The sounds of 1971, Neil Young in his folk rock moment was in his prime. One of his best older performances was at Massey Hall in Toronto. That performance has recently been released in one of Neil Young’s Performance Series Archives releases.
It was an older simpler time. There were some songs that would not be released until one of his more recent CDs Prairie Wind. Some old classics were in there as well. To put the cherry up on top of this musical treat, it is all acoustic. It is good hearing something like this even though it goes pretty far against the mainstream of relying on electric or synthesized music.
As for live CDs it is not the best but it is not the worst. It is a compilation of good songs. There was a lot of energy in the crowd, which is always a good thing. You could noticeably hear everyone, including Young, just getting energy from the groove of the music.
It was a younger, less corrupted, more innocent time even though the age of innocence ended with the 1960s. You could still feel some of that same vibe of hope and innocence. You could also see what was wrong with the world as well in the lyrics. It is simple lyrics about simple life. Many of the same problems are still around just in different contexts. The songs even in 1971 still ring just as true now as they did back then.
Musically it is just classic Young. There is really nothing much else to say. It is the honest, slightly subdued sounds of hope, equality and attempts at staying innocent. Light and dark tones play with each other and interact beautifully. Fingerpicking and just picking using a guitar pick are pretty standard techniques heard through and through. The finger picking is a technique that is not heard all that much anymore outside of Neil Young.
It is this simple. For Neil Young fans, get it. It is worth the money and for the fans that have been listening to his music since before the 1980s will have an incredible feeling of nostalgia.