A Live and Young

Neil Young  "Live at Massey Hall" 1971

It is not often that a live album receives serious acclaim. Typically, they are recorded shortly after the release of a new album. Live albums are also released sporadically, for die-hard fans to excitedly purchase, as a form of memorabilia. It is for these reasons, Neil Young's "Live at Massey Hall," is a sort of oddity. Yes, it can fit into both categories (came after a new release/finds a home in every fan's heart) but ,unlike most other live albums, the collection of songs easily stands on its own.  

Neil's stripped-down take on old rockers such as "Cowgirl in the Sand," or "Ohio," leaves the listener stunned. Accompanied only by an acoustic guitar,  occasional harmonica, and a piano, the set is both intimate and fresh. With each introduction you will find yourself pulled deeper into the songwriter's eerie melancholy. At seventeen tracks total, and with Buffalo Springfield era hit "On the Way Home," opening the night's set, anyone new to Young gets a quick briefing of his earliest hits and favorites. Those who listen to Young's work regularly will be happy to find somber renditions of some of the artist's best-known work in a way they never had thought possible. "Bad Fog of Loneliness," a track cut from the album Harvest , makes its debut a little halfway through the album. 

Whether intrigued by the album's mystique or by the solid collection of hits, "Live at Massey Hall," is well worth looking into. Unlike most live albums the quality of the recording is above-average, and Young's on-the-spot storytelling sets a scene for each song in a way a studio-album never would.

Track Listing  *= personal favorite
01 On The Way Home [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
02 Tell Me Why [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
03 Old Man [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
04 Journey Through The Past [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
05 Helpless [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
06 Love In Mind [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
07 A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold Suite [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
08 Cowgirl In The Sand [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
09 Don't Let It Bring You Down [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
10 There's A World [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
11 Bad Fog Of Loneliness [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
12 The Needle And The Damage Done [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
13 Ohio [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
14 See The Sky About To Rain [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
15 Down By The River [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
16 Dance Dance Dance [Live At Massey Hall 1971]
17 I Am A Child [Live At Massey Hall 1971]