The news that the great Neil Young has been wading through his past in search of interesting, unheard things to listen to should always be a cause for celebration.
Last year, he put out the latest in his Archives series (Volume 2), while now he is releasing a new album of live tracks recorded during a US tour in 1984-85, around the time he was famously being sued by David Geffen for making ‘uncharacteristic and uncommercial music’.
TwentyFourBit reports that the new release is entitled A Treasure and features 12 tracks performed by Young with his backing band the International Harvesters. Five tracks are previously unreleased, while the International Harvesters’ impressive line-up included fabled slide guitarist, the late Ben Keith, along with piano supremo Spooner Oldham. Young is quoted as saying of the new release, “I hadn’t heard these takes in 25 years, but when we unearthed them co-producer Ben Keith said, ‘This is a treasure.'” The album gets a US release on May 24.
TwentyFourBit also features a new video of Young himself talking about the album, including an amusing rant about modern music formats (“mp3 sucks!” he cries) and clips of the songs themselves.
Young is keeping very busy these days, what with new releases of old music, a tour with a reunited Buffalo Springfield and no doubt plotting the follow-up to his acclaimed latest album, Le Noise. He is also about to embark on a solo tour of the US over April and May.
The tracklisting for A Treasure is:
01. Amber Jean (09/20/84) – Nashville Now TV Nashville, TN *
02. Are You Ready For The Country? (09/21/84) – Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH
03. It Might Have Been (09/25/84) – Austin City Limits TV Austin, TX
04. Bound For Glory (09/29/84) – Gilleys’ Rodeo Arena Pasadena, TX
05. Let Your Fingers Do The Walking (10/22/84) – Universal City, CA *
06. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong (10/26/84) – Greek Theater Berkeley, CA
07. Motor City (10/26/84) – Greek Theater Berkeley, CA
08. Soul Of A Woman (10/26/84) – Greek Theater Berkeley, CA *
09. Get Back To The Country (10/26/84) – Greek Theater Berkeley, CA
10. Southern Pacific (9/1/85 ) – Minnesota State Fair St. Paul, MN
11. Nothing Is Perfect (9/1/85) – Minnesota State Fair St. Paul, MN *
12. Grey Riders (9/10/85) – Pier 84 New York City, NY *
* = Previously unreleased song
