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Bob Dylan once famously remarked about hearing Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" on the radio that he knew his days as the man of the hour were numbered. Fact is, Young is the only guy who can even reasonably compete with Dylan for the title of rock's greatest songwriter, and while "Dylan in the '60s" has long been a cliched assessment of an undeniable rock hot streak, so too has become "Neil Young in the '70s." While Dylan has long culled material from his archive, Young has been reluctant to do the same. He's now joining the fray full force with LIVE AT MASSEY HALL 1971--the second live release in an ongoing series from Young's legendarily deep vaults.
The performance comes between the release of AFTER THE GOLDRUSH and HARVEST and hot on the heels of DEJA VU, basically the last time Young's eminently enthralling man-child persona of "I Am A Child" and "Helpless" held sway over the obstinate, electric crank of TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT and RUST NEVER SLEEPS. The set is pure magic. Young still seems humble and shy, a guy who stumbled across an incredible gift for melody but possessed the worldliness to let his awkward talent breathe and warble as it was meant to.
Familiar songs have drastically different readings: the subdued "A Man Needs A Maid" comes off here as more of a cry for help than the potentially chauvinistic enigma on HARVEST and seeps perfectly into "Heart of Gold;" while the normally heavy "Cowgirl in the Sand" and "Ohio" are remade as acoustic dirges. The true treasures, however, are the never-released gems "Bad Fog of Loneliness" and "Dance Dance Dance," a song--with its lyrics of love and rainbows--that foregrounds Young's latent whimsy and sets up "I Am A Child" as the perfect closer for this disc. A must for fans of Young, '70s singer-songwriters, and rock in general, LIVE AT MASSEY HALL 1971 perfectly captures the moment just before Dylan's prophecy came true and Young took over pop music.
This legendary January 19, 1971 concert is released in high-resolution stereo in this CD/DVD pack. The acclaimed Toronto performance features classics, some of his most popular songs, and more obscure tunes.
Authors: Victor Stanton; Jack Batten.
Editor: Toshi Onuki.
Photographers: Ben Johnson ; Wim Van Der Linden; Toshi Onuki; Joel Bernstein.
Personnel: Neil Young (vocals, guitar, piano).
Recording information: Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (01/19/1971).
Rolling Stone (p.84) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here is a striking vigor to Young's high, eccentric singing -- and a surprising nostalgia in the fond references to his homeland in 'Helpless'..."
Entertainment Weekly (p.68) - "[Some tracks] benefit from the simplicity of the setting: 'A Man Needs a Maid', for one, comes to life without all of the studio version's orchestral gloop."
No Depression (p.104) - "The brief but pointed renditions of 'Cowgirl In The Sand' and 'Down By The River' included here have more emotional heft than the amped up, anthemic renditions on the Fillmore set."
Live At Massey Hall 1971 Music
Neil Young - Live At Massey Hall 1971 Songs
Live At Massey Hall 1971 Music
Live At Massey Hall 1971 Music Review
Average Rating: (4.6 out of 5 stars)    List All 14 Reviews One of the best, thanks Neil
When I was 16 I bought a bootleg, Neil Young, Live on Sugar Mountain, record on the '71 tour. The year, 1972. I still have that LP, enjoyed it all my life, and love it to this day. So when I saw this recording being released today I knew I had to buy it. With great anticipation I brought home the CD/DVD. I have to tell you I watched the DVD first and it totally exceeded my expectations. It was like my long loved bootleg came to life in a way I could never know. I'm a big Neil Young fan and can tell you this is special. All the great songs are here, Old Man, Tell Me Why, Needle and the Damage Done, performed by a young Neil in his prime. You will never regret buying this. Get the DVD/CD, it's worth it. Enjoy
Submitted by mtnbke100 (Tarrytown, NY, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
amazing concert recording
this is an incredible quality collection of what neil young has to offer. the songs are well done and the cd isnt cropped to block out talking, you get the real feel of teh concert. a must have.
Submitted by jim (toronto canada)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 0 of 1 found this helpful. A Treasure
I knew I would buy this disc, even after the somewhat disappointing first release in the series. I played the DVD version first as well as the reviewer below and was fascinated by the sight and sound of this dated recording. If you want just Neil, with either his guitar or piano do not pass up on this one. There are songs played here that had not been recorded as yet in the studio and they are absolute treasures to hear. You are right there as a witness to the raw talent of the artist as he premiere's these clssic songs. As well we get acoustic versions of "Cowgirl in the Sand"
"Down by the River" and "Ohio".
The last treasure is found in the
packaging which announces that there will be an 8 disc box set coming out this year archiving 1962 - 1971.
Thanks for your time.
Submitted by mcmannm (Michael from Streetsville Ontario)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 0 of 1 found this helpful. Like a slow burning candle
A warm c.d from one of the most genuine
singer-songwriters of the last thirty-
plus years. Neil has always been true
to his art and has never waverd into the commerical market.His voice travels inside of you like an unfolding of a rose petal. Thanks Neil!
Submitted by yodd (Plattsburgh, NY, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 0 of 1 found this helpful. Classic performance finally released
This Cd instantly becomes one of the 10 greatest live albums ever released. The best of the young Neil, beautifully recorded. Fascinating performances of classic material (including Buffalo Springfield songs), different from the originals, including Heart of Gold played on piano, as part of a suite. Neil must have been working out the arrangement prior to recording Harvest. I have heard two other shows from this tour, and Neil performs it in the regular way, with guitar and harmonica.
DVD is kind of odd, picture quality is terrible, unless Neil intentionally played with it to make it look "arty." I'd have preferred a clearer view of the concert. Also I'm not even sure if the filmed performances come from the same show - often Neil's mouth doesn't seem synched with the sound. And what's up with the tape deck in front of the microphone? Weird.
One final note - despite what the track listing says, Crazy Horse definitely does NOT appear on this CD or DVD - it is 100% solo Neil.
Submitted by Steve (Sierra Vista, AZ)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 0 of 1 found this helpful. List All Reviews | Have you heard this album? |  |
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