Neil Young Releases Lost 1977 Album 'Oceanside Countryside'

03-07-2025

(Reprise) Oceanside Countryside is the latest of Neil Young's great "lost" albums to be released as part of his Analog Original Series (AOS). 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.

The vinyl and digital versions are available today via Reprise Records. The stand alone CD release will follow on April 25. Click HERE to order. 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 and finally will be made available on vinyl for the first time ever. Recorded on tape, these are the original mixes done at the time of recording.

As Young states, "This analog original album, recorded in 1977, was unreleased at the time. These songs are the original mixes done at the time of the recordings. I sang the vocals and played the instruments on Oceanside, in Florida at Triad studios and Malibu, at Indigo studio. I sang the vocals and recorded with my great band of friends at Crazy Mama's in Nashville on Countryside. I hope you enjoy this treasure of an Analog Original recording as much as I do. These analog mixes are the way I love my music to sound"
- Neil

Side One: Oceanside
1 Sail Away
2 Lost In Space*
3 Captain Kennedy*
4 Goin 'Back
5 Human Highway

Side Two: Countryside
1 Field Of Opportunity**
2 Dance Dance Dance**
3 The Old Homestead*
4 It Might Have Been**
5 Pocahontas***

Produced by: Neil Young
*Produced by: David Briggs, Tim Mulligan & Neil Young
**Produced by: Neil Young & Ben Keith
***Produced by: David Briggs, Overdubs Produced by Neil Young
Mastered by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering

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. "Sail Away," "Goin 'Back," "Human Highway," "It Might Have Been," and "Pocahontas" are the same versions as on Archives Vol. III, but they are the original analog mixes, without additional overdubs. "Field of Opportunity" and "Dance Dance Dance" are original versions that have Young on backing vocals instead of Nicolette Larson as they appeared on Archives Vol.III. The analog sound of these mixes is amazing.

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.