Neil Young - Live At The Massey Hall - Tiscali Music Reviews

12th March 2007

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On January 19, 1971, Neil Young performed at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada. In many ways, this was a major homecoming event. He had left Canada in 1966, soon becoming a member of Buffalo Springfield in Los Angeles, then recording his self-titled debut solo album in 1968. That was followed by 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' with Crazy Horse, then Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 'Déjà vu' in 1970 and his best-selling album 'After The Gold Rush'. By the time Young came back to Canada for the Massey Hall concert, he had become one of the most exciting and successful singer-songwriters in rock.

Neil Young was performing solo that evening in Toronto, playing many of his well-known songs like 'Down by the River', 'Ohio' and 'I Am a Child'.

But he also included several new originals that would be featured on his next new album, 'Harvest', which had not been released yet, like 'Old Man', 'The Needle and the Damage Done' and 'Heart of Gold'. The audience had not heard any of these before, and the night was an historic and moving performance for all.

'Live At Massey Hall', produced by Young and the late David Briggs, is the second Reprise Records release in the Neil Young Archives Performance Series, following last year's 'Live At The Fillmore East' album. Both are in anticipation of the 'Archives Volume I' collection, due this fall.