Hmmm, have you guys really listened to this? Yeah Neil has an older voice now but his soloing has gotten steadily more godlike over the years and this is more Coltrane than Clapton, folks. I don't think you'd have gotten this much imagination earlier. And he still puts the songs across with his old voice.
I must have listened to a different album. I don't think its that bad. The band clearly were underrehearsed but this forces the Horse to play off instinct and as the show goes on they do get better. No complaints with Neils vocals either, sound no better or worse than anything he's put out over the past few years. My biggest complaint is that Neil actually sounds bored in his guitar playing, whether he was just phoning it in because it was a private gig I don't know but where the searing guitar solos and noise in tracks like ****in' Up and Love and Only Love. I do like how they were experimenting with dynamics more though, certainly the most relaxed Love to Burn I've heard, and parts of Love and Only Love as well Yet again, like Before and After advertising it as an album of re-recordings is having a negative impact on its reception
Well, I listened to a little of it, and I officially have no idea why this was made. The original Ragged Glory was and remains brilliant and there's no improving on it. Obviously, it's his creative decision and all that, but boy, am I glad to live in the streaming age when I can hear something before flushing money down the toilet on it.
i ask again please ..ignoring if its good or bad how different is it to the original song structure wise?
Not very different. Basically same arrangements, based on my first listen. If that's enough to get people all hot and bothered - he's playing through a 30-year old album with Crazy Horse - that's too bad. The hard-rocking band of 80-year olds ain't what they used to be? Whatever. Instead of Poncho isn't some guy named Nils Lofgren? What a downer. I still would have killed to be at that show.
Mansion on the Hill being more piano driven is only real deviation. These are slower, sludgier versions than the studio album but that’s just how Crazy Horse are live (and have been for 30 years)
I’ve been stuck on the July 24, 2001 Timeline Concert on NYA. An amazing concert, with great stereo mix and it’s f###ing loud. Near perfect with a very interesting setlist. If you are a NYA member and haven’t heard, here is an endorsement! Neil Young
I don't think anyone's hot and bothered, so much as baffled as to why this got made. If he were redoing an album that came out badly for some reason and he wanted to revisit it, that's one thing, but Ragged Glory is one of his most well-regarded albums, and to me, it's a keeper from start to finish. I can see no reason why it needed to be re-recorded. But as far as being hot and bothered, I won't lose any sleep over it either.
Just another beautiful version of ragged. There are no airs here. He is giving us his all and absolutely rocking out.
well "over and over is 5 minutes longer ..thats fairly different am trying to decide of original buying at 50 quid .. if songs are basicity the same?
Have to give it a proper listen, but the first track didn't sound very convincing. I'd prefer he'd focus on getting Vol. III out. Or any of the dozen archives releases he's been teasing is. I struggle to see the added value of under rehearsed runthrough of a Ragged Glory when we already have the infinitely superior Weld and Rust Bucket.
I love this kind of release. There is very little better to me than sloppy (not slick) Neil and Crazy Horse! More please, Neil!
One the one hand, I get - I've personally been waiting for Ragged Glory to come out on vinyl forever. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe any Neil Young fan is truly "baffled" by it. I mean, I'm not a die-hard fan but in terms of being baffling, I'd rank it below his 3 releases of concerts from 1970, him not-releasing Homegrown back in the day, the existence of Arc and, really, most of the new material he's released roughly post-2010. Baffling releases is kind of his thing, isn't it? As to why it was re-recorded: some rich dude (the owner of Canada Goose, if that's not common knowledge) hired him to play his birthday party. I guess he also really likes Ragged Glory and asked the Horse to play it. Neil records everything. Record Store Day was coming up, so he released it. I don't know if it's also on the website but the album has a little essay in it that says (among other things), "This is what we do. It goes on too long but that's just me...Not everyone will want to hear it because it's not for everyone." Then: "In the spirit it's offered... made this for Horse lovers. I can't stop it. The horse is runnin'....I am so happy to have this to share. It is my life. Not perfect. Not always kind. Flat. Mistakes. But deep, deep love..." and so on. So if you're looking for the "why," I think it's all there.
Are you asking because it originally came out last week for Record Store Day? Today is the wide release of the album. It was an RSD first release title.
Speaking of the piano on this recording, the NYA has the following credits for who is playing piano. Country Home - Nils White Line - Nils Fu##in' Up - no piano Over And Over - Nils Love To Burn - Nils Farmer John - Micah Mansion On The Hill - Micah Days That Used To Be - Nils Love And Only Love - no piano The preview of "Cinnamon Girl" that has since disappeared has piano. No idea who is playing it, but just based on percentages probably Nils. (??)
Has it been pointed out that the NYA File Cabinet lists the tracks like this? 8 - City Life (Country Home) 7 - Feels Like A Railroad (White Line) 6 - Heart Of Steel (****in' Up) 5 - Broken Circle (Over And Over) 4 - Valley Of Hearts (Love To Burn) 3 - Farmer John 2 - Walkin' In My Place (Mansion On The Hill) 1 - To Follow One's Own Dream (Days That Used To Be) 9 - A Chance On Love (Love And Only Love) Are we 100% certain that the album was performed in order at the show? Do these numbers represent the setlist order? I submitted a question to NYA about this. If so here's the show: 1 - To Follow One's Own Dream (Days That Used To Be) 2 - Walkin' In My Place (Mansion On The Hill) 3 - Farmer John 4 - Valley Of Hearts (Love To Burn) 5 - Broken Circle (Over And Over) 6 - Heart Of Steel (****in' Up) 7 - Feels Like A Railroad (White Line) 8 - City Life (Country Home) 9 - A Chance On Love (Love And Only Love) That would make some sense with "Days That Used To Be" leading off a birthday show. It might make for a better listening experience.
Waiting for the cd to arrive. Neil sending it out to everybody who bought a ticket to the upcoming Horse shows. Streaming it on Amazon Music, great stuff.
And rightly so!...I must confess to surprise and a little disappointment that, in some quarters, Young isn't being given credit for revisiting past work, out of curiosity if nothing else, for how the material affects him (and others) now. In the case of this title, he also gets to play with a different lineup and find out what the potential is there.
White Line, Love To Burn and LAOL to my ears are top notch. It's baffling and pointless but to Neil it's worthy so that's why he released it. As stated earlier guitar tone is on point. Will revisit.
Played it earlier today. Pleasantly surprised! Crammed it up and I just let the horse run and take me away. The highlight for me: A galloping "Love and Only Love" that never seemed to stop running. Might still be running...
