Back catalogue: Folk/Americana

Review: Neil Young returns with his latest album Before And After. Consisting of 13 tracks, the album is made up of solo and acoustic re-recordings of his most well-known songs, including 'I'm The Ocean', 'Burned', 'Homefires' and 'My Heart', establishing a nice, nostalgic throughline between the early 2020s and the late 1960s. A fresh retake, but with a nonetheless rugged, rustic feel, sure to capture the minds and hearts of old and new fans alike.

Review: Storytelling country rock titan Neil Young might have lived out his heyday penning songs that persist in cultural memory almost as stickily and earwormingly as pure folk tranmissions like "Happy Birthday", but that doesn't mean he's rested on his laurels; not one bit, in fact. True to this, Before And After comes as Young's whopping 45th studio album, sure to set new and old fans alight with glee at word of its special status as a "trip into (Young's) musical history", in the words of co-producer Lou Adler. Of course, this communicates nothing else except the fact that Young has braved both his nearly unending back-catalogue and his unheard vaults, lending choice selections from both each a fresh re-recording. The likes of 'I'm The Ocean', 'Homefires' and 'Burned' are each set aright, to the extent that Young insists that the listener experience the release in one big go, having been conceived as a single 48-minute piece, despite its divvying-up into track-length revisitations.

Review: 'We had drugs, we had booze' is what perhaps receives the biggest ovation on this live album taken from a 1976 Neil Young American tour. The 22-track album includes live recitals of all-time classics "Heart Of Gold", "After The Gold Rush" and "The Needle & The Damage Done", but sadly, no "Rockin' In The Free World" this time round. Neil Young devotees will also be pleased to learn of "No One Seems To Know", a number that has not appeared on any other official release. Just like a live concert too, the most entertaining parts of this album are usually heard between the songs, with Young joking that this could last as long as George Burns' cigar.

Review: Neil Young fans rejoice, for his fabled 'lost' album of the late 70s is finally seeing the official release that has been denied for so long. Chrome Dreams was originally compiled as an acetate to be considered for release in 1977, but it never made it to press and only existed as a widespread bootleg. A fair wedge of the songs made their way onto other Neil Young and Crazy Horse releases in other versions, but there's something special about hearing the likes of 'Hold Back The Tears' in this context, recorded as a solo acoustic affair with a rawness which lets Young's craft shine through in all its glory.

Review: Following the indignant and charged agenda of 2016's 'Peace Trail', Neil Young has changed tack in releasing this fascinating collection of unheard material. As opposed to his usual polemical protest, 'Hitchhiker' provides refreshing and necessary solace from the increasingly insane zeitgeist. Recorded over one night in 1976 with Young's then-producer David Briggs, this previously unreleased set is thoroughly engaging through its purity and presence. The closeness with which the two worked together is audible through Briggs' intimate production, and this rediscovered gem serves to prove Young's continuing relevance and could provide an engaging introduction to a new generation of fans.

Review: With Neil Young's late 60s and early to mid-70s music being so well beloved, fans are ecstatic about this release. Dume is a 16-song album (2 LPs) by Neil Young with Crazy Horse from 1975, recorded during the Zuma recording sessions. It includes tracks and outtakes from Zuma. Thus, think of it like the most complete package or extended version on Zuma. This period (just three years after Harvest) of Neil's music is some of his most productive and beloved writing in his 50+ year career. These extra tracks add not only just more music to enjoy but a unique look into the sessions as they were. The two albums are housed a beautifully packaged gatefold as well.