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Almost sixteen years after the release of Chrome Dreams II, Neil Young is finally unveiling the original, "lost" 1977 album. Featuring cover artwork by Ronnie Wood dating back to 1976, Chrome Dreams will arrive in CD, LP, and digital formats on August 11.
The dozen songs comprising Chrome Dreams were recorded between 1974 and 1976 and assembled as an acetate to consider for potential release in 1977. Ultimately, Young opted to shelve Chrome Dreams, and his lone album release for 1977 was June's American Stars 'n Bars. That LP was assembled from songs recorded during a 29-month period, many of which had been earmarked for Chrome Dreams. "Will to Love," "Star of Bethlehem" (with Emmylou Harris), and "Like a Hurricane" all appeared on American Stars 'n Bars in their Chrome Dreams versions. ("Star of Bethlehem" had first been recorded for Homegrown, originally mooted in 1975 but unreleased until 2020.) "Hold Back the Tears" was re-recorded for American Stars and "Homegrown" was remixed.
Another trio of Chrome songs would end up on 2017's Hitchhiker, an album recorded in one day (August 11, 1976) by Young and co-producer David Briggs in Malibu. Of those three recordings, "Pocahontas" was first released with overdubs on 1979's Rust Never Sleeps; the album also premiered "Powderfinger" and a new recording of "Sedan Delivery" (originally a Zuma outtake). Young held "Captain Kennedy" for the following year's Hawks and Doves.
Still other tracks from the original Chrome Dreams trickled out over the years. "Look Out for My Love" was released on 1978's Comes a Time. A re-recording of "Too Far Gone" was part of 1989's Freedom, while the Chrome rendition was selected for 2020's Neil Young Archives Vol. II: 1972-1976. That box set also premiered the Chrome recording of "Stringman," a different version of which was included on Unplugged in 1993.
All told, the August release of Chrome Dreams will officially premiere "Hold Back the Tears" and "Sedan Delivery," the latter of which is currently streaming to preview the album. "Hold Back the Tears" will follow on July 21.
Over the weekend, Neil Young opened his Coastal Tour at Hollywood's intimate John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, concentrating mainly on deep cuts. The brief tour will continue with California stops at the considerably larger Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and in San Diego, Paso Robles, and Napa as well as in Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
Chrome Dreams arrives on August 11 on 1CD, 2LPs (with three sides of music and one side with an etching), and digitally. You'll find the track listing and pre-order links below.
Neil Young, Chrome Dreams (NYA/Reprise, 2023)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
- Pocahontas
- Will to Love
- Star of Bethlehem
- Like a Hurricane
- Too Far Gone
- Hold Back the Tears
- Homegrown
- Captain Kennedy
- Stringman
- Sedan Delivery
- Powderfinger
- Look Out for My Love
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"The recording of "Pocahontas" sans overdubs also makes its official debut."
Is this not the same version that appeared on HITCHHIKER?
Correct; "Hold Back the Tears" and "Sedan Delivery" are the two previously unreleased recordings on CHROME DREAMS.
Sedan Delivery is on Live Rust
Which is a live version. There's also a 1978 (studio) re-recording on Rust Never Sleeps. This is the first release of the original 1975 (studio) recording.
Same for Hold Back The Tears. April 1977 re-recording on American Stars 'N Bars. This is the first release of the original February 1977 recording.
So in the NYA, this "Chrome Dreams", where is it placed?? In the SRS series??
SRS 06
Hmm. Do I need to get this just for two alternate versions of older songs and if I do - how likely is it this will be Disc 2 of the third archives box set and I’ll be buying it yet again like I did with Massey Hall, Live at the Fillmore, Live at the Roxy, Tuscaloosa and Homegrown? Think i’ll wait and see on this one.
"how likely is it this will be Disc 2 of the third archives box set"
Pretty unlikely, I would think, since some of these songs are already in ARCHIVES 2.
It's not in Archives 3, just like Hitchhiker & Toast are not either...which is why I just pre-ordered it...
Optional entertainment. You don't have to buy any of it. Most of Neil's archival releases are of the "same songs, different year" (and sometimes just a different night of the same week) variety, so they are virtually all redundant.
Neil is the guy who made a two-disc set out of World Record (less than an hour long?) just so he could make a miniature copy of the vinyl art. Don't ask him to save you much money.
But you could subscribe to his website for fairly cheap and hear all his music sound pretty good, so there's that option.
sure glad i dont have any interest in neil. these releases would drive me and my money nutz
And yet you're interested enough to make the same comment here that you made last month regarding the ORS Volume 5 box...
just wanted to say how much money does a collector devote to new releases with every thing else costing more and more each day. that includes the stones the dead etc that just seem to be money orinated releases, how can one keep up ?
That all depends...if you buy everything by everybody, it would be tough, yes...but me, there are a select few I do collect & Neil IS one of them...and frankly, I find collecting his stuff quite fun...not just because of the music, but also the way he organizes & puts out his Archives in different series...it plays right into my organizing tendencies...
"Star of Bethlehem" was released in 1977 on "Decade".
here comes another release live at budokan 76. cahhhhhhhh chingggggggg, when will it stop.