"ROXY TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT LIVE"
Neil Young + The Santa Monica Flyers
As we had hoped earlier this year, Neil Young's "ROXY TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT LIVE" is now set for release on 4/21. (Thanks joe lookout!)
According to Broadway World, the Record Store Day Limited Edition pressing will include an exclusive print of the band live on stage at The Roxy. The standard vinyl edition (without print) CD and digital editions will follow on Tuesday, April 24th. Album pre-orders begin March 5.
The Roxy Theater concert was recorded during a run from September 20 to 22, 1973.
Young explains how Roxy - Tonight's the Night Live came to be:
"In 1973, I drove my 1947 Buick Roadmaster, Black Queen, to LA from the North, accompanied by Ben Keith. Once we made it to Hollywood, we met up with Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina. Nils Lofgren joined us and we drove to Studio Instrument Rentals on Santa Monica Blvd. David Briggs, producer, and Johnny Talbot, equipment manager, met us there. They had blasted a hole in the wall to connect the green board which we had set up (an old tube board I had purchased that had been used recording many historic sessions from the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds to Monterey Pop Festival, among many others) next to the rehearsal hall. Our 16-track analog tape machine was set up next to the board. We had finished recording TTN and decided to celebrate with a gig at a new club opening on the Sunset Strip, the ROXY. We went there and recorded for a few nights, opening the ROXY. We really knew the Tonight's the Night songs so we just played them again, the album, top to bottom, two sets a night for a few days. We had a great time. ROXY -Tonight's the Night Live is the live recording we made. There is a little Super 8 footage of us driving to the gig in the Black Queen one of those nights."
Track listing for ROXY - Tonight's The Night Live:
Side 1:
1. Tonight's The Night
2. Mellow My Mind
3. World On A String
Side 2:
1. Speakin' Out
2. Albuquerque
3. New Mama
4. Roll Another Number (For The Road)
Side 3:
1. Tired Eyes
2. Tonight's The Night
3. Walk On
Side 4:
Etched artwork
For reference, from Sugar Mountain Setlists (via Ghosts On The Road), here are the actual sets from the early and late shows:
1973-09-20, Early Show, Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA
w/ The Santa Monica Flyers
Tonight's The Night / Mellow My Mind / World On A String / Speakin' Out / Albuquerque / New Mama / Roll Another Number / Tired Eyes / Tonight's The Night / The Losing End / Walk On
Set list courtesy of Ghosts On The Road
1973-09-20, Late Show, Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA
w/ The Santa Monica Flyers
Tonight's The Night / Mellow My Mind / World On A String / Speakin' Out / Albuquerque / New Mama / Roll Another Number / Tired Eyes / Tonight's The Night / Cowgirl In The Sand
1973-09-21, Early Show, Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA
w/ The Santa Monica Flyers
(unconfirmed)
Tonight's The Night / Mellow My Mind / World On A String / Speakin' Out / Albuquerque / New Mama / Roll Another Number / Tired Eyes / Tonight's The Night / The Losing End
1973-09-21, Late Show, Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA
w/ The Santa Monica Flyers
Tonight's The Night / Mellow My Mind / World On A String / Speakin' Out / Albuquerque / New Mama / Roll Another Number / Tired Eyes / Tonight's The Night / Cowgirl In The Sand
1973-09-22, Early Show, Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA
w/ The Santa Monica Flyers
Tonight's The Night / Mellow My Mind / World On A String / Speakin' Out / Albuquerque / New Mama / Roll Another Number / Tired Eyes / Tonight's The Night / The Losing End
1973-09-22, Late Show, Roxy Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA
w/ The Santa Monica Flyers
Tonight's The Night / Mellow My Mind / World On A String / Speakin' Out / Albuquerque / New Mama / Roll Another Number / Tired Eyes / Tonight's The Night / Down By The River
Set list courtesy of Ghosts On The Road
More on Roxy Live: Next Release From Neil Young's Online Archives?.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding news. These shows have been on my dream list for decades.
Don't care what price they charge me but I will be getting this release on RSD.
Peace.
Where's Cowgirl In The Sand.
ReplyDeleteThe Losing End & Down By The River were played at the Roxy shows too. Not included in this release. Why not include everything?
DeleteThank you T&T for what you are doing!!!!
ReplyDeletePeace&love
By the way, is there any live version of 'Lookout Joe'??
ReplyDeleteLookout Joe was played 43 times in '73 time fades away tour. With the Stray Gators.
DeleteSo instead of putting cowgirl, or down by the river on side 4,they decided to etch it.... OK.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to this release! Hell, any new release! How about a re-release of WELD in hi-8 ? I’d really get off on that! Saw the boys perform this at Market Square Arena ( referenced by Tom Petty on Last Dance With Mary Jane) in Indianapolis, total bliss!
ReplyDeleteYeah you heard it first from NY on NYA!! You would think they could at least beat the leakers! Agree the losing end should be in there but this is gonna be a great record anyway. Hope alchemy is close behind.
ReplyDeleteIf its as immersive an audio experience as Hitchhiker, We will be in orbit for a while around Planet Neil.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSo when is alchemy coming lol? We are lucky...hitchhiker was amazing...now Roxy and hopefully soon after alchemy. Is it just me or was oceanside countryside taken off the NYA timeline? On a different note wonder why neil hasnt got any of the shows he did with pearl jam penciled into the archives as a future release?
ReplyDeleteI assume - as it's called "Roxy Tonight's the Night Live" - only songs from the studion album are included in the release (and no Cowgirl in the Sand, Losing End, Down By The River ... which were also played). Songs missing form the studio album are "Borrowed Tune" & "Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown" but according posted setlists from the Roxy gigs these songs weren't played. Looking forward to this release ...
ReplyDeleteTwo of my friends attended separate shows during the Tonight’s the Niight tour — and both hated them. I didn’tcatch one but I did hate the Tonight’s the Night album.Not expecting much RE this release. And I’m guessing that the inclusion of the non-TTN Walk On is a commentary toward people like me and my friends who didn’t buy into believing that Tonight’s the Night is great.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't understand how you could be a Neil fan and not like TTN.
DeleteTonight's the night IS Neil Young
DeleteDefinitely is Neil Young. AGREED
Delete& Soldier Steve: thank you! Losing end is one of my favourite.....
ReplyDeleteTonight's The Night is arguably the record that sums Neil Young up the most. One of my most played records off all time. Looking forward to this release. Not that unhappy about only having one 'bonus' track as this is a TTN release and we have enough versions of cowgirl and dbtr i think. So after this and Alchemy..what do we think will be released next?
ReplyDeleteIt would just be nice to hear The Santa Monica Flyers cover some other Neil tunes. The Losing End definitely feels like a good fit. Anyway, looking forward to this incredible document. This is one of the big ones for sure. Feels like when we got Filmore and Massey Hall leading up to the big Vol. 1 release.
DeleteAgree Losing Ends would fit nicely. Yup a big release cant wait.
DeleteWas also missing Lookout Joe in the setlist.. Don't know why it never became a favourite of Neil's. Got tired of playing it with Stay Gators?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear some high quality live music from the fabulous Santa Monica Flyers band! I used to have an old cassette of the Queens College show from November '73, it was a fun listen, but bad sound quality. Can't wait to hear a TTN show with pristine sound.
ReplyDeleteBtw, Neil went off on Google and other tech giants today in some letter he posted on his archive site, while he was also waxing poetically over the Broken Arrow album....good to see some of the classic ornery Neil showing back up. I have no idea how to post a copy of the story, but maybe Thrasher could do it. It was a fascinating Neil tirade!
Tonight's the Night is an essential Neil Young album. But in Nov 73 when he played Glasgow Appollo the album release was about 2 years in the future. So in those pre internet days I was anticipating songs from ATG and Harvest The eagles played a short support set of songs which seemed a perfect intro sweet harmonies and great playing. Then on shambled NY and his band They proceeded to play a shambolic set of these strange dark new songs The Glasgow crowd was not happy Neil was not for co operating in playing any of the anticipated songs All these years later I will be very interested in hearing what these versions sound like compared to my memories
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if the RSD release is US only?
ReplyDeleteOr do we in Europe need to wait for the general release the week after? Anyone experience with that? Great this is finally released! Thnx!
Yeah I'd definitely like to have side 4 contain the bonus tracks rather than 'art'. Can't wait to get this album though!
ReplyDeleteIt will be a decent release, but once again ole' Neil sort of contradicts his own words and goals. He talks about the archives as getting the music out as part of the historical record, etc, so why not give us a FULL SHOW or at least a document that includes ALL of the songs played during the ROXY run?
ReplyDeleteAnd don't tell me it's all about Tonight's the Night. That theory doesn't hold because we are getting Walk On...
Lord, he's infuriating! I'm really not a fan of revisionist history--I want to hear full shows regardless of what Neil may have felt or wanted the focus to be on. Yes, Down By The River and Cowgirl In The Sand have been played to death, but the versions from '73 differ from those that came before and after. Plus, The Losing End is more rare and needs to be heard in context...
As it stands, I'm really not too excited about this upcoming release. The Tonight's the Night album and recording sessions and time period has so many interesting stories to be told and heard, but this release seems to me to barely scratch the surface. Neil could give us a true document of the time, but this just sounds like an incomplete live show (or a splicing together of multiple shows) that leaves out way too much of the story.
I say give us the show(s) and give us the historical story and associated ephemera, warts and all. I want to hear the "original" album, the outtakes, the snippets, the sessions, the reactions from the band and the press and the fans. I want a full document of the American and European tours as they happened, and I want details about the release of the album and how it was initially perceived.
Rant over--I'm glad we're getting at least a partial document of the Roxy performances. I suppose someday we'll get the rest of the story...
"Take my advice
Don't listen to me"
@ Topanga Daze: 'business as usual'. Neil says something and does something else....unless in the Archives he will offer us some bonus track instead of 'art'(by DH?)
ReplyDeletepeace&love
Wasn't Walk On on the original TTN acetate. I have a copy somewhere I'll have to look for it and check the setlist.
ReplyDeleteAfter this release and the Alchemy release I'd like to see the '76 Europe tour of Odeokon/Budekon Japan shows.Theirs something special about these horse shows in '76.Another one I'd like to see released is the '96 horse tour such as the Halloween show in Hamilton, Ontario or something from the '03-'04 Greendale tour.another would be the '99 acoustic tour or the '03 acoustic Europe Greendale.Acoustic greendale is really something...
DeleteNothing "original" about the boot that circulates as the TTN acetate, it's a compilation that includes Walk On, Turnstiles, Bad Fog, Winterlong and Traces from the OTB sessions in early 1974. But a still-unreleased version of Walk On was recorded at S.I.R. during the TTN sessions in 1973, and it opened and closed the Corral Club shows that August where the TTN material was debuted live.
ReplyDeleteYea, I understand that "Walk On" was a part of the original Tonight's the Night sessions and was played at some of the shows. It just bothers me slightly that Neil chooses to "waste" side 4 of the 2LP set with artwork when he could just as easily have turned that side into the encore section with DBTR, CITS and the Losing End.
ReplyDeleteAnd as I mentioned, if Neil wants to really explore and enlighten us about Tonight's the Night, it would be fairly easy to create an all encompassing document of the time.
As this impending release currently stands, I don't see how it will really advance or shed light on the concept beyond what most of us have already known and heard. I'd much rather have a box set with several live shows from the period, primarily the entire London Rainbow Theater show. With the live shows, I'd also like to hear the "original" Tonight's the Night" and some real details and examples from the various sessions.
Yea, I know what we're getting and I think I know what we're not getting. Nine(really 8) ROXY Tonight's the Night songs being played live is something I've heard, and as a standalone release, it is in my opinion a fairly underwhelming and confounding concept.
Hey, I trust it will sound a little better than the versions I've heard, but the ROXY shows are probably the last things I'd choose to listen to when I want to really experience Tonight's the Night. The released album will always be my preference of those two, and I'd also always rather listen to the Rainbow show. in it's entirety. That, to me is the live Tonight's the Night, not the ROXY aborted mini-shows.
Lord, I'm being negative. Sorry, bring on ROXY!
"Take my advice
Don't listen to me"
Wonder what the reasoning behind not inc. more travks was? Dreamin man 92 needed more tracks...a full show of that tour would of been sweet.The 99 solo shows need a release too! I just want it all. At this rate ill be well into my 30s before i get to hear most of this stuff.
ReplyDeleteMaybe - just maybe - he's holding back the other songs for the online NYA, much as he did with that Fillmore East 'Cinnamon Girl' you could only get as a BD Live download. There's gotta be *some* compelling reason to pay for a subscription, after all...
ReplyDeleteI doubt it.He seems simply not caring about releasing the rest of stuff.
DeleteSo Tired
The British shows were much more interesting, but Neil didn't bother recording those himself - the Roxy shows are the only ones that were professionally recorded.
ReplyDeleteSugar Mountain lists indicate one show each night was recorded, these being the first recorded live TTN shows. 10 LA club shows then on the road (after a gig with CSNY) across the border to Canada then across the pond to Europe. I think the release as it is grabs the initial live vibe of what they were doing, the first out of the studio parties to test drive it. "Don't you wish that you could be here too" is enough of a statement for me. LA, uptight, city in the smog!
ReplyDeleteOne show each night was recorded by fans, all six were recorded by Neil - which is why "Walk On" even exists here, since there's no audience recording of that show.
ReplyDeleteBonsoir
ReplyDeleteI REMEMBER....
But not understanding all the stories you tell about the Tracher's, I remain attracted to the planet Neil Young. Especially with the Archives or Rust .... which allows to listen to stories true or not
in music. Currently listening to me the delivery of Neil young to
Omeme 2017 12 01.
Good night
Jose of Paris
I know I'm piling on late but I was really excited to hear about this release -- I've always thought one of the British shows from '73 (can't remember the exact date) that was the full TNT album plus songs like Don't Be Denied and Cowgirl should've come out because they were incredibly powerful but also in weak sound. That seems perfect for an Archives release and now I'm wondering if we'll ever get it.
ReplyDeleteThe tracklist for this, meanwhile, is a poor substitute and will not help Neil sell records, which I know is not the point; however, the lackluster sales for this will mean they will avoid this period, presumably, for even longer than they probably would have.
Confirmed as NYAPS-04 on NYA. Looks like Neil pulled the plug on TFA2 unless he later changes his mind and goes for more fractions. Here is the new speculation, coupled with hints from the archvies website. I'd still like to hear what he can do with the Catalyst 1984 shows. Then there is the matter of the unreleased and uber-hidden album he has on his timeline where the 1973 Rainbow shows lives.
ReplyDelete4:Roxy
5: Odeon-Budokan
6: Bernstein TApes
7: Boarding House
8: Solo Trans (the album)
9: A Treasure
10: Live in A Rusted Out GArage
11: Blue Note Cafe
11.5: Freedom Live
12: Dreamin Man
Hi Guys,
ReplyDeleteFrom what my memory tells me, don't wait too much on songs from the Rainbow, London in 1973. I was at that show, rather near the back but the Eagles played a very decent set with good sound. As somebody said above on the Glasgow show, Neil then "shambled" out with his band and proceeded to play Tonight's the Night, that went on and on and on and etc etc. I have no idea whether he was drunk or on something else but something was certainly not right. Mumbled words, incoherent finally being booed by the crowd, then upped and walked off. The Eagles came back and played a second set to calm the crowd. I saw a lot of concerts between '61 and '75 in a few crappy places with lousy soundboards, problems with amplifiers and mikes but I had never before seen a top-line artist give such a poor show with so little regard for his followers, sorry fellers, I do love much of his music but that night is one to be forgotten.
I was at the Rainbow gig too. Eagles, new to UK were pretty decent in a Beach Boys harmony kinda way, presaging their rise to fame.
ReplyDeleteNeil did the whole TTN album tracks in order, then came back on & said "here's some songs you will have heard before" , to rapturous applause as everyone ( except me & my mates ) thought he was going to play all the early harmony NY, CSNY, Buffalo Springfield accoustic stuff.
Nope he played TTN again straight, all the tracks off the album. He wasn't stumbling, he was playing a part, giving a show, just like he did for "Welcome to Miami Beach ( Walk on Tour), Rust Never Sleeps, Greendale & all the shows he does. Sometimes he just plays himself.
This was pretty early in Rocks history and we forget that most people just got on stage & played their songs straight. Getting "a show" was a bonus. You just had to be open to it.
It was a long time later when ELO, Genesis,Pink Floyd & Rolling Stones etc caught up.
Funny old thing memory.
The older I get the clearer the old stuff is.
Can't remember what I had for breakfast though.
Sorry Ross but I beg to differ. "Pretty early in Rocks history" by 1973 I already had 10 years of gig-going under my belt by '73 and seen some good 'uns. From early Stones on Eel Pie Island, most of the young blues groups (The Birds,Artwoods,The Fairies, Spooky Tooth etc)Pretty Things along with Downliners Sect in the 100 club. Zoot money, Chris Farlowe or Georgie Fame doing all-nighters at the Flamingo or Klooks Kleek (John Mayall.)The advent of Cream and Fleetwood Mac, so I don't think rock started in 1973 at all. As for the gig that night I still remember it as a shambles, of course I accept that you may perceive the evening ad different to me and everyone has an opinion.
ReplyDeleteAll the best.