This is a chronological guide for people who may not be familiar with Neil's boots and the different eras Neil has gone through since he handed in demo's to Elektra in 1965. There are a lot of boots that could have been added to this list, but I tried to pick the best quality as possible. Many are soundboard recordings, but a growing number of boots that are surfacing are good sounding audience recordings.
There is only one CSN&Y boot and one Stills-Young boot. Collaborations with other artist are largely ignored due to the fact they don't always focus on Neil's music, but the boots I've included of his long time friends are quite good and document a certain era of Neil's career. Notes are added and sometimes a small amount of background information is added where I thought it would be helpful. Occasionally I am wrong or misguided about certain things and topics, but I would bet 97% of what is written is correct due to my fabulous sources.
I would like to thank Dave Skoglund, Steve Vetter, Kurt
Vogel, Ric Stephenson and many others for their contributions. Also
great thanks to the book NEIL YOUNG: A COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED BOOTLEG DISCOGRAPHY
written by Bruno Fission & Alan Jenkins, BROKEN ARROW fanzine published
through NYAS,
Neil Young Appreciation Society. Recently, I discovered another person
that has many reviews for Neil Young boot CDs. Try the Old
Grey Cat for more boot information.
DISCLAIMER: I do sell these boots. I don't have a huge boot collection, currently only own two, I just want to help guide people to some music they might like. Often I am asked where to get these boots and my general response is "Post to one of the mailing lists and ask someone for a tape. It's much less expensive." If you must own the CD check Goldmine Magazine, an online CD store or may be someone on one of the list might be willing to part with theirs.
Please send corrections or comments to tjp@cyberdude.com
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NEIL YOUNG MEETS BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AND THE SQUIRES- possible the longest title for any bootleg. If you like Neil solo and like RARE performances then this boot is for you. This is a soundboard recording most of which are demos from Elektra Studios in 1965 (tracks 1-9) and two from Elektra in 1965 (tracks 10 & 11). The last two tracks from NY MEETS... are the singles from Neil's first "real" band, The Squires, in 1963.
Songs: Sugar Mountain, Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing, Run Around Babe, Don't Pity Me Babe, I Ain't Got The Blues, The Rent Is Always Due, When It Falls It Falls All Over You, Down To The Wire, Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It, There Goes My Babe, One More Sign, The Sultan, Aurora
WINTERLONG (2LP & 2CD)- an audience recording with Crazy Horse (Danny Whitten) from the Music Hall in Cincinnati on 10 February 70. Like many of Neil's shows he begins with an acoustic set then brings out the electric band, whomever it may be, and the blows the audience away! This boot is not the best quality, but is about all we have from this tour that is worthy of putting on a boot. This concert has been put out as either an acoustic or an electric boot according to the name of the boot. i.e. ACOUSTIC TOKEN or ELECTRIC PRAYERS. There is also a CD boot by the name THE LONER that includes songs (acoustic) from Boulder on 27 January 71.
Songs: On The Way Home, Broken Arrow, I Am A Child, Helpless, Dance Dance Dance, Sugar Mountain, Don't Let It...(1st verse only), The Old Laughing Lady, The Loner, Everybody Knows..., Winterlong, C' mon Baby Let's Go Downtown, Wonderin', It Might Have Been, Down By The River (19 min) and Cinnamon Girl.
SUNSET COWBOY or BLANKNESS- a nice soundboard recording from the Filmore East from 6-7 March 70. This recording includes the original Crazy Horse lineup i.e. with Danny Whiten instead of Frank Sampedro. After the success of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere this was scheduled as the next album, but was shelved after awhile in favor of After The Goldrush.
Songs: Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown, Wonderin', Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Down By The River, Winterlong, Cinnamon Girl and Cowgirl in The Sand.
SOLO TOUR 1970-71- a superb audience recording from the Royal Festival Hall in London on 27 February 71. This is just Neil, a guitar or two, a harp and a piano. It's FABULOUS. Of the 20 songs 11 were unreleased at the time with 6 to appear 1 year later on Harvest.
Songs: On The Way Home, Tell Me Why, Old Man, Journey Through The Past, Cowgirl In The Sand, The Bridge, The Loner, Don't Let It Bring You Down, See The Sky About To Rain, Out On The Weekend, I Am A Child, Ohio, Love In Mind, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Heart Of Gold, A Man Needs A Maid, Harvest, The Needle..., Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing and Dance Dance Dance.
Songs: Don't Be Denied, When You Dance I Can Really Love, Tonight's The Night, World On A String, New Mama, Roll Another Number, Tired Eyes, The Needle And The Damage Done, Flying On The Ground Is Wrong, Human Highway, Helpless, I Believe In You, Cinnamon Girl, Cowgirl In The Sand and once again Tonight's The Night.
FIRST PLANE OUTTA HERE a.k.a. CITIZEN KANE JR. BLUES- the former was first released as a double LP and contains some demos from Elektra on side 4. The later was released on CD and contains filler songs of Flying On The Ground Is Wrong (`70) and For The Turnstiles (`73). This is an EXTRAORDINARY recording and performance by Neil. It is an audience recording done in a small New York City club called the Bottom Line (still open) on 16 May 74 before Neil joined up with CSN for the "Reunion Tour." All songs are solo performances and some of the On The Beach songs were almost certainly debuted on this night. Neil speaks candidly with the audience and even reacts to their requests. Great story about Southern Man and some tasty marijuana sandwich called a "honey slide."
Songs: Pushed It Over The End, Long May You Run, Greensleeves, Ambulance Blues, Helpless, Revolution Blues, On The Beach, Roll Another Number, Southern Man/Honey Slide rap, Motion Pictures, Pardon My Heart, Dance Dance Dance, tracks 2-5 from NY MEETS....
OLD FRIENDS- a soundboard recording with Crosby,
Stills, Nash, Joni Mitchell and others. This boot is from the "Reunion
Tour" at Roosevelt Raceway in Long Island, New York on 8 September
1974. The last 4 songs are not from 1974, but 1969 at the Greek Theater
in L.A. in August (solo).
Songs: Helpless, Walk On, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Hawaiian Sunrise Long May You Run, Ambulance Blues, Old Man, Don't Be Denied, Revolution Blues, Ohio, Birds, I've Loved Her So Long, Sea Of Madness and Down By The River.
YOU ARE JUST A DREAM (2CD)- another excellent audience recording from Japan featuring Neil Young and Crazy Horse. This one is from the first show of the tour on 3 March 1976 in Nagoya at Aichikan Taiikukan. This show contains the debut of one of my favorite songs: No One Seems To Know. The first disk of the set is 30 minutes long and contains the acoustic set. Disk two, which is 51 minutes, contains the electric set. Most of the shows in 1976 were closed with Cortez The Killer and an encore of Cinnamon Girl...well, Neil and The Horse did not release Cortez on the island till the next night.
Songs: CD1: Tell Me Why, Mellow My Mind, After The Goldrush, Too Far Gone, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, A Man Needs A Maid, No One Seems to Know, Heart of Gold, CD2: Country Home, Don't Cry No Tears, Down By The River, Lotta Love, Like A Hurricane, The Losing End, Drive Back, Southern Man and Cinnamon Girl.
OSAKA `76- an audience recording from 5 March 76, which was the third show of the long tour with Crazy Horse that took them from Japan to Europe to the U.S.. The encore, Cinnamon Girl and Cortez the Killer, are missing, but next to that it is a complete show. Notice Too Far Gone and Country Home were played, but were not officially released till 1989 and 1990 respectively.
Songs: Tell Me Why, Mellow My Mind, After The Goldrush, Too Far Gone, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, A Man Needs A Maid, No one Seems to Know, Heart of Gold, Country Home, Don't Cry No Tears, Down By The River, Lotta Love, Like A Hurricane, The Losing End, Drive Back and Southern Man.
HOME MOVIES - 1976 - This is a fine collection of songs that surfaced recently from a professional video. The video is an awesome document of the tour of Japan and Europe with the realigned Crazy Horse (with Frank Sampedro). Tracks 1-9 are from The Budokan in Tokyo on March 11, 1976 and the last 6 tracks are from the famous Hammer smith Odeon show in London on March 31. 1976. This is where the soulful song Stringman made it's debut. Highlights: No One Seems To Know, Drive Back, Stringman, Down by the River and Like a Hurricane.
Songs: Mellow My Mind, Too Far Gone, No One Seems To Know, Country Home, Don't Cry No Tears, Drive Back, Cowgirl in the Sand, Lotta Love, The Losing End, Tell Me Why, Stringman, Human Highway, Down By The River, Cortez the Killer and Like a Hurricane.
LOST TALES OF EXILE - an excellent audience recording from the abandoned ??? "Stills-Young tour" on June 27, 1976 in Springfield, Mass. The Stills-Young tour was short, but created some fantastic moments. Highlights: Evening Coconut (exclusive to this tour), Make Love To You and Cowgirl....
Songs: Long May You Run, For What It's Worth, Helpless, Southern Man, Buying Time, Evening Coconut, Make Love To You, Cowgirl In The Sand, 49 Bye Byes, Mr. Soul and Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
WONDERIN' BACK HOME (2CD), HURRICANE OVER BOSTON (2CD) or RADIO AFTERNOON (1CD), A MAN, A GUITAR AND THE HORSE (1CD)- another excellent audience recording from the "Zuma World Tour" with Crazy Horse. This recording comes from the late show at the Music Hall in Boston, Mass. on November 22, 1976. HURRICANE OVER BOSTON contains bonus tracks Down By The River from the early show, Razor Love from 12-13-89, Give Me Strength from 11-15-76, Good Phone, Amber Jean, California Sunset, It Might Have Been and Soul Of A Woman all from 9-25-84 (see 1984 recordings below) and Everbody's Alone and Wonderin' from 1970.
Songs: CD1: Tell Me Why, Roll Another Number, Journey Through The Past, The Needle & The Damage Done, Harvest, Campaigner, Pocahontas, A Man Needs A Maid, Sugar Mountain, Country Home, Don't Cry No Tears, Drive Back, Cowgirl In The Sand CD2: Bite The Bullet, Lotta Love, Like A Hurricane, After The Gold Rush, Are You Ready for the Country, Cortez the Killer, Cinnamon Girl, Homegrown and Southern Man.
JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST (3CD)- This was one of the greatest Neil Young and Crazy Horse nights ever caught on tape. The sound is excellent, recorded on a reel to reel, the song selection changes from the early show to the late show. The show is at The Boston Music Hall on 22 November 1976. The show is excellent. There are 39 songs played in all and only 13 are repeats!
Songs: CD1: The Old Laughing Lady, Human Highway, Journey Through The Past, Pocahontas, The Needle..., Give Me Strength, A Man Needs A Maid, Sugar Mountain, Don't Cry No Tears, Down By The River, Lotta Love, Like A Hurricane CD2: Tell Me Why, Roll Another Number, Journey Through The Past, The Needle..., Harvest, Campaigner, Pocahontas, A Man Needs A Maid, Sugar Mountain, Country Home, Don't Cry No Tears, Drive Back, Cowgirl In The Sand, Bite The Bullet CD3: After The Gold Rush, Cortez The Killer, Cinnamon Girl, Are You Ready for the Country, Lotta Love Like A Hurricane, After The Gold Rush, Are You Ready For The Country?, Cortez The Killer, Cinnamon Girl, Homegrown and Southern Man.
DAYS OF GOLD AND ROSES (LP) or ACOUSTIC TALES (CD)- a soundboard recording from various places during the 1976 Fall tour of the U.S.. These songs that make up this boot come from "The Joel Bernstein Tape" long time friend/photographer/musician of Neil, that surfaced after many years in Joel's personal collection (what else does he have?!?). This is an all acoustic boot that includes songs not, yet released and songs that didn't appear for 13 years. There are 5 songs on "The Joel Bernstein Tape" that don't appear on the LP, but only 2 are missing from the CD. Included on the CD, but not LP are: Journey Through The Past, White Line and Sugar Mountain.
Songs: Campaigner, The Old Laughing Lady, Human Highway, Tell Me Why, After The Goldrush, Harvest, Mr. Soul, Here We Are In The Years, Give Me Strength, No One Seems To Know, Too Far Gone, Baby Mellow My Mind, The Needle..., Pocahontas, Roll Another Number, The Losing End and Love Is A Rose
CHROME DREAMS (CD)- once a mythical album to die-hard Neil Young fans this boot comes from the time period of 1975-76. The original acetate was found by accident and a short time later it found its way to CD (1993). The Songs Like A Hurricane, White Line, Peace Of Mind are from (Chicago?) a different source in 1976, while Stringman is from London of the same year. Ride My Llama is from San Francisco 1978 and Home fires is from 1992. The boot maker made some additions and substitutions to the CD from what the acetate contained. They added Captain Kennedy, Ride My Llama and substituted a 16 minute live version of Like A Hurricane for the original 8 minute version. Highlights: Sedan Delivery (1/2 the speed as Rust Never Sleeps/Live Rust versions), solo acoustic versions of Hold Back The Tears and Powderfinger. Click here for a review by Dave Sigler.
Songs: Powderfinger, Captain Kennedy, Pocahontas, Will To Love, Sedan Delivery, White Line, Too Far Gone, Star Of Bethlehem, Like A Hurricane, Look Out For My Love, Hold Back The Tears, Home fires, Ride My Llama, Peace Of Mind and Stringman.
RUST NEVER SLEEPS (2LP)- there are 2 boots with this title. They are different audience recordings from 2 nights at the L.A. Forum in 1978. They are both almost identical to the official release of the same name with the addition of Already One.
TOUCH THE NIGHT (2LP) or CATALYTIC REACTION (2LP)- a soundboard recording from the Catalyst in Santa Cruz from 6-7 February 84. There were two shows on these dates with most of the songs coming from the early show on the 6th. These were hard rocking performances by Crazy Horse with a rare lead vocal by Billy Talbot singing "Stand By Me." This was recorded just before Neil "went country."
Songs: Rock Forever, So Tired, Violent Side, I've Got A Problem, Stand By Me, Your Love, Powderfinger, Barstool Blues, Welfare Mothers, Touch The Night, Tonight's The Night, Hey Hey, My My, Cortez The Killer, Cinnamon Girl and Homegrown.
OLD WAYS (CD)- This is an interesting collection that just surfaced in 1995. Here we have what amounts to what Neil gave to Geffen Records for the _second_ time. He rejected this effort at country music as well as Neil's first effort (Geffen finally accepted the third effort, though it, arguably, is the worst). The Old Ways songs (tracks 1 - 10) were done in Nashville in 1985. The other tracks are an assortment: I Wonder Why and Raining In Paradise are from some time around 1981, the last song is from the 1992 Bridge and features Elton John, and the other tracks (13 - 17) are from Chicago in 1976.
Songs: Beautiful Bluebird, Leavin' The Top 40 Behind, Nothing Is Perfect, Time Off For Good Behavior, Silver & Gold (#1), Good Phone, Silver & Gold (#2), Your Love Again, Amber Jean, Thank God I'm On The Road Tonight, I Wonder Why, Rainin' In Paradise, Country Home, Lotta Love, Like A Hurricane, Give Me Strength, Tell Me Why and Love Song.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS (Flamingo Records)- a soundboard recording done with Neil's "country" band the International Harvesters. The show was recorded on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on 25 September 85. The concert was over 120 minutes, but there are only @ 70 on this CD. It's one of the best recorded shows available of all the Neil Young boots.
Songs: Are You Ready For The Country?, Field Of Opportunity, Are There Any More Real Cowboys?, Good Phone, Heart Of Gold, Amber Jean, Roll Another Number, Comes A Time, The Needle..., Helpless, California Sunset, Old Man, Get Back To The Country and Down By The River.
LIVE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS `84 (Realive)-same as above, but different set list and the last song is from the Bill Graham tribute concert in San Francisco 3 November 91 (with the Grateful Dead).
Songs: Are You Ready For The Country?, Hawk and Doves, Comes A Time, Bound For Glory, Are There Any More Real Cowboys?, Heart Of Gold, Roll Another Number, Southern Pacific, Helpless, Field Of Opportunity, Old Man, Powderfinger, Down By The River and Forever Young.
BORN TO ROCK N ROLL or HEART OF GOLD- a soundboard recording lifted straight off the 1987 WestWood One 3 LP set or maybe it's off FM? The edits are done very well and it can't be distinguished if the tracks where recorded in one place or several (truly it's several locations). This was a typical outing by Crazy Horse on the "Rusted Out Garage" tour in 1986. HEART OF GOLD is listed as a concert as 1982, this is wrong.
Songs: Mr. Soul, Cinnamon Girl, When You Dance I Can Really Love, Down By The River, Drive Back, Opera Star, Heart Of Gold, Sugar Mountain, The Needle..., After The Goldrush, Sample And Hold, Computer Age, Violent Side, Like A Hurricane and Hey Hey, My My.
MANSFIELD `86- a soundboard recording from Mansfield, Mass on 21 September 86 during the "Rusted Out Garage" tour. This is much the same as the above boot with the major exception that the unreleased version of Eldorado is performed. This early and longer version of Eldorado is often referred to as Road of Plenty.
Songs: Touch The Night, Bad News Beat, Down By The River, Too Lonely, Heart Of Gold, Inca Queen, Opera Star, Road Of Plenty, Sample And Hold and Like A Hurricane.
POWDERFINGER (2CD)- a soundboard recording with Crazy Horse at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minn on 17 October 86 during the "Rusted Out Garage" tour. In all likelihood this is a complete show (I can't say for certain) with the long version of Eldorado a.k.a. Road Of Plenty.
Songs: Mr. Soul, Cinnamon Girl, When You Dance..., Touch The Night, Down By The River, Heart Of Gold, Inca Queen, After The Goldrush, Too Lonely, Opera Star, Eldorado, Cortez The Killer, Sample & Hold, Computer Age, Violent Side Mideast Vacation, Long Walk Home, Hippie Dream, The Needle..., Powderfinger, Like A Hurricane, Hey Hey My My and Prisoners of Rock & Roll.
OLD NIGHTMARES (LP)- a compilation boot of mostly Bluenote songs from 1988. All the songs except Road Of Plenty (same as MANSFIELD `86) and Box Car (from the unreleased TIMES SQUARE album by the Restless) are Bluenote songs. This is an audience recording and is good sounding. This is one of only a few Bluenote boots, which is such a surprise to me, because the Bluenotes were such a great band!
Songs: This Notes For You, Box Car, Eldorado, Bad News, Ordinary People, Ain't It The Truth and High Heel Shoes
Songs: CD1: Ten Men Working, Hello Lonely Woman, I'm Goin', Married
Man, Coupe de Ville, Ordinary People, The Days
that Used to Be, After the Gold Rush, Crime in the City, Bad
News, Life in the City CD2:Twilight, Ain't It the Truth, Hey
Hey, This Note's for You, Welcome to the Big Room, Tonight's the Night,
Sixty to Zero, Soul of a Woman, On the Way Home
TULSA `89 or TULSA TIME (2 CD)- a soundboard recording from Tulsa, Okla on 13 January 89 with The Restless (Chad Cromwell, Rick "the bass player" Rosas and Frank Sampedro). This is the 3rd concert by the band on a tour that I call the "Eldorado World Tour." This tour took them from St. Louis to New Orleans to the Northwest to Japan and to Australia. The TULSA TIME CDs have the acoustic set on one CD and the electric set on another. Three of the songs here were released on the heavy-handed El Dorado (EP). They are just as heavy here.
Songs: Comes A Time, Sugar Mountain, Someday, Wrecking Ball, For The Turnstiles, This Old House, Four Strong Winds, Heart Of Gold, Don't Cry, Cocaine Eyes, El Dorado, Like A Hurricane, Mr. Soul and Cinnamon Girl.
MR. YOUNG- ALIVE AND ALONE (2LP & CD) or RESTLESS- a soundboard recording from Wantaugh, NY on 14 June 89 (can also be found on VHS w/ pro editing). The 2LP has the songs played on Saturday Night Live- 30 September 89. This boot, as well as the ones recorded during summer and winter 1989, has Ben Keith and Frank Sampedro playing on a few songs in the middle of the concert, but is mostly solo acoustic. On this particular night Neil surprises the audience and Bruce by asking Bruce Springsteen to do the final encore with him. The CD does not contain the SNL songs.
Songs: Hey Hey My My, Rockin' In The Free World, Comes A Time, Sugar Mountain, Pocahontas, Helpless, Crime In The City, For The Turnstiles, This Old House, Roll Another Number, Too Far Gone, This Notes For You, The Needle..., No More, After The Goldrush, Heart Of Gold, Ohio Rockin' In The Free World, Down By The River (w/ Bruce), Rockin' In The Free World, The Needle... and No More (last 3 are from SNL).
STRINGMAN or ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLD- this is a boot lifted from the WestWood One 3LP set aired in 1990, but was recorded entirely during the two week European tour in December of 1989. This boot is almost identical to most of the acoustic tour of summer `89 with the exception of The Old Laughing Lady and Razor Love, a song that was debuted in June of `84 with the International Harvesters and which was only played once since 1984 at Rotterdam on 13 December 89. The boot STRINGMAN has the 1976 song by the same title added to the end.
Songs: Hey Hey, My My, Rockin' In The Free World, The Old Laughing Lady, Razor Love, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Someday, Eldorado, Too Far Gone, Comes A Time, The Needle And The Damage Done, No More, Ohio, Powderfinger and Stringman (if it's the fore mentioned CD).
SWINGING IN THE SILENCE (2CD) or CRIME IN THE CITY (2CD)- a very good audience recording from the two week acoustic European tour. This complete show is from the Music Hall in Frankfurt on 7 December 89. This may be hard to find.
Songs: Hey Hey My My, Rockin' In The Free World, The Old Laughing Lady, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Someday, Crime In The City, Eldorado, Too Far Gone, This Notes For You, The Needle..., No More, After The Goldrush, Hangin' On A Limb, Heart Of Gold, Ohio and Rockin' In The Free World.
AMSTERDAM `89 (2LP & CD)- another very good audience recording from the 1989 European tour. This one, as the name suggests, is from Amsterdam on 10 December 1989. There are two songs missing on this boot, they are No More and Fuckin' Up.
Songs: Hey Hey My My, Rockin' In The Free World, The Old Laughing Lady, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Someday, Crime In The City, Eldorado, Too Far Gone, This Notes For You, The Needle..., After The Goldrush, Hangin' On A Limb, Heart Of Gold, Ohio and Rockin' In The Free World.
DON'T SPOOK THE CRAZY HORSE or THE FEEDBACK IS BACK- this is from the short-lived "Back Woods" tour (2 shows). It was a warm-up show for the Ragged Glory tour in 1991. This is an excellent audience recording considering the volume at which the music was played. The show was recorded at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz on 13 November 1990. To that date it was a very strange outting for Crazy Horse, but compared to 1996 shows it is not too odd. Available on very limited 3 LP with two non-CD songs (Farmer John & Fuckin Up). Both are in CD format, but only the first is in LP
Songs: Country Home, Surfer Joe & Moe The Sleeze, Love To Burn, Days That Used To Be, Bite The Bullet, Cinnamon Girl, Cowgirl In The Sand, Over and Over, Danger Bird, Don't Cry No Tears, Sedan Delivery, Roll Another Number, Mansion On The Hill, Like A Hurricane and Cortez The Killer also included with both the CD and LP is a 7" single with the songs T-Bone and Homegrown.
CENTRESTAGE- This is one of at least three excellent soundboard recordings during Neil's dive back into the world of acoustic music. This show was done for the PBS program "Center Stage" a T.V. show that spotlighted a performers music and was peppered with short clips of an interview done for the program. This was a guest only show done at the studios of WTTW TV in Chicago on Nov 17, 1992. Besides the official document of the acoustic tour, Unplugged, which included some stuff done with a band, this is probably the best representative of the 1992 tour Neil and himself. There are two versions of this show 1) a complete (not broadcast) and 2) a 50 minute broadcast minus the interview bit. The full show contains the entire Harvest Moon album except Old King, but we are treated with an ultra rare One Of These Days and a piano version of Tonight's the Night.
Songs: Long May You Run, From Hank To Hendrix, Unknown Legend, Love Is A Rose, Pocahontas, Like A Hurricane, War Of Man, The Needle And The Damage Done, Tonight's The Night, One Of These Days, Such A Woman, Harvest Moon, Dreamin' Man, Natural Beauty, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Mr. Soul, Powderfinger, Sugar Mountain, You And Me and After The Goldrush.
SEPARATE WAYS- This is probably the most booted recording of the 1993 tour with Booker T and the M.G.'s. It is a soundboard recording from a festival near Torhout, Belgium on July 3. The festival shows of 1993 were usually an abbreviated version of the tour (usually around 90 min as compared to around 120 min)- this boot is @ 75 minutes. This boot is not complete but includes two unreleased songs including the title track. Songs missing are Mr. Soul, The Loner and The Needle and the Damage Done. This is one of the only shows where Dock of the Bay was not played.
Songs: Southern Man, Helpless, Like a Hurricane, Love to Burn, Separate Ways, Powderfinger, Only Love can break your Heart, Harvest Moon, Live to Ride, Down by the River and All along the Watchtower.
DREAM MACHINE- Here we have a boot from the European Tour with Booker T & the M.G.'s. This is possibly the best boot of the 1993 tour- it's an audience tape, but very near soundboard quality. This show is from Ahoy Hall in Rotterdam on July 5, 1993. A couple nice things about this complete 2CD package is it has two songs that were not played during the U.S. tour (This Note's for You and I Believe in You (not played since 1978)), two currently unreleased songs and Rockin' in the Free World is filler from Stockholm on June 28th. This is a standard set list for the European tour. It's too bad that Change Your Mind wasn't debuted for another couple days :( that would have put the this boot in the "can't pass it up" category. Total play time is about 130 minutes.
Songs: Mr. Soul, The Loner, Southern Man, Helpless, This Note's for You, Motorcycle Mama, Like a Hurricane, I believe in You, Love to Burn, Separate Ways, Powderfinger, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Harvest Moon, The Needle and the Damage Done, Live to Ride, Down by the River, Dock of the Bay, All Along the Watchtower and Rockin' in the Free World (w/ Pearl Jam).
FRISCO- Here we have another superb audience recording from a DAT recorder. At first listen this sounds as if this were a soundboard recording, but after a very close listen it can be determined that it is not a soundboard. This recording comes from Neil's annual benefit for The Bridge School (follow link for more detailed info). This is the eighth (8th) Bridge Benefit since 1986 and the second (2nd) collaboration w/ Crazy Horse. The Bridge Benefits are all acoustic, so it kinda makes for some different arrangements on electric songs-- this performance is one of the most extreme I can think of, unless you count the last time Neil and Crazy Horse got together to perform some of Ragged Glory. This recording comes from the first of two benefits for Bridge VIII. It happened on Saturday, Oct 1st, 1994 at Shoreline Amphitheater, which is just outside of San Francisco. Bridge VIII brings us music from the (soon to be legendary) Sleeps With Angels album. People whom were lucky enough to see this music performed acoustically say it was one of the most incredible things they've ever seen. There are a few songs performed this day that didn't make it onto the CD, which it too bad because there is enough room on the CD to fit all of it on there. Most significantly of the missing songs are Transformer Man and My Heart also Comes A Time, but this last song we've heard many times. The first four songs performed are in the same sequence as on the album, which lead some people to get excited and think the whole album was going to be played. Highlights: Driveby, Sleeps With Angels & Change Your Mind (19 min!) and the acoustic feedback- only Neil could do this!!!
Songs: Prime of Life, Driveby, Sleeps with Angels, Hey Hey, My My, Train of Love, Change Your Mind and Piece of Crap (w/ Eddie Vedder).
ROCKIN' WITH ANGELS (CD)- Here we have Neil and Crazy Horse doing Sleeps With Angels with electricity...er, with electric instruments. This is a benefit show for the Verde Valley School near Sedona, Arizona on 22 October 1994. Highlights include the opening jam/tuning session, which last near 5 minutes, sometimes called Arc, Change Your Mind and the closer of the show is a rare electric Helpless. This electric transformation of Crazy Horse takes place only 20 days after the legendary Bridge VIII (see above).
Songs: Arc, My Heart, Prime of Life, Driveby, Sleeps with Angels, Hey Hey, My My, Train of Love, Change Your Mind, Piece of Crap and Helpless.
ROCK `N' ROLL COWBOY (4CD)- This is an awesome set of four disks that span Neil's career from the 1965 Elektra demos to the 1993 tour. It has many unreleased songs, outtakes, and different arrangements of songs we are used to hearing. The quality varies from track to track, but on the most part it is quite good.
The set list is TOO extensive to list here, but click here to be linked to it or click here for extensive pictures..
For 1996 and 1997 boots I recommend sticking with the official release
Year Of The Horse or finding
a complete tape from the tour. Most of the 1997 tour a.k.a. H.O.R.D.E.
tour tapes are very good. They fit on a 90 minute tape and were taped
with very good and expensive equipment. In most cases you'll be just as
pleased with the tape as the CD, especially knowing you spent a lot less
money!
AFTERNOON ACOUSTIC - At some of the H.O.R.D.E. dates Neil played a short solo acoustic set shortly after the gates opened in the afternoon. To my disappoinment he did not do so at both the shows I travelled to see (Denver and Kansas City) :( These are excellent audience recordings due to the open taping policy that the H.O.R.D.E. tour embraces towards it's muscians. The first nine tracks are from Mtn. View, CA (July 11), track 10 is from Clarkston, MI (July 27), tracks 11 - 13 are from Cincinatti, OH (July 29), tracks 14 and 15 are from Colombus, OH (July 30), and the last two are from Somerset, WI (August 1).
Songs: Heart of Gold, Slow Poke, Buffalo Springfield Again, The Nedle and The Damage Done, Out On The Weekend, Long May You Run, Pocahontas, Someday, Homegrown, Comes a Time, On The Way Home, Home Fires, Everybody Knows This Is Knowhere, Too Far Gone, Throw Your Hatered Down, Give Me Strength and This Note's For You.
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