In 1971, Neil Young had already established himself as a solo artist — though it wasn’t until the following year that his landmark album Harvest and the single “Heart of Gold” would be released. But his (relatively) early days of solo work are set to be documented on the next in a series of archival releases from Young. Pitchfork reports that Young Shakespeare, documenting an acoustic set from 1971, will see a formal release on March 26.
“To my fans, I say this is the best ever… one of the most pure-sounding acoustic performances we have in the Archive,” Young said when describing the recording. It’s set to be released on CD, LP and digital formats, along with a DVD release of the concert itself. Pitchfork reports that this is the earliest known footage of Young playing solo.
Young Shakespeare — named because the set occurred at the Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, Connecticut — was recorded around the same time as the 2007 album Live at Massey Hall. The track listing for this new album includes renditions of “The Needle and the Damage Done,” “Ohio,” “Down by the River” and “Old Man.” For dedicated Young fans, it’s another impressive entry in a comprehensive archival project.
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