Live at Massey Hall is the second in a long awaited, and wildly necessary Neil Young Archives series. With a career that has successfully traversed all manners of blues, rock, and country sounds it is Young’s ability to remain understated that has probably maintained his iconic songwriting presence today. And the unaccompanied 1971 performance at Massey Hall captures the intimacy of not only Young alone on guitar and piano, but the personablity of an artist that was clearly defining his staying power at the age of 26.
Young’s set list for Live at Massey Hall essentially reads like a greatest hits collection: “On The Way Home,” “Old Man,” “Ohio,” “Helpless,” “Don’t Let It Bring You Down,” “Down By The River” among others. What separates these performances of the songs is the stripped down presentation and Young’s ability to deliver just as much impact without backing harmonies and other accompaniment. The Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young classics “Helpless” and “Ohio” are most notable as Young’s earnestly unique vocal delivery compensates for any lacking moments of the group performance by simply not trying to offer any compensation at all.
Further adding to the appeal of Live at Massey Hall is the genuine charm of hearing Young introduce his now classic songs from Harvest to an unsuspecting audience as new songs he just wrote. “Heart Of Gold” is merely slipped in on piano as a bridge portion of “A Man Needs a Maid” and “Needle and Damage Done” is presented as “ . . . just a little something I wrote.” As the Massey Hall concert fell between Young’s After The Gold Rush and Harvest we are able to catch an artist in the midst of a transitional period and the tone of the songs chosen for the tour hint at that artistic shift, and even the electric hits come across as though they were always meant to be played as they are here. The lyrical narrative of “Down By The River” is more of a moody lament of murder than one might have thought from hearing the wailing electric version, and “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” leaves you bewildered with imagery.
Live at Massey Hall is not only a document of a growing and eclectic artist, but a performance by Neil Young that shows his ability to make the listener rethink a song they’ve already heard countless times (even by 1971). It’s also proof that Young could, and can, more than hold up against any songwriter of his day. Then and now. |