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

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incredible

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: If you like acoustic young, this is the disc to get. Sound quality is impressive especially considering it was recorded in 71. To have been there as he introduced some of these songs would have been an amazing experience.

Excellent

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: For those of us who never saw Buffalo Springfield or early Neil Young, this cd is welcome.
I have been a long time fan and love to hear Neil Young in what I call his acoustic mode.
This is also the period of Neil Youngs' career I enjoy the most.
This is a record of Neil that has long been lost in a vault or on some shelf somewhere. Among my favorites on this album are Dont let it bring you down, Helpless, Ohio and an excellent acoustic version of Down by the River. I am glad Neil is releasing old concerts from the 70's for us.
I hope this is just the start of a whole series...............

A Snapshot from Young's Early Years

 Album Rating: (2 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: Decades before the intemperate bitterness, coarse cynicism, vitriolic politics and smug elitism that would infect his stage and interviews and music in his later years, Neil Young was an impressive, open, and vulnerable singer-songwriter who simply sought to connect with and entertain his audience.

This 1971 live solo performance at Massey Hall -- famous in jazz history for its legendary live jazz sets by the likes of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane -- serves him well. It is an extraordinarily well-produced event that stands up through the years.

His between-song patter here seems to compliment the lightweight, personal poetry of his songs. The slight exception would, of course, be "The Needle and The Damage Done", which is more famous for having gravitas than it actually has.

I think the recording could have used more acoustic weight, perhaps in the form of an acoustic bass or a second guitar or an accompanying vocal.

All in all, a fine performance. But certainly not much, if any, improvement over the later studio recordings with the exquisite production values they contained. I'm sure plenty of Neil Young devotees will still convince themselves anyway that this is a long-forgotten buried treasure of great historical significance.

Pleasant, but definitely non-essential.

Classic Neil Young

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This is a very good live, early Neil Young. I really like his live music and this is a good collection.

Live At Massey Hall 1971

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: Neil Young-Live At Messey Hall 1971 *****

Live at Messey Hall, 1971, is one of the most intimate and enchanting performances from Neil Young on tape. Recorded when many concidered him to be at the height of his power, the time period of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush , and Harvest. Well this is the album that was supposed to be released between the last two, according to Young anyway. "David Brigg, my producer wanted to release it but I wanted Harvest out, and listening to it all these years later I can see why."

Bridging the gap between the two albums. Showing many of the songs from Harvest in their infant stages, and some in the final forms they would appear on the album. But it is this stripped down version that really brings the magic to some other wise dull tracks. 'There's A World' is breathtaking here. 'A Man Needs A Maid' is also given new life, and it is actually much, much better than the album version.

From After the Gold Rush we also hear the classic 'Don't Let It Bring You Down.' Also included here is a killer version of 'Helpless' and the CSNY classic 'Ohio' which is performed chillingly. 'See The Sky About To Rain' wouldn't see the light of day for a few more albums but this infant variation of the number is maybe more impressive than the cut from On the Beach.

Neil Young's solo acoustic sets have always been impressive, but there is something truly special about this performance, and this collection. Being number three in the series of live albums Young is releasing this 1971 performance in Toronto, Canada at the Messey Hall is nothing short of stunning.