Hitchhiker

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andymacandy
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Hitchhiker

Postby andymacandy » 08 Sep 2017, 16:47

Blimey, how good is this! Okay, so many of the songs have been re-done later, but its excellent stuff.
I've long favoured acoustic Neil over his epic guitar work outs, but this is the motherlode.
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The Slider
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby The Slider » 08 Sep 2017, 17:08

I am a little underwhelmed.
It sounds ok, but things like Powderfinger are totes undercooked.
Which of course they are - it is a bunch of one take demos, really.

The only reason it's his best album in 10 years is that it's 40 years old
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Walk In My Shadow » 08 Sep 2017, 18:44

ah! a thread exists

I just want to ask if the songs are Neil and a guitar or with acoustic back up?
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andymacandy
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby andymacandy » 09 Sep 2017, 10:29

Walk In My Shadow wrote:ah! a thread exists

I just want to ask if the songs are Neil and a guitar or with acoustic back up?

Just Neil and a guitar.
I can see John's point-hearing Powderfinger in its raw state is a step back from the electric bravado of Rust Never Sleeps, but it still works. These are great songs.
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Tactful Cactus
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Tactful Cactus » 09 Sep 2017, 10:32

Looking forward to getting it, trusted reviews have been favourable

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Pool Hall Richard
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Pool Hall Richard » 09 Sep 2017, 22:44

Ordered the vinyl, reviews very mixed, some say great, others underwhelmed. Looking forward to hearing it, perhaps should've checked the online streaming out first but what the hell.

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Mike Boom
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Mike Boom » 11 Sep 2017, 22:42

Really enjoying this - the songs are all strong and the straight acoustic treatment is all they really need, I wouldn't be without the Rust Never Sleeps versions but these songs really shine through here

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Six String
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Six String » 11 Sep 2017, 23:06

I have bought very little Neil in recent years and even though this is younger Neil, I haven't bothered even seeking out a listen little less hand over any money for it. With all the good stuff Neil supposedly has and he gives us half baked demos? WTF?
What is he waiting for? Since Archives 2 has been stillborn for years now he might as well sell off the good bits at a trickle and not bother with anything new. His muse has been leaving him at an alarming rate.
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Tactful Cactus » 17 Sep 2017, 10:02

Mike Boom wrote:Really enjoying this - the songs are all strong and the straight acoustic treatment is all they really need, I wouldn't be without the Rust Never Sleeps versions but these songs really shine through here


Yea I agree, they don't sound like definitive versions on the first few listens but I like the "blissed" performance of the whole album. There must have been alot of pot in the studio.

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andymacandy
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby andymacandy » 17 Sep 2017, 11:53

Six String wrote:he gives us half baked demos? WTF?

These are far from half-baked.For my money, this is the best thing he has released in many years.
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby clive gash » 17 Sep 2017, 12:20

It's exactly what a lapsed NY maniac would like to get their mits on (if it wasn't for the suspicion that somewhere down the line it'll be in the Archives II set).
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Snarfyguy » 18 Sep 2017, 00:26

andymacandy wrote:For my money, this is the best thing he has released in many years.

I direct you to Slider's observation upthread.
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Six String
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Six String » 18 Sep 2017, 05:44

andymacandy wrote:
Six String wrote:he gives us half baked demos? WTF?

These are far from half-baked.For my money, this is the best thing he has released in many years.



I'm going to hold off a while and maybe buy it when it's dirt cheap. I love the guy but he's been pretty disappointing in recent years. I know these are older recordings when he was on but I have so much of his music I'm not feeling the need to buy everything he tosses out to us. For all the great stuff he has in the can sitting there collecting dust he gives a thirty minute lp of demos? He has comp,ete albums from his golden period that he hasn't let out.
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby bobzilla77 » 18 Sep 2017, 20:35

I collect Neil bootlegs so of course I was anxious to hear this.

I like it quite a lot. At the same time I don't mind the term "half-baked" applied to it, because it is not a polished production in any way. Some of the takes are not even keeper takes... "Give Me Strength" has some audible mistakes and pauses where he's not sure of the lyrics. And he doesn't even bother to try again - too bad because that's the only studio version we have. And the mix is sometimes kind of strange, with the guitar overpowering the voice. I'm guessing these were on-the-fly mixes by Briggs.

I haven't read the enclosed booklet yet but from my knowledge of the timeline, I'm thinking this was recorded right after abandoning the Stills Young Band, and before he's gotten back together with Crazy Horse. Maybe all his shit is so fucked up, all his systems so destroyed by his own bad behavior, he's feeling like the only thing to do is go into the studio with a guitar and a microphone. But then before too long, he gets the Horse back together, writes some new songs, and abandons this idea to work on American Stars & Bars instead.

The only song here that I had never heard before even on bootlegs, was "Hawaii". It's a nice song about a mysterious acquaintance, but not exactly a lost treasure, even to the extent that "Mexico" and "Kansas" are.
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Pool Hall Richard
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Pool Hall Richard » 18 Sep 2017, 20:38

I like it, bit short at 33 minutes but a nice set.

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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby C » 18 Jan 2018, 20:54

Superb




.
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Re: Hitchhiker

Postby Sneelock » 18 Jan 2018, 20:56

This version of “Pochohantas” has really grown on me.
uggy poopy doody.


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