Neil Young Releasing 10 Track Vaulted All Acoustic LP ‘Hitchhiker’ 8/4

Neil Young will release a new studio album originally recorded in 1976 titled HITCHHIKER, which is set for release on August 4, via Reprise Records and will be available on vinyl, CD and digitally.  The 10-track all acoustic album was recorded live in the studio on August 11, ’76, at Indigo Studio’s in Malibu, CA. and contains some of Young’s best-loved songs plus two previously unreleased tracks. The original session was produced by Young’s long-time studio collaborator David Brings with new post production by John Hanlon, who has worked with Young since 1990 and produced his most recent works, Peace Trail, Earth, The Monsanto Years, etc.

As these songs were recorded in a single session the resultant performances are truly breathtaking and passionate. The simplicity of a single voice and guitar captured here are as pure and powerful as the creator intended with only Young and Briggs in the room at the time of recording. Many of the songs would not appear on vinyl until years later. The title track, for example, did not officially appear until 2010’s Le Noise and naturally sounds worlds apart from the original. The version herein of “Captain Kennedy” has certain raw spontaneity compared to the slightly gentler version that would eventually surface on Hawks & Doves in 1980.

Perhaps the most noticeable jewels in the crown of Hitchhiker are the two previously unreleased tracks which have remained in the vaults since ‘76: “Hawaii” a soaring ballad and unlike anything else Young had recorded at the time. Side one closes out with “Give Me Strength” which would be occasionally performed live in the mid-70’s but now available here for the first time and may well be considered one of Young’s best long lost gems.

 Track listing for HITCHHIKER is as follows:

 

Side One

  1. Pocahontas
  2. Powderfinger
  3. Captain Kennedy
  4. Hawaii
  5. Give Me Strength

 

Side Two

  1. Ride My Llama
  2. Hitchhiker
  3. Campaigner
  4. Human Highway
  5. The Old Country Waltz

Related Content

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter