First Impressions: Early Daze by Neil Young With Crazy Horse

Archival releases are often aural Rorschach tests destined to confound casual fans and critics alike, while sending longtime devotees of the artist into a tizzy. Such is the case with Early Daze, a 10-track collection of leftovers from Neil Young’s initial run with the re-named Rockets. Neophytes and others will do better to crank Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere or whatever ad-hoc “best of” playlist the streaming services have on offer. The rest of us, however, will dig listening to all the notes, nooks and crannies.  

For folks who don’t know their Neil history: the Buffalo Springfield steamroller crashed into the same wall that most bands hit in the late spring of 1968. Neil immersed himself in solo work and, according to the Neil Young Archives, commenced recording what would become his self-titled solo debut on August 23 at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood. That same month, he also jammed with the Rockets, a local rock band with one album to its credit, at the Whiskey a Go Go. He obviously liked what he heard, as he soon recruited that band’s Danny Whitten (guitar), Billy Talbot (bass) and Ralph Molina (drums) to back him on his next project, aka Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.

Early Daze isn’t a “lost” album in the same vein as Chrome Dreams, Homegrown or Hitchhiker, however. The tracks were recorded in Los Angeles throughout 1969, candidates for something yet set. Among the gems: a rendition of “Down by the River” that was recorded on the same day (January 17, 1969) as the Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere version. It’s a little looser and less polished, but not by much. It’s an enthralling jam. “Cinnamon Girl,” recorded on March 20, is on hand, too, though in its April 1970 single/mono incarnation meant to capitalize on Neil’s then-success with CSNY. The mix features a guitar outro not heard on the EKTIN LP, which was released 11 months earlier.

“Birds,” “Everybody’s Alone” and “Wonderin’” were recorded in early August, just prior to Neil joining Crosby, Stills and Nash for their delayed debut in Chicago on the 16th; at the time, he was rocking with the Horse in the mornings at Sunset Studios and then rehearsing with CSN at Stephen Stills’s house in the afternoons. “Birds” is an alternate stereo mix of the version that wound up as the b-side on the “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” single, but not the same take that found its way onto After the Gold Rush. It’s as lovely as ever. “Everybody’s Alone” is an alternate mix of the same recording that found its way onto Neil’s mammoth-sized Archives Volume 1 set, while “Wonderin’” is a previously unreleased rendition; Neil performed it in concert with CSNY and Crazy Horse in 1969 and ’70, then left it behind until Everybody’s Rockin’ in 1983.

“Dance, Dance, Dance,” “Come On Baby, Let’s Go Downtown,” written by Whitten and Neil, and “Winterlong” hail from the same session on October 17, 1969, at Larrabee Studios. Jack Nitzsche, who worked with Neil on Buffalo Springfield’s “Expecting to Fly” as well as Neil Young, plays piano on all three. (He’s also credited as co-producer alongside Neil for “Dance” while David Briggs receives that honor on the other nine tracks.) Some fans may recognize this “Dance” version from the mammoth Archives Volume 1; the other two, however, make their official debut here. (For those folks who enjoy the weeds, “Dance” and “Downtown” are among the gems found on Crazy Horse’s non-Neil debut in 1971, while a live rendition of “Downtown” is a key track on Neil’s classic Tonight’s the Night. A redone “Winterlong” would find its way onto the Decade compilation in 1977.)   

As with “Downtown,” Whitten’s “Look at All the Things” is a solid reminder of his unfulfilled potential. Recorded the same day (October 9), Neil’s “Helpless” is as mesmerizing as ever, though the plodding arrangement is no match for the CSNY version. One can hear why Neil ported the song to the Deja Vu sessions.

Anyone who, like me, cranked bootlegs and/or traded tapes back in the day and now enjoys the timeline treats and “official bootlegs” found on the Neil Young Archives website will find much here to like. Neophytes and interested observers may also enjoy it, though it’s far from the best jumping off point to explore Neil’s canon.

The album can be streamed from the usual suspects as well as the Neil Young Archives, plus is available on CD and vinyl. I can’t speak to the CD, but the LP includes the lyrics and copious liner notes, including where and when the songs were recorded and who played what instruments, and some cool pictures.

The track listing: