NEIL YOUNG : HIPPIE DREAM

  1. Hawks and Doves

  2. Bound for Glory

  3. Southern Pacific

  4. It Might Have Been

  5. Soul of a Woman

  6. Field of Opportunity

  7. Powderfinger

  8. Down by the River

  9. If You Got Love

  10. Southern Man

  11. Like an Inca

  12. Hippie Dream

Label : Teddy Bear Records

Time : 72:03

Venue : World's Fair International Amphitheatre, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Date : September 29, 1984

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Review (Old Grey Cat) : Weighing in with eight tracks featuring the 1984-era International Harvesters, this release from Teddy Bear Records is a worthwhile addition to any Neil CD collection. "Hawks and Doves" kicks things off nicely and a Waylon-less "Bound for Glory" keeps pace with the version on, though these ears do miss Waylon's vocals. Then fiddles crank up hot and heavy riffs, punctuated only by Neil's guitar during the course of "Southern Pacific," which sounds right at home as a country song. But, of course, that's the marking of a great song: It transcends styles. "It Might Have Been" and "Soul of a Woman" follow, and both are keepers. "You can't help nobody/'less you help yourself ..." an apt philosophy, especially given the nature of the Reagan-era '80s. Say what you will about politics, rightwing, leftwing, etc., but the fact is Neil has always reflected the times. "Field of Opportunity" and "Powderfinger" are up next; "Field" is fine, right at home, and "Powderfinger" works well, too, though the electric version found on Prisoners of Rock 'n Roll is the best version of that song I've thus far come across. The International Harvester set ends with "Down by the River," which features a delicate and restrained (all things being relative) solo by Neil. The sound is, all in all, damn good, too. What follows next are three tracks from Neil & the Trans Band recorded in 1982 and one from the Rusted-Out Garage Tour with Crazy Horse in 1986. "If You Got Love," "Southern Man" and "Like an Inca" all sound good, though the sound quality isn't quite up to the level of the first eight tracks. If anything, the Trans Band was professional: nary a note out of place, etc. This meant that, for older tracks like "Southern Man," you often feel like you're listening to a recording get played back--and guess what? You are! There's a joke in there somewhere, folks. Seriously, "Like an Inca" doesn't quite match the original, studio version--but it comes close (and better sound might tip the scale in the opposite direction). The final track, "Hippie Dream," blows the official version out of the water. 

Note : The entire World's Fair concert is available on the bootleg "Down By The River".