Just two months after the release of his seminal album After The Gold Rush, Neil Young played a solo show at The Shakespeare Theater, Stratford, CT on January 22 1971. The show was filmed and recorded, and the concert shown on German TV later in 1971. In 2020, while Neil and his team were reviewing his Archive for future projects, Neil re-visited the 16mm film and audio recording of this show that had been preserved in the Archive for almost 50 years. Piecing together the tapes and footage, Neil realized that he had the full concert – the film of which is the earliest live footage of Neil performing that is known to exist. Neil has written on NYA that this show is“superior to our beloved “Massey Hall”. A more calm performance, without the celebratory atmosphere of Massey Hall, captured live on 16mm. “Young Shakespeare” is a very special event. To my fans, I say this is the best ever.” As an insight into Neil’s prolific song writing at the time, the concert features two songs from the recently released After The Gold Rush but four songs from the classic Harvest album that was still over a year away from being released. The wonderful set list also includes acoustic renditions of favorites such as “Ohio”, “Cowgirl In the Sand”, “Helpless”, “Down By The River” and “Sugar Mountain”. The ancient analog tapes have been lovingly restored – resulting in (as Neil says on NYA) “one of the most pure sounding acoustic performances we have in the Archive”. This beautiful concert is being released on LP and CD, plus a deluxe boxed edition that includes both LP and CD and, for the first time ever, a DVD of the concert. Young Shakespeare is being released almost exactly 50 years after the original performance.
Label: Reprise Records – 093624888093
Series: Neil Young Archives Performance Series – 3.5
Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
CD, Stereo
DVD, DVD-Video, Stereo
Box Set, Album, Deluxe Edition, Numbered
Country: Europe
Released: 26 Mar 2021
Genre: Rock
Style: Country Rock, Folk Rock
Tracklist
LP
A1 Tell Me Why
A2 Old Man
A3 The Needle And The Damage Done
A4 Ohio
A5 Dance Dance Dance
A6 Cowgirl In The Sand
A7 A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold (Medley)
B1 Journey Through The Past
B2 Don't Let It Bring You Down
B3 Helpless
B4 Down By The River
B5 Sugar Mountain
CD
CD1 Tell Me Why
CD2 Old Man
CD3 The Needle And The Damage Done
CD4 Ohio
CD5 Dance Dance Dance
CD6 Cowgirl In The Sand
CD7 A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold (Medley)
CD8 Journey Through The Past
CD9 Don't Let It Bring You Down
CD10 Helpless
CD11 Down By The River
CD12 Sugar Mountain
DVD
DVD1 Tell Me Why
DVD2 Old Man
DVD3 The Needle And The Damage Done
DVD4 Ohio
DVD5 Dance Dance Dance
DVD6 Cowgirl In The Sand
DVD7 A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold (Medley)
DVD8 Joyrney Through The Past
DVD9 Don't Let It Bring You Down
DVD10 Helpless
DVD11 Down By The River
DVD12 Sugar Mountain