Reprise

Talkin To The Trees feels like a full-on fresh-blooded leap forward as Young steps into his sixth decade in his creative odyssey filled with fearless twists and turns. The Chrome Hearts feature Spooner Oldham (Organ); Micah Nelson (Guitar and Vocal); Corey McCormick (Bass and Vocal); Anthony LoGerfo (Drums); with Neil Young (Guitar, Harp, Piano, Vibes). All songs are written by Neil Young, co-produced by Lou Adler and Young, and recorded at Shangri La Studios in Malibu.

Oceanside Countryside is the latest of Neil Young's great "lost" albums to be released as part of his Analog Original Series. The album was recorded from May to December 1977, preceding the release of Comes A Time in 1978. The two albums share the same country/folk sound, and three songs ("Goin' Back", "Human Highway" and "Field of Opportunity") appear on both albums.<br/><br/>The vinyl release of Oceanside Countryside includes some tracks that are on the CD of the same name in Neil Young's Archives Vol. III. However, this track list is how Oceanside Countryside was originally planned to be released. Recorded on tape, these are the original mixes done at the time of recording. <br/> <br/>All the songs on the "Oceanside" are performed solo by Neil Young. On "Countryside" Young is joined by a band of his friends: Ben Keith (Steel Guitar), Rufus Thibodeaux (fiddle), Karl T. Himmel (drums), Joe Osborne (bass). On "The Old Homestead" Tim Drummond plays bass and Levon Helm plays drums. "Pocahontas" is Young solo.<br/><br/>Please note that while the songs on Oceanside Countryside appear on Archives Vol.III, the versions are not always the same and the track list is the running order for the original Oceanside Countryside album. On this Analog Original vinyl release, the versions of "Lost in Space," "Captain Kennedy" and "The Old Homestead" are from Hawks & Doves in 1980. "Sail Away", "Goin' Back", "Human Highway", "It Might Have Been", and "Pocahontas" are the same versions as on Archives Vol. III in digital. "Field of Opportunity" and "Dance Dance Dance" are the original versions that have Young on backing vocals instead of Nicolette Larson as they appeared on Archives Vol.III.

This new collection of Neil Young with Crazy Horses; earliest recordings include several original versions that have not been released before, and along with the 7-inch Mono mix that was released in 1970 that includes a guitar outro not on LP version not on original LP version. <br/><br/>All the songs on EARLY DAZE sound and feel like a new beginning for where rock &amp; roll was going at the end of the 1960s. <br/><br/>The tide was turning on some of the psychedelic experimentation of the San Francisco bands, and moving towards a style of intricate songwriting and bands that were able to take the beginnings of folk-rock and find new ways to let it explode in different settings. <br/><br/>Neil Young with Crazy Horse were leading the charge in this completely expressive style of new music. It opened doors for a wide variety of new styles, and allowed a whole generation of musicians to find a new way forward. In many ways, that achievement.

"Why do these old songs live so vividly now? They do to me."<br/><br/>Neil Young with Crazy Horse in all their "Ragged Glory". <br/>Neil & The Horse have played together for over 50 years and the performances of these songs is a true highlight of that long relationship.<br/><br/>9 songs on 2 LPs, with the original song titles replaced with selected lyrics. ("Farmer John", being a cover, retains its original title.)<br/><br/>The album was recorded in 2023, with this line-up:<br/><br/>Billy Talbot - Bass, vocal<br/>Ralph Molina - Drums, vocal<br/>Micah Nelson - Guitar, vocal, piano<br/>Nils Lofgren - Guitar, vocal, piano<br/>Neil Young - Guitar, vocal, harmonica<br/><br/>Neil: "In the spirit it's offered...made this for the Horse lovers. I can't stop it. The horse is runnin'. What a ride we have. I don't want to mess with the vibe. I am so happy to have this to share."

Young Neil: Freedom [2 Vinyl LP]

For the past two decades, Toast has been whispered about in collectors' circles in hushed tones, as Young has dropped pieces of information about it here and there, especially as it contains three never-before-released songs.<br/>Last year, in his online daily newspaper, The Times Contrarian, Young wrote about the album in-depth. "The music of Toast is about a relationship," he said. "There is a time in many relationships that go bad, a time long before the breakup, where it dawns on one of the people, maybe both, that it's over. This was that time."<br/><br/>Aptly, Toast is heavy and distressed, brimming with electrifying tension. Even its sweet-sounding opening track, "Quit," features the refrain, "Don't say you love me." "Standing In The Light of Love" and "Goin' Home" let the Horse off the tether in fields of overdriven guitar; an out-of-work logger grapples with his faith on the breakneck "Timberline;" and on "Gateway of Love," Young dreams of a less painful future over a hypnotizing 10 minutes, leading into the somber, brokedown "How Ya Doin'?" The songwriter sums up the album best during its shadowy finale "Boom Boom Boom": "All I got is a broken heart, and I don't try to hide it when I play my guitar."

Mastodon: Hushed and grim [Gatefold / 2 Vinyl LP]