Neil Young - Live at the Cellar Door

As most of his fans are only too keenly aware, Neil Young sits on an enormous archive of unreleased studio and live material which, when the mood takes, he drip-feeds at respectable intervals. This latest live installment from “Shakey” was recorded in 1970, over a six-night stand in a Washington DC club.
It came a couple of months after his classic solo album, After The Goldrush. Featuring Young performing solo with just acoustic guitar and piano, it works well as a companion piece to the very similar Live At Massey Hall recorded just a few weeks later and released in 2007. Though both share five tracks of the 30-songs between them, Cellar Door boasts a more compelling set-list and is arguably a better sounding recording.
Young’s voice is upfront in the mix while the crispness and resonance of his strummed guitar and piano vamps and flourishes make for an engaging listen. Five songs from Goldrush feature: the wistful title-track, the folksy ‘Tell Me Why’, the underrated ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’, along with the gorgeous ballads ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ and ‘Birds’. All benefi t from the sparse arrangements and Young’s passionately intense vocals.
Other highlights include a rare piano-only version of ‘Cinnamon Girl’ from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere which, despite the absence of that familiar guitar riff, captures the essence of the tune. ‘Flying On the Ground Is Wrong’ from the Buffalo Springfield days is simply stunning, as is the lovely ‘See The Sky About To Rain’, which wouldn’t appear in recorded form until the On The Beach album in 1974. The collection also features the fi rst live performance of ‘Old Man’, a standout on next album Harvest.

Key Track: 'Cinnamon Girl'