Neil Young with Crazy Horse/UK 1987

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Birmingham performance on June 2, 1987. This live show is the only stereo soundboard recording excavated from the European tour that took place in the same year, and is loved by enthusiasts all over the world. Reflecting the fact that the number of performances decreased in the first half of the tour due to sluggish ticket sales, no items were produced in the era of analog LPs, and items themselves are rare in the first place, but among enthusiasts, the number of performances decreased from the previous year. It was a highly popular tour due to the intensity of the performances and changes in the set list that evolved from the American tour. As soon as the stereo sound board recording from this tour appeared, it was shocking. This is a valuable and shocking stereo soundboard recording, but first a press CD item called “BIRMINGHAM VACATION” appeared, and it received high praise in specialized magazines when it was first released. The excavation of the sound board sound source from the 1987 European tour had such a big impact. In general, it seems that most people listened to Birmingham with this item, but a few years later, an item called “LONG WALK HOME” appeared from overseas. What was surprising was the sound quality, and the improvement in sound quality easily surpassed that of the “BIRMINGHAM VACATION” that many people were familiar with, surprising enthusiasts around the world. However, I had the impression that the foreign-made CD-R release format backfired, and despite the excellent performance, it did not become as popular among enthusiasts as expected. The sound quality of “LONG WALK HOME” is an upper version compared to its ancestor “BIRMINGHAM VACATION”, and I think that is why it was called a timeless masterpiece. That being said, even this title was released over ten years ago. It is undeniable that such a superb sound board sound source has been overlooked among enthusiasts. It is said that the source of the sound source is Frank Sanpedro, a member of Crazy Horse, but if it is a stereo sound board recording like this, I can’t believe it is a lie. The problem is that the items that have been released so far have been copies that have gone through analog dubbing to a greater or lesser extent. Still, when “BIRMINGHAM VACATION” was released, it was praised for its high sound quality, so it can be said that it is proof of how high sound quality this sound source is. That’s why this release is coming. Our store finally obtained a direct digital copy from the master of Birmingham stereo soundboard recording. Superb clarity that even exceeds the sound quality of “LONG WALK HOME”, which was praised as the best among enthusiasts, and makes it seem as if it has been peeled back. Naturally, we have reached the point where we think we can officially release it as is! In recent years, this sound source has been spreading on music sites, etc., but frankly speaking, there is no comparison. However, since it is not a recording for a live album, the sound cracking at the beginning of the live performance, and the intro and final cut of “Drive Back”, which is presumed to have occurred during recording, are the same as before. However, since the weak cuts that entered the performance that were seen here and there in the past items have been wiped out, the version that we will release on a limited press CD this time is of perfect master quality. You should be able to feel it. Furthermore, in “LONG WALK ~”, there was a rise in pitch after the cut of “Drive Back”, but there is no such trouble this time. I swear to you, this was not an adjustment at release, it was in a stable state from the beginning. The European tour in 1987 was full of ups and downs, not only due to schedule changes due to the aforementioned crowd mobilization problem, but also riots and friction between Neil and Crazy Horse due to the introduction of new songs. It is also well known that it was a tour. However, in this Birmingham, which was the final stage of the tour, such ups and downs have converged, and it is also a big feature that you can listen to the performance at a level close to rock solid throughout the whole story. Neil plays very carefully from the big hit song “Heart Of Gold”, which is normally played smoothly, and there is something that touches my heart when listening to it. The following “See The Sky About To The Rain” is a rare number that became one of the highlights of this tour, but you can listen to its delicate performance with piano playing and singing in the best sound quality. Neil, who was probably not satisfied with the arrangement with Crazy Horse, was one of the new songs that caused friction with Crazy Horse when he tried to introduce it on this tour, but he finally performed alone here. I can’t help but think that the fact that they played it is somehow symbolic. The usual live repertoire with Crazy Horse is all played with great stability, and the unfamiliarity of the new songs is even more highlighted because of the stereo soundboard recording, which boasts an ultra-realistic sound. Unique. The definitive version of the ultra-clear sound source that captures Neil and Crazy Horse’s transition period of 1987 is finally here! This is a real stereo soundboard recording that you should listen to carefully. The NEC, Birmingham, UK 2nd June 1987 STEREO SBD(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (71:16) 1. Intro. 2. Mr. Soul 3. Cinnamon Girl 4. When You Dance I Can Really Love 5. Down By The River 6. Heart Of Gold 7. See The Sky About To Rain 8. Too Lonely 9. When Your Lonely Heart Breaks 10. Drive Back 11. Opera Star 12. Cortez The Killer 13. Sugar Mountain Disc 2 (56:20) 1 American Dream 2. Mideast Vacation 3. Long Walk Home 4. Powderfinger 5. Like A Hurricane 6. Tonight’s The Night 7. Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) Neil Young – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica Frank Sampedro – guitar, vocals Billy Talbot – bass, vocals Ralph Molina – drums, vocals STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING