Live at Massey Hall 1971

Infobox Album |
Name = Live At Massey Hall 1971
Type = live
Artist = Neil Young


Background =
Released = March 13, 2007
Recorded = January 19, 1971
Genre = Folk-rock, Country rock
Length = 67:39
Label = Reprise
Producer = David Briggs, Neil Young
Reviews = *Allmusic rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:cr1m96bo3eq1 link]
*CLUAS (8.5/10) [http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Default.aspx?tabid=87&EntryID=239 link]
*"LA Daily News rating|3.5|4 [http://www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci_5388107 link]
*Music Box rating|5|5 [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2007/neil-young-massey-hall.html link]
*Okayplayer rating|4|5 [http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/index.php/weblog/more/live_at_massey_hall_1971/ link]
*"Pitchfork Media" (8.0/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/41652-live-at-massey-hall link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/neilyoung/albums/album/13623941/review/13711932/live_at_massey_hall_1971 link]
*"Uncut" rating|5|5 [http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/neil_young/reviews/9529 link]

Chronology = Neil Young
Last album = ""
(2006)
This album = "Live at Massey Hall 1971"
(2007)
Next album = "Chrome Dreams II" (2007)

"Live At Massey Hall 1971" is a live album by Neil Young. Released in 2007, the album features a solo, acoustic performance from Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada on January 19, 1971 during the "Journey Through the Past Solo Tour." It is the second release in Young's "Archives Performance Series". [ [http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1888 NYA PS 2 :: Bad News Beat :: on Neil Young ] ] . It reached #1 in Canada with 11,000 units sold in its first week. It debuted at #9 on the Irish Charts, and #30 on the UK albums chart.

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 album chart on March 31, 2007 at number 6, with 57,000 copies sold. It spent 11 weeks on the chart.

et List

Though the set of songs featured that night was similar to other concerts during the tour, the bulk of the songs played would have been unfamiliar to the audience. Of the eighteen songs Young performed during his second set that night, only eight had already appeared on record. These include songs that Young recorded with the bands Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, or had released on one of his three solo albums to date.

Five additional songs performed would appear one year later on the landmark album "Harvest" (though there are noticeable differences in the lyrics on "A Man Needs a Maid"). One song, "Bad Fog of Loneliness," makes its first appearance with this release. The remaining four songs would see the light of day on subsequent 1970s albums. "Love in Mind" and "Journey Through the Past" would appear on the 1973 live album "Time Fades Away," which has yet to appear on CD. "See the Sky About to Rain" was released in a different arrangement on the 1974 album "On the Beach." "Dance Dance Dance" would appear on Crazy Horse's February 1971 debut album, and with new lyrics on the 1977 compilation album "Decade" as "Love Is a Rose." The reworked version later became a hit for Linda Ronstadt.

1971 near-release

For much of 1971, Neil Young was recuperating from a debilitating slipped disc back injury. The year would be the first since 1965 not to see a new studio album featuring the prolific artist. The release of a live album was scheduled March 1971. It may have featured material from just this show, or from several shows, including the one featured on the first "Archives" release, "Live at the Fillmore East." According to Young, "This is the album that should have come out between "After the Gold Rush" and "Harvest"...David Briggs, my producer, was adamant that this should be the record, but I was very excited about the takes we got on "Harvest", and wanted "Harvest" out. David disagreed. As I listen to this today, I can see why." [ [http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1889 Neil comments on massey hall release :: Bad News Beat :: on Neil Young ] ] . Atlantic Records ultimately released a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young live album, "Four Way Street" on April 7, 1971.

The CD release is paired with a DVD featuring footage of the show with the exception of the three tracks which were not recorded visually.

Track listing

All songs written by Neil Young.
#"On the Way Home" – 3:42
#"Tell Me Why" – 2:29
#"Old Man" – 4:57
#"Journey Through the Past" – 4:15
#"Helpless" – 4:16
#"Love In Mind" – 2:47
#"A Man Needs a Maid / Heart of Gold Suite" – 6:39
#"Cowgirl in the Sand" – 3:45
#"Don't Let It Bring You Down" – 2:46
#"There's a World" – 3:33
#"Bad Fog of Loneliness" – 3:27
#"The Needle and the Damage Done" – 3:55
#"Ohio" – 3:40
#"See the Sky About to Rain" – 4:05
#"Down by the River" – 4:08
#"Dance Dance Dance" – 5:48
#"I Am a Child" – 3:19

Performers

*Neil Young — vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica

Charts

Notes

External links

* [http://www.bad-news-beat.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1888 News regarding album, culled from The Globe & Mail]
* [http://www.sugarmtn.org/sets/19710119l.html Setlist of late show, January 19, 1971]
* [http://www.neilyoung.com/archives/masseyhall/masseyhall.html Official Archives website with official track listing and video trailers]