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Neil Young’s Album Preview
Not only is Neil Young about to release a new live album but the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will host a preview party for the disc in Los Angeles.
Earth is the name of Young’s new album dropping June 17 via Reprise Records. The LP draws from Young’s 2015 performances with Promise Of The Real, the band featuring Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah. The tour included Young performing solo as well as partnering with Promise Of The Real for a full-fledged electric show.
But if you expect this to be simply a “concert” record, think again. Today’s announcement from Warner Bros. Records says “Earth features the live recordings, along with added musical overdubs, as well as sounds of the earth, such as city sounds like car horns, sounds of insects, and animal sounds from bears, birds, crickets, bees, horses, cows – creating a very strange, yet beautiful atmosphere.”
Young also has something to say about the new release.
Ninety-eight uninterrupted minutes long, Earth flows as a collection of 13 songs throughout my life, songs I have written about living here on our planet together. Our animal kingdom is well represented in the audience as well, and the animals, insects, birds, and mammals actually take over the performances of the songs at times.
Young’s hosting of the first public playback of Earth will take place at The Natural History Museum Los Angeles County May 6 as part of that establishment’s “First Fridays” series. Not only will it be the first listening party Young has ever hosted for any of his albums, but the evening features Earth in all its high-definition Pono glory, the custom format for his mobile player device of the same name. The evening will also be a first of its kind for the museum. Click here for more details.
Coming up one week sooner than the release of Earth is the DVD/Blu-ray arrival of two of Young’s films. First is the 1982 comedy “Human Highway” starring Russ Tamblyn, Charlotte Stewart, Dean Stockwell, Dennis Hopper and Devo.
Photo: John Davisson
Performing with Promise Of The Real at the 29th annual Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif.
The second flick is Young’s “Rust Never Sleeps” concert film documenting his 1978 tour with Crazy Horse that includes renditions of “I Am A Child,” “Cinnamon Girl” and “Like A Hurricane” as well as acoustic and electric versions of “Hey Hey, My My.” Both films will be released June 10 and are currently available for pre-ordering via Young’s online store and Amazon.