NEIL YOUNG WITH BOOKER T & THE MG'S : EVENT OF THE SEASON

 

Disc One (45:31)

  1. Mr. Soul

  2. The Loner

  3. Southern Man

  4. Helpless

  5. Like a Hurricane

  6. Love to Burn

  7. Seperate Ways

Disc Two (40:49)

  1. Powderfinger

  2. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

  3. Harvest Moon

  4. Needle and the Damage Done

  5. Live to Ride

  6. Down By the River

  7. All Along the Watchtower

Label : Kiss The Stone

Venue : T/W Festival, Torhout, Belgium

Date : July 3rd, 1993

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Review : Don't believe the statement " Live in USA" on the cover of this two-disc set. In fact, this Kiss the Stone release documents the complete show of Neil Young with Booker T and the MG's at the Torhout festival in Belgium on the 3rd of July 1993.  After several attempts of the organisation to have Neil Young on the festival, he finally came to play a set in the afternoon, not with Crazy Horse, but with Booker T. & The MG's. Although it's always interesting, from a documentary point of view, to hear Neil perform with a different support band than Crazy Horse, and despite the superb, soundboard-quality recording, this concert leaves us with mixed feelings. Is it due to the "festival" context, with an audience less appreciative of Neil's music than at a "regular" show? Perhaps. In short, this set lacks "feeling." Between songs, Neil keeps quipping at the unresponsive audience ("We need some support," "Make a little noise," "Rub your girlfriend"). As for the songs themselves, they rarely "take off." That said, there are plenty of good points. First, we have the privilege of hearing Neil sing totally off-key in a disastrous first attempt at "Helpless"-which shows that he's human, after all! More seriously, some electric renditions (notably "Mr. Soul") are powerful, with Booker T and the MG's support bringing an interesting, different sound, and Neil's guitar standing much more forward in the mix than with Crazy Horse. There are also three rarities which, together with the first class sound, should cause die-hard fans to seek out this boot. "Separate Ways" is a gentle song seemingly about Neil's relationship with Zeke's mother Carrie Snodgress. A very wild "Live to Ride"-which is a straightforward piece about "a friend of mine" riding his "dream machine"-was apparently custom-made for Booker T and the MG's (the bass line and vocal harmonies sound superb) much in the way "Soul of a Woman" was originally tailored as "just a blues because I wanted to include a blues" for the 1982 Trans Band tour. And to sum it all up, an impressive (although sometimes chaotic in the solos) "All along the Watchtower," which happens to be the author's favorite "non-Neil Young song." Hearing the "master" performing it is a considerable feat!