Comment of the Moment: "Songs For Judy" - Next Neil Young Album

Behind The Scenes w/ Cameron Crowe and Joel Bernstein
NYA Times-Contrarian

The Comment of the Moment is from the yesterday's post on "Songs For Judy" Cover + Tracklist: Next Neil Young Album by Mike/Expecting To Fly:

The Joel/Cameron article in NYA Times-Contrarian brings me back to the very first time I saw Neil Young in concert during that November 1976 tour with Crazy Horse.

By 1976, my enduring admiration for Neil Young had already been firmly established. I started in 1970 with After The Goldrush, my first Neil Young album purchase. I quickly after that got all of the previous solo albums, Buffalo Springfield, and CSNY. Acquiring Harvest, the Journey Through The Past movie soundtrack (plus watching the movie in a theater), then on to the thrilling experiences of listening to Time Fades Away, On The Beach, Tonight’s The Night, and Zuma. What a ride that was. I was deeply into all of those albums. I had heard some things that gave me some idea of what Neil was like live. I had Four Way Street and cassette copies of the 1971 bootlegs Live at the BBC and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion show. But I had never seen Neil live. That changed on November 6, 1976.

The Balch Fieldhouse at the University of Colorado in Boulder was a basketball arena and I was able to get a general admission ticket to this show which was about 80 miles away from where I was living at the time. The experience of the November 6, 1976 turned out to be a profound event for me.

In a broad description, the show consisted of 18 songs, eight solo acoustic tunes followed by a ten song electric set with Crazy Horse. The show was incredible to me in every way. Neil had a profound stage presence. His personality held the audience and the power of the music drove through everyone. I know Neil had played thousands of live shows by that time, but I felt like all of us, Neil, CH, and the audience were part of something huge and important. I was totally amazed not only at the number of unreleased songs Neil and the band played but also the incredible intensity of how very good these new songs were. I loved the songs that I was familiar with (I had his complete catalog at the time) but these new ones were as good or better as the ones I knew. The new ones for me included the acoustic opener Campaigner and the electric opener Country Home and also Human Highway, Pocahontas, Too Far Gone, Bite The Bullet, Lotta Love, and the absolutely blistering Like A Hurricane (I am so glad my first experience with that song was a live show!)

The full setlist thanks to Tom Hambleton’s Sugar Mountain site was:

1) Campaigner
2) Human Highway
3) After The Goldrush
4) Pocahontas
5) Too Far Gone
6) Old Man
7) A Man Needs A Maid
8) Sugar Mountain
----
9) Country Home
10) Don’t Cry No Tears
11) Down By The River
12) Bite The Bullet
13) Lotta Love
14) Like A Hurricane
15) Drive Back
16) Cinnamon Girl
---
17) Homegrown
18) Cortez The Killer

Looking at that setlist, I am struck at how many of those songs have propelled Neil Young live shows through his career up to the present. I was very fortunate to have attended the May 1 NYCH show in Fresno, California this year and he played many songs that I experienced at that first show of mine including Country Home, Don’t Cry No Tears, Too Far Gone, Cinnamon Girl, Cortez The Killer, and Like A Hurricane.

At that show this year I was very much transported back to that November 6, 1976 show and the immense experience of being a Neil Young admirer and fan for 48 years.

Thanks so much for the memories by Mike/Expecting To Fly! That's really so cool that you were there for the November 1976 concerts. It's sounding like we're in for an acoustic Christmas with "Songs For Judy"!

Btw, check out Albums in Order Series by longtime Rustie Mike "Expecting 2 Fly" Cordova's reviews of Neil's entire back catalog.

More on "Songs For Judy" Cover + Tracklist: Next Neil Young Album and Joel Bernstein Tapes and "Songs for Judy".

She Could Drag Me Somewhere Over The Rainbow...
Judy Garland & Jimmy Durante
(Thanks Ralf @ Rusted Moon!)

Or as Judy asks: "How's the business, Neil?" At this point, probably too far gone...

---

---

"Songs For Judy" Cover + Tracklist: Next Neil Young Album

"Songs For Judy" by Neil Young

RELEASE DATE: Nov. 30 (Pre-Orders only)

Last week, we posted about Next Neil Young Album? "Songs for Judy" (aka Joel Bernstein Tapes) and now a tracklist has been posted to NYA Times-Contrarian.

From John Hanlon's Notebook on NYA Times-Contrarian, Hanlon wrote 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 November 1976 "Crazy Horse" tour.

"Songs for Judy" Tracklist

via NYA Times-Contrarian

(Click photo to enlarge)

Tracklist via NYA Times-Contrarian:

“Songs For Judy Intro” – Atlanta, GA – Nov 24 (late show)
“Too Far Gone” – Boulder, Colorado – Nov 06
“No One Seems To Know” – Boulder, Colorado – Nov 07
“Heart Of Gold” – Fort Worth, Texas – Nov 10
“White Line” – Fort Worth, Texas – Nov 10
“Love Is A Rose” – Houston – Nov 11
“After The Gold Rush” – Houston – Nov 11
“Human Highway” – Madison, Wisconsin – Nov 14
“Tell Me Why” – Chicago – Nov 15 (late show)
“Mr. Soul” – New York – Nov 20 (early show)
“Mellow My Mind” – New York – Nov 20 (early show)
“Give Me Strength” – New York – Nov 20 (late show)
“A Man Needs A Maid” – New York – Nov 20 (late show)
“Roll Another Number” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Journey Through The Past” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Harvest” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Campaigner” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Old Laughing Lady” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (early show)
“The Losing End” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“Here We Are In The Years” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“The Needle And The Damage Done” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (early show)
“Pocahontas” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“Sugar Mountain” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)

(Thanks to Ken N., who got the track list pretty close!)

UPDATE: "Campaigner", recorded November 22nd, 1976 at Boston’s Music Hall, has been just released as the first "single," album due Nov. 30. (Thanks Babbo!)

Neil Young
Hammersmith Odeon, London, 28th March 1976 (Setlist via sugarmtn.org)

There are fascinating "Notes About The Recordings" by Cameron Crowe and Joel Bernstein. (Thanks Wardo!)

Behind The Scenes w/ Cameron Crowe and Joel Bernstein
NYA Times-Contrarian

NEIL YOUNG – SONGS FOR JUDY
Some Notes About The Recordings

by Cameron Crowe and Joel Bernstein

August 12, 2018

via Warner Bros. Recording

Here's a comment from post Next Neil Young Album? "Songs for Judy" (aka Joel Bernstein Tapes) by Richard B.:

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.

Much 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.

Thanks Richard! Yes, it's sounding like we're in for an acoustic Christmas!

So who was Judy? That would be Judy Garland -- of course - from the epicly important and essential "Wizard of OZ".

Witch Glinda (The Good Witch) & Dorothy (Judy Garland)

Recall what Witch Glinda (The Good Witch) says to Dorothy (Judy Garland):

"You don't need to be helped any longer.
You've always had the power to go back to Kansas."

So remember, just use your power and the force will be with you.  And we'll see you when you get home. (Also, see The Wizard of OZ ... or What Really Happened to America.) You've always had the power, may the force be with you, be the rain, walk like a giant, tell the truth, hack the matrix, & LAOL.

More on Joel Bernstein Tapes and "Songs for Judy".

She Could Drag Me Somewhere Over The Rainbow...
Judy Garland & Jimmy Durante
(Thanks Ralf @ Rusted Moon!)

Or as Judy asks: "How's the business, Neil?" At this point, probably too far gone...

---

---

Bob Dylan & Neil Young: June 1988 - Greek Theatre, Berkeley

Last week, we posted on Bob Dylan and Neil Young's historic concert recording together in 1988.

Several days later, Bob Dylan and Neil Young performed together at the Greek Theatre, University Of California in Berkeley on 10 June 1988. Dylan's band included G. E. Smith (guitar), Kenny Aaronson (bass), Christopher Parker (drums) along with Neil Young.

"Like A Rolling Stone" is the above video and the rare "Gates of Eden" is below.

"My Back Pages"
Bob Dylan and Tom Petty & Neil Young

BobFest: Madison Square Garden, New York City - 1992

More on that tangled up in blue musical relationship of Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

---

---

"Speak The Truth": New Song by Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real

"Speak the Truth" is a new song by Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real which debuted at Harrah's Resort, San Diego, California on Oct 15, 2018.

The song "Speak the Truth" follows a similar theme put forward earlier this year by Lukas Nelson's "Turn Off The News" and brother Micah Nelson's "Everything Is Bullshit".

As we've mentioned previously, Lukas Nelson speaks from the heart with a maturity and wisdom far beyond his years. And -- obviously -- in these strange days, the themes of truth and the ability to express it freely are of paramount importance. Long time readers know that here at TW we hold these truths to be self-evident and non-negotiable. Transparency, full disclosure and open source methods will eventually win the day. "The Big Shift" rolls on and on...

So thanks Lukas and Micah for keeping the promise real!

(Thanks Candy B. & HtH!)

---

---

Neil Young Says "Alchemy: Probably The Last Crazy Horse Live Album"

Alchemy
via NYA Times-Contrarian

According to the latest edition of the NYA Times-Contrarian, Neil Young writes that "Alchemy is probably the last Crazy Horse live album."

Having had a ride on the rails across the continents from 2012 to 2014, we can definitely say that the Neil Young & Crazy Horse Alchemy Concert Tours will make for a compelling live album.



Thrasher Wheat covered the Fall 2012 N. America Tour, Spring 2013 Australia/New Zealand Tour, Summer 2013 Europe Tour and Europe Summer 2014 Concert Tour.



The third episode of A Rust Trilogy, which began with Rust Never Sleeps in 1978, and continued with Weld in 1990, now concludes with Alchemy in 2012. Things have changed, yet they stay the same. The Alchemy Tour of Neil Young & Crazy Horse -- like Rust and Weld -- brought back those old stage props like big roadcases, giant monitors and towering mic stands.

Alchemy was deja vu all over again.

Alchemy Tour Stage Setup
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Windsor, Ontario, Oct. 3

---

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Cleveland, Ohio - Oct. 8
Alchemy Tour 2012
Photos by TW
(Click photo to enlarge)
We are very fortunate to have just returned from attending both the Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Neil Young & Crazy Horse Alchemy 2012 Tour shows.

And, boy, what thoughts and memories we have of Neil and The Horse in all of their splendid ragged glory.

From our vantage point of just off the rail, what we witnessed was nothing less than two nearly perfect nights of rock and roll power delivered with raw abandon yet punctuated with all the fun and delight one could ever want. And more.

To say that we've been lucky is a vast understatement. This was our third lifetime installment of "The Rust Trilogy". We saw the Rust Never Sleeps in 1978, the Weld tour in 1991, and now the Alchemy tour in 2012. While the boys in the band and some of the songs are still the same, life's journey has continued. As they say, "their spirit seems unstoppable." Just ask anyone who has seen the chemistry of the Alchemy tour.

Highlights? Too many.

The Crazy Horse huddle.

The dinosaur stomp of "Walk Like A Giant".

Flipping off Poncho during "Fuckin' Up".

The Psychedelic Mic

The flying keyboard descending for "Like A Hurricane". (Note new tye-die draping for the crying dove)

And good news! Concerts being filmed by Shakey Pictures.

What else?

And of course our fellow rusty Neil fans who get it and know The Way. We're honored to be part of the tribe. See you next time at the campfire.

Love and Only Love will endure.

peace,
thrasher

More photos of Neil Young & Crazy Horse Alchemy Tour 2012.

More on Thoughts & Memories on Alchemy Tour: Neil Young & Crazy Horse 2012

---

---