The 1980s was an, ahem, ‘eclectic’ period for Neil Young. First Shakey went electronic, then quiffed up and explored his inner Carl Perkins, before hitching up the wagons and heading out Nashville way.
From this era of erratic-a comes a live album that includes something old (countrified versions of ‘Are You Ready For The Country’ and Buffalo Springfield’s ‘Flying On The Ground Is Wrong’), something new (five previously unreleased tracks), something borrowed (a cover of Joe London’s ‘It Might Have Been’), something hued (re-workings of ‘Southern Pacific’ and ‘Motor City’).
The album exudes a warm welcoming tone throughout and showcases a band perfectly in sync. You can almost see the on-stage grins and nods of approval between the musicians.
‘Flying On The Ground Is Wrong’ slopes through a soft mist and sways to tender tears. ‘Soul Of A Woman’ has a boogie-woogie-country-blues feel with fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux shredding for his life. Think Jimi Hendrix on fiddle!
The playing on this album is truly mesmerising. ‘Southern Pacific’ is an eerie thing of beauty. Its hypnotic flame sends sparks of exploration in a multitude of directions as the band burn shifting soundscapes. ‘Grey Riders’ conjures images of ghostly plains haunted by spectral cowboys and crazed horses searching for peace amid the contorted barrage and wailing of Neil Young’s guitar. A short-lived project it may have been, but in the pantheon of Neil Young’s history, the International Harvesters stand tall. Hey hey my my!