Last Shall Be First: The JCR Records Story, Volume One
• v/a - Spiritual Jazz Vol. 11: SteepleChase
• v/a - Thrum & Strum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987
• Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Just Coolin'
• Prince - Sign O' The Times Superdeluxe
• v/a - When Jah Shall Come
• Pylon - Pylon Box

Gillian Welch - First Place Ribbon
Brother Theotis Taylor - Burden Away

Don't Go Yet

 

Neil's Tonight's The Night-era backing band the Santa Monica Flyers, fronted by Joni Mitchell? It's only one out of many treasures on Neil's second Archives box... And talking abour archival releases, sweet Joni's own Early Years Archives set ain't too shabby either. If you were wondering what to put on your X-mas list, both are no-brainers of course.

Joni Mitchell & The Santa Monica Flyers - Raised On Robbery
Joni Mitchell - Little Green (live '67)

Hold On

Long lost but finally found: Neil's Homegrown, the breakup-with-the-missus album he planned to release back in 1975 but skipped for being 'too personal'. And it sure is another good 'un, as long as you don't expect the quality of milestones from the same period as On The Beach or Tonight's The Night. Quite a few gorgeous songs here though, and as a spoken word annex sound collage called Florida is the only bum note, let's glide through the air and go to Kansas instead.

Neil Young - Kansas

Groovy Thunder

It's nearly time for the inevitable FTSOTS end of year list, but let's get the finest reissues and archival albums of 2019 out of the way first ok? You'll come alive when the band starts swinging... With stocking stuffing artwork by the almighty Tinca, it's ho ho ho and here we go.

1. Peter Laughner - The Peter Laughner Box
2. Bob Dylan - The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings
3. Jimi Hendrix - Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts
4. v/a - If You're Not Part Of The Solution: Soul, Politics And Spirituality In Jazz '67-'75
5. Jim Sullivan - If The Evening Were Dawn
6. Neil Young & The Stray Gators - Tuscaloosa
7. Sachiko Kanenobu - Misora
8. Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks Vol. 30: Fillmore East 1970
9. v/a - Black Man's Pride 3: None Shall Escape The Judgement Of The Almighty
10. Tunng - This Is Tunng... Magpie Bites And Other Cuts

Peter Laughner - Fat City Jive

Good Times

Early seventies live Neil? Just can't be beat, be it solo, with the Horse, or with the Stray Gators, as is the case here. Choice cut from Tuscaloosa '72: a sharp version of Lookout Joe, dedicated to the soldiers who were coming home from 'Nam at the time. "Glory Hallelujah! Will I lay my burden down?" That fancy Flying V of his never sounded so good.

Neil Young & The Stray Gators - Lookout Joe

A Thousand Pelts

Neil's ole Brando, Pocahontas and me trip, as interpreted by Gillian Welch. Simply stunning.

Gillian Welch - Pocahontas

Blood & Wealth

The famous FTSOTS end of year list will be with you shortly, but let's get the old stuff out of the way first. Here are the reissues and compilations of the year, in all their raging glory. Out of a ton of goodies, and with exclusive fine art by Tinca, I picked the following.

1. John Coltrane - Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album
2. Bob Dylan - More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14
3. Neil Young - Roxy: Tonight's The Night Live
4. Thelonious Monk - Mønk (Live In Copenhagen '63)
5. Van Morrison - Live In Boston '72
6. Grateful Dead - Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe It If You Need It
7. v/a - Basement Beehive: The Girl Group Underground
8. The Louvin Brothers - Love And Wealth: The Lost Recordings
9. Songs: Ohia - Love & Work: The Lioness Sessions
10. v/a - Black Man's Pride 2: Righteous Are The Sons And Daughters Of Jah

John Coltrane - Untitled Original 11386 (Take 1)

Don't Say You Lose

And here's the second gem from the Dinosaur Sr. archives this year, following hot on the heels of the triumphant Roxy - Tonight's The Night Live set. Previously known in collector's circles as the Joel Bernstein Tapes, Songs For Judy is filled to the brim with solo acoustic live tracks from '76. You'll be familiar with all of the 23 songs here I guess, except maybe the bitter No One Seems To Know, which never appeared on an official album so far. So here goes just in case...

Neil Young - No One Seems To Know

Friend Of Mine

Live mayhem from Chris Forsyth & co, paying tribute to Dinosaur Sr. on a London stage earlier this year. That classic stripped-down trio sound I always love so much really packs that punch. Find it on a roaring digital-only album called Rare Dreams: Solar Live 2.27.18 you can order here.

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band - Don't Be Denied

Up And Down My Spine

The Santa Monica Flyers live, ladies and gentlemen, need I say more. A very welcome addition to the canon. Real as the day is long.

Neil Young - Tonight's The Night  (live L.A. '73)

The really real thing, albeit extremely lofi, is this one though. I know I've posted it before, but in case you missed it back then, here goes, with all 34 tequila-fueled minutes of the thing... Ragged glory indeed.

Neil Young - Tonight's The Night (live Chicago '73)

Crowed For Me

Our famous end-of-year list is nearly ready, but patience please, let's put the old stuff to the test first. 'Cause hell yeah, 2017 sure was a great year for reissues and compilations of all kinds. Here's the top of the iceberg, already starting to melt. Suitcase of Songs artwork by the wonderful Tinca. It's flashback time, my amigos da musica...

1. Lal & Mike Waterson - Bright Phoebus
Lal & Mike Waterson - The Scarecrow
2. Bob Dylan - Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13
3. Neil Young - Hitchhiker
4. v/a - Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock '69 - '73
Ryo Kagawa - Zeni No Kouryouryoku Ni Tsuite
5. Erasmo Carlos - Carlos, Erasmo...
6. Lynn Castle - Rose Colored Corner
7. Grateful Dead - Cornell '77 & Dave's Picks Vol. 24: Live In Berkeley '72
8. Lloyd Parks - Time A Go Dread
LLoyd Parks - Shake Up Yu Dread
9. v/a - Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares
10. Alice Coltrane - The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda

Come On In Here

Mr. Young originally decided not to release Hitchhiker because he felt these David Briggs-produced, single night acoustic '76 recordings sounded too stoned somehow for his liking. The majority of this strong collection of songs, featuring such classics as Campaigner and Powderfinger, would eventually find its way to later albums of course, but to hear this stripped-down, mellow and intimate session after all these years is truly a joy.

Neil Young - Hawaii

On My Side

Neil's immortal Down By The River like you never heard it before. This is some seriously funky psychedelic stuff, brothers and sisters... Find it on a new compilation packed with goodies called Function Underground: The Black and Brown American Rock Sound 1969-1974.

Purple Snow - Down By The River

To Them Hills And Gone

A heartbreaking trio of covers, performed live by the mighty duo of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Enjoy, my amigos da musica.

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Snowing On Raton (live Berkeley '96)
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - I'll Go On Downtown (live Berkeley '96)
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Albequerque (live Hickory '97)

Round The Corner

I'll be away from my desk for a week or so, but I'll leave you with this old fashioned ten pack. After all: "I'm just a soldier, fighting the sorrow..."

James Taylor - Soldiers
Neil Young - Soldier
Bob Dylan - Mary And The Soldier
Calvin Russell - Soldier
Palace Music - The Weaker Soldier
Arthur Alexander - Soldier Of Love
Bettye Lavette - Talking Old Soldiers
Jah Lloyd & King Tubby - Soldier Round The Corner
Spizz Energi - Soldier Soldier
Renzoku Shasatsuma - I Don't Want To be A Soldier

Lost In A Dream

Elyse Weinberg's second album should have appeared in 1969 but was was never released, a production role for Neil Young sidekick David Briggs and participation by such heavyweights as J.D. Souther, Nils Lofgren, and even Dinosaur Sr. himself notwithstanding. This year finally, the cool diggers over at the Numero Group have set the record straight. If you like a bit of a raw edge to your Laurel Canyon sound, Greasepaint Smile might be right up your alley.

Elyse Weinberg - It's Alright To Linger

Made You Turn

A couple of nights ago in New York City's famous Carnegie Hall, Dinosaur Sr. finally played a version of the Bert Jansch classic Needle Of Death, a song said to have subconciously inspired Neil's own Ambulance Blues once upon a time. Shame he didn't pull out that gem as well, but one can't have it all I guess. Anyway, here goes, with many thanks to the taper of course.

Neil Young - Needle Of Death (Live)

Beast Upon Me

Alas, we're not too impressed with the new Phosphorescent album to be honest, muchachos. Except for one remarkable track called The Quotidian Beasts that is. Ramshackle and doom-laden, it's yet another recent example of the ongoing influence of Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy, and I guess that isn't so bad. Quality never goes out of style, you know?

Phosphorescent - The Quotidian Beasts