One never knows what Neil Young is going to dig out of his massive musical archive next, but a forthcoming release from the prolific songwriter could be an early live recording from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Writing on his Neil Young Archives website, Young teases the release of an unearthed CSNY live album "from the analog age" recorded not long after he was welcomed to the group by Stephen Stills, with whom he had played in Buffalo Springfield.
"In September of 1969, Crosby Stills Nash & Young appeared at the Fillmore East," Young reflects. "The stage was recorded in eight track analog. The audience was recorded in [four] track analog. This was way before digital sound."
As the show took place before the now-four-piece had cut their acclaimed 1970 album Déjà Vu, Young reflected of the performance, "We didn't know much material to sing together yet. They had the historic [Crosby, Stills & Nash] album with tracks created largely by Stills, full of great songs and singing by all members. When we took the stage, CSN would play their favourites along with some brand new songs that would later be more Classics. Some, like 'Our House,' were so new that only the writer-singer would perform them."
Young points to the evening featuring an acoustic set, "soulfully sung and played," that was rife with "Staggering harmonies. Happiness," while also noting how a subsequent electric set "moved to a new space."
"We have the tapes, and they sound so real," he writes, detailing, "We mixed at Sunset Sound — the analog echo chamber, no digital echo. We're staying all analog throughout the production, with the goal of creating a live double vinyl album. Pure. Analog. No digital."
Of course, the recording will be available digitally, but as Young is perhaps expected to say, "you can feel it in analog, that's a real thing. That's what I think music is. A feeling."
Outside of NYA, Young's LaserDisc-exclusive '80s concert film Solo Trans has been making the rounds online ahead of his North American tour with Crazy Horse this spring.
The Canadian songwriting icon also recently stood up to anti-trans legislation in Canada, and brought his vast catalogue of music back to Spotify.
Not long after Young first pulled his catalogue in protest of the streaming giant's embrace of Joe Rogan and his podcast, his CSNY bandmates followed suit and called to have their music to be pulled as well.
Explore Exclaim!'s list of Neil Young's Albums Ranked from Worst to Best.
