Joe Breen on this week's roots release

Neil Young

Dreamin' Man Live '92

****

Harvest Moon (1992) occupies a notable but not essential place in the hierarchy of Neil Young albums. Its parent, in its rustic spirit, was the key Harvest 20 years earlier, and the child, so to speak, has suffered in its shadow. These live performances of Harvest Moon’s 10 songs, which were recorded before the album was released, reveal a sensitive Young confident and convincing in the solo spotlight. After the raw power of 1990s Ragged Glory, which was Young’s fiery reponse to middle age, the languid, reflective, melodic, acoustic guitar-drenched musings of Harvest Moon surprised, and the audience’s relative quietness was no doubt because they were hearing the likes of You and Me and From Hank to Hendrix for the first time. Nevertheless, these performances have a sense of deeply personal intensity, making the collection a worthy addition to Young’s archive project. www.neilyoung.com

Download tracks: One of the These Days, From Hank to Hendrix, Unknown Legend