Neil Young - Live at the Bottom Line, New York, May 16 1974

Three months after the 1974 opening of the New York club the Bottom Line, Neil Young gave a solo acoustic performance there that was among the more remarkable shows of his career. Even for an artist accustomed to throwing a new song or two into his concerts, this set was unusual: of the 11 songs, only one, "Helpless," had been released on record, with many of the others, including "Ambulance Blues," "On the Beach," "Roll Another Number," and "Pardon My Heart," later scattered among records like "On the Beach", "Tonight's the Night" and "Zuma". But it wasn't just the set list that made the show memorable. Usually reticent on-stage, Young was talkative and enjoyed a close interaction with the audience; he told stories, explained his feelings about his songs, even gave recipes. And he sang some of his strongest material of the mid-'70s.

Legend has it that Neil Young was at The Bottom Line to see Ry Cooder, and was so inspired by his gig that Neil followed with an off-the-cuff one-hour acoustic guest. Perhaps Neil had planned to play all along. Remember that Neil didn't tour as a solo act during 1974, though he did a brief and troubled tour with his on-again, off-again bandmates in CSNY.

This concert was released on the bootlegs "First Plane Outta Here" a.k.a. "Citizen Kane Jr. Blues".

Neil Young - The Bottom Line, New York, May 16, 1974
(256 kbps, cover art included)