“Coronation Hall in Omemee, Ontario, is a wonderful old theater,” Young wrote on his Archives website. “It holds memories of my family, all together in that little town. My dad played Coronation Hall once in a local show as my mother, my brother, and I sat in the audience.”
He added: “I was uncharacteristically nervous that night in 2017 playing Coronation Hall by myself for the first time and streaming to the world. Hometown is a Neil Young Archives tradition, showing every year, right here through the holidays.
“I know this time of year is going to be hard for a lot of us as we long to be with our loved ones. Our hearts go out to all of you. We send much love and a Coronation Hall quarantine ‘Comes a Time’.”
There are 12 songs on Neil Young’s new box set Archives Volume II: 1972–1976 that have never been released before in any form. One of the most beautiful is “Goodbye Christians on the Shore,” which even die-hard Young fans didn’t know existed until very recently. It’s on disc one (Everybody’s Alone 1972-1973) and Young also just posted it on YouTube along with a video.
Previously he released also a version of "The losing end when your on" . The six-and-a-half-minute version of the song was recorded and performed live with the Santa Monica Flyers at West Hollywood venue the Roxy Theater on September 22nd, 1973. He was the first artist to perform at the Sunset Strip venue. The track appears on Disc Four, Roxy: Tonight’s the Night Live, and is the only previously unreleased song on that disc.
Last week, Young shared an unheard version of “Powderfinger” from the box set.
Young has spent a lot of 2020 not only releasing unheard tracks, but he’s also been taking on Trump and tech companies and playing a series of livestream shows. Additionally, he’ll be releasing a 50th-anniversary edition of After the Gold Rush.
Neil Young also shared a previously unreleased version of 'Wonderin' from the 1970 After the Gold Rush sessions.
The song was played live throughout 1970 but wasn’t recorded until 1983’s Everybody’s Rockin’ where it took on a rockabilly vibe.
The original “Wonderin'” will appear on the 50th-anniversary edition of After the Gold Rush. According to a tweet from the Neil Young Archives, preorders for that set will begin on October 30th.
Meantime Neil's older brother Bob Young a 78-year-old former professional golfer that he picked up a guitar and wrote “Hey America” as a message of love and hope to a wounded nation.
He recorded it with a band he’s dubbed “The Peterboroughs” that includes Neil Young on harmonica and vocals, Mike Belitsky on drums, Travis Good on banjo, Ryan Weber on bass, and Melissa Pyne on fiddle and harmony vocals. (Excerpt from Rolling Stone)
“I didn’t set out to become a songwriter and singer at 78 years of age,” Bob said in a statement. “It was and is an organic event. I was watching Donald Trump on TV a couple of years ago and wrote down a few lines. When I got home, I found I could play those lines on guitar. Gradually, it became what it is now. It took a while to be able to play and sing the song from start to finish. When I could finally accomplish that, it was a victory.”
“The recording process all happened at once,” he continues. “I had never done that either. It was a band performance that had spontaneity. In another session, some vocal harmony was added, and Neil played harmonica. My perspective is simultaneously that of a participant and spectator. I am watching myself do this. All you aging baby boomers out there, give it a shot. As Yogi Berra put it, ‘It ain’t over ’til it’s over, and even then it ain’t over.’ I agree. I have more songs, all from the same creative spark.”
