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Friday, June 30, 2023

Chrome Dreams by Neil Young - UPDATED

 Chrome Dreams by Neil Young 
Art by Ronnie Wood, Christmas '76
 (Click photo to enlarge)

 

UPDATE June 30: This is now officially posted on NYA w/ "Sedan Delivery" preview stream.


 

The May 22, 1975 version of “Sedan Delivery,” is a much slower, mellower take  with a lyric variation:  

"The full moon is in my shoulder

I’m feeling a better way

there’s no one to say goodbye to

there’s no one to make me stay"


  1. Pocahontas.............(3:24)
  2. Will to Love...........(7:11)
  3. Star of Bethlehem......(2:42)
  4. Like a Hurricane.......(8:14)
  5. Too Far Gone...........(2:41)
  6. Hold Back the Tears....(5:16)
  7. Homegrown..............(2:20)
  8. Captain Kennedy........(2:55)
  9. Stringman..............(3:32)
  10. Sedan Delivery.........(5:22)
  11. Powderfinger...........(3:23)
  12. Look Out for My Love...(4:06)

 Neil Young: Chrome Dreams Era c~1975

 

From Rusted Moon:

"Chrome Dreams" was supposed to be released in early 1977 as a follow-up to "Zuma".

Neil Young included song material from the Zuma sessions with "Crazy Horse" (1975), recordings at his ranch and the Indigo Ranch solo session for "Hitchiker" (1976). However, Neil Young dropped the already completed work, of which a test pressing already existed, and released "American Stars'n Bars" instead. Five of the twelve songs ended up on this album. More songs appeared - some in different versions - in the following two years on the albums "Comes A Time" and "Rust Never Sleeps". The versions intended for "Chrome Dreams" at the time have since appeared on other archive albums such as "Hitchhiker" or in "Archives Vol. 2".

Per PR:

"Powderfinger" is the early/first solo version, the original.


"Pocahontas" is the same version that first appeared on RUST NEVER SLEEPS, but without the overdubs.


"Sedan Delivery" and "Hold Back the Tears" are originals with lyrics that were not included in later released versions. Both are very different versions than previously released.


"Stringman," is another original performance, included on the ODEON/BUDOKAN disc in ARCHIVES VOL. II; prior to that the song had only appeared on Young's UNPLUGGED album in a later version, not the original.

UPDATE:  The album cover preview and advance track have been removed from Apple Music. We do not have any further info on why Apple Music apparently violated an embargo and/or shenanigans are at work here.  Any further details would be appreciated.  Drop a comment below.


Here is a preview of the album cover for the upcoming  Chrome Dreams by Neil Young.

The release date is August 4, 2023 by Other Shoe Productions.  Artwork looks to be by Ronnie Wood, Christmas '76. (NOTE: Neil - "original cover (drawn by Briggs) was burned in my house fire in 78 - lost forever.")

Image courtesy of Mike "Road Dawg" who tells us that this is now posted on Apple Music with "Sedan Delivery" now streaming.

Recall a LTE on NYA in 2022,

"Chrome Dreams was mastered and I used to have a recording of it (test pressing) that burned in a fire with my house. It was a good record that I passed by, having written so many songs at the time."

 More background from Ward W on NYU | FB:

"Pocahontas, Powderfinger, and Captain Kennedy are the Hitchhiker versions. 
 
Bethlehem is the Homegrown/Stars Bars take. Homegrown, Hurricane, and Will To Live are the Stars Bars versions. Stringman and Too Far Gone are in Archives 2. Look Out For My Love is the Comes A Time version. So if not for Hitchhiker and Archives 2, this is a little repetitive. But Sedan Delivery is terrific, and Hold Back The Tears is a cool solo acoustic alternate."

And recall another LTE on NYA in 2022,

chrome Dreams’ from 77 is an acetate - a finished record - unreleased. NYA has that acetate. It will be released in its entirety as a “Special Release Series” offering. It’s from the Volume 2 period. I believe some songs on it are on Vol 2.
It will get made eventually. I hope you will like it. It was a finished record…until I changed my mind……

Chrome Dreams II (2007)
by Neil Young
 

And who can forget Chrome Dreams II? (see them critics sitting alone react in reviews from back in the day... after those days that used to be...) For example,

From  Uncut.co.uk 2007 review of Neil Young's "Chrome Dreams II":

"I’ve heard “Chrome Dreams II” now, and I’m broadly struggling to see its connection to the first mythical set.

In some ways, it’s a kind of reverse: if “Chrome Dreams” was a collection of great Neil songs that were subsequently dispersed across various disparate albums, “Chrome Dreams II” in part seems to be a collection of disparate, mainly great Neil songs that have been gathered together, somewhat belatedly."

The Neil Young album released in 2007 when the 1st version release never even occurred?  And here we are in 2023 - some 15 years later -- we are finally scheduled to get Chrome Dreams #1.

That Neil. Always throwing the curve balls. Because you have to throw curve balls in order to stay ahead of the curves.


18 comments:

  1. I am lamenting the fact that different versions/takes/mixes of the previously released songs were not used. Do I really need "Star of Bethlehem" a THIRD time in the last 3 years? I don't see how this is an "album" proper but rather a compilation of songs from other records. Someone please help me understand the point in even releasing this at all? Neil couldn't be bothered to use any different takes or mixes from the vaults on this one? Doesn't make sense to me but oh well... I know most others will say "it would have been all unreleased songs when the acetate was cut in 1976-77" or "you're lucky we get anything at all from his archives" but still, this to me feels like a missed opportunity; especially considering the mythology built around this compilation... um I mean, ALBUM. Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its not a compilation its an album that was never be released. Dont rewrite the history. Nobody forces u to buy it

      Delete
    2. Nobody forces u to buy it

      Delete
  2. We didn’t have to wait long for the “other shoe” to drop. They took it down. I was able to hear the first fifteen seconds of Sedan Delivery. It’s definitely Crazy Horse!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah I'm not surprised... it's not on NYA yet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ok, so how did it get loaded onto Apple Music? Don't understand? How did they get it if not authorized? Was it under embargo?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Maybe Neil himself will pull it in favor of something like Early Daze. I would much rather that than this compilation of previously-released tunes. If there are only 2 unreleased cuts on Chrome Dreams, why not just make a limited 7-inch single. I think that would be a lot cooler.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It’s a fitting incident for this particular album. Seems like someone made an error with the scheduling. Chrome Dreams was probably supposed to be ready this weekend but got pushed back due to vinyl pressing demand. Then they didn’t change the Apple Music publish date. Either that or we all just got pranked by Neil Young.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Chrome Dreams" has not been on the agenda recently, nor had been "Noise & Flowers" for a while, when suddenly the cover of that release popped up at an unlikely digital place in Eastern Europe. Back then I did not believe the prematurely released cover art to be genuine. But a couple of months later the cover was a fact. So I now believe that things like that are manouevres by the record industry testing for the timing of their releases, get a first reaction by the usually well-informed fan base ( that is: you).

    ReplyDelete
  8. Why remove the album cover from the blog post? It's already 'out there'...

    Anyway, any comments on 'A Message from Neil'?: https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/1/article?id=A-Message-From-Neil-Goin-Back-On-My-Word

    ReplyDelete
  9. Was there a clue in it being released by ”Other Shoe Productions”?

    ReplyDelete
  10. So close, yet... innaresting that there's Ron Wood cover art. Also, "Ward W" is me (aka everybodysdummy).

    ReplyDelete
  11. @ Harm - good question and a fair point.

    primarily b/c we're trying very hard to avoid the "fake news" label.

    immediately after posting we were getting sketchy vibes. the when Apple Music pulled, we knew it was suspect. Suppose this is a bogus tracklist and cover?

    we just know.

    Regarding 'A Message from Neil'?: https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/1/article?id=A-Message-From-Neil-Goin-Back-On-My-Word

    we think we commented somewhere on this already? not a post, but an offhand remark.

    this is what we would call "signaling".

    Neil is "signaling" something, what it is ain't exactly clear.

    our hunch on the "signaling" is that he's about to go back on his word and already has done so. This is a rather trivial matter compared to potential.

    for example, Neil has decried TicketMaster, yet is using TM on the tour when NYA already has a fan ticket app. why?

    Neil said he wouldn't tour unless he has an electric bus. yet he will be using a non-electric tour bus.

    Neil said he wouldn't perform in venues w/ corporate food. Only organic & healthy food at venues. yet he will be touring venues w/ corporate food.

    "Please take my advice.
    Don't listen to me."


    @ Art Symbol - yes. so what do you think happened over at Apple Music to allow this slip up?

    @ wardo - ahh, our dear @everybodysdummy. of course.

    thanks for updates.

    and what do you think about this preview/error?
    fake news? leaked advance copy?
    guerrilla marketing to gauge reaction?


    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh wow... I did not even notice that. The "Other Shoe", hah. The cover itself seemed suspect to me (the drawing and generic font) , and i cannot imagine that Ne would release a carbon copy of a bootleg when there is so much in the vaults. Maybe this won't even come out...

    ReplyDelete
  13. "The Other Shoe" has appeared on other NY releases, so that didn't throw me.

    Personally I think somebody goofed and jumped the gun. Neil's been mostly good about everything appearing on NYA first, the review copies of Homegrown notwithstanding. Still crossing my fingers for August.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Chrome Dreams is way better than Stills Young Long May You Run which is disappointing just for the fact that Midnight On The Bay had the CSNY vocals erased from the recording.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Is it the same version of Like a Hurricane that is on Zuma?

    ReplyDelete

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