There’s no sign of any let up in Neil Young’s current reissue/release productivity, with the announcement of three new albums in his ‘Official Bootleg Series’.
These are Royce Hall, 1971, a solo acoustic gig which was recorded on 30 Januaryof that year on the UCLA (University of California) campus; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971, another solo acoustic performance and the last US show of his 1971 solo tour; and, perhaps most excitingly,Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), an On The Beach-heavy set from New York City, 1974.
‘Revolution Blues’ from Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line)
If you are wondering about the audio quality, the message from the label is that “where analogue tape exists inYoung’s archive, these concerts have been mixed properly, providing much higher quality recordings than have previously existed”.
This is the case for both Royce Hall andDorothy Chandler Pavilion 1971 (i.e. they are both from the original analogue masters). If no tape exists, the original bootleg has been restored and remastered to make it sound as good as possible. This as is the case with Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line). Songs from all three releases are on this post.
‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’ from Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971
The original bootleg artwork has also been replicated wherever possible, offering a bit of amateurish authenticity which conjures the era they were first created in. These either looks really cool or a bit rubbish, depending on your point of view…
All three albums will be released on vinyl and CD on 6 May 2022 via Reprise Records.
OBS 3: ‘Dorothy Chandler Pavilion’ (Los Angeles: February 1st, 1971)
‘On the Way Home’
‘Tell Me Why’
‘Old Man’
‘Journey Through the Past’
‘Cowgirl in the Sand’
‘Heart of Gold’
‘A Man Needs a Maid’
‘Sugar Mountain’
‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’
‘Love in Mind’
‘The Needle and the Damage Done’
‘Ohio’
‘See the Sky About to Rain’
‘I Am a Child’
‘Dance Dance Dance’
Tracklisting
Royce Hall, 1971Neil Young/
OBS 4: ‘Royce Hall’ (Los Angeles: January 30th, 1971)
‘On the Way Home’
‘Tell Me Why’
‘Old Man’
‘Journey Through the Past’
‘Cowgirl in the Sand’
‘Heart of Gold’
‘A Man Needs a Maid’
‘See the Sky About to Rain’
‘Sugar Mountain’
‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’
‘Love in Mind’
‘The Needle and the Damage Done’
‘Ohio’
‘Down by the River’
‘Dance Dance Dance’
‘I Am a Child’
Tracklisting
Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line)Neil Young/
OBS 5: ‘Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live The Bottom Line)’ (NYC: May 16th, 1974)
‘Pushed It Over The End’
‘Long May You Run’
‘Greensleeves’
‘Ambulance Blues’
‘Helpless’
‘Revolution Blues’
‘On the Beach’
‘Roll Another Number (For the Road)’
‘Motion Pictures’
‘Pardon My Heart’
‘Dance Dance Dance’
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If Carnegie Hall was volume 1 (OBS01), and these ones are OBS03, 04, 05, does anybody know which one is volume 2 (OBS02)? Or will it be released later?
thanks!
I’ve built up a nice little NY collection from SDE alerts, NY seems to get big reductions so a lot here I’d love to have but I think I’ll wait for the price drops
The Amazon UK cd prices are weird. £10.99 for one and £13.99 for the other two. Presumably they are single discs and contain roughly the same amount of music? Any ideas?
I’ll be ordering all of these. Particularly excited to get an upgraded version of The Bottom Line show! Hopefully not too long before the other 2 he’s announced are out.
Scratch ORS6 and Alchemy from Neil’s current plans.I doubt Chrome Dreams is scheduled for this year either.
I hope all the rest happen as there is a lot of great stuff sitting in the queue behind these.
By my count the two solo acoustic 1971 shows make total of 6 now recorded between 30 Nov 70 and 1 Feb71 with almost identical set lists. If I am to pick just one, I’m drawn to Carnegie Hall simply because it has many more songs on it, but is that the one to pick (for performance, sound quality, lack of annoying audience noises etc)? Would appreciate expert advice!
Would second that – Massey Hall is amazing. Young Shakespeare is also incredible but a shorter set so harder to recommend over Massey Hall if you’re just getting one. Carnegie Hall is very good too, but suffers from coming after all of the others so possibly loses some impact.
As for the others from differing periods – Songs for Judy is essential, Tuscaloosa I can take or leave and Tonight’s the Night from the Roxy pretty good. Sugar Mountain / Canterbury House is worth getting as earlier period and set list quite different with more Buffalo Springfield – very laid back with some funny stories in between.
Songs for Judy has a peculiar vibe, very stoned but quite happy. The Bottom Line show is stoned also, but very dark, it goes deeper. And if you don’t mind Neil going electric, Rust bucket is essential. All in all, I think that the Neil archives project is very well curated. Some choices seem odd but they make sense.
The 2 stand outs so far are Massey Hall and Carnegie Hall.If you look at the set lists Massey Hall which happened a few weeks before the Harvest sessions started has a lot of songs that finished up on that album.David Briggs who was Neil’s main producer actually tried to talk him into releasing that instead of Harvest.Carnegie Hall which is from a month earlier doesn’t have many of the Harvest songs.They have different feels too as Massey Hall feels like a triumphant homecoming and Carnegie Hall feels like a more formal big time New York concert.
The price of a cd makes it worthwhile to get both.
The other 2 out already-Cellar Door and Young Shakespeare-are both also excellent.The point of difference with those is that they are more intimate and relaxed .The Cellar Door was an audience of a few hundred.The Young Shakespeare version of Sugar Mountain is very different and totally definitive.
Not having both Massey Hall and Carnegie Hall would be punishing yourself.
Thanks all. I have Cellar Door & Massey Hall so next will be Carnegie Hall. Good that I knew where to ask :-) Have to say though that much as I like his music, I’m not so keen on his between song ramblings.
The Citizen Kane/Bottom Line show is my favourite of all Neil Young gigs, just ahead of Massey Hall. If you only buy two Neil live albums, get these two.
I was not going originally to get Carnegie Hall bootleg, then i played it on Neil’s archive, and its an amazing performance with excellent sound quality.
For these new 3 bootlegs, i might listen 1st, before i buy, theres a lot of the material has already been released live, but thats the beauty of this series, go for the gigs you are more interested in, but i like the way Neil has consciously kept the price very low for the bootleg vinyl series, if you have not noticed, all bootleg vinyl is priced well below a normal Neil release, and this was no accident, i can’t recall the last time i was able to get a newly released vinyl for €20.
One of the upcoming Bootleg series yet to be released, is “Live At The Rainbow” London, from late 1973, i’m definitely interested in this one, as its material has not been covered as well as late 60’s to 72.
As a Neil Young completist I’m in for these. But if there’s one thing I really don’t need it’s another solo acoustic gig from 1970/71. Especially when there are so many other great gigs in the vaults. Oh well still good that he’s putting them out and an improved version of the 1974 gig is worthwhile as it’s a really nice (if stoned) performance
Using original bootleg artwork is brilliant, in my estimation. As for these 3 shows, ‘Citizen Kane’ is essential (& I look forward to the upgrade from my current bootleg CD version); the other two, not so much. I likely will give them a miss.
These look great. I love the artwork. I remember using a copy machine and then pasting the paper to a white album jacket and thats was the extent of the artwork- horrible but unique. Im looking forward to these shows.
Is it not a bit cheeky, to be releasing **literally** a bootleg recording and passing it off (at a premium price, naturally) as an official release, albeit as part of an “Official Bootleg Series”? Is the show in question SO historically significant that nothing of similar import could be found in the vaults?
Yes, that’s the principle of a bootleg series. Dylan did it first. And it’s not that expensive, honestly. The Bottom Line show is essential. It’s acoustic, but has a creepy, depressive vibe that I absolutely love. And the setlist is full of rare performances of obscure songs.
Dylan was first, released in March 1991, FZ, released the ‘Beat The Boots’ boxed set in July 1991. Dylan’s was nicely curated and had an informative booklet. Frank’s was an angry, not very well-produced artefact: one of his less-inspired release decisions. As such, not a critique of F, as he was very much a one-man operation (which is rather admirable), and Bob’s much more corporate (and they did it well).
Hi Eddie77, yes, I read the article. Perhaps I didn’t explain myself with sufficient clarity. My comment regarding them “literally” releasing bootleg recordings was in respect of this text from the article:-
“If no tape exists, the original bootleg has been restored and remastered to make it sound as good as possible. This as is the case with Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line).”
So unless I’ve misinterpreted something, the Bottom Line release is indeed from the bootleg, albeit restored/tarted up. Given this info I’d personally be a little miffed at the thought of spending top dollar on such a recording – especially given the DECADES of warnings from the record labels advising the fans never to buy bootlegs (for any number of reasons).
But then, I’m not a Neil Young completist. If it really is such an important historical document, then you pays your money and makes your choice.
I look at it slightly differently. I don’t own the bootleg. I wouldn’t know where to buy the bootleg. It sounds like an amazing gig. Therefore I’m happy NY is making it officially available with it sounding as good as it possibly can. And I’m happy to support the artist (it’s hardly relevant that NY doesn’t need the money or whatever people want to argue).
Hi Steve Roberts. One has been released already (Carnegie Hall) with these three to come. The Bottom Line one is the only one of the four where they haven’t got their own tapes. So, why do you base your entire criticism on just 25 per cent of the releases? Sounds like you have an axe to grind….
Speaking as an Elvis Presley fan who still occasionally buys what can only be described as truly dreadful sounding bootleg audience recorded CDs, for their “historical” significance, I can assure you that by comparison Neil’s are not being sold at a premium price.
I have loved all the NY archival releases and will definitely pick up the Bottom Line disc. I’m having a hard time justifying both of the others though. Same tour, almost identical setlists and recorded within two days of each other. This is on top of Massey Hall and Young Shakespeare which are also ’71. I’ve already got Carnegie Hall, Sugar Mountain and the Cellar Door sets for more early acoustic Neil.
At least the Bottom Line disc is a little later with a different set – that looks essential if you like that sort of thing.
I believe that the Royce Hall gig is where the versions of Needle and the Damage Done and Love in Mind that ended up on Harvest and Time Fades Away respectively were taken from. On those grounds will probably get it, although at that stage the completist in me will start nagging away for the other disc.
If you’ve not reached saturation point, I thoroughly recommend Songs for Judy as one of the essential NY archival releases. It’s got some amazing versions of lesser-released songs such as No One Seems to Know, Give Me Strength and White Line. When these releases are good, they’re incredible. Just a fair degree of overlap though. The last two of the initial six bootleg series announced look interesting and should be good when they surface – a Stray Gators ’73 and a Ducks ’77 offering I believe.
Got to agree with you here. Carnegie Hall is only a month or so earlier and covers all the same ground as the two 1971 sets. Citizen Kane Jr Blues on the other hand looks pretty decent. I’m going to swerve the others and get that.
You are spot on re: Songs For Judy too. I think it has a wonderful flow and really captures a moment.
News
If Carnegie Hall was volume 1 (OBS01), and these ones are OBS03, 04, 05, does anybody know which one is volume 2 (OBS02)? Or will it be released later?
thanks!
I’ve built up a nice little NY collection from SDE alerts, NY seems to get big reductions so a lot here I’d love to have but I think I’ll wait for the price drops
The Amazon UK cd prices are weird. £10.99 for one and £13.99 for the other two. Presumably they are single discs and contain roughly the same amount of music? Any ideas?
Get them in a few weeks, they should drop to £9.99 at least.
This is a Public Service Announcement on behalf of Golden Age Enterprises.
I’ll be ordering all of these. Particularly excited to get an upgraded version of The Bottom Line show! Hopefully not too long before the other 2 he’s announced are out.
2?
The expected/possible releases for 2022 are:
ORS 5 (Freedom Ragged Glory, Arc-Weld)
The Ducks
Toast
Noise & Flower
Harvest 50
ORS 6
Chrome Dreams
Alchemy
Archives 3
I hope they don’t all come out this year as a little breathing space between releases would be nice.
Scratch ORS6 and Alchemy from Neil’s current plans.I doubt Chrome Dreams is scheduled for this year either.
I hope all the rest happen as there is a lot of great stuff sitting in the queue behind these.
Vinyl’s x 3 ordered!
By my count the two solo acoustic 1971 shows make total of 6 now recorded between 30 Nov 70 and 1 Feb71 with almost identical set lists. If I am to pick just one, I’m drawn to Carnegie Hall simply because it has many more songs on it, but is that the one to pick (for performance, sound quality, lack of annoying audience noises etc)? Would appreciate expert advice!
Massey Hall is the one !
Would second that – Massey Hall is amazing. Young Shakespeare is also incredible but a shorter set so harder to recommend over Massey Hall if you’re just getting one. Carnegie Hall is very good too, but suffers from coming after all of the others so possibly loses some impact.
As for the others from differing periods – Songs for Judy is essential, Tuscaloosa I can take or leave and Tonight’s the Night from the Roxy pretty good. Sugar Mountain / Canterbury House is worth getting as earlier period and set list quite different with more Buffalo Springfield – very laid back with some funny stories in between.
Songs for Judy has a peculiar vibe, very stoned but quite happy. The Bottom Line show is stoned also, but very dark, it goes deeper. And if you don’t mind Neil going electric, Rust bucket is essential. All in all, I think that the Neil archives project is very well curated. Some choices seem odd but they make sense.
The 2 stand outs so far are Massey Hall and Carnegie Hall.If you look at the set lists Massey Hall which happened a few weeks before the Harvest sessions started has a lot of songs that finished up on that album.David Briggs who was Neil’s main producer actually tried to talk him into releasing that instead of Harvest.Carnegie Hall which is from a month earlier doesn’t have many of the Harvest songs.They have different feels too as Massey Hall feels like a triumphant homecoming and Carnegie Hall feels like a more formal big time New York concert.
The price of a cd makes it worthwhile to get both.
The other 2 out already-Cellar Door and Young Shakespeare-are both also excellent.The point of difference with those is that they are more intimate and relaxed .The Cellar Door was an audience of a few hundred.The Young Shakespeare version of Sugar Mountain is very different and totally definitive.
Not having both Massey Hall and Carnegie Hall would be punishing yourself.
Thanks all. I have Cellar Door & Massey Hall so next will be Carnegie Hall. Good that I knew where to ask :-) Have to say though that much as I like his music, I’m not so keen on his between song ramblings.
In the USA, the vinyl isn’t released until a month later, June 3rd
The Citizen Kane/Bottom Line show is my favourite of all Neil Young gigs, just ahead of Massey Hall. If you only buy two Neil live albums, get these two.
I was not going originally to get Carnegie Hall bootleg, then i played it on Neil’s archive, and its an amazing performance with excellent sound quality.
For these new 3 bootlegs, i might listen 1st, before i buy, theres a lot of the material has already been released live, but thats the beauty of this series, go for the gigs you are more interested in, but i like the way Neil has consciously kept the price very low for the bootleg vinyl series, if you have not noticed, all bootleg vinyl is priced well below a normal Neil release, and this was no accident, i can’t recall the last time i was able to get a newly released vinyl for €20.
One of the upcoming Bootleg series yet to be released, is “Live At The Rainbow” London, from late 1973, i’m definitely interested in this one, as its material has not been covered as well as late 60’s to 72.
Looks like the recipe for honeyslides has been cut from the Bottom Line show. That’s disappointing, but I guess I’ll still have the bootleg version.
Neil said he would put the honey slides rap up on the Archives site when the album is released.
Also any other edited between songs talk.
As a Neil Young completist I’m in for these. But if there’s one thing I really don’t need it’s another solo acoustic gig from 1970/71. Especially when there are so many other great gigs in the vaults. Oh well still good that he’s putting them out and an improved version of the 1974 gig is worthwhile as it’s a really nice (if stoned) performance
Using original bootleg artwork is brilliant, in my estimation. As for these 3 shows, ‘Citizen Kane’ is essential (& I look forward to the upgrade from my current bootleg CD version); the other two, not so much. I likely will give them a miss.
These look great. I love the artwork. I remember using a copy machine and then pasting the paper to a white album jacket and thats was the extent of the artwork- horrible but unique. Im looking forward to these shows.
Is it not a bit cheeky, to be releasing **literally** a bootleg recording and passing it off (at a premium price, naturally) as an official release, albeit as part of an “Official Bootleg Series”? Is the show in question SO historically significant that nothing of similar import could be found in the vaults?
Only one of the three is like that and YES I think it is historically significant.
Yes, that’s the principle of a bootleg series. Dylan did it first. And it’s not that expensive, honestly. The Bottom Line show is essential. It’s acoustic, but has a creepy, depressive vibe that I absolutely love. And the setlist is full of rare performances of obscure songs.
Didn’t Frank Zappa do a series of “Bootleg the Bootleggers” back in the 1980’s, I seem to vaguely recall.
Yeah, Zappa was the first I can think of. I don’t know if he remastered the recordings. He released them with the original bootleg covers.
Dylan was first, released in March 1991, FZ, released the ‘Beat The Boots’ boxed set in July 1991. Dylan’s was nicely curated and had an informative booklet. Frank’s was an angry, not very well-produced artefact: one of his less-inspired release decisions. As such, not a critique of F, as he was very much a one-man operation (which is rather admirable), and Bob’s much more corporate (and they did it well).
In reply to Steven Roberts: but they’re not “literally” releasing the bootleg recordings. Did you not read the article before passing comment?
Hi Eddie77, yes, I read the article. Perhaps I didn’t explain myself with sufficient clarity. My comment regarding them “literally” releasing bootleg recordings was in respect of this text from the article:-
“If no tape exists, the original bootleg has been restored and remastered to make it sound as good as possible. This as is the case with Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line).”
So unless I’ve misinterpreted something, the Bottom Line release is indeed from the bootleg, albeit restored/tarted up. Given this info I’d personally be a little miffed at the thought of spending top dollar on such a recording – especially given the DECADES of warnings from the record labels advising the fans never to buy bootlegs (for any number of reasons).
But then, I’m not a Neil Young completist. If it really is such an important historical document, then you pays your money and makes your choice.
I look at it slightly differently. I don’t own the bootleg. I wouldn’t know where to buy the bootleg. It sounds like an amazing gig. Therefore I’m happy NY is making it officially available with it sounding as good as it possibly can. And I’m happy to support the artist (it’s hardly relevant that NY doesn’t need the money or whatever people want to argue).
Fair enough. I’d probably feel the same too if it was one of my favourite artists doing it.
Hi Steve Roberts. One has been released already (Carnegie Hall) with these three to come. The Bottom Line one is the only one of the four where they haven’t got their own tapes. So, why do you base your entire criticism on just 25 per cent of the releases? Sounds like you have an axe to grind….
Speaking as an Elvis Presley fan who still occasionally buys what can only be described as truly dreadful sounding bootleg audience recorded CDs, for their “historical” significance, I can assure you that by comparison Neil’s are not being sold at a premium price.
Hi Paul.
Is the Bottom Line show solo acoustic as well?
Yes!
I have loved all the NY archival releases and will definitely pick up the Bottom Line disc. I’m having a hard time justifying both of the others though. Same tour, almost identical setlists and recorded within two days of each other. This is on top of Massey Hall and Young Shakespeare which are also ’71. I’ve already got Carnegie Hall, Sugar Mountain and the Cellar Door sets for more early acoustic Neil.
At least the Bottom Line disc is a little later with a different set – that looks essential if you like that sort of thing.
I believe that the Royce Hall gig is where the versions of Needle and the Damage Done and Love in Mind that ended up on Harvest and Time Fades Away respectively were taken from. On those grounds will probably get it, although at that stage the completist in me will start nagging away for the other disc.
If you’ve not reached saturation point, I thoroughly recommend Songs for Judy as one of the essential NY archival releases. It’s got some amazing versions of lesser-released songs such as No One Seems to Know, Give Me Strength and White Line. When these releases are good, they’re incredible. Just a fair degree of overlap though. The last two of the initial six bootleg series announced look interesting and should be good when they surface – a Stray Gators ’73 and a Ducks ’77 offering I believe.
Got to agree with you here. Carnegie Hall is only a month or so earlier and covers all the same ground as the two 1971 sets. Citizen Kane Jr Blues on the other hand looks pretty decent. I’m going to swerve the others and get that.
You are spot on re: Songs For Judy too. I think it has a wonderful flow and really captures a moment.