Monday, May 18, 2020

Neil Young previews lost 1970s album Homegrown



Neil Young is streaming “Try” as the lead track and first preview of the June 19 release of his shelved 1970s album, “Homegrown.”

“I apologize,” begins the rocker on a note to fans on his Neil Young Archives site. “This album ‘Homegrown’ should have been there for you a couple of years after ‘Harvest’. It’s the sad side of a love affair. The damage done. The heartache. I just couldn’t listen to it. I wanted to move on.

“So I kept it to myself, hidden away in the vault, on the shelf, in the back of my mind….but I should have shared it. It’s actually beautiful. That’s why I made it in the first place. Sometimes life hurts. You know what I mean. This is the one that got away.”


Recorded in analog in 1974 and early 1975, “Homegrown” was mixed at that time to original stereo analog master tapes; the original mixes have been restored by John Hanlon, and mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

“Levon Helm is drumming on some tracks, Karl T Himmel on others, Emmylou Harris singing on one, Robbie Robertson plays on one,” says Young. “‘Homegrown’ contains a narration, several acoustic solo songs never even published or heard until this release and some great songs played with a band of my friends, including Ben Keith on steel and slide, Tim Drummond on bass and Stan Szelest on piano.

“Anyway, it’s coming your way in 2020, the first release from our archive in this new decade. Come with us into 2020 as we bring you the past.”


The album is made up of twelve Young songs, of which seven are previously unreleased – including “Try,” “Separate Ways,” “Mexico,” “Kansas,” We Don’t Smoke It No More,” “Vacancy” and “Florida” (a spoken word narration). Also included are the first recordings of “Homegrown,” “White Line” and “Star Of Bethlehem” – different versions of which would all later appear on other Young albums, while “Love Is A Rose” and “Little Wing” have been previously-released on the 1977 compilation, “Decade.”

Neil Young
“Homegrown”

Release date; June 19

01 – Separate Ways
02 – Try
03 – Mexico
04 – Love Is A Rose
05 – Homegrown
06 – Florida
07 – Kansas
08 – We Don’t Smoke It No More
09 – White Line
10 – Vacancy
11 – Little Wing
12 – Star Of Bethlehem


See also:

Neil Young streams new Fireside Sessions performance
Virtual Farm Aid concert with Neil Young, John Mellencamp and more raises $500k
Neil Young debuts vintage 1971 performance of Cowgirl In The Sand
Virtual Farm Aid live concert features Neil Young, John Mellencamp and more
Search Neil Young at hennemusic