September 13th, 2007
Neil Young is set to release a new album called Chrome Dreams II. The original Chrome Dreams was to have been released in November 1976 but it never came out. Instead the tracks found their way onto subsequent albums in one form or another over the years with “Stringman” being the last when it was part of Young’s MTV: Unplugged set. (The version of “Powderfinger” on it is amazing.) For anyone unfamiliar with Young’s career, he has six albums to his credit which were ready to go but shelved for one reason or another. These go along with dozens of songs which have never seen the light of day or only been played live. The album’s tracklising:
Beautiful Bluebird
Boxcar
Ordinary People
Shining Light
The Believer
Spirit Road
Dirty Old Man
Ever After
No Hidden Path
The Way
I’m not sure why Young sought to resurrect the Chrome Dreams title but the new album is notable for having three older songs along with seven new ones. The songs that he dusted off are: “Beautiful Bluebird”, “Boxcar”, and “Ordinary People”. The first is an outtake from his 1985 effort Old Ways. (There was also an Old Ways from 1983 which was rejected by his then label Geffen. The two are different entities.) “Box Car” was originally played in 1988 and recorded for the abandoned Times Square album of 1989. “Ordinary People” was first played around the same time as “Box Car” but I don’t believe it was ever recorded at the time. Here is “Ordinary People” in two parts:
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