Might the next Neil Young album release be "Songs for Judy" (aka The Joel Bernstein Tapes)?
From John Hanlon's Notebook on NYA Times-Contrarian, Hanlon writes that Neil Young is preparing to release a new archival album titled "Songs For Judy". A double album, "Songs For Judy" will feature 23 songs from the acoustic sets of the 1976 "Crazy Horse" tour.
Hanlon describes engineering for the new album involving remastering tour photographer Joel Bernstein's recorded audio cassettes. Extensive details for high-quality vinyl pressing and high-resolution digital files are shared. Mastering has been completed by Bernie Grundman in Hollywood - based on the work of Young's longtime sound engineer Tim Mulligan, who had previously edited Joel Bernstein's tapes. Together with Engineer Chris Bellman, Hanlon works to preserve the rawness of the original audio and not digitally (artificially) enhance.
So why the title "Songs for Judy"? Well, Neil refers to actress and singer Judy Garland, while at the Austin, TX concert before the song "Too Far Gone". So was Judy "Too Far Gone" in 1976???
Joel Bernstein, NYA Archivist
More on The Joel Bernstein Tapes and The Making of The Neil Young Archives Volume #1.
For more on NYA Times-Contrarian posts see:
- Dear NYA: Why Isn't Ragged Glory Available on Vinyl?
- 34+ minute version of "Like A Hurricane" on NYA Movie Night @ Hearse Theater
- "Campaigner": Neil Young Archives Song of the Day
- Neil Young Calls Out Big Tech ... Yet Again
- Neil Young's Song Of The Day: "Heart of Gold" + 1971 Interview
- Neil Young Remembers "The Innocence": WORDS
- Dear Neil: New Feature "Letters To The Editor" on Neil Young Archives (NYA)
- Neil Young Archives: "Huge drop of unreleased tracks!"
- "Enjoy NYA - Still Free" Says Neil Young
- Membership to Neil Young Archives Opens June 1
- "Muddy Track": Movie Night on Neil Young Archives
- Song of the Day: New Feature on Neil Young Archives
- Neil Young Archives (NYA) Times-Contrarian Launches Debut Issue
- "FREE THE MUSIC": Update on Neil Young Archives (NYA) Times-Contrarian
- "Vinyl is KING" Says Neil Young
- Neil Young Returns To #1 On The Charts!
- Neil Young: Tech Giants Rip Off Artists
She could drag me over the rainbow - Down by the river
ReplyDeleteThis would appear to the "huge dump of unreleased tracks" mentioned on NYA a few months ago. Also, note the byline for the Hanlon column is August 12 -- hopefully that means they're further down the completion process and we'll get to hear these before the end of the year maybe?
ReplyDeleteWill it be a sort of sequel of Suite: Judy blue eyes??? Neil vs Steve again? Can't wait!!!!
ReplyDeleteOr maybe he was feeling a little Too Far Gone for Judy. I'm now seeing this song as a fantasy piece more than an autobiography.
ReplyDeleteI think it's ready to go. We would have gotten the dump of tracks last month had the NYA app not hit a snag and delayed the whole launch.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure most folks here have heard it, but in case you haven't, Neil hazily rambling about Judy Garland is a must-hear for any Neil fan.
ReplyDeleteEverything Neil did from 1976-78 is pure gold to me, so I'm looking forward to hearing pristine sound quality of this '76 acoustic material.
Because nobody asked. . .
ReplyDeleteI went through the setlists and wrote down the 23 songs. They are (not necessarily in Songs for Judy running order):
1. Campaigner
2. Old Man
3. After The Goldrush
4. Pocahontas
5. Too Far Gone
6. Give Me Strength
7. A Man Needs a Maid
8. Sugar Mountain
9. Human Highway
10. Tell Me Why
11. No One Seems To Know
12. Heart of Gold
13. The Old Laughing Lady
14. Guilty Train
15. White Line
16. Love Is A Rose
17. Journey Through The Past
18. The Needle and the Damage Done
19. Mr. Soul
20. Mellow My Mind
21. Roll Another Number
22. The Losing End
23 Here We Are in the Years
Let's hope it's out before Xmas.
I always feel a bit let down when some of these archival recordings come out. Maybe that's not the right word. Perhaps ambivalent is. I always wanted to hear them in better quality than I have collected, and am very happy to hear the songs that way. But on the other hand, I am a bit let down that the masses can now have them without paying the dues of a dedicated fan. I know that is selfish and somewhat neiletist, but I can't help what I feel sometimes. Some kid that has just found Neil can now have what was once so rare and hard to find, hard to find, hard to find.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Laughing Lady>Guilty Train is (I hope) considered as one song. Maybe we can hope for one song not on 'The Joel Bernstein Tapes'? Most likely they have split Too Far Gone and the Judy Garland rap into two (bummer). Or maybe one of my favorites, Sad Movies. Not performed im USA that year though.
ReplyDeleteIt was also mentioned for this release an electric song. Wild guess : Peace of Mind?
DeleteSo Tired
When is Neil going to release Separate Ways?
ReplyDelete@Ken: You're missing Harvest (from the Boston late show). So with OLL/Guilty Train combined (as they should be), those are the 23 songs from Neil's solo sets that tour.
ReplyDelete@Ann: Should be on Homegrown, which he says is coming "soon" (whatever that means).
Hi my name is Michael. I dug deep and found the ten tracks for homegrown all acoustic all these songs are on it but not real order there are ten songs homegrown title song, old homestead, little wing, acoustic white line, give me strength, love art blues, homefires, separate ways, try, and Mexico. Found this information in 1975 issue of rolling stone after the album cover was made public and was just about to be released.
ReplyDeleteNo Star of Bethlehem. No way.
DeleteSo Tired
I'll be happy if I see Homegrown by the time I'm 75.
ReplyDelete(67 now)
There are all these forthcoming albums listed on the Timeline, and then he keeps finding
ReplyDeletenew stuff!
Still missing on the time line Old Ways 83, Old Ways 84 and Island in The Sun 82.
DeleteSo Tired
This is easily one of the very best unreleased Neil Young tapes out there. As any dedicated Neil fan has probably heard these already,they will not be surprised by how amazing this tape is. For those ,who I dare say,are lucky enough so that their release will be your first time hearing these tracks,well,stand back because these are all mind blowingly (word?) great.
ReplyDeleteMuch like the Beatles White Album acoustic demos that are also right around the corner, these live tracks focus on the acoustic side of things and both releases are absolute must haves,for hardcore and casual fans alike. Such is their quality and importance.
Looks like it's gonna be an acoustic Christmas this year.
Songs for Judy tracklist was just posted on NYA, it's the regular 22-song Bernstein Tapes with the Judy Garland rap split out as a separate track from Too Far Gone.
ReplyDelete