"Live At Massey Hall 1971" by NEIL YOUNG (March 2007 Reprise/Neil Young Archives (NYA) HDCD and DVD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...I'm Just Like You...

I Need Someone To Love Me...

...The Whole Day Through..." 

As a veteran of some 3700 reviews most of which are about quality CD reissues - I bow my head in shame on this one. I'll admit that "Live At Massey Hall 1971" slipped past my radar somehow. How did I not get to hear this absolute gem?

Firstly - as pointed out by many others - the audio quality on this release is just incredible.

Released March 2007 there’s two versions of "Live At Massey Hall 1971" by NEIL YOUNG - a stand-alone disc (67:38 minutes) on Reprise 9362-43328-2 (Barcode 093624332824) and this – the CD + DVD version on Reprise 9362-43327-2 (Barcode 093624332725). Both come in gatefold card sleeves.

Clear, warm, present – "Live At Massey Hall 1971" is like an ultra high-quality 90's or 00's 'unplugged' performance. Both JOHN NOWLAND and TIM MULLIGAN worked on the Restoration, Transfers and Mastering of the original Analogue tapes and they have produced what has to be a Grammy-winning result.

1. On The Way Home

2. Tell Me Why

3. Old Man

4. Journey Through The Past

5. Helpless

6. Love In Mind

7. A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold Suite

8. Cowgirl In The Sand

9. Don’t Let It Bring You Down

10. There’s A World

11. Bad Fog Of Loneliness

12. The Needle And The Damage Done

13. Ohio

14. See The Sky About To Rain

15. Down By The River

16. Dance Dance Dance

17. I Am A Child

The DVD has all 17 of the above as well as Bonus Footage:

18 and 19 are "The Needle And The Damage Done" and "Journey Through The Past" from the "Johnny Cash On Campus TV Show" (Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee)

20 is "Old Man" from "Swingin Mit Neil Young – Dutch TV Documentary"

21 is "Archive Meetings" from "Broken Arrow Ranch"

But best of all is the music and Neil Young's performance. With just guitar and piano - the intimacy of the gig is as beautiful as a singer-songwriter concert gets. And of course - there's the date. Recorded in front of a home crowd on 19 January 1971 at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada  - Young had the brilliance of both the "After The Gold Rush" and "Harvest" albums to draw on. And with a smattering of CSYN and Buffalo Springfield material thrown in for good measure, the effect is pretty much devastating. After each song - the crowd erupts in genuine pleasure.

Then there's the feeling of eavesdropping on a gig that has gone to that magical place of an Artist and Audience engaged in a shared intimacy. When he sings songs that are now part of culture like "Old Man" (lyrics above) and "Heart Of Gold" (beautifully blended into "A Man Needs A Maid") - he is doing so here with a freshness that is thrilling. His vocals are slightly nervous yet beautiful - his ache is real. And he even tries to sell some of the songs to the audience with story-banter in between tunes. Neil Young gets personal - yikes! And as if this isn't enough - someone only went and filmed it - the DVD is gorgeous - concert footage, lyrics and interviews...wow!

A genuinely sensational reissue in the on-going ‘Neil Young Archives' series (NYA) - get this treat into your life as soon as possible...

"Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" by NEIL YOUNG (2009 Reprise/Neil Young Archives HDCD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…It's So Hard To Say No To Yourself…"

As we all know - Neil Young has famously resisted the remastered reissue of his huge catalogue on CD because of what he feels is the format's less than stellar representation of analogue tapes' original sound as laid down by the artist - and almost a full 20 years after 1989's first issue of his 2nd album on a dullard CD - it looks like the guy is having the last laugh - because this meticulously prepared tape transfer is GLORIOUS. It really is. I've bought all 4 of his new NYA CD remasters and to my ears this is fact the best sounding of them all.

First to the details - "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" by NEIL YOUNG was originally released on vinyl LP in May 1969 on Reprise Records RS 6349 in the USA and RSLP 6349 in the UK (July 1969).

This August 2009 Reprise/NYA-OSR Remaster on Reprise 9362-49790-3 (Barcode 093624979036) is Disc 2 of 4 and carries the HDCD code on the label and rear inlay (High Density Compact Disc). 

NYA ORS is the Neil Young Archives - Original Release Series. As these are the first four albums in a long reissue campaign - to identify them from the old CDs - the upper part of the outer spine has his new NYA OSR logo at the top and an 'issue' number beneath - D1, D2, D3, D4...on upwards of course.

“Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" (40:47 minutes):

1. Cinnamon Girl [Side 1]

2. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

3. Round & Round (It Won't Be Long)

4. Down By The River

5. The Losing End (When You're On) [Side 2]

6. Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets)

7. Cowgirl In The Sand

Until now - 2004's "Greatest Hits" set (which offered us three "Everybody..." tracks remastered into HDCD sound quality) was the only real indication of just how good the album could sound (this is the first time the entire album has been given a sonic upgrade). The Audio Tape Restoration and Analog-To-HDCD Digital Transfer of the Original Master Tapes was carried out by JOHN NOWLAND (24-Bit 176 KHZ) with the Editing and Mastering done by TIM MULLIGAN - and they've done a stunning job.

The inlay reproduces photos of Danny Whitten (Guitar), Billy Talbot (Bass) with Ralph Molina (on Drums) and David Briggs (Engineer and Producer) - but there are no lyrics. However, the big and obvious disappointment is the complete lack of musical extras or any new info in the booklet - and in the case of this album in particular the omissions are going to be a sore point for fans who've waited decades for these releases. While some rarities have turned up on the 2009 mega box set "The Archives Vol.1 1963-1972" - some tracks are still missing. "Down By The River" was edited for single release in the UK in August 1970 on RS 23462 with an alternate take of "Cinnamon Girl" on the B-side. To my knowledge, neither is available in remastered sound anywhere. Also - "Oh Lonesome Me" was extended for the US 7" and it's B-side, an alternate mix of "I've Been Waiting For You" is again a no-show. All of them would have made for ideal extras material and it's infuriating that they're not on here.

Still - at mid price - this remaster of "Everybody..." is still great value for money and with this hugely upgraded sound - it makes you focus on the music as is and not anything else. The sound is exceptional on the big rocking tracks "Down By The River" and the near 10-minute "Cowgirl In The Sand" - while the clarity is just beautiful on Richie Furay's "Round And Round (It Won't Be Long)" - Robin Lane's duet vocals being particularly lovely. Bobby Notkoff's violin on "Running Dry" is very clear - and as the band loosely ramshackles its way into the song - it sounds like they're in your living room - miked up and live - fabulous stuff.

The remaster is not bombastically loud either, trebled up to the nines, but subtle - the music is just THERE in your speakers to a point where everything seems new and up for grabs again. Fans will love it and will feel like they're revisited long cherished old friends while newcomers will now understand what all the 5-star fuss is about.

The gold sticker on the jewel case of each of these issues says "Because Sound Matters" - and I think Rock's great curmudgeon was right to wait to get it right...

PS: I’ve also reviewed “Neil Young”, “After The Gold Rush”, “Harvest” and “Official Release Series Discs 1-4”

“After The Gold Rush” by NEIL YOUNG (August 2009 Reprise/Neil Young Archives HDCD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With 280+ Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON CD - Volume 3 of 3 

- Exceptional CD Remasters 

(No Duplicate Reviews with Volumes 1 or 2

Which Contain 300+ Reviews in Each)

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 

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"...The Morning Brings Another Sun..."

As we all know, Neil Young has famously resisted the remastered reissue of his huge catalogue on CD because of what he feels is the format's less than stellar representation of analogue tapes 'original sound' - and almost a full 20 years after 1989's first issue of "Gold Rush" on a dullard CD - it looks like the guy is having the last laugh - because this meticulously prepared tape transfer is GLORIOUS. It really is.

First to the details...

UK and Europe released 10 August 2009 - "After The Gold Rush" by NEIL YOUNG on Reprise 9362-49790-1 (Barcode 093624979012) is a 'Neil Young Archives - Original Release Series' Remaster (NYA ORS) and carries the HDCD code on the label and rear inlay (High Definition Compatible Digital). It's also Part 3 of 4 of the August 2012 "Official Release Series Discs 1-4" Reissue that bundles his first four solo albums together (the HDCD versions) into one card slipcase.

Until now - 2004's "Greatest Hits" set (which offered us three Gold Rush tracks remastered into HDCD sound quality) was the only real indication of just how good the album 'could' sound (this is the first time the 'entire' album has been given a sonic upgrade). The Audio Tape Restoration and Analog-To-HDCD Digital Transfer of the Original Master Tapes was carried out by JOHN NOWLAND (24-Bit 176 KHZ) with the Editing and Mastering done by TIM MULLIGAN - and they've done a stunning job - they really have...

"After The Gold Rush" (35:03 minutes):

1. Tell Me Why

2. After The Gold Rush

3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

4. Southern Man

5. Till The Morning Comes

6. Oh Lonesome Me

7. Don't Let It Bring You Down

8. Birds

9. When You Dance, I Can Really Love

10. I Believe In You

11. Cripple Creek

"After The Gold Rush" was released in September 1970 on Reprise Records MS 6383 in the USA and Reprise RSLP 6383 in the UK (it went to Number 8 in the USA and Number 7 in the UK). It was reissued on the Reprise 'K' label variant in the early Seventies when the company went over to 'Kinney' Music.

The inlay faithfully reproduces the foldout lyric sheet with his black and white grainy handwritten lyrics and the print isn't cramped either - it's very readable. (The Harvest inlay has the textured feel of the original LP sleeve and lyric insert too - a nice touch).

Also - as these are the first four albums in a long reissue campaign - to identify them from the old CDs, the upper part of the outer spine has his new NYA OSR logo at the top and an 'issue' number beneath - D1, D2, D3, D4...on upwards of course.

However, the big and obvious disappointment is the complete lack of musical extras or any new info in the booklet; they're in "The Archives Vol.1 1963-1972" box set that's still sitting in shop windows at varying extortionate prices. Still - at mid price - this remaster of "Gold Rush" is great value for money and with this hugely upgraded sound - it makes you focus on the music as is and not anything else.

Some have complained that the sound is a little underwhelming after all the hype that has preceded these releases - I don't think that at all. The danger in remastering would be the cranking of everything, ultra-treble the lot - but I'm hearing ALL the instruments on this carefully prepared remaster - especially the bass and drums which now have a clarity that is so sweet rather than flashy. The sound is very subtle - there's no brashness, very little hiss.

So many highlights - the meaty guitars of "Southern Man" and the slyly lovely cover of Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" is great too.

But then there's a triple whammy of "Don't Let It Bring You Down", the beautiful "Birds" (lyrics above) and the rocking "When You Dance, I Can Really Love". Each is so beautifully done but in different ways. They're not bombastic, nor trebled up to the nines, but subtle - the music is just THERE in your speakers to a point where everything seems new and up for grabs again. Fans will love it and feel like they're revisited long cherished old friends while newcomers will now understand what all the 5-star fuss is about.

Nils Lofgren of Grin and Crazy Horse lends his Guitar and Piano skills (Ralph Molina and Danny Whitten also from Crazy Horse play Drums and Guitars respectively) - while Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young contributes backing vocals. Master arranger and musical catalyst Jack Nitzsche also plays piano. But it’s Young and his singular voice, style and vision that dominates – the others complimenting rather than overtaking. Both "After The Gold Rush" and "Harvest" are arguably what his legend are based upon – although I find almost all of his Seventies output classy – the kind of music like say Richard and Linda Thompson LPs that grows in stature as the years pass.

The gold sticker on the jewel case of each of these issues says "Because Sound Matters" - and I think Rock's great curmudgeon has actually proved that point...

PS: I've reviewed "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere", "Neil Young" and "Harvest" also - just as good soundwise - and the August 2012 "Official Release Series Disc 1-4" Box Set Reissue on Reprise/NYA that lumps together all 4 x HDCD releases into one card slipcase...