Neil Young To Release Archival 1976 Acoustic Live Album Songs For Judy

(hennemusic) Neil Young will release an archival acoustic live album, "Songs For Judy", on November 30. "Songs For Judy" will be initially be available via CD and digital, with a vinyl edition to follow on December 14.

The project features a collection of performances from various stops on Young's November 1976 tour, presenting a mix of classic tracks alongside new material and the debut release of the rarity "No One Seems To Know" (see track list below).

"The shows were reckless and beautiful," says curator Cameron Crowe, who was on the road with the Canadian rocker at the time. "The evenings began with an hour-long acoustic solo set from Neil. The acoustic portion of the evening morphed nightly, often fueled by a smoke or two just behind the curtain. After a break, Neil and Crazy Horse would return for a barn-burner of an electric set designed to level the place. They succeeded nightly."

Tour photographer Joel Bernstein recorded the shows on cassette tape with the original intention of creating his own archives of the trek. "I immediately realized that making these tapes was in fact a great idea," Bernstein explains. "I was soon raiding malls for whatever blank C-90 cassettes I could find along the way. The U.S. leg of this tour was brief, but the performances were at their best intense and thrilling. As the tour continued, the cache of cassette-tape grew, all of them filled with gems."

Crowe and Bernstein were tasked with sorting through the material to create a final track list for the "Songs For Judy" package. "For days we listened and compiled," recalls Crowe. "It was deliriously painstaking work. Wake up, eat breakfast, dive back into the recordings. Decide which of the 12 versions of 'Old Laughing Lady' was most essential. Repeat." Read more here.

Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young Items Lead Julien's MusiCares Charity Relief Auction

Neil Young To Release Previously Unreleased 1977 Album 'Oceanside Countryside'

Neil Young Back 'On The Beach' For 50th Anniversary

Neil Young 'On The Beach' Again For 50th Anniversary

More Neil Young News

Share this article