Of all the musical masks that Neil Young continually dons, none is more scrutinized and misunderstood than when it’s just him and an acoustic guitar (and maybe a dash of harmonica and piano on the side). For those who rock in the free world, Young’s softer excursions may be a yawnfest, but for long-time followers and solemn observers, it’s authentic, real, heartfelt. Which makes Young’s Archives series, shedding its protective coat, a selective oeuvre catering to a wide range of Youngian tastes and detours. 2006’s Live At Fillmore East dusted off some vintage performances from 1970 with Crazy Horse. But before The Archives, Volume 1, the much anticipated eight-CD, two-DVD set, drops at some point this year, we have Live At Massey Hall 1971 to fawn over.
Available as either a single CD or CD/DVD combo, Massey Hall takes us forward a year from the Fillmore East concert to Toronto where Young, alone with only his voice and instruments, is caught in a stark and emotive state, resonating with a generation still recovering from the folly of the 60s. What makes this particular performance special is the unveiling of many new songs destined to fill the grooves of Harvest, arguably Neil Young’s most popular album. “This is a new song I wrote about my ranch,” Young drawls in his usual deadpan manner. “There’s an old man that’s on it. He came with the place when I bought it.” And he proceeds to play “Old Man,” a simple, poignant song that subtly attempts to mend a generation gap. Young switches over to piano and plays a couple new songs that didn’t make Harvest, but instead appear on Time Fades Away, a cloudy cog in the discography that may or may not be available on CD, depending on which Reprise Records executive you ask. This makes “Journey Through The Past” and “Love In Mind” all the more sacred.
The new stuff keeps on coming. “This is a new song about….” Young pauses then blurts out: “it’s a Broadway musical!” It’s been frequently speculated that “A Man Needs A Maid” was inspired by Carrie Snodgrass, the late actress and girlfriend of Young’s in the early 70s. But the singer has always been ambiguous and sly when it comes to his private life, despite the fact that much of it comes through in his music. “The Needle And The Damage Done” is another “new” one about someone close. Without naming names, Young talks about seeing great musicians over the years. “Strangely enough, the real good ones that you never got to see because of heroin…” and he sort of trails off before falling into the haunting ode about the pitfalls of addiction, and more directly, the late Danny Whitten, the troubled guitarist with Crazy Horse who died of a heroin overdose on November 18, 1972.
“Ohio” receives a polite response before Young returns to the piano and pulls out another new one, “See the Sky About to Rain,” which wouldn’t make the cut until On The Beach hit the shelves in 1974. Afterwards, he steps off stage for a moment, then returns to play “Down By The River,” normally reserved for extended jams with Crazy Horse. But Young nails it cold, and gets a few feet stomping for “Dance Dance Dance.” “I Am A Child” closes the set on a desolate, yet hopeful note. For an extra five bucks you can get the CD/DVD and listen to the songs and watch the grainy film that may or may not be the actual footage from Massey Hall. That’s another one of those questions whose answer depends on which Reprise Records executive you ask.
~ Shawn Perry
