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| Photo by Nate Burrell |
***UPDATE***
See review/set list from night one at the bottom.
Neil Young’s four-night run at Carnegie Hall begins this evening in New York City, right before four benefit “Honor The Treaties” shows in his native Canada to raise money for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Legal Defense Fund.
And while the shows are billed as “An Evening With Neil Young,” as we learned in 2010, solo Neil Young doesn’t mean acoustic Neil Young. It could also mean that he plugs in and grinds out unique versions of “Cinnamon Girl” and “Cortez the Killer.”
We’re pretty pumped to find out what this short tour means, even if we can’t be in New York or Canada to experience it all. So, we decided to do the next best thing in our minds — make a wishlist of all the songs that we’d like to hear if we were there, excluding the “hits” like “Heart of Gold,” “Old Man,” you know, those. Of course, when it comes to Neil, nothing is obvious, and for all we know, he’ll play Greendale in full again, mixed with selections from a soon-to-be released album.
Good news — some of the songs below are legally downloadable, as they are not studio versions, but live versions from his 1999 solo tour. Have fun listening, and if you’re going to any of the upcoming shows, we’d love to hear from you in the coming days!
Note: If it’s downloadable, then the song title is linked; if not we’ve provided Spotify streams.
Ambulance Blues
The closing track on one of the best Young albums you might not own, On The Beach. Or maybe everyone owns that now. Point is: if you don’t have it, get that fixed. Last played: 3/15/08
Goin’ Back
The opening track from Comes a Time doesn’t just set a reflective mood — it forces it on you. “I feel like goin’ back / back where there’s nowhere to stay.” Last played: 9/12/09
Razor Love
Finally released on 1999’s Silver & Gold, but Young first played it live in 1984. “Gotta look out for the greedy hand, greedy hand.” Last played: 5/23/03
Dreamin’ Man
Almost everyone I know who loves Neil Young’s Harvest Moon loves this song. “I’ll always be a dreamin’ man / I don’t have to understand.” Last played: 5/29/99
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
“Every time I think about back home / it’s cool and breezy.” It’s a song that was recorded with Crazy Horse, but it holds up well in a solo setting. Last played: 7/25/13
Looking Forward
“I want to live like a free-roaming soul on the highway of our love.” I always loved that line from this song, and it fits much better as a solo tune than a CSNY tune, which is the way it was released. Last played: 4/19/00
Red Sun
Another from Silver & Gold. Why is this album overlooked? Last played: 8/7/13
Powderfinger
Young and Crazy Horse do this pretty much every time they play a show, but hearing it solo brings its words to the front. And the storytelling is masterful. Last played: 8/7/13
Birds
There are plenty of wonderful After the Gold Rush songs to choose from, and as beautiful as “I Believe in You” was on the 2010 solo tour, our choice for this tour is “Birds.” Last played: 9/12/09
Thrasher
Has Young forgot about this song? Probably not, but it’s one of the best on Rust Never Sleeps, and it’s been a while. “They had given all they had for something new.” Last played: 10/24/78
Motion Pictures
Another song that’s been avoided sine the 70s. And another one of his best from On the Beach. Last played: 5/16/74
Bad Fog of Loneliness
“I dream of sweet caress from you.” Finally released on the Archives Vol. 1, and then again on Live at Massey Hall and Live at the Cellar Door. Last played: 2/18/08
Love in Mind
“What am I doing here?” This song pretty much covers every feeling that ever existed. Last played: 3/15/08
My Heart
“It’s not too late, it’s not too late / I gotta get somewhere.” And it’s not too late to dust off this Sleeps With Angels gem. Last played: 1/14/95
Peace of Mind
Another Comes a Time song that would fit perfectly in a solo setting. You could argue that most of that album would. Last played: 10/30/13
***UPDATE***
New York Times review of night one
Set list from night one:
Set 1:
1. From Hank to Hendrix
2. On the Way Home
3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
4. Love in Mind
5. Mellow My Mind
6. Are You Ready for the Country
7. Someday
8. Changes (Phil Ochs cover)
9. Harvest
10. Old Man
Set 2 so far:
11. Goin’ Back
12. A Man Needs A Maid
13. Ohio
14. Southern Man
15. Mr. Soul
16. Needle of Death (Bert Jansch cover)
17. The Needle and the Damage Done
18. Harvest Moon
19. Flying on the Ground Is Wrong
20. After the Gold Rush
21. Heart Of Gold
Encore:
22. Comes a Time
23. Long May You Run