Neil Young announces ‘Young Shakespeare’

Show features the earliest known live performance of Young

Neil Young is digging deep into his archives to release a show that is his earliest known performance. Young Shakespeare arrives on LP, DVD and CD, plus a numbered deluxe boxed edition that includes all three formats on March 26th via Reprise Records.Those who purchase the CD, LP or box set from the NYA Greedy Hand Store will also receive free hi-res digital audio downloads from the Xstream Store at Neil Young Archives.

Just two months after the release of his seminal After the Gold Rush, Young sat down for a performance at The Shakespeare Theater on January 22, 1971. The Stratford, CT show captures the artist stripped down to the bare essentials — acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica.

The concert was recorded for presentation on German TV later that year but was not publicly available until now. The original 50 year-old analog tapes have been lovingly restored, making available early acoustic recordings of two After the Gold Rush songs, early Harvest tunes, and beloved favorites such as “Ohio,” “Cowgirl in the Sand,” “Helpless,” “Down by the River,” and “Sugar Mountain.”

Young wrote on NYA that Young Shakespeare is, “a more calm performance, without the celebratory atmosphere of Massey Hall, captured live on 16mm. Young Shakespeare is a very special event. To my fans, I say this is the best ever…one of the most pure-sounding acoustic performances we have in the Archive.”

Fans who pre-order will receive “Tell Me Why” instantly with “Down By The River” emailed on March 10th.

CDLP | Deluxe Box

1. Tell Me Why
2. Old Man
3. The Needle and the Damage Done
4. Ohio
5. Dance Dance Dance
6. Cowgirl in the Sand
7. A Man Needs A Maid/Heart of Gold medley
8. Journey Through The Past
9. Don’t Let It Bring You Down
10. Helpless
11. Down By The River
12. Sugar Mountain

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com