The Sugar Mountain site shows that the Stray Gators played Tuscaloosa University on 5th Feb 1973 - it's one of the shows that they don't have a full set list for!
Just to be clear, you've missed some of his all time best releases if you've been ignoring the recent archives stuff. Hitchhiker, Roxy and songs for Judy are hard to not put into the top 10/15 NY albums period
The 'under the radar monster " comment seems a reference to something bigger than the surviving multitracks reels from the Tuscaloosa show.
This is all great/excellent stuff unless someone isn't anymore a Neil Young fan for all his own legitimate reasons. Age, change of taste etc.
I don't think they are implying they are releasing all of the TFA tapes. It doesn't say that. Hanlon says "Next up is Tuscaloosa, (under the radar monster)". I think that simply means Tuscaloosa (1973) is really good concert which has not been widely talked about as part of NYA. There have been hints of a Kenny Buttrey focused Time Fades Away release, but no one specifically mentioned Tuscaloosa until yesterday. All very good news in my book.
If it's correct the Pete Long' s research on the TFA Tour, published on Broken Arrow, only about 50 multitrack reels from the entire Tour survive in the Vaults. The rest of the existing material are the reference tapes of many shows and some PA soundboard cassettes.
Its interesting that Neil would want to put out tracks Buttery played on this tour, because Neil was on his azz constantly for not playing loud enough. So much so, that Buttery quit the tour after the Feb. 15th show in Louisville. Ironically enough, Neil released as the b-side to The War Song single, the live Stray Gators version of Last Trip To Tulas that was taken from the Feb. 18th show in Baton Rouge, new dummer Johnny Barbata's first show with the band. I know it was a tough time for Neil, and he doesnt like talking about it, but it'd be fascinating to hear what he thinks about that today. Maybe they should look to make that part of the Archives, do current interviews with Neil discussing various points in his career as supplements to what is being released. Seeing the man describe it in his own words would be gold, imo.....
I enjoyed Hitchhiker. I heard the bootleg version of Songs For Judy back in the day, just not in the mood for it at the moment. Sort of the same with Roxy, though I haven't heard that show I have heard other live stuff from that era. Maybe some time down the road. Right now I'd be interested in the TFA tour, and maybe something with The Restless ('89?) or something from Crazy Horse in '96. Anything else live from the archive... maybe I'll get round to it eventually.
How many reels per show? Is 50 reels ten shows or twenty-five? Personally I'd take the reference tapes and the soundboards, but I don't think we'll be getting them.
10 10-15 shows, but I guess that the multitracks come from all the shows, with later shows more complete, I can imagine. 2 inch tapes were re-used for the following concerts.
I wouldn't put the recent Archive releases in Neil's top 10-15, personally. How could you? You'd be choosing versions of songs you already have on the original releases and pushing out so many other Neil tunes. In the big picture, these are great releases (I too think I will really enjoy them down the road a bit) but, for instance, I'd rather have the best of the two Promise original records or especially "Peace Trail" over any of these classic live concerts. I like more different good tunes, I don't need 14 inspired versions of "Campaigner." The version from "Decade" is all I need in the big scheme.
The bootleg bernstein tapes version sounds like it was about 10 cassette generations, including one or two copied by holding a boom box in front of another boom box and recording. The new one is fantastic sounding and super clear "like you're there" Same with Roxy, that one is near reference level great sound. Tonight's the night is probably my all time favorite, and Roxy is just as good, if not better in some ways. I think of these as an alternate history - Songs for Judy is pretty much his definitive live acoustic album in my book. Kind of a stoned counterpart to Massey Hall, which is fantastic also but very different vibe and setlist wise. In no particular order listing out these albums and looking at his entire career for enjoyment these would have to rank pretty highly
Oh I agree these are high quality and very enjoyable and I will definitely appreciate them more as time passes, I'm just making a case for the importance of other songs in his catalogue. Because I've heard his 1970s awesomeness in so many examples I'm needing the best of the recent stuff to work for me to keep me glued to the Neil screen. And they do, I'm surprised at how many tunes (maybe not whole albums) I enjoy from Neil's last 18 years. I should say that I've listened to "Roxy" and "Judy" today and they are wonderful, of course.
So the infamous TFA II wasn't on the infamous Archives Vol. 2, but still in the early stages of preparation. Tim Mulligan is still working on a Ducks compilation. I'm starting to think that the planned Archives Vol.2 box set didn't include complete shows.
I don’t know what A Day at the Gallery is but it’s 41 minutes long and streaming in the hearse theatre. Think it’s to do with Americana
I haven't viewed it recently but I seem to recall that it was issued when Neil was promoting the International Harvesters band Archives Performance release of 'A Treasure'.
I fully agree. I'm hoping for more new Promise of the Real material, and Peace Trail was a nice surprise!