You are right about Neil's comments on TFA2 vs Tuscaloosa. Purely a guess, but I'm thinking TFA2 was a concept in his head or maybe just half-baked based on what he knew was available as professionally recorded, but never actually assembled, mixed, and put in the can like some of the other items that have been ready to go for years for Archives 2. And then Tuscaloosa came along, picked up steam based on the quality and his affection for the set, got fast tracked for release, and was then viewed as less time intensive to fill-in as TFA2 for the box (as in no time considering it's already been released). Yes, a bit lazy and unfortunate we're not getting another show/comp from the tour, but probably saved some money for them and fills the gap in the Archives 2 story. Again, this is just a theory.
I am worried Rust Bucket is going to be a case of the vinyl tail wagging the dog.We will get about 80 minutes worth which is what will fit on 2 lps.Given the tracks already previewed and the ones specifically mentioned that while Cortez and Love And Only Love are in a lot of the other longer songs will be out.If the film is a mirror of the album we won’t get them there either. Curse the limitations of vinyl if this is what happens.
The record of Rust Bucket is going to be a slimmed down version compared to the film. As for Time Fades Away II, it was first mentioned years ago. It's a separate album to Tuscaloosa. Neil has mentioned many times how distasteful an experience the Time Fades Away tour was, and I think that's why he ultimately chose the Tuscaloosa tape: because it vividly captures the prevailing "not in the groove...having a pretty mediocre time" mood. Musically it is grating and mostly tuneless, and Neil sings most of the songs with the enthusiasm of someone about to jump off a cliff. Songs like Alabama and even Heart Of Gold sound like they've been mauled by a wild animal. And I think that's the point. It's another bleak documentary of a rough period, just like the original Time Fades Away.
If I'm remembering correctly, I think Neil said in an old LTTE that Tuscaloosa now stands in place for TFA2, there will be no TFA2 as such.
He's confirmed that it is a separate album, but I think the possibility of it appearing in future was left open (and even if not, that doesn't necessarily mean anything from a man who changes his mind every 5 minutes).
He did, but my theory still stands though. It was an album in his head, not necessarily one with an actual tracklist or mixed and mastered like many of the discs ready to go for years in Archives 2. Which is why Tuscaloosa came along and pretty much took its place.
While I haven’t heard every CH show, I can’t imagine there being a better show in their history than that Catalyst show. It has everything you would want in a Crazy Horse show as well as crazy deep cuts.
Time Fades Away II was I think first mentioned by Neil in 2009: "One thing I'll tell you about the next volume of the Archives is that Time Fades Away II is in there. And it's interesting because the whole thing has a different drummer than what was on (Time Fades Away). I switched drummers halfway through the tour - Kenny Buttrey was in there for the first half, and Johnny Barbata came in for the second. It's a completely different thing, with completely different songs. So that's interesting. There's lots of stuff like that that I'm working on right now for the second volume." Whereas the complete Tuscaloosa tape was only mixed for release far more recently. As for the Archives as a whole, there's been a team working on all this for literally 3 decades. Not counting all the work done in the many years before an Archives release became a planned project. So pretty much every conceivable project (broadly speaking) has already been put together, in some form or another. Vol 2 has been worked on for years, along with subsequent volumes. The concept has changed multiple times. Masters have been remastered and then remastered again (and again). Hundreds or thousands of live tapes have been catalogued. There's even supposed to be an official alternate version of Arc. So all this stuff about "we just discovered this" is exciting for us and probably even true from Neil's perspective, but I'm sure Neil's (ex)-archivists and other experts like Joel Bernstein were already well aware of its existence: seeing as they have spent most of their careers working on it all.
Today in the Hearse Theater is "Get Around." Anyone know what this is? It hasn't been posted yet. EDIT: Should have just googled it before posting. The Video, GET AROUND, features ALL the music of "Fork in the Road". This long-form video runs 43 minutes and was shot on a Texas Highway between La Grange and Austin shortly before "South By Southwest" extravaganza began in Austin.
I would not be surprised if Neil has both recordings in his possession, after all they've been widely shared for decades. If Hanlon is cleaning them up, they could be, conceivably, ready for prime time and an official release. I'm assuming Neil has the SDB of the show, but the sound on those tends toward icy and brittle, so combined with the warmth and immediacy of the audience recordings... Really looking forward to the official release of this show later this year, though I truly hope it's the whole show and not some truncated version.
Per the NYA site on Sept 1, 2019 - "J. Hanlon recorded this night in a multi-track truck parked just outside the club." I don't think they need to mix in audience recordings no matter how good their quality.
The Catalyst show is the stuff of Neil & the Horse legend as far as live recordings go. They were on fire that night. I have the Feedback is Back boot and although an audience recording, I thought it captured the essence of the band's dynamic. Now, we'll have a multi-track soundboard. My walls are going to melt. But first things first, let's get through Homegrown and Archives 2.
"Young has since stated on his Archives website that "Tuscaloosa" is "as close as Time Fades Away II that we'll get." I wouldn't count on a TFA II release.
I think he was referring to distancing himself from the original 1973 album (?), which we know he dislikes. Either way, I wouldn't count on TFA2 being released either, and that's not something I'm overly disappointed about. Though I'd much prefer it in the box set as opposed to Tuscaloosa being used as a price-increasing filler disc. I think there is sometimes this idea among fans that Time Fades Away was this triumphant tour that Neil has mis-remembered in recent years and developed an unreasonable disliking for. But even interviews from 1973 show he was clearly already unhappy and wanting to fully distance himself from the experience ASAP; not that that means the music is without merit, but the tapes we've heard do mostly sound just as grim as he claims. Tuscaloosa is fascinating and evocative as a documentary of "what was happening" to him in 1973, but is also musically without a pulse. It is Neil Young in zombie mode. And as for the sound quality of Rust Bucket, you can already hear one song from it every Friday on the NYA website, including video (for the benefit of anyone out there who somehow hasn't checked it out yet).
i remember watching this on a sketchy, third party website back in the day. if i remember right, it's just neil lip synching to the fork in the road album while driving along a road.
Probably so. But for as much as Neil's mentioned it, the way they recorded the sessions back then, Id be very surprised if we didnt get some of the more notable alternative outtakes from those sessions to give us an idea of what it was like. Clearly they have more, theres fan interest in that timeframe, why not? Or maybe not...
get around, the song, is terrific. it should have been on the fork in the road album. it's wonderful to hear it so clearly!! i didn't realise there was piano in that song. i love that fork in the road album, always have and always will. it was my first new NY album, and i listened to it constantly.
Watching 'Get Around' now. I honestly didn't remember a couple of these songs. Fun little film although it worries me that they didn't put a seatbelt in the car.
Homegrown vinyl ordered I too am interested whether Rust Bucket will be another 11 song set or like Songs For Judy/Bluenote Cafe include a gigs worth of material. Fingers crossed because it's one wild setlist.
