Search - Neil Young and Crazy Horse :: Live at the Fillmore East

Could I have some more, please?

John Miele | 12/06/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Since other reviewers have delved into specifics regarding which songs were played at the Fillmore and which should have been included, I'm not going to reiterate those details. Suffice to say that songs ranging from the classic ("The Loner," "Cinnamon Girl") to the more obscure (some Buffalo Springfield tracks), have been left off this recording. Reprise is lucky that they don't have an army of disgruntled Neil Young devotees storming their offices. But has anyone considered that their frustration could be misguided?



Actually, from what I hear, Neil Young himself is behind the release of this album, and he's planning on going through his archives personally to determine what should be released. And yes, I've heard that some songs, at least "Cinnamon Girl," no longer existed on high-quality tape. The emphasis here was clearly on giving people the best sounding material. And yes, that's admirable, but let's face it - there aren't many people out there who are going to buy this except the big fans, the ones who already have Live Rust and Weld, the ones who own all the original albums, the ones who have been begging for the release of a full show by Neil Young and Crazy Horse circa Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, while Danny Whitten was still alive. And this just doesn't cut it.



Regardless of the controversy surrounding Live at the Fillmore East, what's here is very, very good. "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" are astounding, revealing the tremendous skill of both Young and Whitten, while the shorter songs show the loose genius of Neil and the band. "Wonderin'" is an excellent version of the tune later revamped for Everybody's Rockin' in rockabilly form, and I particularly like "Winterlong." If you're a huge fan of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, by all means, pick this one up. Just know that this is going to feel like something of a missed opportunity.



By the way, I don't understand why one reviewer distinguished between Neil Young and Miles Davis on the basis of race - is that bigotry against a white musician? The two play different styles, on different instruments, with different intentions. Why in God's name does it matter which one was black and which one was white? They were/are both tremendously talented musicians, and that's why I like them both; not because of their skin color."

Just Being Difficult ...

Lawrence A. Strid | Mission Viejo, CA | 12/07/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Make no mistake about it, the music on this disc deserves a big 5 stars in terms of sound quality, musicianship, and historical significance. It is just that for the price I think they should have included the opening solo acoustic set, and at the very least the encore performance of "Cinnamon Girl", one of Neil's pivotal songs. Charge me more, but give me that. My other gripe is the packaging: the first live release of the original line-up of Crazy Horse, and no liner notes from Neil, only an excerpt from a miniscule contemporary newspaper review of the concert. In Decade, his anthology set, Neil wrote liner notes in his own hand, but there is nothing like that here. Also, the CD doesn't come in a jewel case, but in one of those paper/cardboard retro gatefolds that are supposed to recreate the way LP covers used to be. Only problem with this in the digital world is that it is awkward to remove the CD from the sleeve, and the gatefold will NEVER LIE FLAT, which makes it difficult for storage purposes. I apologize for being so petty in regard to the above. But all of that aside , this CD absolutely rocks and is indispensable if you are a Neil Young fan."

Tease

Big House | Houston, TX United States | 12/04/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing about the Neil Young "archives" since the late 1970s and waiting patiently ever since, this is what we get for the first release??? Sheesh. It's only 43 minutes long! Essentially 1/2 a disc. Sure the sound is high quality, and the performance is great, but these shows opened with a solo acoustic set. Where are any of those songs? Why no renditions of "The Loner" or "Cinnamon Girl," both of which were played in the electric set during this run? Maybe there are valid reasons for this, such as old tape problems, but there are no liner notes explaining anything about how this was put together. If -- as I fervently hope -- the next "Archive" release is from the 75 Rolling Zuma tour, PLEASE make it a 2-disc, full concert set.



By the way, the music's excellent, there just isn't nearly enough of it."