Shot 50 years ago, the earliest live footage of Neil Young gets a March release date

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By ( Classic Rock ) published

Neil Young to release Young Shakespeare, a previously unreleased 1971 live set and concert film, in March

NY 71
(Image credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)

On January 22, 1971, two months after the release of his acclaimed After The Gold Rush album, Canadian singer/songwriter Neil Young performed at The Shakespeare Theater, in Stratford, Connecticut. Filmed for German TV, the footage has never been made commercially available, but that’s set to change on March 26, when the concert film and solo live album is released as Young Shakespeare. 

As well as featuring the earliest live footage of Young known to exist, the collection will likely be of huge significance to Young completists, including, as it does, live takes on future classics Old Man, The Needle and the Damage Done, A Man Needs A Maid and Heart Of Gold, which would feature on Young’s masterful 1972 album, Harvest.

Young wrote on Neil Young Archives (NYA) that Young Shakespeare is, “a more calm performance, without the celebratory atmosphere of Massey Hall, captured live on 16mm. Young Shakespeare is a very special event. To my fans, I say this is the best ever… one of the most pure-sounding acoustic performances we have in the Archive.”

The album is available for pre-order now.

Young Shakespeare tracklist:

1. Tell Me Why
2. Old Man
3. The Needle and the Damage Done
4. Ohio
5. Dance Dance Dance
6. Cowgirl in the Sand
7. A Man Needs a Maid / Heart Of Gold
8. Journey Through the Past
9. Don’t Let It Bring You Down
10. Helpless
11. Down by the River
12. Sugar Mountain

Classic Rock
Classic Rock

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