Neil Young Announces 'Young Shakespeare' Live Album and Film

The '71 concert is one of his earliest ever shows to be captured on film

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Feb 12, 2021

Proving to have a never-ending treasure trove of goodies, Neil Young has announced yet another archival release. This one is being titled Young Shakespeare, and it captures an acoustic gig form his After the Gold Rush era.

The live album and concert film were captured on January 22, 1971, at the Shakespeare Theater in Statford, CT. It was filmed by a German television crew, but the footage has been in the vault for decades.

Young Shakespeare stands as one of the oldest-known films of a Neil Young concert, and it finds him delivering solo acoustic performances of such tracks as "Old Man," "Helpless," "Heart of Gold" and "Down by the River."

Right now, you can watch an album trailer below, where you can hear Young doing "Tell Me Why."

The concert was recorded just days after his legendary performance at Massey Hall in Toronto — a concert released in 2007 as Live at Massey Hall.

In a statement, Young called the new film and album "a more calm performance, without the celebratory atmosphere of Massey Hall, captured live on 16mm.... To my fans, I say this is the best ever… one of the most pure-sounding acoustic performances we have in the Archive."

Young Shakespeare will arrive as a live album and concert film on March 26. The album will be available on CD and vinyl, as well as come as a DVD release. A deluxe box will collect all those versions, while the album will also be available in hi-res audio through the Neil Young Archives website.

Later this month, Young will share Crazy Horse live album and concert film Way Down in the Rust Bucket. He's also set to unearth his shelved album Johnny's Island, '80s rarities collection Road of Plenty, Promise of the Real live album Noise and Flowers and his planned bootleg series. Plus, he's releasing The Times on vinyl.



Young Shakespeare:

1. Tell Me Why

2. Old Man

3. The Needle and the Damage Done

4. Ohio

5. Dance Dance Dance

6. Cowgirl in the Sand

7. A Man Needs a Maid/Heart of Gold

8. Journey Through the Past

9. Don't Let It Bring You Down

10. Helpless

11. Down by the River

12 Sugar Mountain

Latest Coverage