Part of the ongoing archives project, ‘Hitchhiker’ features some of Neil Young’s best-known material in an acoustic demo style.
Most of the material has been released on live albums or in different versions over the years but it is the intimacy of this collection that really makes the collection shine.
Recorded in 1976, when Young’s songwriting was possibly at its psychedelic best, the versions here of ‘Pocahontas’, ‘Powderfinger’ and ‘Ride My Llama’ are simply unique and beautiful in their sparseness.
The inclusion of the unreleased ‘Hawaii’ and ‘Give Me Strength’, both of which have only ever surfaced on live bootleg recordings over the years will delight completest fans.
Neil Young has reached the stage of his career where his biggest competition is his own back-catalogue but he’s been clever by drip feeding gems like this from his personal archives and this release is quite possibly the most breathtaking one yet.
If you ever wondered what Neil Young would sound like playing in your living room then put this record on and close your eyes. You won’t be disappointed.
Neil Young has just added another must-have to his already extensive must-have collection.