Neil Young was so prolific as a songwriter and recording artist in the 1970s, his record label couldn’t keep up. Consequently, a backlog of unreleased music sits in the storied vault. In recent years, Young has continually dug out bits and pieces, often full albums, for public consumption. Homegrown, “the unheard bridge,” as the singer calls it, between Harvest and Comes A Time, is an album of heartache the singer stashed away because he “just couldn’t listen to it.” Now, as with much of his archival material, it has aged like fine wine.
The album comprises 12 songs, seven previously unreleased, recorded in 1974 and 1975. From the outset, it’s easy to see how the material figures into the mid 70s when Young was balancing his time with Crazy Horse, CSNY, and solo projects, and tapping into numerous strains of styles. “Separate Ways,” featuring drummer Levon Helm of the Band and steel guitarist Ben Keith, aptly captures the mood of shifting alliances. The light and frothy “Try” was supposedly inspired by Young’s girlfriend at the time, actress Carrie Snodgress, the subject of many of the singer’s love songs. Unfortunately, at the time, the relationship had hit a rough patch and the couple, who have a son together, broke up in 1975.
The title track, long a staple in Young’s live shows, receives a raunchy, laid-back treatment here. Group efforts like “Vacancy” and “We Don’t Smoke It No More” could have found places on Tonight’s The Night. Both have all the squeaky essentials that make people love Neil Young. “Mexico,” “Florida,” and “Kansas” offer no geography lessons — just the Canadian loner at his most poignant and surreal.
First takes of “Love Is A Rose,” (which would show up on the 1977 Decade compilation), “Little Wing” (on 1980’s Hawks & Doves), and “Star Of Bethlehem” (a highlight on 1977’s American Stars N’ Bars with Emmylou Harris on background vocals), add to the breadth of Homegrown’s provenance, a prime example of how Young re-purposes older songs when the need arises. You pair Homegrown with 2017’s Hitchiker (which collects unreleased songs from 1976), maybe throw in 2007’s Chrome Dreams II (re-recorded versions of songs intended for the unreleased 1977 album Chrome Dreams), and you get that sense of urgency Neil Young had back then — as he seemingly does now — to continue creating and performing music for as long as he breathes.
~ Shawn Perry
