The Ducks’ High Flyin’ and Neil Young & The Santa Monica Flyers’ Somewhere Under the Rainbow due April 14th
The land of the Neil Young Archives is a fascinating place to visit. There are surprises galore and enough music to last a lifetime. For the latest two releases in the Original Bootleg Series (OBS), which both arrive April 14th, OBS 2 and OBS 6 are both available on vinyl and CD at the Greedy Hand Store at Neil Young Archives (NYA) and music retailers everywhere. Hi-res digital audio will be available at Neil Young Archives and most DSPs. All Greedy Hand Store purchases come with free hi-res digital audio downloads from the Xstream Store at NYA.
Somewhere Under The Rainbow features Neil Young with the Santa Monica Flyers, recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre in London. It is a long-cherished show that has been celebrated for its completely spontaneous and high-revved performance featuring Neil Young on vocals and guitar with the stellar band featuring Nils Lofgren on lead and rhythm guitar, piano, accordion and vocals, Ben Keith on pedal steel guitar and vocals, Billy Talbot on bass and vocals. and Ralph Molina on drums and vocals. In a night of high-wire performances and semi-unhinged sonics, the concert has taken on a mythic legend in the past 50 years. All the musicians were in a free-form state of mind and swung for the fences on every track. The double-disc album captures a sound and soul that still resonates loudly for its daring, and among Neil Young fans is an achievement that is as unconventional as it is unforgettable. Recording engineer Pete Long’s liner notes dive right into the thick of the controversial concert, and help listeners relive a place and time that won’t be repeated.
High Flyin’ is a totally unique double live album from the summer of 1977 recorded by a storied Northern California aggregation called The Ducks. It was a band that often made unannounced appearances in their own backyards at clubs like the Back Room, The Crossroads Club, The Catalyst and others, featuring Neil Young on guitar, harmonica and vocals, Bob Mosley on bass and vocals, Jeff Blackburn on guitar and vocals and Johnny Craviotto on drums and vocals. In the magical time The Ducks existed, the rumors of their shows took on a word-of-mouth excitement that made those in the small audiences feel like the chosen few and allowed bragging rights for all who were lucky enough to be there. The quartet’s set lists included songs from a wide range of the band members’ backgrounds and were often decided on the night of the shows. This new collection of those nights, as well as two evenings at the nearby Magical Devices studio have been bootlegged for decades, and High Flyin’ is now an official release many fans never thought would happen. It continues the freewheeling spirit of The Ducks themselves and shows how rock & roll surprises remain limitless.
