Returning to the tour that birthed his least favourite album – 1973’s live effort Time Fades Away – Neil Young’s latest Archives release is an 11-song snapshot of a University of Alabama show with The Stray Gators (soon-to-depart drummer Kenny Buttrey makes the cut here).
Although we only hear half of the setlist played that night, a clear performance arc can be heard. Much of the Harvest and Tonight’s The Night material is played with a relatively straight bat, including the chugging Out On
The Weekend and very faithful Heart Of Gold.
But there’s an abrupt change of gear for a rocking thrash through Time Fades Away’s title track and a crackling Lookout Joe “a song for the soldiers coming home from Vietnam”. Meanwhile, the South-bashing Alabama
takes on even more resonance in these surroundings.
7/10
Steve Harnell